Cross-border Collaboration yields a Century of Hidden History
When Jan Long from Gloucestershire visited Ecclefechan, the birthplace of the Victorian writer Thomas Carlyle (1795 – 1881), she was dismayed to see the grave of this famous man along with those of his various family members completely neglected.An enthusiast, Jan knew that Thomas Carlyle had rejected the idea of a Knighthood and of being buried in Westminster Abbey, but desired to be interred in his hometown with his parents and family to whom he was devoted.Jan wrote to Mary Hollern of the Ecclefechan Carlyle Society asking if something could be done to restore the graves.Mary contacted the Carlyle descendants now living abroad to seek permission for programme of restoration and clearing, which was given. On the appointed day, dressed in hard hats and hi-viz jackets, both Mary and Jan (who was again visiting Scotland) began the mammoth task.
Blessed with hot and sunny weather, Mary organised for the grass to be cut and mowed around with help from a local Rotary Club and town council, and inside the fenced and gated Carlyle memorial making it accessible to complete the first phase of the project.The second operation was more difficult and involved due to the invasive nature of dreaded overgrown ivy.So clearing the briers, nettles and weeds was fairly straightforward, although hard labour! However the headstone of Jane Carlyle’s family had been so overgrown that the top ornamentation had not been visible for almost a century on account of parasitic ivy with the thickness of a tree at its base.All attempts to saw through the woody roots plant made progress slow and difficult and, without the help of members of the local community armed with chainsaws and hedge cutters, the task would have been impossible.Despite cuts and bruises and blistered fingers, finally Jan pulled the last branches of ivy from the top stone to reveal poignant carved words “In affectionate Remembrance of” and the Carlyle heraldic crest, “Humilitate” (from the Latin ‘with humility’) motto and coat of arms, last visible in 1901.Jan and Mary were delighted to engage in this cross-border collaborative project and have plans to tackle next the tomb of Sarah Carlyle.Their overall objective is to clear the whole cemetery and produce a “Who’s Who?” guide for visitors to the Ecclefechan Kirkyard, where are buried not only the famous Carlyle family but also others such as the father of Prime Minister Robert Peel and Dr Archibald Arnott, Napoleon’s St Helena physician.Jan said, “It has been a real labour of love to restore these graves and I hope the work can continue.Many great historical figures in our country are forgotten, and the way to learn about them and their massive contribution to our society is to visit sites such as the Ecclefechan graveyard with its numerous as yet untold stories.”
Thomas Carlyle was born on 4 December 1795 and his birthplace known as the Arched house, was built by his Father, James, a stonemason.The modest three-roomed house has been under the guardianship of the National Trust of Scotland since 1936.The impressive statue of Thomas Carlyle was erected in 1929. Visitors to the delightful small town of Ecclefechan are encouraged to visit the House, Statue and Kirkyard