About the Old Scotch Graveyard
The Old Scotch Graveyard in 2023.
Seven miles west from Carthage on a high plateau sits an old cemetery, known as "The Old Scotch Graveyard," which possesses peculiar interest.
In this quiet wooded spot where majestic oaks and graceful pines lift their heads above the surrounding forest, lies the mortal remains of many of the early settlers of Moore County.
Here and there the tombs lie, many unmarked and forgotten, of our ancestors, some of whom have slept there over 200 years.
The Old Scotch Graveyard is one of the oldest graveyards in Moore County. The burial ground was established in 1775, the same year the American Revolutionary War officially got underway. Ironically, the graveyard was started by one of the earliest families to move here in 1771, Captain John Martin.
This gravesite was so popular that Scot and Irish families would bring their dead from up to 50, or more miles to bury them in this sacred place. Some of these relatives would stay at the site for days on end to celebrate the life of their loved ones, all the while enjoying their beverages. And mostly the Irish folks, would enjoy horse racing at the back of the property.
The Graveyard had suffered from disrepair due to fallen tree damage and malicious vandalism that had weathered so many of the grave’s memorial stones. The positive news is that a good many of the markers have been restored, and it’s well worth reading the interesting epitaphs and history information.
The Graveyard is approximately 2.52 acres. Per recent research it has over 130 known headstones, and of those about 8 documented burials were done in the 1700s, perhaps hundreds in the 1800s, and only 8 or so in the 1900s. Of course, there are probably many, many more undocumented burials there. The historical association plans to conduct ground penetrating sonar studies to hopefully discover more possible burials.
BTW, some have asked why it is called the “Scotch” graveyard. The likely answer is that during the 17th and 18th centuries the descriptive word ‘Scotch’ was used as an adjective to describe the Scots people; thus, the graveyard is known today as the Old Scotch Graveyard. We hope you will visit the graveyard and leave your comments.
In this quiet wooded spot where majestic oaks and graceful pines lift their heads above the surrounding forest, lies the mortal remains of many of the early settlers of Moore County.
Here and there the tombs lie, many unmarked and forgotten, of our ancestors, some of whom have slept there over 200 years.
The Old Scotch Graveyard is one of the oldest graveyards in Moore County. The burial ground was established in 1775, the same year the American Revolutionary War officially got underway. Ironically, the graveyard was started by one of the earliest families to move here in 1771, Captain John Martin.
This gravesite was so popular that Scot and Irish families would bring their dead from up to 50, or more miles to bury them in this sacred place. Some of these relatives would stay at the site for days on end to celebrate the life of their loved ones, all the while enjoying their beverages. And mostly the Irish folks, would enjoy horse racing at the back of the property.
The Graveyard had suffered from disrepair due to fallen tree damage and malicious vandalism that had weathered so many of the grave’s memorial stones. The positive news is that a good many of the markers have been restored, and it’s well worth reading the interesting epitaphs and history information.
The Graveyard is approximately 2.52 acres. Per recent research it has over 130 known headstones, and of those about 8 documented burials were done in the 1700s, perhaps hundreds in the 1800s, and only 8 or so in the 1900s. Of course, there are probably many, many more undocumented burials there. The historical association plans to conduct ground penetrating sonar studies to hopefully discover more possible burials.
BTW, some have asked why it is called the “Scotch” graveyard. The likely answer is that during the 17th and 18th centuries the descriptive word ‘Scotch’ was used as an adjective to describe the Scots people; thus, the graveyard is known today as the Old Scotch Graveyard. We hope you will visit the graveyard and leave your comments.