Commemorative stone from St. Bride’s Church in Douglas

This is a significant piece of Scottish history. The image shows a commemorative stone from St. Bride’s Church in Douglas, Lanarkshire, associated with the powerful House of Douglas.

The text is written in Latin using a late medieval Blackletter (Gothic) script. Because the stone has suffered some surface erosion and uses common medieval abbreviations (scribal sigla), some characters are inferred.

Transcription (Latin)

Note: Letters in brackets are expansions of medieval abbreviations.

> [Hic] iacet d[omi]n[u]s de cordis o[mn]i[m] b[o]n[is] vinctu[s] loquutu[m]
> d[omi]n[u]s will[el]mo p[ri]mogenit[us] [et] heres d[ic]ti g[e]nuat[i]
> d[omi]m iacobi s[e]c[un]do vinct[us] de p[er]nate p[re]dictu[m] iacob[u]
> ledegeit[ur] vian[n]is et douglas archebaldus te[r]ti[us] facit[us]
> comes murreve haco g[ra]tuite comes de ianuo
> ioyes quat[ur] ge[nu]its d[omi]n[u]s de balvynaber[y] et i[n] p[ro]pria
> se llegeit[ur] ecc[lesia]m p[er] d[omi]n[um] iacobu[m] p[re]dict[um] beate
> b[ri]de d[omi]n[u]m de lobque [et] t[ra]villone fecerit iuxta ven[er]at[i]
> de vuggra et capillo s[an]ct[i] b[ri]de de douglas offi[ci]m b[e]n[e] f[er]e

Context and Summary

This inscription serves as a genealogical record for the "Black Douglases." It traces the lineage through several key figures:

* Sir William Douglas: Likely refers to the son of "Good Sir James."
* Archibald "The Grim" (3rd Earl of Douglas): Mentioned in the middle of the text.
* St. Bride (Beate Bride): The patron saint of the Douglas clan, whose kirk (church) in the village of Douglas still houses these monuments.

The stone is particularly famous for the relief above the text, which features a crowned heart. This symbol represents the heart of Robert the Bruce, which Sir James Douglas famously carried toward the Holy Land before dying in battle in Spain.

Key Observations

* The Script: The use of "u" for "v" and various suspension marks (lines over vowels) is typical for the 14th and 15th centuries.
* The Content: It acts as a "Who's Who" of the Douglas dynasty, confirming their titles as Earls of Douglas and Moray and Lords of Galloway (Balvenie/Balvynaber).