Auchincruive Church
Exterior views (June 2020)
Exterior views (June 2020)
Auchincruive Church aerial view. North to the top of the page.
Auchincruive Church
Interior views (June 2020)
Interior views (June 2020)
Auchincruive Church
Funerary Hatchments (June 2020)
Funerary Hatchments (June 2020)
From the early 17th century, Funerary Hatchements were displayed over the entrance of a deceased nobleman's home for a period of between six to twelve months, after which they were taken to the local church for display. The practice followed on from the older custom of carrying the heraldic shield before the coffin.
They are depictions of a deceased person's heraldic ''achievement' - the family coat of arms and crest, together with indications of the supporters of the family and the person within a black lozenge-shaped frame generally on a black background.
The word 'hatchment' is probably a corruption of the French word 'achevement', from the verb 'achever', itself a contraction of 'chef venire' - 'to come to a head' thus, to reach a conclusion, accomplish or achieve.
These were found during restoration work in the crypt at Auchincruive church and were said to be 'very old' and something to do with the Oswald family.
The items on the first shield correspond with images of the Oswald family arms, and a likely candidate for this one is Richard Oswald (1705-1784) He is known in America as the Peacemaker for his work in drafting the peace treaty which ended the American War of Independence.
The second has elements from both the Oswald and the Haldane families and may belong to Alexander Haldane Oswald (1811-1886) MP for Ayrshire from 1843 until 1852.
They are depictions of a deceased person's heraldic ''achievement' - the family coat of arms and crest, together with indications of the supporters of the family and the person within a black lozenge-shaped frame generally on a black background.
The word 'hatchment' is probably a corruption of the French word 'achevement', from the verb 'achever', itself a contraction of 'chef venire' - 'to come to a head' thus, to reach a conclusion, accomplish or achieve.
These were found during restoration work in the crypt at Auchincruive church and were said to be 'very old' and something to do with the Oswald family.
The items on the first shield correspond with images of the Oswald family arms, and a likely candidate for this one is Richard Oswald (1705-1784) He is known in America as the Peacemaker for his work in drafting the peace treaty which ended the American War of Independence.
The second has elements from both the Oswald and the Haldane families and may belong to Alexander Haldane Oswald (1811-1886) MP for Ayrshire from 1843 until 1852.