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V. ST NINIAN'S E COLLEGIATSUBURBTH D AN , E E CHURCTH P O H HOLY TRINITY, FOUNDED AT EDINBURGH BY QUEEN MARY OF GUELDRES, THE WIDOW OF JAMES II., IN 1462. BY DANIEL WILSON, LL.D., HON. MEM. S.A. SCOT.J Thirty-six years havw elapseno e d sinc e demolitioth e e th f o n Collegiate Churc e Holth f yho Trinity, founde t Edinburga d Maryy b h of Gueldres widowethe , d Quee Jamenof s II. 1462in ,recentl On . y drawing the attention of a young Edinburgh architect, who was passing through Canada, to a sketch of the ancient church as an object of interest to him, I was startled by his replying, " Ah ! that was before my time." It is even so. A new generation is fast taking the place of those who demolished, as well as of those who strove in vain to avert the destructio e venerablth f o n e structuree zealouth f O s .grou f o p antiquaries, mostly old and valued personal friends, who assembled withi s wallit n tak o t s remaine e searc royae th th par th r n hi f fo lt o s foundress, on the 22nd of May 1848, under the direction of H.M. Board of Works,—including David Laing, Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Eobert Chambers . TurnbullD . , D W . .B , Cosmo Innes, Joseph Robertson, George Harvey, John Hill Burton, James Drummond, Jame SimpsonY. s and , John Goodsir,—I find myself now the sole survivor. Other and no less zealous antiquaries have assumed their duties, and are advancing archselogical research in new fields of investigation, in full harmony with tho disclosures of kindred sciences; but to most of the labourers in this 1 This paper was read at the meeting of the Society held March 12, 1883, but the printing has been delayed on account of the woodcuts. COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY. 129 good work the chronicles and chartularies of Ecd&ria Collegiata Sancte Trinitalis de Edinburgh call up no more definite idea than those of the old Kirk of Field, printed alongside of them in the Bannatyne Club volume of Charters of the Collegiate Churches of Mid-Lothian, as those of Ecelesia Collegiata Beate Marie virginis e Canvpisd e Edinburgh.d T,he founder of the latter is unknown, and its ruin dates from 1562, when " the hale bigging sumtyme callit the Kirk of Field, baith auld and now, with kirkyard, lugingis, &c.," were sold by its provost, for the sum of "one thousand pounds Soots,e magistrateth o "t Edinburghf so r fo , the purposes of the new University. The Kirk of Field still stood roofless and dilapidated when, on the f Februaro h 9t ye nigh th 1566-7 f o t e s housprovosit th , f s o e wa t murdee th d f Darnleyblowo ran , nup e worthles th , s husban f Queedo n Mary, was effected by Bothwell and his accomplices. But to its association with that historic tragedy is due the preservation of such a memoria Collegiate th f o l e Churc enables a h stils su realiso t l somn ei e degree the aspect of the ancient ecclesiastical structure. A rough but spirited sketch, illustrative of the locality and the incident barbaroue th f so s assassination, appear havo t s e been executed e informatio th e tim r th fo t ea f Queeno n Elizabet e Lordth f d so an h Council. This has remained ever since in the custody of the State Pape furnishew r no Office e d solth an se , surviving e recorth f o d buildin Ladr f "o gOu y Kir f Field,ko site f whic"th eo s beehha p na propriated for upwards of three centuries to the uses of the University. No such appalling historic tragedy marked the destruction of the royal foundatio f Queeo n n Mare prosai f th Gueldreso y e ar c r useno o t ;s whic s s sitbeeit hha e n applie a railwa s a d y station calculateo t d perpetuate such an interest in it as pertains to that of the University of Edinburgh, toward e foundinth s f whico g h Robert Reid, Bishof o p Orkney,—on e ambassadorth f o e Frenc th o t sh Cour n 1558i t n o , the occasion of Queen Mary's marriage to the Dauphin,—bequeathed the first contribution of 8000 merks. But it seems fitting that a historical memorial of the fifteenth century should not be allowed to be swept away without some effort to preserve as definite a record as can be secured, to enable future generations to know what it really was; VOL. XVIII. I 130 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY', JANUARY 14, 1884. and as I already find myself almost the last survivor of the Fellows of this Societ tor activan eywho eeffort the par averto in st destrucits t - tion, some accoun s actuait f o t l appearanc architecturad ean l detaily sma not bo unacceptable from me. The condition of architecture and the kindred arts in Scotland in. the reign of James III. has an important bearinhistoricae th n o g l incident s erad henchi an ;e f character so eth - istics of the royal foundation of the Queen Mother have a special value. e churchOth f e ,earlies th whic s wa th specime e ecclesiasticath f o n l architectur reigns abl m hi contributo a t ef I eo , eseriea illustrationsf so , both general views and details, which may possibly include materials no longer recoverable from other sources. Owine actuae delath th n yo gi t l demolition of the building, consequent on the persistent efforts of this Societ avero yt s threateneit t d fate Railwae th , y Company proceedeo dt clear awa e surroundinyth g houses. Thubriea r fsfo perio e anciendth t structur s exposeewa o viewt d , unencumbere buildingy b d s whicd ha h long concealed some of its most striking features ; and was probably seen to greater advantage than at any previous period since its erection (fig. 1). I availed e advantagemyselth f o f s thus afforde r makingfo d careful sketche doomee th f so d structure I hav d e an ;accordingl pleasure yth e of submittin consideratioe th o gt e Societth f no y drawing earliese th f so t Collegiate Church founded at Edinburgh, from points of view which may enable the formo t mtruea rs mai it ide f nao features than coule db done from any engravings of it hitherto published. proceedinge probabls th o t wa e t I ydu sestablishmene taketh r nfo f o t the royal foundation of Mary of Gueldres, for which a papal bull was issue Piuy db s II. n 1460i , , that thfe citizens were stimulate havo dt e their ancient parochial church—or as it is styled in the charter of Preston of Gortoun, in 1454, "cure mother kirk of Sant Gele of Edynburgh,"—raise e dignit th a Collegiat o f t o dy e Churche Th . charter f erectioo s confirmatiod nan longeo n e nar r extantroyae th t l bu ; consent, granted at the request of the magistrates and citizens of Edinburgh, for its erection into a collegiate institution, is dated the 28t f Octobeho r 1466. e siteTh e Collegiatchoseth r fo n e Churc e Holth f yho Trinits ywa the low ground outside the city gate styled the Leith Wynd Port, or at COLLEGIATE CHURCE HOLTH YF O HTK1NITY . 131 Fig. 1. Trinity College Church, Choir. 132 PROCEEDINGS OF. THE SOCIETY, JANUARY 14, 1884. earlien a r date t Andrew'S , s Port, whor subura e growd bha , calle nup d fro n ancienma t chapes nortit n ho l side t JSTiniansS , d whican ;s hha now well-nigh vanished, along wite Collegiatth h e Church whicn i h 1462 took the place of the more ancient chapel. Not, indeed, that it occupie e actuath d e t chapelNlnianth S sit f f o r thaeo l fo ,t stood considerably .to the north, and its ruined walls only finally disappeared 1814n i clearinn i , groune erectioe gth th Waterloe r th df fo n o o Bridge. olden I n intn e sixteenttimeso th o d an , h century e suburbath , n village t oN"inianS f s subjece abbotth wa s o f Holyroot o ts d thean d canons of their ancient a burghlicenc n I e. grante n i 1654d y Boberb , t Stewart, Abbot of Holyrood, "for augmentatioun of dyuiric service at ano biggie alteb o t rt withi r sayou nd abbay, quhare Sanct Crispind oan Crispiniane, yer patronis, sail stand," it is ordered that " ye Cordinaris dwelland withi r regalitnou e besyd r chapeleou f Sanco l t Niniane, out- with Sanct Andrews Port, besyde Edinburch, "n brotherhoo i shal o b l d d fellowshian p wit e Deacoth h d Masteran n f tho se Canongate craft.1 t thiBu s fellowshi e Cordwainerth f o p t KiniaiiS f o s s appear havo t s o been transferre a subsequen t da t date from their brethre e Burgth f no h of Holyroo e Edinburgth o t d hs apparenGuildwa s a ,t from the inscription which latterly graced their hall. " The Shoemaker's Land," o re Cordwainer th Hal f o le subur t th NirtiarisS f f o so b , stood imme- diately to the north of Trinity College Church.

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