Notes on the Heraldry of Elgin and Its
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V. E HERALDRNOTETH N S NEIGHBOURHOODO SIT F ELGI O YD NAN , INCLUDIN E CATHEDRALGTH , BISHOP'S HOUSE, GREYFRURS, AND HIGH STREE ELGINN TI , SPYNIE PALACE, CHURC HOLF HO Y TRINITY AT SPYNIE, LHANBRYD CHURCH, COXTON TOWER, BIRNIE CHURCH, KINLOSS ABBEY, BURGIE CASTLE, DUFFUS CHURCH, GORDONSTOWN HOUSE, OGSTON CHURCH, KINNEDER CHURCH, DRAINIE CHURCH, ST ANDREWS CHURCH, INNES HOUSE, PLUSCARDIN PRIORY, CULLEN CHURCH, DESKFORD MACDONALDE CHURCHRA . BANFFD W Y AN , B . , F.S.A. SCOT. e tow Th f Elgi o nd surroundin an n g distric s i rictn i objecth f o s antiquarian interest, especially in ancient ecclesiastical buildings. Intimately associated with these are the sculptured coats • of arms, which form so important a feature in their decoration, and the tombstones which often record valuable genealogical information. Wit objece hth examininf o t g these I spen, t som districe e th tim n i et in the autumn of 1899 making rubbings or sketches and copying inscrip- tions. The results I now submit to the Society with short descriptive notes. The idea of putting my notes in any permanent form was not pre- HERALDHY OF ELGIN AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 345 sent to me at the time, otherwise the" particulars might, in some instances, have been more complete. descriptione Th e carvinge blazonth th f so d f thso an e arm givee sar n as they are actually seen, and do not precisely correspond in all cases with the illustrations, owing to the mechanical difficulty of reproducing neces- sarily imperfect rubbings. THE CATHEDRAL.—The cathedral being conspicuousl e centrath y l feature districtth f eo whicn o , e othehth r ecclesiastical edifice l moral s e or less depended commence w , e wit. hit It consists of nave, choir, and transepts, with octagonal chapter-house on the north side of the choir and Lady chapel on the south. At the o greatw e to octagona squarar westw d ease d en tth e en tt towerla d san turrets richly decorated. There was also a central tower which fell in 1711, greatly damaging the nave and transepts, the north wall of the former being almost levelled wit grounde hth . Of the architectural features of this or other buildings it is not my province to speak; for full details I may refer to the two invaluable woi'ks of Messrs Macgibbon & Ross, viz., The Castellated and 'Domestic Architecture f Scotland,o n fivi e volumese Ecclesiasticalth d an , Archi- tecture f Scotland,o thren i e volumes cathedrae Th . s describei l e th n di latter, vol. ii. p. 121. Commencing with the west front and its two massive towers, we find between the abovd m an greae eth t west window three e shieldson e Th . to the dexter (fig. 1) bears:—Three cushions lozengeways within a royal tressure. It is suspended by the guige from a branch of oak, and the arms on it are those borne originally by the family of Randolph, and afterwards adopted by that of Lhmbar on succeeding to the Earldom of Murray. The shield in the centre (fig. 2) bears :—The royal arms of Scotland. It is suspended by the guige from a branch of oak. e sinisteshiele th Th n do r (fig) bears:—3 . A lion rampant withia n bordure charged with eight roses. It is couche, though shown erect in 346 PEOCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 19009 L . illustratione th suspendes i d an ,lona y gdb guige; behin shiele dth a s di crosiere origina e armth e Th sar . l paterna l famile armth f Dunbarf so yo , and are probably those of Bishop Columba Dunbar (1429-35). Above the central pillar of the doorway is a vesica-shaped space now blank t sai havbu o ,dt e containe e Virgida figur th d Childf o an en n o , each side of which kneels an angel waving a thurible. Figs. 1,2, 3. Arms above the West Window of Elgin Cathedral. Enterin greae th y tg b wes t dookeepind lefe an r th t thero gt nothins ei g of importanc norte th n h i ee nave aisl th norte f th eo , h wal f whicho l , as above stated almoss i , t completely demolished. In the north transept, on the west wall, is a stone (31 inches by 24) with two shields at the top, a skull and thigh bone between them, and , an inscription beneath (fig. 4). The arms on the first shield are not properly marshalled, but may be described as :—Three cushions lozenge- ways (Dunbar), impaling, three boar heads erased (Gordor o n Urquhart ?), and between these, coats:—Three buckles in bend (Leslie). The arms on the second shield are :—Three cushions lozengeways (Dunbar), -impaling, stacrescen a A chie n i rd an f basen i t . \ ' {.JSJSg'Jitei^'gtfftBs^-^'T."".'. "" Fig . Tombston4 . Johf eo n Dunbar .of Bennetfield. 8 34 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 19009 L . The inscription in Roman capitals is:— HIO . IACENT . MB . IOH . DVNBAR D E. BENNETI-IFEIL I OB . I QV D. DER 2 I. T. R . S159 . 0EMA T. ET . ISSOB . DVNBARS . EIVS . CO NIVGES . QVE . OBIERVNT . 3 NOR ' DERS4 . T 157SE . NICO0160 T 3E L DVNBAR . FILIVS . DICTI . MB ION QVONDAM . BALIWS . DE . ELGIN QV . OBIII . IAN 1 T3 K. G! B165T E 1. IS S. MAVE R. EIV S. SPONI E QV S. OBII. IVL . ION1 2 . T 164 IT. E E . 8. DVNBAR . SPONSA . IOH . DVNBAR . SPONSA . IOH . DVNBAR . FILII DICTP . OBII . NIOOSE IE . T8 QV L. 1648 . IDEOQVE . HOC . EXTRVENDVM In Stodart's Scottish Arms, vol. ii. pp. 6-18, there is a valuable notice of the heraldry of the family of Dun bar, by Sir Archibald H. Dunbar of Duffus e presenth , t baronet s saii t di tha.5 e firs 1 th t O t. p ushiel d above mentioned "suggests that possibly the mother of Mr John's first wife may have been an Urquhart, and that the mother of his second wife may have bee Leslie,na t i seem t "bu s more natura supposo t l e thae th t wives themselves may have borne these names. The second shield is said to be " probably for N"icol Dunbar and his wife Grissel Maver." On the north wall are two recumbent effigies :—The one of a knight in armour enshroude s cloak e othea hi knigh Th f n o i d r. armou n i t r havin s breastplathi n go e (fig. 5):—Three cushions lozengeways (Dunbar). Said to be the statue of Sir Alexander Dunbar of Westfield, knight. Built int walle oth , behind these statues stona s i , e without inscription or initials, bearing on a shield (13 inches in width at the top) the arms (fig. 6), viz.:—A fess between three geese passant in chief and in base cushioa staa fessn d i r nan , impaling, Parte hean r fess,he dpe a erase d coc a chien i d k an fpassan basen i t . Abov e shiel ea th helme s i d t with mantling (omitte illustrationn di crestwreatd o n an )t . hbu ' ' ig . Dniiba5 . r Brease Arm th recumben a n f so o t t Effigy. Fig. 6. Arms on North Wall of North Transept. 0 35 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , £PKI , 19009 L . On the east wall a stone with the following inscription is built into an aumry: — MONUMENTU ' MROD TI DUNBA GRANGE RD E HILL DURRSIORUM TRIE' PRINCEPs 1675. IN MEMOREAM CHARISSIME CONIUGIS (CURAVIT) MARIT A HOLY VIRGI HIN I R YOVNGER LYFF AND NIXT A PRUDENT AND A FAITHFUL WYF A PIOUS MOTHER WHO WITH CHRISTIEN CARE TNFORMD HIR CHILDREN WITH THE LOVE & FEAR OF GOD AND VERTUOUS ACTS WHO.CAN EXPRESS MORE (READER) BY A VOI, UM FROM THE PRESS. «r> Opposit e eas a linth ee transep t n eth wali f witd o l an ht the north wall of the chancel is a Celtic sculptured stone of granite, figured in Stuart's Sculptured Stones, vol . piI . 16. The Chapter-house octagonas i s a ha centra d an l l pillar also octagonal witli stone desk for a reader (on the west and north-west sides). On the eigh tcapitale faceth f o s , commencin opposite g on wit e entrancee hth eth , are the following sculptures :—(1) Shield (5| inches broad) with the royal arms of Scotland (fig. 7), the top of the royal tressure being omitted. (2) Shield with instruments of the Passion, similar to those described below ) Shiel(3 . d (5^ inche t topa s ) with arm f Bishoo s p Andrew Stewart (1482-1501) of the family of Lorn (fig. 8), viz.:—Quarterly, 1st 4th lymphadand A ,3rd fesand A , s chequy2nd ; . Abov shielethe da •* mitre. (4) Shield (7 J inches at widest) bearing (fig. 9):—the Cross with the Crown of thorns and pierced heart, hands, and feet. (5) St Andrew Fig. 10. Shield12 , Armf 10 so . 9 tlin si , Figs e8 , Chapter-House7 . , Elgin Cathedral. Fig . 11 . Fig. 13 . Shield13 Figs , Chapter-HouseArme f 11 .so th n si , Elgin Cathedral. HERALDR F ELGIO Y N ANTS NEIGHBOURHOODIT ) 3 35 . (not on a shield). (6) Shield with the royal arms of Scotland (with treasure complete) ) Shiel(7 . d wite Stewarth h t n (3)i arm s a .s ) Shiel(8 d (7£ inche t a tops ) hearing (fig. 10):—A flaming heart with pierced hand d feetan s .