The Tradition of the Stone (1838)
Updated: Aug 13
In the spring of 1838, Archie Darroch and Mary Milloy’s children ranged from three to seventeen years old. In this sketch, Archie takes his family to their ancestor’s grave to instill in them “the tradition of the stone.”
On Saturday, March 10, 1838, the sun shone brightly as Archie Darroch led his family out of their house and to the church grounds. As he led them into the cemetery, he called to them over his shoulder.
“Children, I want to show you the oldest stone in the parish.”
Mary had lost count of the times she had heard this story. She first heard it eighteen years ago, when Archie mentioned “the tradition of the stone” just before their wedding. This centuries-old gravestone had a particularly strong pull on him. His bond with Clachan was not just through living relatives, but through those who had gone before.
Mary instinctively kept an eye on her children as they gathered around the large grave slab. Five-year-old Archie guided three-year-old Margaret to the front so she could have a clear view. He frequently looked after his younger sister. None of them knew that Margaret would one day repay the favor as an adult, caring for him and their mother, though on a different continent. Mary's attention then shifted back to her husband.
“I’ve shown you Mulmorich Darroch’s stone before,” he said, “but today I draw your attention to the date he died.”
The children peered at the inscription, but could not decipher the weathered characters. That did not matter, for they had heard the story so many times they knew his death date by heart.
Fifteen-year-old John spoke, “I get it. He died in 1638. It is now 1838…two hundred years since he died.”
“That’s correct, lad. Not just two hundred years, but two hundred years ago today: March 10th. The Darroch clan has a fine reputation in this parish, and the anniversary of Mulmorich’s passing is worth noting. We need to remember this stone for another two hundred years.”
This story is derived from Frank Darroch’s account of finding a note among his father’s papers describing the oldest stone in the parish. Frank stated his grandfather and great-grandfather “…must have been proud of this ancestor of theirs when the tradition of the stone was handed down in the family after they came to Canada.” [2] What does the tradition of the stone mean?
Frank went to great lengths to find this stone and revitalize its importance in the family narrative. In 1966, he travelled to Scotland and found the grave to which the note referred. It served as a catalyst for writing his red book.
The epitaph on the stone reads:
HERE LIES MULMORICH
DARROCH, PERSON, WAS IN
Kilcalmonell who died
10th March 1638 aged 63
and Served the cure
MORICUIS D HIC SITUS EST
VOCE FIDELI QUIE DOCUIT
POPULUM NUNCIA LETAS DIE
MEMENTO MORI
RENEWED BY
J. and ARCHd DARROCH
1864
As noted in the vignette, two centuries after his passing, Mulmorich's stone was eroding. The inscription "RENEWED BY J. and ARCHd DARROCH 1864" was later added when Archie's nephews, John and Archibald Darroch, had the stone restored. Colin Darroch provides insight into the mason responsible for renewing the stone, revealing a unique connection to it. In a letter from 1880, Mary (Darroch) Currie identifies Dugald Glen as the mason, and Colin has since learned he was the son of Helen Darroch, a descendant of Mulmorich. [5]
By the 1960s, the inscriptions on the grave slab were once more becoming illegible. Frank attempted to have it restored a second time, but the stone was too thin to endure another engraving.
The phrase served the cure is part of a longer expression: “to serve the cure for souls in the parish.” Essentially, this means that souls were healed through the ministry and preaching of God's word. The Latin lines have been translated to: “Here lies Maurice Darroch who faithfully taught the people the glad tidings of God. Remember death.”
The "tradition of the stone" might have initially referred to family members visiting the grave. Currently, that rarely happens, because no Darroch descendants reside near Clachan, and only a few have journeyed there to visit. In the 21st century, however, the phrase could also represent remembering and honouring our ancestors by reading and recording their stories.
Have you seen Mulmorich’s gravestone in Clachan, or know of someone who has? If so, please comment below. If you have a story or photo to share, please email me or submit it on the Submissions tab. We would love to further "the tradition of the stone" by posting your story on this website.
The next story will take us back another 200 years, to the time of Mulmorich Darroch's death.
References
[1] Photo of Mulmorich Darroch's 1638 gravestone by Keith Robertson (2011).
[2] Frank Darroch, A Darroch Family in Scotland and in Canada (1974), 20.
[3] Pat. Forbes, Considerations on the Constitution of the Church of Scotland: On the Nature, Intention and Advantages of and Established Church, Particularly of the Scottish Establishment; and on the Modes of Appointing Minsters to Vacant Parishes, Edinburgh, 1841 (p. 70). Available as an e-book on Google Books.
[4] The Latin translation is according to The Ancient Monuments of Argyll, as quoted by Frank Darroch in A Darroch Family in Scotland and in Canada (1974), 21.
[5] Colin Darroch, Searching for the Darroch Family: The possible origins, history from the 1300s and contributions they made (2021), 340.
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