The Lecropt Kirk is a beautiful neo-Gothic church located on the edge of Bridge of Allan. From the churchyard, visitors can enjoy stunning views across the Forth Valley towards Abbey Craig, the Wallace Monument, Stirling City, and the Campsie Fells. Mary McKechnie is laid to rest in a family plot in the churchyard. She tragically passed away due to influenza at The Biggins on October 29th, at the age of sixteen.
Born on March 27, 1902, at The Biggins, Mary was the fourth child and second daughter of John, a labourer, and Margaret (née McLeod). By 1911, the McKechnie family still lived at The Biggins, with nine-year-old Mary attending school. The family had grown with the addition of three more daughters. By the time she died, Mary had left education and worked as a domestic servant, possibly on the nearby Keir Estate, where her father was employed.
I couldn’t find an obituary for Mary, but I can only imagine the immense heartache that John and Margaret must have felt after losing their daughter at such a tender age. Their sorrow didn’t end there, as they tragically lost two more daughters in the years that followed. Emma’s passing on June 17, 1927, due to phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis) at just 19 years old, must have been another devastating blow. Then, their youngest daughter, Charlotte, died at Stirling Royal Infirmary on February 15, 1937, at the age of 25. It’s heartbreaking to think of the family’s losses, and both Emma and Charlotte were laid to rest with Mary in Lecropt Churchyard, together in their eternal peace.
Sources: Scotland’s People
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