Margaret Anderson

If you look on the right-hand (south) side of the chancel, there is a rather ornate wooden plaque commemorating the life of Margaret Anderson. She died in 1941, at the grand old age of 97.

There is not a great deal on the record about Margaret. She was born on Balnacraig Farm, a large 900 acre farm near Aboyne on the 27th August 1844 to the farmer, Alexander and his wife Christina, the first of 4 children. She was baptised a fortnight later, on14th September in the local Church of Scotland. She left the farm to become a housemaid and served in that role in a number of local houses.

However, in 1861, aged 16, she is found as a visitor with Arthur Kinnear, Solicitor in Bank Buildings, Evan Street (clearly the founder of the well-known local firm). Coincidentally, next door , 37 Evan Street, was the Rectory of St James, occupied at that time by Revd John Comper. Quite why Margaret came to Stonehaven and converted some 20 years later to Episcopalianism is unknown.

Some 23 years later, in 1884, now aged 40, she is recorded as the Proprietor of Belmont House (at the top of Belmont Brae) which appears to have been an inn, with stabling for horses. One assumes that, if they were coaching horses, they left their coaches at the foot of the Brae! Unfortunately, it would appear that the census enumerator was not told there was an occupied building there, and so there has never been a census record for who was living with Margaret. All we have is the Valuation Roll for the building, showing her as the Proprietor.

Margaret stayed in Belmont House for the rest of her life, and during this time was a faithful worshipper at St James. She died there after a fall which fractured her neck. Judging by the quality of the plaque, created under wartime conditions, Margaret Anderson, was a much valued and sorely missed member of St James.