“The memory of great men is no less useful than their presence.” George, 4th Earl of Winton.

The Seton of Meldrum at Belhelvie, and Burial at St. Nathlan’s, the old Kirk of Bethelnie.

As with most historical documentation, it is kirk records which afford us most of the information we have on medieval Belhelvie. The parson of Belhelvie became a prebend of Aberdeen cathedral when Richard Pottocht appointed him as such in 1256.

This meant that a prebend’s manse was built near the Bishop's Palace in Old Aberdeen, opposite the main entrance to the churchyard where the principal of Aberdeen University is now housed. It was built by George Seton, parson of Belhelvie, whose coat of arms was displayed in the wall. His manse recorded as: "is in a great house, opposite to the publick stile of St. Machar's church, and built by George Seton, parson of Belhelvie; witnest his name, armorial-coat, three roses, and a crescent; and for his crest, a cardinal's cap with its tresses yet to be seen...".

The old Kirk of Belhelvie, called St. Nathlan's, still has boundary wall and gate piers : The enclosure is situated a little to one side of a farm track and is bounded on four sides by a rubble wall of field stones, some sections of which require to be built up. The Old Kirk : Bethelnie was dedicated to St. Nathlan or St. Nechtan and was the old parish kirk until it transferred to Meldrum in 1684.

Nothing now remains of the old kirk within the disused kirkyard. Tombstones : It is impossible to state whether or not there are any recumbent tombstones within the yard as it is completely overgrown with weeds. There are two mid-19th - century wrought –iron enclosures within the yard, both overgrown with ivy and their rails rusting.

There is the remains of the Meldrum mausoleum, a square granite coursed rubble-built roofless enclosure with a plaque above the entrance door stating “Beneath this building rests the remains of many generations of Meldrums, Setons and Urquharts, from AD 1236 to 1863. The door to the enclosure is completely rotten and needs to be replaced.

The floor of the mausoleum is filled with debris. Interpretative Potential : Medium. The kirkyard is historically interesting with regard to the Christian settlement of Meldrum and its associations with three of the major families in the N.E.. The Meldrum enclosure is certainly pre 18th -century in date. The view S. is spectacular. Access is difficult as the site is located off the main Old Meldrum to Banff road and is found by following a narrow country road up a hill. There is no actual parking for cars.

The Seton's of Mounie Castle Burials

The estate of the 2nd Seton's of Mounie, is situated 3 miles north west of Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, was again in the hands of the Seton family from 1714 until 1970, when Mounie Castle was sold and the family papers deposited in Aberdeen University Library.

St. Colm’s Kirk, Daviot Parish Kirkyard :

The Boundary wall and gate piers are in a reasonable state of repair though the entire boundary wall needs re-pointed and harled. The Old Kirk, with dated lintel of 1789, built with dark granite walls and lighter coloured dressings, is in good order throughout. The kirk is lit by three long round-arched windows on the S. façade. There are a few missing slates on the S. flank of the roof. Tombstones : There are approximately 33 recumbent tombstones, none of which are decorated.

There are over one hundred upright tombstones from the 18th - and 19th - centuries. There exists, a little to the r.h.s. of the path, a small slate memorial to Mary Elisa Gordon who died on the 15 Dec. 1711. This small and charming memorial, with Latin inscription, nestles to the side of another memorial and is unsecured.

The Neo-Classical Seton of Mounie enclosure to the rear of the yard is in a reasonable state of repair though it would benefit from being reharled, the weeds removed and the original gates painted to preserve them. The Neo-Greek MacKenzie of Glack enclosure with good acroteria corners is in a deplorable condition. The main white marble tablet is broken and thrown to one side, though could be put back in its rightful position. The two polished pink granite tombstones internally have been pushed over and could be re-erected. The ridiculous lean-to built in a corner of the enclosure should be removed as it is situated in a wholly unsuitably place. The original gate must be painted to preserve it. The Shepherd memorial, to the rear of the yard, is overgrown with ivy and elderflower and one side of the small enclosure wall is collapsing. These weeds need to be removed and the enclosure wall rebuilt.

All of the recumbent stones need to be brushed urgently and the grass should be lifted when cut. The various enclosures listed above require a good deal of attention as they are good examples of their type.

The Seton's of Pitmedden and Udny Burials

There was a chapel of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ's Kirk of Udny. The parish of Udny was erected and disjoined from Ellon, Logie-Buchan, Tarves and Foveran on 19th December 1597, and in 1605 a church of greater size was built to replace Christ's Kirk. A new church built in 1821 was renovated in 1883 (Scott et al 1915-61).

 
All that remains of the church dedicated Christ's Kirk is a small portion of the walls, now used as a vault (ONB 1868). (The Ordnance Survey Name Book [ONB] may be referring here to the 1605 church built to replace Christ's Kirk.)
Name Book 1868; H Scott et al 1915-61.

No trace of the church. There is no evidence of the early building in the burial vaults. The burial ground has been extended and is still in use.
Visited by OS (RL) 5 April 1972.

Nothing can be seen of this church and the burial ground in which it stood remains in use.
Visited by RCAHMS (ATW, JRS), 29 January 1997.