Thirty minutes from the centre of Edinburgh, across the spectacular Forth
Bridges, lies Dunfermline. Here, you will find 'Dunfermline Abbey' the large
Benedictine Abbey which was founded by King David I of Scotland in 1128.
There is a tradition that the mother of Sir William Wallace was buried in the
Abbey's old churchyard, on the spot where the present Thorn Tree is growing, but
how she came to die there history doesn't say. It is added that her son wished
afterwards to erect a monument to her memory, but in pursuit of, of flight from
his enemies, he had not time to do so, and as a substitute, he planted a Thorn
Tree.
This book has recorded the burying places 'from where the Thorn Tree stands
on its little mound in its Northern part of the Church yard'. It is arranged
chronologically by year, it includes an index for easy reference.
Example entry from 1763:
Adam Low Linen Manufacturer in Dunfermline got a Burying place of Two Grave
Rooms near the South East Corner of the Church Yard bounded on the South by that
of Robert Low Merchant in Dunfermline by that of John Brown Carrier in (the)
(stroked out) Touch miln on the North, and by vacant Ground on the West and
East.
