“Halt!” Imagine that being shouted at you as you stand here at the Earnock Covenanter Memorial. This spot marks the graves of three Covenanters. They died here after the Battle of Bothwell Bridge. This is their memorial.
The Earnock Covenanter Memorial stands in Lady Watson Gardens. It is near Woodfoot Road in Hamilton. For many years, three Scots Pine trees marked this grave. In 1900, a storm blew one of these trees over. The wood from this tree was made into a gun cabinet. It is preserved at Ross House near Hamilton.
An article from 1874 claims more Covenanters are buried here. The article says six or seven fugitive Covenanters from the Battle of Bothwell Bridge were shot here. Royal troopers overtook them. The memorial only claims three Covenanters. The article also mentions two Scots Pines instead of three.
Sir John Watson carved a memorial in 1881. He was the first Baronet of Earnock. He bought Earnock House and Estate in 1873. The memorial was placed in Lady Watson Gardens. It was moved to Hamilton Old Parish Church in 1995 due to vandalism. An informational plaque was added between the two stones.
In 2005, John Reardon designed a cairn. It honored the three Covenanters. It was erected in Lady Watson Gardens but vandals wrecked it two years later.
A new boulder with plaque was erected by the SCMA. The original stone read something else. In 2005, the SCMA planted a third tree on the site. Rev J Loudon Melrose dedicated it. In 2006, a new memorial plaque was erected. It copied most of the original inscription. In 2017, a new tree was planted.
The memorial you see before you was erected in Lady Watson Gardens. It replaces a previous monument wrecked by vandals. Sir Simon Watson unveiled the new monument. He is the great-grandson of Sir John Watson.
The bodies of three Covenanters are buried near the Earnock Covenanter Memorial. They were fleeing from the King’s men during the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1689. The site was originally marked by a mound of earth and three Scots pines.
Duntillan Quarry donated a two-tonne stone for the latest memorial. Ian Hod transported the stone from Salsburgh to Earnock. Joseph Leckie and Sons built the wall around the monument. The Scottish Covenanters’ Memorial Association paid for the Convenanter Memorial plaque.
The council designed a landscaped area. It highlights the new memorial stone. The memorial garden has become a local area of interest. It is a historical focus for the Covenanters Community within Lanarkshire and beyond. Remember the sacrifices made here at the Earnock Covenanter Memorial. Their fight for freedom continues to inspire.