Tullibody
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Tullibody () is a village 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 ...
of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. 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 Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic name for the ...
near to the foot of the
Ochil Hills The Ochil Hills (; ) is a range of hills in Scotland north of the River Forth, Forth valley bordered by the cities of Stirling, Perth, Scotland, Perth and the towns of Alloa, Kinross, and Auchterarder . The only major roads crossing the hil ...
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 village is southwest of Alva, northwest of
Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; , 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 some say it ceases to ...
and east-northeast of
Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...
. The village is part of the
Clackmannanshire Clackmannanshire (; ; ), or the County of Clackmannan, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, Council areas of Scotland, council area, registration counties, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland ...
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 Ac ...
. 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
ClacksWeb Retrieved 2017-07-06.


History

There are remains of human activity in the Tullibody area from
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, 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 i ...
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. It is thought that the church in Tullibody dates from the end of the fourth century and St. Serf ministered to the church in the 5th century on his journeys to Alva. Folklore states that
Kenneth MacAlpin Kenneth MacAlpin (; ; 810 – 13 February 858) or Kenneth I was King of Dál Riada (841–850), and King of the Picts (848–858), of likely Gaelic origin. According to the traditional account, he inherited the throne of Dál Riada from his fa ...
, 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 (Scottish Gaelic, Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was David I as Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 112 ...
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 neighbouri ...
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 The Lord Chancellor of Scotland, formally titled Lord High Chancellor, was an Officer of State in the Kingdom of Scotland. The Lord Chancellor was the principal Great Officer of State, the presiding officer of the Parliament of Scotland, the K ...
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 Catholic Church, the title was restored by Pope ...
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 (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
, 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. He 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 historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
. The French commander Henri Cleutin, 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, 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 , '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 imagined reality) can ...
John Adair John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the List of Governors of Kentucky, eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the United States House of Re ...
in 1681. In 1745 Stirling's
Secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
preacher Ebenezer Erskine 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, Edinburgh, Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 1 ...
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 (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...
. 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 Army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Trinidad in 1797. Rising to the rank ...
, Robert Abercromby of Airthrey and Alexander Abercromby, Lord Abercromby.


Economy

Tullibody is a former
mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
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 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, St Modan's High School,
Alloa Academy Alloa Academy is a six-year state school, state-funded school, serving the town of Alloa in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The pupil intake comes from four "feeder" primary schools, Redwell, Sunnyside, St. Mungo's and Park, and varies from a midd ...
and Alva Academy. Tullibody has seen a massive leap in education when Clackmannanshire Council in 2017-2019 spent £15 million making the new Tullibody South Campus building featuring the Tullibody library, Abercromby Primary and St. Bernadette's RC School.


Notable people

* 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 and his brother, Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, 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 (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, Bama State, or Alabama State) is a public historically Black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, during the Reconstruction era, it was one of about 180 " normal schools" established by state gove ...
. * Civil engineer Ralph Walker (1749–1824) was born in Tullibody. * Famous Robloxer Jack Hoggan (2006-Present) grew up in Tullibody.


In the arts

Tullibody Old Kirk 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 where around a third of the ministers quit the
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
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 any Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church neither defines government policy, nor accept church theology or policy definitions from the government. A f ...
in May 1843. There was a Free Church in Tullibody in the 19th century. Harvey is known to have done many studies 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 Sm ...
. 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, used in the United Kingdom. Resurrectionists in the United Kingdom, Resurrectionists had supplied schools of anatomy since the early 18th century. This was due ...
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 coi ...
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 The article is a list of links for any town, village and hamlet (place), hamlet in the Clackmannanshire Council areas of Scotland, council area of Scotland. __NOTOC__ A *Alloa, Alloa railway station, Alloa Tower *Alloa Inch *Alva, Clack ...


References

{{authority control Towns in Clackmannanshire