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The Skenes
In 1627 the lands of Auchtertool passed to John Skene, after the marriage of Barbara Forbes (daughter of William Forbes) and Andrew Skene; it began the period when the Skene family were lairds of Auchtertool.
Andrew Skene soon took up residence at Halyards, became an elder at the Kirk and represented it at the Presbytery. Initially he was a supporter of Episcopacy, but later advocated Presbyterianism. Andrew Skene became one of the Covenanters and as part of the Committee of War for Fife he accompanied the army into England. Strangely enough this led to the reward of a knighthood when King Charles I later attempted to placate his rebellious Scottish subjects. Unfortunately Sir Andrew clashed with Mr. Bell, minister of Auchtertool and there is evidence that he was not “over generous” towards the Kirk. Nevertheless, when he died in 1653 it was here that he was interred.
Andrew was succeeded by his son John who became wealthy by practising as an advocate. In 1670 he bought the estate of Grange from William Kirkcaldy and rebuilt the dwelling house there. However, presbytery records show that he too lacked generosity towards the Kirk and indeed allowed the manse to become nearly derelict. Dying in 1707, he was succeeded by his son who was also named John.
During his father’s lifetime John lived at the court of the exiled King at St Germains in France. His carelessness with money was such that when he returned his father is reputed to have exclaimed: “Sena a fule to France and he’ll come back ane Ye ha’e spent a’ your siller, and I ha’e nae mair to gi’e ye.” As Auchtertool’s new laird, John was responsible for stripping the area of its forests, a scar which has been left to the present day.
In 1713 John was succeeded by his own son (again also named John). The burden of debt was now so great that he resigned the lands to the Earl of Moray in 1715.
The Earls of Moray
The Earls of Moray were not resident landlords of Auchtertool, but instead managed the estates from a distance. Family members occupied Halyards in 1730, but by 1793 they had apparently departed; at that time the palace was reported to be a ruin. This symbolised the end of the resident proprietors in the parish and also the end of Halyards Palace itself Over the years the events surrounding the palace had shaped a great deal of the area’s history.
The Palace of Halyards
The Palace of Halyards is reputed to have once been a hunting seat of Malcolm Canmore. With the establishment of the Roman Church, Halyards became the local residence of the Bishops of Dunkeld; it remained so until the first lay proprietor took possession in 1539.
The influence that Halyards had on the parish of Auchtertool cannot be overstated. In the days of Sir James Kirkcaldy the palace witnessed dramatic events; it was visited by James V just before his death and the murder of Cardinal Beaton was very likely discussed within the palace’s walls.
In later years Halyards was home to other lairds, such as William Forbes of Craigievar and the members of the Skene family. When the Earls of Moray became lairds the palace’s name was changed to “Camilla”, perhaps in honour of the countess who bore that name. This was the beginning of a name which is well known in Auchtertool today; the only unfortunate side effect is that the original name “Halyards” is not so well known.
With the Earls of Moray living at a distance, the Palace of Halyards eventually fell into disuse. In 1819 the palace was revisited by a member of the Skene family, who found it in a dilapidated state. Unfortunately the great house was largely demolished in 1847, something which would never be allowed to happen today. The remains can still he found on neighbouring farmland about a mile from the Kirk.
Auchtertool Kirk—inside the building
Stevenson’s Aisle
The existing side-aisle at Auchtertool was built a century ago by the man who investigated so much of Auchtertool’s history. This was intended to replace an earlier aisle (of different design) which had fallen into ruins.
Although he had no training in Architecture or building, Rev. William Stevenson nevertheless designed and supervised the construction. The north wall of the church was replaced by the present arches and columns. It was while this work was taking place that ancient carved stones were discovered, which perhaps date parts of the building back to Norman times. It is not known whether Stevenson incorporated these stones back into the new walls o: whether they were instead removed elsewhere.
The coat of arms
Within Stevenson’s Aisle, there is a carved stone containing a coat of arms. This represents the families of both Mr. William Forbes (laird from 1617 to 1627) and his wife. The left hand side represents the Forbes lineage and consists of three animal heads. The right hand side of the shield represents the Udward (his wife’s) family. Notice the interesting symbols which it contains a star, crescent, wavy base, and the heads of three bears. A similar coat of arms is incorporated in the East gable outside the building.
The Crypt
The History
When a member of the Skene family visited the church and parish of Auchtertool in 1819, he was shown this crypt and informed that it was where his ancestors were buried. Reputedly the tomb had once been uncovered and about a dozen coffins were revealed inside. At that time the old side aisle had fallen into ruins and the chamber was accessed from outside the church building.
Skene reported that the arms of Forbes of Craigievar were built into the wall very close to the crypt; he suggested that this was also the tomb of the Forbes family. This might date the crypt to the beginning of the 1600’s, making it an early example of post reformation architecture.
When William Stevenson carried out his works on this part of the church, the crypt’s entrance was brought within the walls of the sanctuary. The arms of William Forbes are still near the crypt, but they must have been moved (at the time of the new aisle’s construction) from the North wall, to the wall connecting the aisle and the organ loft.
The Facts
The diagram shows a plan of the crypt with approximate dimensions. Built of stone it is arched across its 3.5m width and runs like a tunnel along its 6m length. At the centre of the arch (its maximum height), the crypt is just over 2.0m high.
Stevenson reported that the original side aisle was built over the crypt. This may mean that it was of the same shape and dimensions, effectively running at right angles to the main aisle. It is possible that this was a small side-chapel which was used by the lairds.
The coffins, which were in the crypt at the time of burial, have now totally disintegrated. There are a few fragments of wood remaining and the original metal coffin handles lie in the dust. The human remains have fared only slightly better, there being about half a dozen identifiable skulls alongside skeletal remains. The other remains have been absorbed into the ground, the only testimony to their presence being discoloured patches of soil.
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