NENTHORN
The church of Naithansthirn, now known as Nenthorn, existed in the latter part of the 12th century. At this time, the areas of Nenthorn and Newton (or Little Newton) were included in the district now encompassed by the present parish. Both were originally chapels subordinate to the mother church of Ednam, which was itself a dependency of Coldingham until 1316. That year, Ednam and its subordinate chapels came under the possession of the monks of Kelso, where they remained until the Reformation.* In the latter part of the 12th century, Nenthorn and Newton were formed into a separate parish, with the chapel at Nenthorn becoming the parish church.
The foundations of the ancient church of Nenthorn can still be faintly traced in the center of the churchyard. A small heap of sculptured stones, salvaged from the old building, has been gathered together on the site.
The churchyard occupies a secluded and picturesque position on the north bank of the River Eden. Several old and interesting gravestones remain, many bearing inscriptions of historical significance.
On a medium-sized stone, the upper portion of which is broken away, rendering the first line of the inscription unreadable, the following words are visible:
"My saul in Hevin
My bones in Hope heir
Lyes to rest to reign
In thair Redeemer.
Ryse for Satan, sin,
The grave, death,
Hel, and al. My Savi-
our Chryst upon the
croce maid thral."
Another inscription, from a flat tombstone discovered by Mr. C. B. Balfour of Newton Don, was cleaned of its centuries-old moss and weeds, and the words were copied. The Alexander Stevisone mentioned is believed to be an ancestor of Mr. J. H. Rutherfurd, publisher in Kelso:
**"Heir lyis of
gvd memor
ie ane verie
honest
man calit
Alexander
Stevisone
qvho de
parted ye
8 day of
Ianuar ye
zeir of God
1606.
He yat be
lyveis in
me sal
have ev
erlasting
life."**
Another gravestone reads:
*"Heir lyes an honest man James Persone who decaesed May 21 age 70, 1681.
Heir lyes Margaret, daughter to John Pearsone, present tenant in Hardis Mile Place, who died the 8 of October 1688, age 17."*
On a very small, plain stone:
"Heir lyes Jenet Stevenson, spous to Wiliam Thinn, who deceased Novr 22, 1695, age 77."
On a small, sculptured stone:
"Heir lyes William Watson, Robert Watson, Jeanet Watson, children to Robert Watson, died in April 1684."
And on the other side of this stone:
"Here lies Elspeth Brown, who died in August 1688, and Mark Ker, spouse to Robert Watson in Maxwhilhewgh, dyer, who died August 15, 1702, aged 50."
On a small stone with some grotesquely sculptured figures:
"Death is not loss but rather gain
If we by dying life attain."
A similar stone bears:
"Here lies Thomas Whit, merchant, who died August 2, 1687, aged 85 years."
The upper part of the inscription was buried more than a foot below the surface of the ground. For the correct rendering of this and other inscriptions that follow, credit is given to Mr. Balfour, who, referring to the letters "M B," observes: "The initials 'M B' perhaps indicate Mary or Margaret Brounfield. Sneip is a cottage on the Mellerstain estate, close to Mellowlees."
SOURCE: The Churches And Churchyards Of Berwickshire By James Robson 1893, updated 2025 Nathan Zipfel