Surprise!!!

This gravestone is in Twynholme kirkyard in Dumfries and Galloway. Twynholme is known today as the hometown of David Coulthard, the Formula One racing driver. In the 17th century however this area was known, among others, for the Covenanters, a presbyterian movement, who refused to accept that the king (James vi & i) could have any authority over the church as was the case in England where the king was seen as head of the church.
The king's main hunter and executioner of the covenanters in Dumfriesshire was Sir Thomas Grierson of Lagg of whom the local people said that his spit could scorch the ground and that he turned wine into blood. It is one of the deeds of this worthy which is remembered on this stone. The inscription continues on the reverse of the stone and the whole thing reads as follows:

Here lyes Andreu McRobert who was surprised and shot to death in the paroch of Tongland by Grier (sic) of Lagg for his adherance to Scotland's Reformed Covenants and National and Solemn League.

I should think he was surprised, I know I would be!

Actually he got off relatively lightly. On another occasion, Grierson surprised a whole congrgation who were worshipping illegally and had the whole lot executed by rolling them down a hill in spiked barrels.

Politics,eh?