Aberdour and Inchcolme

51- ABERDOUR AND INCHCOLME. Edinburgh : Printed by Thomas and A rchtbald Vonslable DAVID DOUGLAS. LONDON HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO. CAMBRIDGE MACMILLAN AND BOWES. GLASGOW JAMKS MACLKHOSE AND SONS. Aberdour and Inchcolme BEING HISTORICAL NOTICES OF THE PARISH AND MONASTERY IN TWELVE LECTURES BY THE REV. WILLIAM ROSS, LLD. AUTHOR OF ' BURGH LIFE IN DUNFERMLINE IN THE OLDEN TIME,' ' PASTORAL WORK IN THE COVENANTING TIMES,' ' BUSBY AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD,' ETC. EDINBURGH: DAVID DOUGLAS 1885 Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2007 witii funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation littp://www.arcliive.org/details/aberdourinclicolmOOrossiala TO WILLIAM HENRY GOOLD, D.D. EDINBURGH ^|)i0 Folume 10 inecribeB IN TOKEN OF THE AUTHOR'S RESPECT AND AFFECTION AFTER A FRIENDSHIP WHICH BEGINNING AT ABERDOUR HAS DEEPENED WITH THE FLOW OF MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS. jjJ^GLli:^ liOCAL PREFACE. The Lectures which compose this volume were written, chiefly as a relaxation from professional work, and delivered to the inhabitants of Aberdour more than twenty years ago. Designed for popular audiences, they are written in a simple, spoken style. They do not offer to the confirmed antiquary the minute details and constant reference to authorities which his habit of mind demands ; and to very grave people the little pleasantries which occur may appear trifling. But such readers will be good enough to bear in mind the audiences to whom the Lectures were originally adapted, and they may find that what lightened the task of listening to historical details has also made the reading of them more easy. As regards the subjects with which the volume deals, it may be said, first of all, that this is the only attempt to give anything like a full account of the Monastery of Inchcolme, drawn mainly from its charters. To those who live in the neighbourhood of the ruins of the Abbey, whether on the Fife coast or the Midlothian shore of the Firth, the want of information regarding the old Religious House must X PREFACE. often have been felt. But great difficulties have lain in the way of providing this. The original Chartulary of the Abbey seems to be irrecoverably lost ; and few can be expected to wade through the Macfarlane transcript of it in the Advocates* Library. The author had a copy of this MS. made, and through the kindness of the Hon. John Stuart, afterwards Earl of Moray, he got admission to the charter-room at Donibristle,' which brought other valuable papers connected with the Monastery under his notice. He has also been at pains to consult every authority within his reach that was thought likely to give information on the subject. The most of these authorities, if not all, are named in the body of the Lectures, and it will be a matter of regret if any of them are omitted. To the author it seems most desirable that the information contained in the printed Chartularies, and even those still in manuscript, should be brought within the reach of the ordinary reading public. He has attempted to do this in the case of the MS. Chartulary of Inch- colme, but could wish that he had been more successful. He has endeavoured to reproduce the living past, in its broader and more important lines of thought and action, and has not forgotten that mere lumber, however ancient, is lumber still. As regards the historical notices connected with Aberdour, the author can only hope that his old friends, the inhabitants of the village and parish, will derive some pleasure from the reading of this volume, and that his researches will do something to call PREFACE. xi attention to a beautiful and interesting health resort, in which many of his happiest years were spent. It may seem strange to some, that, in spite of many requests to give these Lectures to the public, so many years should have been allowed to elapse between their delivery and their publication. But occupied as the writer has been with busy pastoral work, in a health resort still more frequented than Aberdour, it has only been of late, when failing health has made an assistant necessary, that he has found leisure to prepare this volume for the press. This delay has, however, enabled him to add a number of facts, which make his account of the Monastery and the parish still more complete. The author has only further to add that, amidst such a multiplicity of statements, stretching over so many years, it will not be thought wonderful if, in spite of all his care, some errors have crept into his book, and some important facts have been left unnoticed. And as regards the moralisings which are found in the Lectures, it has been his aim in all he has written, not only to exhibit the great natural beauty and the rich historical interest of the neighbourhood with which he has been deal- ing, but also to advance the cause of morality and religion. Bridge of Allan, May 1885. — CONTENTS. LECTURE I. Nature and plan of the work—Sources of information—Notices of the parish and church in the twelfth century—Natural features of parish—The Castle : its antiquity and appearance—The Viponts and Mortimers—The ballad of Sir Patrick Spens Randolph, Earl of Moray—The Douglases—Origin of the family—The ' Flower of Chivalry ' —The Regality of Aberdour The first Earl of Morton—The Regent Morton—John, Lord Maxwell—William, the eighth Earl— The Castle burned Cuttlehill—The dishonest trooper —The gallery and the school- masters, ....... P^'igt I LECTURE n. The old church and churchyard—The church a pre-Reformation one—The architecture of it — Inscription under west window —A church in Aberdour as early as the beginning of twelfth century—An early Columban settlement ?— Fight between William de Mortimer and Canons of Inchcolme—Contest between the Canons and Simon of Balran—The chapel of Beaupr^—The ' Fechtin' Bishop ' and Richard of Kirkcaldy St. Fillan and his luminous arm—The Pilgrims' Well—The Hospital of St. Martha : its site, foundation, endowment, con- firmation, occupants, career, and fall—The Sisterlands, . 29 LECTURE in. The Monastery of Inchcolme—The influence wielded by monastic institutions— Interest connected with the island—Dani.sh monu- — CONTENTS. ment—St. Columba—The hermit's oratory— Foundation of Monastery—Alexander the Fierce — Bull of Pope Alexander the Third—List of churches and other possessions—The Order of Auguslinian Canons—Early monastic edifice — Diocese of Dun- keld—Bishops buried on Inchcolme—Story of the ' Fechtin' Bishop ' —An Abbot of romance— Legend of Sir Alan Mor- timer's daughter, ...... Page 53 LECTURE IV. The Monastery at first a priory, then an abbey—Tiie Augustinian Rule—The dress of the Canons— Bricius and Walter, Priors, and their contemporaries—Michael and Walter, Priors—The unbearable excesses of Prior William— Excellent qualities of Prior Xigel— Henry, the first Abbot—Quarrel about the mill of Aberdour—Abbot Thomas, his reign and resignation — Abbot William, fight about the multures of CuUelo—An appeal to the Pope—Abbot Bricius — Raids and miracles —Abbot Walter—.^bbot John Dersy—Abbot Laurence and his edifices — Abbot John—The 'sitting down of the Cardinall'—Abbot Walter Bower—Abbot Michael— Patrick Graham, Archbishop of St. Andrews, a prisoner in the Monastery—Abbot Thomas —Abbot John — Richard Abercromby, the last of the Abbots— The martyr, Thomas P'orret, Vicar of Dollar—Sir John Luttrell, Knight and Abbot, ...... 78 LECTURE V. Possessions of the Monastery— Gifts of King David the First Kincamathar— Donibrysell— Fear of the English rovers— I^auin the Lesser — Ecclesmaline — Innerkinglassin and Kilrie — Churches of Aberdour, Dalgety, Rosyth, Auchtertooi, and Beath—Possessions near Kinghorn- -Tofts in Cramond and Edinburgh — Pagan the goldsmith—Tofts in Haddington, etc — Kincarnie and Otherstown—^Various rentals—/\ thousand eels out of Strathenry—William de Mortimer's gift of land, in his territory of Aberdour—Caer-almond — Restalrig—Inverkeithing and Fordell —The Avenels and Mores of Abercorn, their gifts — Richard of Inverkeithing and Constantine of Lochore—The fights of Fithkil or Leslie—Baledmon and Lundy— Fights about the mill of Aberdour— Story of the King's physician —The ' Crossaikers ' — Eglismartyn — Lochorward — The church of Dollar—Tenements in Haddington — Brego—Town of Wester Aberdour—Retour of the lordship of St, Colme—Feuing and alienation of the possessions of the Monastery— The Com- mendators—The suppressed Monastery becomes a receptacle — CONTENTS. XV for pirates, then a lazaretto—Reflections on the monastic system, ....... Page ii^ LECTURE VI. The Regent Moray's birth, parentage, and upbringing—Made Prior of St. Andrews in the third year of his age—Other ecclesias- tical honours heaped on the child—His youthful bravery Accompanies the Princess Mary to France— His patriotism Abandons the profession of Churchman— His place in the work of Reformation—Knox's influence over him—Compelled to abandon the cause of the Queen-Regent—A Commissioner to France to invite Queen Mary to return to Scotland— His devotion to her—His marriage, and Knox's sermon on the occasion— Quells disturbances on the Borders—The battle of Corrichie—Popish plots—His opposition to the Queen's marriage with Darnley— Flees into England— Returns after the death of Rizzio—Darnley 's murder, and Mary's favour for Bothwell—Moray at the French Court— Mary's imprisonment in Lochleven Castle—Moray's interview with her—Accepts the Regency—Character of his government— Mary's escape from Lochleven Castle— Battle of Langside—Moray's efforts to save Mary's life—His assassination at Linlithgow—Testimonies of friendly and unfriendly

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