by Alexander Ogilvie, who died in 1554, and his second wife, Elizabeth Gordon.
There was a chaplainry in the church dedicated to St. Ann. This foundation, with the name of the founder and other particulars, are recorded by inscriptions cut upon different parts of the south aisle or transept.[1] "The first quoted inscription is from the arch of a recess tomb on the west side of the aisle. It is carved in raised and prettily formed capitals, and accompanied by a craftsman's mark.
"IHON · HAY · LORD · OF · FORESTBON̄ · AZ̄E · & · TOLIBOVIL· GVDSIR · TO ELEN · HAY · Y^t · BIGIT · YIS · ILE · LEFT · A · CHAPLARI · HEIR · TO · SING PERSONALI · OF · HIS · LĀDIS · OF · ORDIHVF."
The places named in the above inscription were received by Alexander Seton of Gordon (first Earl of Huntly) through his marriage with the heiress of Sir John Hay of Tilibody. "It was probably John's son, David Hay, who, about 1390-1406, had a charter from Robert III. of the place of Cullen."
"The next quoted inscription not only presents the important and interesting facts of the name of the chaplainry, the extent of the gift, and the services required, but also the names of the founder of the chaplainry and the persons to be prayed for, together with those in whom the patronage of the living was to be vested after the decease of the heirs of the donor. It is carved round the arch of the large window of the south aisle, in the same style as the above inscription.
"SANT · ANIS · CHAPLAN · HEIR · DOTAT · Y^t · 35 (?]?) ACRE · GVD · CROFT LĀD · IN · CULĀ · & · TENEMENTIS · SAL · BE · A · GVDE · SINGAR · OF · HALI LIF · BVT · ODIR · SERVICE · & · DAELI · RESIDENT · TO · PRAIE · FOR · ELEN HAY · · HER · BARNIS · HIS · FYIV · DŌRS · AT · GIFT · OF · ION · DUF · & HIS · ARIS · OF · MADAVAT · & · FALING · YAROF · AT · GIFT · OF · YE · BALZEIS AND COMUNITIE · OF · COLĀ."
The words PER · ELENA · HAY are carved upon the lower side of one of the stones of the arch of the south window. Upon the west side of the arch is this notice of the building of the aisle:—
"· · · ELENGE · HAY · IŌN · DUFFIS · MODR · OF · MALDAVAT · YAT · MAID YIS · ISLE · YE · CHAPLANRI. · · ·"
The two inscriptions last quoted "show that Elen Hay was mother of John Hay of Muldavit, who died in 1404, to whom, until 1792, there was a recumbent effigy in the recess tomb in the south aisle at Cullen, also an inscribed slab with a rudely engraved figure in armour."
The entrance to St. Ann's Chapel from the main church is by an arch with pilasters and capitals, and below the caps of the west pilaster are the words ME · MĒTO · MORI, and on the east DISCE · MORI. Below the last
- ↑ For information regarding the inscriptions in this church, we are indebted to a paper by the late Mr. Andrew Jervise in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Vol. IX. p. 278.
