Cambuskenneth Abbey dates back to the reign of David I of Scotland in the 12th century. Besides the tower, there are few visible remains of the once-grand Abbey. The most famous burial at the site is James III and Margaret of Denmark; their grave is marked by an impressive monument. In comparison, the grave of Christina McArthur Hunter is unremarkable in the extreme. The headstone is one of roughly a dozen memorials that sit south of the tower in a miniature cemetery enclosed by an iron fence. The remains of an original archway from the Abbey serve as the entrance. The Hunter family headstone sits at the eastern edge of the burial ground and is visible through the fence. Christina died on Halloween at 1 Randolph Terrace, Stirling, aged twenty-eight. She had battled influenza for ten days and pneumonia for four.
Christina McArthur Hunter was born on May 10th 1890, at 21 Wallace Street, Stirling, to William, a watchmaker, Cambuskenneth native, and Jeanie (nee Muirhead). She was the couple’s fifth child and first daughter. The family resided at 21 Wallace Street when the Census was taken the following year. They employed a live-in servant, suggesting they were a relatively affluent family.
By the 1901 Census, the Hunters had relocated to 15 Forth Place. Christina, aged ten, was attending school. Tragically, William died on February 20th, 1903, at the age of sixty. Four years later, the family would endure another tragedy with the death of Christina’s elder brother, James, aged twenty-seven.
The Hunter family later relocated to 1 Randolph Terrace. In 1911, the household size had decreased to three people: Jeanie, Christina, and her brother, John. Christina would remain at that address for the rest of her life.
John was present at her death. She was unmarried. Like many young women, any boyfriend or fiance would likely have died in battle. Her obituary was published in the Stirling Observer on Tuesday, November 5th. She was laid to rest with her father and brother. She would be joined later by her mother, John and other relatives.
Sources: Ancestry, British Newspaper Archive, Find a Grave, Historic Scotland, Scotland’s People.
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