Tullibody ( gd, Tulach Bòide), is a town set in the
Central Lowlands
The Central Lowlands, sometimes called the Midland Valley or Central Valley, is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and t ...
of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It lies north of the
River Forth
The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Gaelic name for the upper reach of th ...
near to the foot of the
Ochil Hills
The Ochil Hills (; gd, Monadh Ochail is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross, Auchterarder and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/ Gl ...
within the
Forth Valley
The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Gaelic name for the upper reach of t ...
. The town is south-west of
Alva, north-west of
Alloa
Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; educated Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; gd, Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where ...
and east-northeast of
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
. The town is part of the
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire (; sco, Clackmannanshire; gd, Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn) is a historic county, council area, registration county and Lieutenancy area in Scotland, bordering the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth & Kinross and the hi ...
council area {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot)
A council area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act. ...
.
According to a 2012 estimate the population of Tullibody is approximately 8,710 or 9,530 residents including the area of
Cambus.
[Population of settlements](_blank)
ClacksWeb Retrieved 2017-07-06.
History
There are remains of human activity in the Tullibody area from
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
times. On Braehead Golf Course, the green-keepers found a midden containing shell remains of mussels, scallops and cockles dating back to 4000 BC. Known as The Braehead Shell Midden it is one of the few found on the north side of the Forth. The Haer Stane, now part of Tullibody War Memorial, is said to have formed part of a circle of standing stones.
![Tullibody_from_Colsnaur_Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Tullibody_from_Colsnaur_Hill.jpg)
It is thought that the church in Tullibody dates from the end of the fourth century and
St. Serf
Saint Serf or Serbán (''Servanus'') () is a saint of Scotland. Serf was venerated in western Fife. He is called the apostle of Orkney, with less historical plausibility. Saint Serf is connected with Saint Mungo's Church near Simonburn, Northumbe ...
ministered to the church in the 5th century on his journeys to
Alva. Folklore states that
Kenneth MacAlpin
Kenneth MacAlpin ( mga, Cináed mac Ailpin, label=Medieval Gaelic, gd, Coinneach mac Ailpein, label=Modern Scottish Gaelic; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), King of the Picts (843–858), and the King ...
, King of Scots, amassed his army on Baingle Brae before he fought and subdued the Picts. He is reported to have given Tullibody its name, calling it "Tirly-bothy" meaning ''oath of the croft''. Certainly there was a standing stone on the main road to Stirling (near the Catholic Church) until the early 1900s when it is then reported to have been demolished to make ready for the road upgrading. An alternative toponymy has been suggested.
David I of Scotland
David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Modern: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 1124 and later King of Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The youngest son of Malcolm ...
was responsible for Tullibody's claim to fame when in 1149 he granted the lands and fishing rights to
Cambuskenneth Abbey
Cambuskenneth Abbey is an Augustinian monastery located on an area of land enclosed by a meander of the River Forth near Stirling in Scotland. The abbey today is largely reduced to its foundations, however its bell tower remains. The neighbouring ...
and it was then that the
Auld Kirk was erected, where it still stands today.
Hugh de Roxburgh
Hugh (or Hugo) de Roxburgh (or Hugo Cancellarius) was a late 12th century Chancellor of Scotland and bishop of Glasgow. He was rector of Tullibody and later Archdeacon of St. Andrews. He was elected to the see soon after the death of his predece ...
was the rector of Tullibody,
Chancellor of Scotland and
bishop of Glasgow
The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of the ...
in the late 12th century. A 19th century map shows the church with the Priest's Well and the Maiden Stone at the graveyard.
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
, in his attempt to subdue the Scots in 1306 reportedly tried to build a castle in Tullibody, on the hill behind the Delph Pond. As it would have been of wooden construction, no one has ever found any proof.
In January 1560,
William Kirkcaldy of Grange
Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange (c. 1520 –3 August 1573) was a Scottish politician and soldier who fought for the Scottish Reformation but ended his career holding Edinburgh castle on behalf of Mary, Queen of Scots and was hanged at the c ...
demolished part of
Tullibody bridge to delay French troops returning to
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological ...
. The French commander
Henri Cleutin
Henri Cleutin, seigneur d'Oisel et de Villeparisis (1515 – 20 June 1566), was the representative of France in Scotland from 1546 to 1560, a Gentleman of the Chamber of the King of France, and a diplomat in Rome 1564-1566 during the French Wars o ...
, known as General D'Oysel, took down the roof of the Auld Kirk to repair the bridge. Tullibody, unlike Alloa, had its own Parish Church until the start of the 17th century when it lost its superior status and Alloa became a parish in its own right. Bishop Keith said of Alloa Parish that it "swallowed up the mother church" at Tullibody. The Abercrombys made The Auld Kirk their family cemetery. In 1600 there were between four and five hundred communicant members, above the age of 16, at the church in Tullibody.
In 1645, the
Earl of Montrose Montrose may refer to:
Places Scotland
* Montrose, Angus (the original after which all others ultimately named or derived)
** Montrose Academy, the secondary school in Montrose
Australia
*Montrose, Queensland (Southern Downs Region), a locality i ...
, on the night before the
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth, fought on 15 August 1645 near Kilsyth, was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The largest battle of the conflict in Scotland, it resulted in victory for the Royalist general Montrose over the forces of ...
, encamped his forces in the woods of Tullibody. A daggered footnote in the Old Statistical Accounts suggests that Montrose was pursued by the Marquis of Lorn who probably camped at the spot now known as Lorn's Hill.
One of the earliest maps of the area was made by surveyor and
cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
John Adair
John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. A native of South Carolina, Ada ...
in 1681.
In 1745 Stirling's
Secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
preacher
Ebenezer Erskine
Ebenezer Erskine (22 June 1680 – 2 June 1754) was a Scotland, Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the First Secession, Secession Church (formed by dissenters from the Church of Scotland).
Early life
Ebenezer's father, ...
left Stirling which was under the control of the Jacobite army and preached to his people in the wood at Tullibody.
The church was rebuilt in 1760 at the cost of George Abercromby, first laird of Tullibody. A fine memorial to his father and grandfather dating from 1700 (and similar to the huge graves in
Greyfriars Kirkyard
Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...
lies against the wall of the church.
Tullibody House
An earlier house on the site was built around 1680 by a Robert Meldrum. It was purchased by the Abercrombie/Abercromby family around 1705. The fine replacement mansion house was built around 1710 by the Abercrombie family. Its second laird, George Abercrombie (1705-1800) was a major agricultural improver who co-founded the Highland Society in 1784 and applied many of his principles to his own estate. His main position was as Professor of Law at
Edinburgh University
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...
. In the 19th century the ground was turned to industry. The house was demolished around 1960.
George's sons were raised in the house and each rose to fame: Sir
Ralph Abercromby
Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British people, British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Gov ...
,
Robert Abercromby of Airthrey
General Sir Robert Abercromby (21 October 17403 November 1827), the youngest brother of Sir Ralph Abercromby, was a general in the army, Governor of Bombay and Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army and then Commander-in-Chief, India, the East I ...
and
Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby
Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby of Tullibody (1745–1795) was a Scottish advocate, judge and essayist.
Life
Abercromby was born in Tullibody House in Clackmannanshire on 15 October 1745, the fourth and youngest son of George Abercro ...
.
Economy
![Tullibody House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Tullibody_House.png)
Tullibody is a former
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
town, although neither that industry nor any other major employers have a presence in the town, with many of the residents now commuting to Stirling and Alloa to work. Historically, there was work with wool employing 30–40 people and a
tannery
Tanning may refer to:
*Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
*Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
**Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
**Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
on Alloa Road, which employed 30 to 40 men processing leather and making glue. The site near the Delph Pond, a former curling pond, was demolished, being replaced with new housing in 2017. Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, there has been a rapid expansion in housebuilding in the town, with 400 new houses built on the north side of the village in the last 5 years.
Education
The town has four primary schools – St. Bernadette's, Abercromby, Banchory and St. Serf's – with young people also attending the local high schools including
Lornshill Academy
Lornshill Academy is a six-year comprehensive school situated in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. Approximately 1030 pupils are enrolled with the school. Lornshill currently employs approximately 80 teachers and around 30 support staff. L ...
,
St Modan's High School
St Modan's Roman Catholic High School is an S1-S6 Catholic high school in Stirling, Scotland.
History
In September 1933, St Modan's High School was officially opened by Archbishop McDonald of St Andrew's and Edinburgh. It was located in Barnsda ...
,
Alloa Academy and
Alva Academy
Alva Academy is a six-year comprehensive school serving the towns and villages of Alva, Menstrie, Tillicoultry, Coalsnaughton, Devonside, Dollar and Muckhart, all in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The roll is over 900. The school is in the top ...
.
Notable people
![William Burns Paterson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/William_Burns_Paterson.png)
* Servicemen from Tullibody and Cambus include 27 men from WW1 and 16 from WW2 whose names are recorded on the Tullibody War Memorial.
*
Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby
Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby of Tullibody (1745–1795) was a Scottish advocate, judge and essayist.
Life
Abercromby was born in Tullibody House in Clackmannanshire on 15 October 1745, the fourth and youngest son of George Abercro ...
and his brother, Lieutenant-General
Sir Ralph Abercromby
Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby (7 October 173428 March 1801) was a British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ire ...
, KCB (sometimes spelled Abercrombie) (7 October 1734 – 28 March 1801) was a British lieutenant-general noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars.
*
Robert Dick
Robert Dick (January 1811 – 24 December 1866), was a Scottish geologist and botanist.
Life
He was born at Tullibody, in Clackmannanshire. His father was an officer of excise in nearby Alloa.
At the age of thirteen, after receiving a good ...
(January 1811 – 24 December 1866), geologist and botanist was born in Tullibody.
*
William Burns Paterson (9 February 1850 – 16 March 1915) founder of
Tullibody Academy and
Alabama State University
Alabama State University (ASU) is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
History
Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the Lin ...
.
* Civil engineer
Ralph Walker (1749–1824) was born in Tullibody.
In the arts
Tullibody Old Kirk
Tullibody Old Kirk is a ruined 12th-century church in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It was rebuilt in the 16th century, and restored again in 1760. The roofless building is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. In 1904, St Serf's Pa ...
is depicted in
George Harvey's famous work of 1848 Quitting the Manse. The work is rarely on display due to bad bitumen damage caused by Harvey's experiments with varnish. The subject of the painting is a minister and his wife leaving their home in a national event known as
The Disruption
Disruption, disruptive, or disrupted may refer to:
Business
*Creative disruption, disruption concept in a creative context, introduced in 1992 by TBWA's chairman Jean-Marie Dru
*Disruptive innovation, Clayton Christensen's theory of industry disr ...
where around a third of the ministers quit the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
protesting that congregations must be able to choose their own minister. This was often done at considerable personal sacrifice as they left their salaries, their homes and sometimes their congregations to set up the
Free Church
A free church is a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church does not define government policy, and a free church does not accept church theology or policy definitions fr ...
in May 1843. There was a Free Church in Tullibody in the 19th century. Harvey is known to have done many
studies
Study or studies may refer to:
General
* Education
**Higher education
* Clinical trial
* Experiment
* Observational study
* Research
* Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning
Other
* Study (art), a drawing or series of drawin ...
for his paintings and Tullibody Church is owned by the
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, formerly The Smith Institute, is an art and local history museum in Stirling, Scotland. The museum was founded in 1874 at the bequest of artist Thomas Stuart Smith.
History
Founding
Thomas Stuart Smi ...
.
There are at three poems relating to The Maiden's Stone.
One is a three-part poem called "The Maid of Myreton; A Tale of Tullibody". The subject of the poem is a parish priest Peter Beaton who fell in love with Martha, the only child of Wishart, the laird of Myreton. The affair did not end well with her dying of a broken heart but leaving a letter for her father:
The letter opened, and thereon was wrote
What sort of tomb she wished, the place and spot.
"Place me," it ran, "in coffin made of stone.
Nor tree plant near, nor earth be laid thereon,
And let the distance be about a perch
Before the middle entrance of the church,
So that false Beaton, passing out and in.
May see the relic of his pride and sin."
He saw it not, already he had fled;
Another priest read service o'er the dead;
And those who sought him, sought him all in vain.
He ne'er was seen by living man again.
Long, long the church was wrapt in silent gloom,
The door built up that faced the Maiden's Tomb;
The tomb lies open, empty, broken, marred,
In ancient Tullibody's quiet graveyard.
There is also a longer poem about the same subject called "The Maiden's Stone of Tullibody". A third, much shorter, poem called Martha of Myreton comes sandwiched between a poem about the same graveyard and another entitled Tullibody which repeatedly describes Tullibody as sweet.
Tullibody, as well as having a famous stone coffin, is also recorded to have had an iron coffin case as an attempt to thwart local body-snatchers. These deterrents were known as
mortsafe
A mortsafe or mortcage was a construction designed to protect graves from disturbance and used in the United Kingdom. Resurrectionists and Night Doctors had supplied schools of anatomy since the early 18th century. This was due to the necessity ...
s.
Punch magazine
''Punch, or The London Charivari'' was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and wood-engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 1850s, when it helped to coin ...
ran a poem about an eagle, which threatened a baby in its pram, which could not be diverted even when offered three different kinds of biscuit.
A song is recorded in the same volume, called "Gently rising Tullibody" which praises the town and Abercromby's military victory in Egypt over the French. Yet another poem which mentions Tullibody is from the same book and involves a dialogue between a Besom Cadger and a Fisherwoman. The title is Causey Courtship.
See also
*
List of places in Clackmannanshire
''Map of places in Clackmannanshire compiled from this list''
The article is a list of links for any town, village, hamlet, castle, golf course, historic house, hillfort, lighthouse, nature reserve, reservoir, river, and other place of interest ...
References
{{authority control
Towns in Clackmannanshire