Skull and Crossbones on a gravestone

[lavadragon]

I have an interest in history and have spent may an hour wandering through my village looking at its history. One day when walking through the ruined church's graveyard i uncovered an gravestone marked by the classic symbol for death etc. a skull and crossbones. I thought about what it meant but was totally stumped as i could not think of why a grave was marked with it, especially in a church graveyard. I payed a visit to the local archives but to no avail, there was very little about this gravestone in the archive documents. I would really like to know why this grave was marked in this way. The grave is very worn but i could just about make it out to be 18th-19th century

[jminelly]

Yes these are known templar symbols but more likely later than that era..

There are a number on old gravestones at a 12C preceptory in West Lothian (Torphican). Also, in low relief, several stones with jewish Menorah! This does have some masonic significance but is a direct link also to Solomons Temple- any comments?

[annlynn9]

The Scots have always been a very spiritual people, and the skull and crossbones were used on gravestones to remind those who see them of their own mortality. Gravestones with these symbols can be seen all over Scotland. The earliest one I know of bears the date 1645 and is near Edinburgh. The person whose grave it is, William Lin of Linsmill, was a Presbyterian Covenanter.