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Investigating Melrose Abbey

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Investigating Melrose Abbey Melrose Abbey is one of the most beautiful of all Scotland’s abbeys. Its INVESTIGatinG tranquil setting at the foot of the Eildon Hills gives little MElrosE ABBEY hint of the turbulent events which took place here. Information for Teachers investigating historic sites HISTORIC SCOTLAND education Melrose Abbey 2 Historical background of this wealth stemmed from donations from pious nobles, investing heavily in The story of Melrose abbey begins the afterlife, but much of it came from Timeline more than 1,300 years ago and about the wool trade. At its height in the 14th 650 St Aidan founds 4km to the east of its present setting. century, the monks of Melrose owned Mailros monastery at Old Around 650 AD monks from Lindisfarne 15,000 sheep, one of the biggest flocks Melrose established a monastery within a turn in Britain. 839 Old Melrose of the River Tweed, at a place known destroyed by Kenneth as Mailros. At that time this was part of The peaceful round of prayer came to MacAlpin the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria. an abrupt end in 1296 when Scotland 1136 Cistercian monks The young St Cuthbert entered the was invaded by Edward I. The abbey from Rievaulx set up new monastery, becoming its prior before was sacked by Edward II in 1322, rebuilt monastery on site of becoming prior of Lindisfarne in 664. with the assistance of Robert the Bruce modern Melrose Only traces of this original abbey and was again destroyed by Richard 1296 Edward I invades remain; most of it was destroyed in 839 II in 1357. Rebuilding this time was Scotland by Kenneth MacAlpin, King of the Scots. supported in part by the same Richard II 1322 Edward II’s army who had caused the destruction. Around 1136 David I invited monks sacks Melrose; Robert Rebuilding continued into the 16th the Bruce helps monks from the English abbey of Rievaulx rebuild abbey to set up the first Cistercian abbey in century, though the status of the abbey Scotland. They selected a new site not was by this time in decline. After the 1331 Bruce’s heart buried abbey was damaged during the ‘Rough in abbey church far from Mailros which later became known as Melrose. Assisted by lay Wooing’ raids of the 1540’s, there was 1385 Richard II of brothers with the manual work, the little commitment to rebuild. By the England invades Scotland time of the Reformation in 1560 only following attack; Melrose monks slowly established the abbey and destroyed their lives within its cloister. a handful of monks remained; the last monk, Dan Jo Watson, died in 1590. The 1389 Richard II assists Although the Cistercian order was abbey lands were gradually sold off and financially with rebuilding characterised by austerity and poverty, by 1810 not even the church was in use 1544 Melrose attacked Melrose quickly became one of the any more. by English as part of the wealthiest institutions in Scotland. Part ‘Rough Wooing’ 1560 The Reformation 1590 Last monk dies 1610 Monks’ choir converted for use as parish church HISTORIC SCOTLAND education Melrose Abbey 3 Before the visit Working on site • It would be helpful if pupils had Pupils should be encouraged to look Supporting learning an idea of some of the key terms for physical evidence. In addition to the and teaching relating to abbey buildings and life points for discussion included in this e.g. monastery, monk, abbot, lay pack, useful starting points are: Appropriate field trips are brothers, nave, tower, cloister, an essential element of • What materials were used to altar, chapter, chapel, Reformation, delivering 5-14 Guidelines construct the abbey? Where did they Mass, tomb. These and other for Environmental Studies: come from? Why have some survived terms could be collated into a class Social Subjects People in and not others? the Past. A visit to Melrose dictionary. Abbey would be particularly • How was the abbey protected • The abbey has changed dramatically appropriate for teachers against intruders? over the years. Discuss with pupils working on topics such as how and why buildings change. • Can you see any ways in which the • The Middle Ages Discuss how wind and weather abbey has changed? • The Reformation can affect a building as well as the • What evidence is there for daily life? deliberate destruction following the As well as providing a Pupils can record evidence by taking Reformation. context for developing notes, sketching, taking photographs, skills and attitudes, a visit • The role and extent of the power recording impressions into a tape supports the delivery of the Church in medieval times is recorder. of all Knowledge and hard for today’s children to grasp. On the Historic Scotland website: Understanding strands from Research into everyday life at this levels B-E: www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ time will help show its influence education_unit teachers can find • People, events and – for example, the paying of teinds additional resources to help with work societies in the past or tithes to the local church. on site. These include compiling an • Change and continuity, • Discuss and research what it would Evidence Record and a My Impressions cause and effect have been like to live in a monastery Record. • Time and historical or convent. Investigate the everyday sequence lives of monks and nuns. Further Suggestions for follow-up work • The nature of historical information can be found on the Following the visit pupils can pool their evidence accompanying fact file. If possible, findings in groups to create a fuller make contact with a contemporary record of the abbey and the lives of As the Curriculum for monk or nun to discuss how they Excellence develops, it is the people who worked there. This live today and what their motivation clear that site visits such could form the basis for a range of as that outlined here are is. presentation activities, for example: ideally placed to assist in • Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of • A poster, leaflet or guide book for the delivery of the four the time scale by making a time future visitors capacities underpinning the line with them, counting back the • A slide show with commentary of curriculum, i.e. developing: centuries and then marking on key their visit • successful learners events. This could be added to after • confident individuals the visit. • Imaginative writing based on the lives of the monks at the abbey. • responsible citizens • effective contributors HISTORIC SCOTLAND education Melrose Abbey 4 and the monarch. Below him were Monk Fact File a number of other office bearers, Daily Programme known as the obedientaries. The Prior was responsible for the day to 0130 Prayers followed Who were the monks of Melrose by sung service Abbey? day organization and discipline of the Nocturns monastery. Below him were other office 0330 Matins prayers. The monastery at Melrose Abbey was bearers with other responsibilities as Back to bed. a Cistercian monastery. This order of follows: Sacristan – church furnishings; 0600 Prime prayers monk was founded at Citeaux in France Precentor – church services: Cellarar – first mass of the in 1098. Cistercian monks lived very – food, drink and fuel; Kitchener – day simply and humbly, often in remote cooking; Fraterer – the running of Meeting in chapter places. Monks were usually adults who the refectory, crockery, table linen; house to read a entered the order of their own free will Chamberlain – housekeeping including chapter from St and tended to come from better-off care for clothes; Almoner – distribution Benedict’s Rule local families. The majority spent their of charity to the needy. Other jobs Book ,to hear entire lives within the abbey, devoting included responsibility for the sick, confession of sins; themselves to a formal round of worship visitors, the church treasures and so and to sort out and abbey works. To start a monastery work for the day. on. Within the monastery there also Spiritual work there had to be thirteen monks, lived between 20 and 40 lay brethren, followed the representing Christ and the twelve who were the working members of the meeting. disciples, sent out from another abbey community and took on many of the 0800 Terce prayers and and accompanied by ten lay brothers. roles of servants and workmen. sung mass They lived communally, following What did the monks do all day? 0900 Reading strictly the rules set out by St Benedict 1130 Sext prayers in the 6th century. The monks dedicated A monk’s life was dedicated to serving 1200 Main meal of the their lives to opus dei – the work of god, god and his day was structured around a day. Rest and a ceaseless round of prayer and, at least programme of prayers and services. You private prayer. in the early days, of manual labour. They can see their daily programme in the 1430 None prayers. lived a life of poverty, chastity and strict table on the left. Physical work obedience to the rules of the order. The 1730 Supper Second only in importance to prayer abbey itself, however, became wealthy 1800 Vespers was the daily Chapter meeting. At on the back of sheep farming and wool 1930 Light supper, this meeting, monks read a chapter exports. The monks themselves wore followed by from St Benedict’s Rule, the 6th rough, undyed white ‘habits’ and so Compline service. century guidebook for a monastic life. 2015 Bed time were often known as the white monks. Any administrative issues were also How was the monastery discussed here and monks were able to organised? confess and be disciplined accordingly. At the head of the monastery was Work ranged from gardening and the Abbot, responsible for the farming to copying manuscripts.
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