Brisbane Aisle
| Brisbane Aisle | |
|
Ayrshire | |
|---|---|
 The Brisbane Aisle, Largs | |
| Type: | Mausoleum vault |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NS22026594 |
| Location: | 55°47’41"N, 4°52’8"W |
| History | |
| Mausoleum vault | |
| Information | |
The Brisbane Aisle is a small 17th century free-standing burial vault, built for the Shaws of Kelsoland (alias Brisbane) which in the grounds of the Largs Old Kirk in Largs, Ayrshire.
No longer used for additional burials, the Aisle stands alone in the kirkyard and is protected as a Category A listed structure.[1]
History
The Brisbane Aisle was built for the Shaws of Kelsoland and became the burial vault of the Brisbane family at some time after 1695. The date '1634' is inscribed on a heraldic datestone at the east side of the structure, above a sealed portal. A heraldic panel is inscribed with "P.S" and "I.S", indicating the Shaws of Kelsoland. An armorial device with mullets (stars) for the Shaw and annulets (rings) for the Montgomeries of Braidstone is present. A carved armorial device on the west side carries the initials "P.S./I.M./I.S".[1][2] Amongst those interred within the aisle is Major-General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet GCH, GCB, FRS, FRSE (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860) a British soldier, colonial governor and astronomer, from whom the City of Brisbane in Queensland is named.
Description
The aisle is small and rectangular in plan, gabled, with finely squared ashlar masonry, bolection moulding at the wallhead, and cavetto moulded skewputts and apex stones. The east-facing gable carries 19th-century exterior wall-mounted marble memorial panels with block pediments. The striking slab roof is at a lower pitch than the steeply-pitched gable ends, probably as a result of repairs.[1]
The Skelmorlie Aisle
To the east of the Brisbane Aisle is the Skelmorlie Aisle, also a Category A listed building and containing a notable monument built by a local landowner, Sir Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie Castle, seventh laird of Skelmorlie as a burial site for himself and his wife, Dame Margaret Douglas.[3] This aisle was added to the old kirk (church) of Largs in 1636. It is in the care of Historic Scotland.
Access
Admission to the Brisbane Aisle is free; both the kirkyard and museum are open from late May to early September from 2.00pm to 5.00pm.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Brisbane Aisle) |
References
- Archaeological Collections of Ayrshire and Wigton (1989) vol 6