DOCSLIB.ORG

Investigating Place in Scotland’S History

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Investigating Place in Scotland’S History The abbey and royal palace at Dunfermline hold a key INVESTIGATING place in Scotland’s history. DUNFERMLINE ABBEY Information for Teachers investigating historic sites DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 2 The abbey and royal palace at but monastic life was already in decline Dunfermline hold a key place in by the time of the Reformation in 1560. Scotland’s history. Royal burial Timeline In the early days of the Reformation, ground, 12th-century church, much of the abbey was sacked. By 1570, 1070 Malcolm III marries towering palace, holy shrine; this Margaret at Dunfermline however, work had begun to remodel varied and interesting site is an the abbey church as a new parish 1070s Margaret invites excellent source of evidence for a church; it was re-roofed and the ancient monks from Canterbury range of historical studies. to set up Benedictine church walls were shored up with priory Historical background massive flying buttresses. 1128 David I elevates After marrying Malcolm III in an earlier The abbey guesthouse had long been a priory to abbey; royal residence but in the 1590s major rebuilding church in 1070, Queen Margaret invited a group of Benedictine monks from rebuilding work began. Queen Anna, 1093 Margaret dies and is Canterbury to set up Scotland’s first wife of James VI was the driving force buried in abbey alongside behind this; her son, Charles I was born Malcolm Benedictine monastic community at Dunfermline. This priory was extended here. From 1603, with the union of the 1250 Margaret canonised and developed by her son, David I as crowns, however, the Scottish court as saint; new chapel built effectively moved to England and the for her relics a tribute to her and became an abbey after 1128. The church was consecrated palace was last used by royalty in 1651 1303 Invasion of Edward in 1150 and a century later was by Charles II. I of England; domestic buildings destroyed extended to include a shrine to the In 1817 work began on a new parish newly canonised St Margaret. 1329 Robert the Bruce church. During the building, a body was buried at Dunfermline Supported financially by the Crown, discovered which was identified as that of Robert the Bruce; this timely find was 1560 Building ransacked the Benedictine monks at Dunfermline by Protestants carried out their daily round of prayer celebrated by incorporating his name in and the works of god in peace until the top of the new church tower. 1590s Royal apartments completely remodelled the arrival of Edward I’s invading forces What can be seen today is a real for Queen Anna in 1303. He took over the abbey and mixture: elements of the original 1753 Great central tower used it as his winter base; when he left twelfth century church rub shoulders collapses he destroyed the monks’ domestic with nineteenth century additions; the buildings though left the abbey church 1819 Remains of Robert refectory of the original cloister survives the Bruce discovered untouched. Rebuilding began at once, in part as does the south wall of the during building of new aided by Robert the Bruce. Construction royal palace. church on site work continued for another 250 years 1821 New parish church completed HISTORIC SCOTLAND education DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 3 Before the visit Working on site Pupils will gain more from a visit Ideally pupils should come to the Supporting learning if they come prepared with some abbey with a sense of purpose, to background information on the investigate a particular aspect of the and teaching chosen area of study. site. They should be encouraged to A visit to Dunfermline Abbey look for physical evidence, to ‘read the • The Middle Ages: look at the role is particularly appropriate for stones’ rather than focus on reading of the church at this time, the teachers working on class study information panels. In addition to the organisational structure of Scotland topics such as: points for discussion in this pack, useful and some key figures (e.g. Queen starting points are: • The Middle Ages Margaret, David I, Robert the Bruce, – Monastic Life Edward I) as well as general work on • What materials were used to • Robert the Bruce and the how people lived. construct the abbey? Where did they Wars of Independence come from? Why have some parts of • Robert the Bruce and his time: look the abbey survived and not others? • St Margaret at key events of his life, the wars The Curriculum for Excellence with England and their effects on • Can you see any ways in which the aspires to motivate and challenge Scotland and on society in general. abbey has changed? pupils through a wide range of • St Margaret: look at the events • What evidence is there for daily life varied learning experiences. Site of her life, her influence on of the monks? Of royalty staying in visits have a particular role to play in joining up learning outcomes Dunfermline and Scotland, and key the palace? religious beliefs and practices of the across the curriculum. A visit, and Pupils can record evidence by taking time. use of the supporting materials, notes, sketching, taking photographs, will help to: Whatever the topic, it would aid recording impressions into a tape • develop successful learners by discussion on site if pupils had an idea recorder. challenging pupils to consider of some of the key terms relating to On the Historic Scotland website: how life has changed for people. abbey buildings and life e.g. abbey, www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ It will help them to think abbot, monk, monastery, nave, education_unit teachers can find critically about evidence and cloister, altar, relic, shrine, tomb, additional resources to help with work arrive at their own conclusions. Mass, Reformation, refectory, on site. These include compiling an • develop confident individuals. palace. These and other terms could Evidence Record and a My Impressions Pupils wilI learn about aspects of be collated into a class dictionary, Record. their community’s past, develop illustrated after the visit with drawings an understanding of social or photographs made on site. Suggestions for follow-up work changes, establish some of their own values and communicate The abbey and associated buildings After the visit pupils can share their their views on different have changed greatly over the years. discoveries in groups to create a fuller historical and social issues. Discuss with pupils how and why picture. This could then become buildings change; how wind and • develop responsible citizens. the basis for a range of presentation It will help to increase pupils’ weather can affect a building as well as activities, e.g.: deliberate changes. social and historical knowledge • A poster, leaflet or guidebook for and understanding and Discuss and research what it would future visitors encourage greater respect for have been like to live in a monastery or their own historic and built • A slide show with commentary of convent. Investigate the everyday lives environment. their visit of monks and nuns. • develop effective contributors • Imaginative writing based on the Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of the by broadening pupils’ lives of people who lived at or visited time scale by making a timeline with knowledge and understanding the abbey in the past. through investigative, creative them, counting back the centuries and and critical thinking then marking on key events. This could be added to after the visit. HISTORIC SCOTLAND education DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 4 Plan of Dunfermline Abbey On the trail of the Scotland’s royals Our suggested tour route focuses on features which illuminate how the abbey was used and visited by generations of Scotland’s royal family. Where possible it highlights aspects of the lives of the monks of the abbey. It takes in eight locations, marked on the plan to 3 2 4 the right: 1. Outside the Church 1 2. Inside the Nave 3. Bruce’s Burial Place 5 8 4. St Margaret’s Shrine 7 6 5. The Refectory 6. The Kitchens 7. The Royal Palace 8. The Vaults and gatehouse Background information is given in the pack for each location. It is written in simple language and is fairly minimal so that it can be read aloud to pupils if desired. Also included are suggested questions for discussion. The focus throughout is on encouraging pupils to interpret the building and deduce what they can from the clues in the ruins of the buildings. Ideally divide your class into groups of about ten and allow about an hour for the suggested tour. HISTORIC SCOTLAND education DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 5 Tour notes: On the trail of Did you know... Many of the early kings’ Scotland’s Royals surname was Canmore. This comes from the Introduction: Outside Dunfermline Abbey Gaelic ‘Ceann Mhor’ meaning ‘big head’ or ‘big Stand on the grass outside the ticket kiosk. chief’. Background information for teachers. This can be read to pupils. • There has been an abbey here at Dunfermline for more than nine hundred years. The church is still in use. The abbey was started by Queen Margaret, who later became a saint. She invited monks from Canterbury in England to come and set up the first abbey of its kind in Scotland. • Lots of members of the royal family visited here. Margaret’s son, David, developed the abbey and made it bigger and grander. Many royals came to stay in the abbey guest house – in fact, it became known as a Royal Palace. Some royals visited the abbey after they had died – in their coffins! Twenty two kings and queens of Scotland were buried here. And for some royals it was the first place they ever visited – Charles I was born here.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Talking Gothic! What Do We Mean by Gothic Architecture and How Can We Identify It?
    Talking Gothic! What do we mean by Gothic architecture and how can we identify it? ‘Gothic’ is the name we give to a style of architecture from the Middle Ages. It is usually thought to have begun near Paris in the middle of the 1100s and, from there, it spread throughout Europe and continued into the 16th century. There are many marvellous examples of Gothic buildings throughout Scotland: from Elgin Cathedral in Moray, through amazing buildings like Glasgow Cathedral, Paisley Abbey and Edinburgh St Giles, down to Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders. All of these, and more, are well worth a visit! Gothic architecture developed from an earlier style we call Romanesque. Buildings made in the Romanesque style often have rounded arches on their (usually comparatively small) windows and doors, thick columns and walls, lots of ornamental patterns, and shorter structures than the buildings which came later. Dunfermline Abbey is a great example of a Romanesque building in Scotland. The people who paid for the earliest Gothic buildings expressed a wish to transport worshippers to a kind of Heaven on Earth by building higher and brighter churches. What emerged is what we now describe as Gothic. Fashions changed throughout the time that Gothic was the predominant style, and it also varied from place to place. However, the Classical revival made popular as part of the Italian Renaissance largely replaced the Gothic style, and it wasn’t fashionable again until the 19th century. During the Romantic Movement Medieval literature, arts and crafts enjoyed renewed popularity. As a result, Glasgow Cathedral was begun in the Gothic elements can be seen today in the churches, public buildings, and late 12th century and was at the hub of the Medieval city.
    [Show full text]
  • News Release
    Press Office Threadneedle Street London EC2R 8AH T 020 7601 4411 F 020 7601 5460 [email protected] www.bankofengland.co.uk 17 June 2009 Dunfermline Resolution: Announcement of the Preferred Bidder for the Social Housing Lending Business The Bank of England has selected Nationwide Building Society as the preferred bidder for the social housing loans and related deposits from housing associations (the 'Business') held by the Bank of England's wholly- owned subsidiary, DBS Bridge Bank Limited. This follows a competitive auction process conducted by the Bank of England, in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by HM Treasury under the Banking Act 2009. The Business had previously been transferred from Dunfermline Building Society ('Dunfermline') to DBS Bridge Bank Limited while a permanent home for the Business was sought. The transfer of the Business to the bridge bank took place on 30 March 2009 at the same time as the sale of certain core parts of Dunfermline to Nationwide Building Society. Dunfermline was then placed into the Building Society Special Administration Procedure. It is business as usual for the Business's customers. They can contact the Business in the usual way and should continue to make repayments as normal. Customers of other parts of the former Dunfermline Building Society's businesses now owned by Nationwide, or operated out of the Building Society Special Administration Procedure, are unaffected. The decision to select Nationwide Building Society as the preferred bidder followed advice from the Bank of England's Financial Stability Committee and consultation with the FSA and HM Treasury in accordance with the Banking Act 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Perth & Kinross Council Archive
    Perth & Kinross Council Archive Collections Business and Industry MS5 PD Malloch, Perth, 1883-1937 Accounting records, including cash books, balance sheets and invoices,1897- 1937; records concerning fishings, managed or owned by PD Malloch in Perthshire, including agreements, plans, 1902-1930; items relating to the maintenance and management of the estate of Bertha, 1902-1912; letters to PD Malloch relating to various aspects of business including the Perthshire Fishing Club, 1883-1910; business correspondence, 1902-1930 MS6 David Gorrie & Son, boilermakers and coppersmiths, Perth, 1894-1955 Catalogues, instruction manuals and advertising material for David Gorrie and other related firms, 1903-1954; correspondence, specifications, estimates and related materials concerning work carried out by the firm, 1893-1954; accounting vouchers, 1914-1952; photographic prints and glass plate negatives showing machinery and plant made by David Gorrie & Son including some interiors of laundries, late 19th to mid 20th century; plans and engineering drawings relating to equipment to be installed by the firm, 1892- 1928 MS7 William and William Wilson, merchants, Perth and Methven, 1754-1785 Bills, accounts, letters, agreements and other legal papers concerning the affairs of William Wilson, senior and William Wilson, junior MS8 Perth Theatre, 1900-1990 Records of Perth Theatre before the ownership of Marjorie Dence, includes scrapbooks and a few posters and programmes. Records from 1935 onwards include administrative and production records including
    [Show full text]
  • Churches and Chapels Monastery
    CHURCHES AND CHAPELS From Historical and Statistical Account Of Dunfermline -Volume I. P.219 MONASTERY OF DUNFERMLINE. By Rev. Peter Chalmers Ruins of Monastic Buildings - Dunfermline. A REPRINT ON DISC 2013 ISBN 978-1-909634-03-9 CHURCHES AND CHAPELS OF THE MONASTERY OF DUNFERMLINE FROM Historical and Statistical Account Of Dunfermline Volume I. P.219 By Rev. Peter Chalmers, A.M. Minister of the First Charge, Abbey Church DUNFERMLINE. William Blackwood and Sons Edinburgh MDCCCXLIV Pitcairn Publications. The Genealogy Clinic, 18 Chalmers Street, Dunfermline KY12 8DF Tel: 01383 739344 Email enquiries @pitcairnresearh.com 2 CHURCHES AND CHAPELS OF THE MONASTERY OF DUNFERMLINE. From Historical and Statistical Account Of Dunfermline Volume I. P.219 By Rev. Peter Chalmers The following is an Alphabetical List of all the Churches and Chapels, the patronage which belonged to the Monastery of Dunfermline, along, generally, with a right to the teinds and lands pertaining to them. The names of the donors, too, and the dates of the donation, are given, so far as these can be ascertained. Exact accuracy, however, as to these is unattainable, as the fact of the donation is often mentioned, only in a charter of confirmation, and there left quite general: - No. Names of Churches and Chapels. Donors. Dates. 1. Abercrombie (Crombie) King Malcolm IV 1153-1163. Chapel, Torryburn, Fife 11. Abercrombie Church Malcolm, 7th Earl of Fife. 1203-1214. 111 . Bendachin (Bendothy) …………………………. Before 1219. Perthshire……………. …………………………. IV. Calder (Kaledour) Edin- Duncan 5th Earl of Fife burghshire ……… and Ela, his Countess ……..1154. V. Carnbee, Fife ……….. ………………………… ……...1561 VI. Cleish Church or……. Malcolm 7th Earl of Fife.
    [Show full text]
  • The Fife Pilgrim
    PILGRIMAGE The Fife From the 11th – 16th centuries, Fife attracted pilgrims from across Europe to the shrines of St. Andrew and St. Margaret. They followed their faith, in search of miracles, cures, Pilgrim Way forgiveness and adventure. A network of ferries, bridges, wells, chapels and accommodation was built to facilitate the Discover Scotland's safe passage of the pilgrims. Get away from it all and enjoy the fresh air and exercise by Pilgrim Kingdom becoming a modern day pilgrim. Undertake an inspiring journey by walking the ancient pathways, visit the medieval sites along the route and uncover Fife’s forgotten pilgrim stories. As in medieval times, you will find a choice of shelter Pilgrims journeying to St. Andrews and hospitality, whilst enjoying the kindness of strangers you Crown Copyright HES meet along the way. GET INVOLVED Work to improve the existing network of paths and construct new sections began in summer 2017 and will be complete soon. You then will be able to download a detailed map from our website and walk the route. In the interests of your safety and the working landscape, please resist trying to find the route before the map is published. A range of Interpretation proposals are under development and will be complete by March 2019, when the route will be officially launched. Get involved in the project by volunteering or taking part in an exciting free programme of talks, guided walks, an archaeological dig and much more! See website for details www.fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk FUNDERS Fife Coast and Countryside
    [Show full text]
  • In Search of Dunfermline Abbey's Lost Medieval Choir
    History Scotland (Sep/Oct 2020) 20.5, pp. 20-26 Part 1: In Search of Dunfermline Abbey’s lost medieval choir: history, liturgy and ground-penetrating radar. Michael Penman The many visitors to Dunfermline Abbey and Palace in Fife typically encounter a church of two halves. To the west stands the medieval nave and, until 1821, parish church. Stripped of its post-Reformation pews and lofts and re-presented as a stunning Romanesque-Gothic stone shell, it still coveys much of the misty spirituality of its Benedictine monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Its elegant columns speak to its former scale and status and its strong links with Benedictine Durham Cathedral Priory through the 11th and 12th centuries. Fig 1: Dunfermline Abbey’s buttressed medieval nave (west) and modern Abbey Church (east) [© Robert Cutts, CC BY 2.0] However, of the later medieval monastic choir to the east (and the cloisters) little remains. The great east-end of this church was left ruinous by the iconoclasm of the Reformation. Like its nave, it had been home to successive royal and aristocratic burials and the cult of the queen of Malcolm III, St Margaret (d.1093), canonised in 1249. Long used after the Reformation as a romantic burial ground by local townspeople, known as the ‘Psalter’ churchyard, the choir ruins were eventually cleared and overbuilt c.1817-21 to make way for a new Presbyterian ‘Abbey Church’ of Dunfermline parish, conjoined to the nave. Fig 2: The fossiliferous marble base of St Margaret’s feretory shrine within her east-end chapel, outside the Abbey Church vestry [Author’s photograph].
    [Show full text]
  • Tayside, Central and Fife Tayside, Central and Fife
    Detail of the Lower Devonian jawless, armoured fish Cephalaspis from Balruddery Den. © Perth Museum & Art Gallery, Perth & Kinross Council Review of Fossil Collections in Scotland Tayside, Central and Fife Tayside, Central and Fife Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum Perth Museum and Art Gallery (Culture Perth and Kinross) The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum (Leisure and Culture Dundee) Broughty Castle (Leisure and Culture Dundee) D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum and University Herbarium (University of Dundee Museum Collections) Montrose Museum (Angus Alive) Museums of the University of St Andrews Fife Collections Centre (Fife Cultural Trust) St Andrews Museum (Fife Cultural Trust) Kirkcaldy Galleries (Fife Cultural Trust) Falkirk Collections Centre (Falkirk Community Trust) 1 Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum Collection type: Independent Accreditation: 2016 Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2KR Contact: [email protected] Location of collections The Smith Art Gallery and Museum, formerly known as the Smith Institute, was established at the bequest of artist Thomas Stuart Smith (1815-1869) on land supplied by the Burgh of Stirling. The Institute opened in 1874. Fossils are housed onsite in one of several storerooms. Size of collections 700 fossils. Onsite records The CMS has recently been updated to Adlib (Axiel Collection); all fossils have a basic entry with additional details on MDA cards. Collection highlights 1. Fossils linked to Robert Kidston (1852-1924). 2. Silurian graptolite fossils linked to Professor Henry Alleyne Nicholson (1844-1899). 3. Dura Den fossils linked to Reverend John Anderson (1796-1864). Published information Traquair, R.H. (1900). XXXII.—Report on Fossil Fishes collected by the Geological Survey of Scotland in the Silurian Rocks of the South of Scotland.
    [Show full text]
  • Research in Action – the Tomb of Robert the Bruce
    The Tomb of Robert the Bruce As part of the commemorations of the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland supported a project to research and reconstruct the lost tomb of Robert the Bruce. The project involved partners from across the heritage sector, including the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Historic Scotland, National Museums Scotland, the Hunterian, the National Registers of Scotland, Fife Cultural Trust and the Abbotsford Trust. After King Robert I died in 1329, he was buried in the choir of Dunfermline Abbey. Contemporary sources record that his grave was then marked by a monument commissioned prior to his death and imported from Paris. This monument was later lost, probably having been destroyed during the demolition and quarrying of the monastery in the aftermath of the Reformation. As is well known, during the building of the present parish church in 1818, workmen discovered a skeleton, believed to be that of the king. Whether or not the skeleton is actually that of Bruce, or one of the other kings known to have been buried in the choir, is still a subject of debate. However, other excavations between c1790 and 1820 also discovered fragments of carved and gilded stone, variously described as marble or alabaster, which were identified as pieces of Bruce’s vanished monument. These pieces are now preserved in the collections of The Hunterian, National Museums Scotland, and Dunfermline Museum. In contrast to the skeleton, the fragments have attracted relatively little attention or academic study. Until this project they had never been brought together in one location for comparison.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Abbots of Dunfermline
    LIST OF ABBOTS DUNFERMLINE ABBEY Ebenezer Henderson. Annals of Dunfermline. Glasgow, 1879. From Historical and Statistical Account Of Dunfermline By Rev. Peter Chalmers And Biographical Notices or Memoranda of the preceding Abbots. LIST OF ABBOTS DUNFERMLINE ABBEY Ebenezer Henderson. Annals of Dunfermline. Glasgow, 1879. From Historical and Statistical Account Of Dunfermline By Rev. Peter Chalmers Vol. I P.176- In Steven‟s History of the ancient Abbeys, Monasteries, &c. of England, vol. i. fol. 1722, there is a Life of St Benedict, and an account of that order, and its rules, from which it appears that there were connected with the order as members of it, not less than 48 popes from St Boniface IV to Gregory XII inclusive; 11 emperors, who resigned their dignity, and became of the order of St Benedict, from the year 725 to 1039; 9 empresses; 10 queens, one of whom was Maud, Queen of England, grandchild of Malcolm Canmore; 20 kings (besides 11 others, an emperors, who submitted to the rule); 8 princes, sons of do; 15 dukes of Venice, Italy &c.; 13 earls, besides many other persons of different ranks. There are inserted in the column also two bulls in favour of the order, one by Pope Gregory, and the other, its confirmation by Pope Zachary I. 2 The monastery of Dunfermline is generally thought to have been ony a Priory till the reign of David I, and to have been raised by him to the rank of an Abbey, on the occasion of his bringing thirteen monks from Canterbury; which, on the supposition of the previous occupants being Culdees, was intended to reconcile them to the new order of things.
    [Show full text]
  • Dunfermline Abbey by John Marshall
    DUNFERMLINE ABBEY BY JOHN MARSHALL, Late Head Master Townhill Public School. THE JOURNAL PRINTING WORKS 1910 DUNFERMLINE ABBEY BY JOHN MARSHALL, Late Head Master Townhill Public School. PRINTED ON DISC 2013 ISBN 978-1-909634-18-3 THE JOURNAL PRINTING WORKS 1910 Pitcairn Publications. The Genealogy Clinic, 18 Chalmers Street, Dunfermline KY12 8DF Tel: 01383 739344 Email enquiries @pitcairnresearh.com 2 DUNFERMLINE ABBEY BY JOHN MARSHALL Late Head Master Townhill Public School. James Stewart. Swan, engraver. DUNFERMLINE: THE JOURNAL PRINTING WORKS. Dunfermline Carnegie Library. (Local Collection.) 3 CONTENTS. ______ The Abbey: Introduction Page 1. Its Origin. 8 II. The Builders. 11 III. The Buildings. 13 IV. The Donors and the Endowments. 16 V. The Occupants. 20 VI. Two Royal Abbots & Abbots Beaton and Dury. 23 VII. Misfortunes of the Abbey. 25 VIII. The Maligned Reformers. 27 IX. Protestant Care of the Buildings. 29 X. Decay and Repairs. 31 XI. Fall of the Lantern and S. W. Towers, etc. 35 XII. The Interior of the Abbey. 39 XIII. The Royal Tombs. 41 <><><><><><> 4 ILLUSTRATIONS S. PITCAIRN. Page. THE FRONT COVER DUNFERMLINE ABBEY I INTERIOR OF ABBEY NAVE 2 PEDIGREE CHART – RICHARD I 10 AN ARTISTS IMPRESSION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 12 EARLY CHURCH 14 EARLY ORGAN, DUNFERMLINE, 1250 16 THE TOMB OF MARGARET AND MALCOLM SURROUNDED BY RAILINGS. 17 BENEDICTINE MONK 22 THE GREAT ABBEY OF DUNFERMLINE, 1250 29 DUNFERMLINE ABBEY, c. 1650 31 ABBEY NAVE 35 WEST DOORWAY 37 ROBERT HENRYSON’S “TESTAMENT OF CRESSEID” 39 WINDOWS 49 DUNFERMLINE ABBEY 43 ALEXANDER III 45 ROBERT BRUCE BODY 46 ARMS OF QUEEN ANNABELLA DRUMMOND 47 DUNFERMLINE ABBEY CHURCHYARD 48 <><><><><><> 5 DUNFERMLINE ABBEY _________ INTRODUCTION.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    THE MONUMENTAL EFFIGIES OF SCOTLAND. 329 VI. THE MONUMENTAL EFFIGIES OF SCOTLAND, FROM THE THIRTEENTH TO THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. BY ROBERT BRYDALL, F.S.A. SOOT. The custom of carving monumental effigies in full relief does not seem to have come into vogue in Scotland till the thirteenth century—this being also the case in England. From the beginning of that period the art of the sculptor had made great progress both in Britain and on the Continent. At the close of the twelfth century, artists were beginning to depart from the servile imitation of the work of earlier carvers, to think more for themselves, and to direct their attention to nature ; more ease began to appear in rendering the human figure; form was more gracefully expressed, and drapery was treated with much greater freedom. When the fourteenth century drew towards its end, design in sculpture began to lose something of the purity of its style, more attention being given to detail than to general effect; and at the dawn of the sixteenth century, the sculptor, in Scotland, began to degenerate into a mere carver. The incised slab was the earliest form of the sculptured effigy, a treat- ment of the figure in flat relief intervening. The incised slabs, as well as those in flat relief, which were usually formed as coffin-lids, did not, however, entirely disappear on the introduction of the figure in full relief, examples of both being at Dundrennan Abbey and Aberdalgie, as well as elsewhere. An interesting example of the incised slab was discovered at Creich in Fife in 1839, while digging a grave in the old church; on this slab two figures under tabernacle-work are incised, with two shields bearing the Barclay and Douglas arms : hollows have been sunk for the faces and hands, which were probably of a different material; and the well cut inscription identifies the figures as those of David Barclay, who died in 1400, and his wife Helena Douglas, who died in 1421.
    [Show full text]
  • Born Prince & Princesses
    DUNFERMLINE – BORN PRINCE & PRINCESSES 2 DUNFERMLINE – BORN PRINCE & PRINCESSES BY J. B. MACKIE, F.J.I., Author of “Life and Work of Duncan McLaren.” “Modern Journalism.” “Margaret Queen and Saint.” & Dunfermline; DUNFERMLINE Journal Printing Works. 3 RUINS OF THE ABBEY CHOIR, AULD KIRK, & DUNFERMLINE. CIRCA A.D. 1570. (From Old Sketches and Plans.) 4 PREFACE. ____ These Sketches were written for the Dunfermline Journal for the purpose of quickening local interest and pride in the history of the ancient city. They are now published in book form in the hope that they may prove not an unwelcome addition to the historical memorials cherished by lovers of Dunfermline at home and abroad, and be found helpful to the increasing number of visitors, attracted by the fame of the city, so greatly enhanced within recent years by the more than princely benefactors of one of its devoted sons. J. B. M. Dunfermline, November, 1910. 5 Contents. _______ Chapter 1. - The Children of the Tower. Page 6 II. Edgar the Peaceable. 11 III. Alexander the Fierce. 15 IV. David “the Sair Sanct.” 23 V. Queen Matilda. 29 VI. Prince William and the Empress 35 Matilda. VII. Mary of Boulogne and her Daughter. 40 VIII. James I. 45 IX Elizabeth of Bohemia, “Queen of Hearts.” 54 X Charles I. 61 6 DUNFERMLINE BORN PRINCES AND PRINCESSES . CHAPTER 1 THE BIRTHPLAE OF ROYALTY – MALCOLM AND MARGARET’S FAMILY. Dunfermline has frequently been spoken and written about as a burial place of Scottish Royalty. In the eleventh century the centre of ecclesiastical power was transferred from Iona to Dunfermline, after the Culdee leadership had been overpowered by the authority of the Roman Church, and King Malcolm and Queen Margaret had made the seat of their Court the leading centre of religious worship.
    [Show full text]