Greiling 201301737 THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL Maritime Sculpture in Context: Ship Models in Scottish Churches being a Thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Hull by Meredith Clare Greiling, BA (Hons), MA University of Newcastle June 2019 Page 1 Greiling 201301737 Abstract This research presents a chronological study of the ship models currently to be found in Scottish churches. By investigating surviving models, examining references to mod‐ els now lost, and a comparison with ship models in other European churches, this re‐ search places the Scottish church ship models in a maritime and art historical context. Through a chronological study of the geographical spread of the practice of displaying ship models in Scottish churches and by examining the folklore associated with the models within the context of the church community, this research explores the socie‐ ties and individuals that commissioned these unique forms of maritime sculpture and seeks to understand what purpose they had for those individuals and communities. This research assesses the ways in which interpretation of ship models in churches has developed and how the historical value placed on them has changed. The appendix includes a catalogue of all the ship models found in this study, along with photographs, dimensions and additional information. This research seeks to answer the following questions: Where are there ship models in Scottish churches, and what do they represent? What was their significance for their churches and communities when they were in‐ stalled and what do they mean for those communities today? What can they tell us about Scottish maritime culture, trade, and art in the context of the church since the Reformation? This research combines art history, maritime history and ecclesiastical history in Scotland to form a more complete picture of these models and what they can tell us about the history of seafaring and the Scottish church. Page 2 Greiling 201301737 Acknowledgements This research has been made possible through the generosity and foresight of the Uni‐ versity of Hull Alumni Award for which I am immensely grateful. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the staff of the Graduate School and Blaydes Maritime Centre at the University of Hull for their help and support. I am especially thankful to Prof. David J. Starkey, who has been a wise and patient guide throughout the research and writing process; his advice has always been encouraging and constructive and this thesis is the better for it. I would also like to thank Prof. Ali‐ son Yarrington for her help in the early stages of this research. I am extremely grateful to Simon Stephens of Royal Museums Greenwich for being so generous with his time and expertise in guiding my initial forays into model surveying. Also, my great thanks to Dr Alan D Falconer for his thoughtful input and comments on church history. So very many people helped to facilitate access to models and provided infor‐ mation about their churches and models. My sincerest thanks to all the keepers and carers of churches and ship models in Scotland, in particular; Christine Rew, and the staff of Aberdeen Maritime Museum; Rev. James Stewart and the elders of the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting; Martin Hall at Aberdeen City and Shire Archives; Linda Andrew and Bill Hutcheon at Portlethen Parish Church; St Monans Parish Church; Rev. Jim Reid and the elders of Kinghorn Parish Church; All Saints’ Scottish Episcopal Church, St Andrews; Upper Largo Parish Church; Bill Batchelor at St Ayle Parish Church; Rev. Peter Mead at St Peter’s Scottish Episcopal Church Auchmithie; David Forsyth, Principal Curator Re‐ naissance ＆ Early Modern History, National Museums Scotland; Iain Morrison at St Mary’s Cathedral Church, Edinburgh; Linda Fitzpatrick and Alan Whitfield at the Scot‐ tish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther; Walter Duncan and Prof. David Hewitt at St Machar’s Cathedral, Aberdeen; Tom Donaldson at Chalmers Memorial Church, Cockenzie and Port Seton; Yvonne Murphy of 3 Harbours Arts Festival; Andrew Mack and Gordon Jamieson of Cockenzie Old Parish Church; Frankie Taylor at St Ebba’s Church, Eyemouth; Glen Collie at Glasgow Cathedral; Stephen Umpleby; Donald Smith Model Maker; Margaret Mackay and Capt. Munro at Old West Kirk, Greenock; Andrew Page 3 Greiling 201301737 Lumsden at Tulliallan and Kincardine Parish Church; Eric Reid at Bo’ness Old Kirk; Tom Davidson and Grant Hamilton at Carriden Parish Church; the staff at Falkirk Community Archives Trust; Bill Sweenie at Burntisland Parish Church; St Cuthbert’s Church, Salt‐ coats; Sharon Caldwell at Auld Kirk, Ayr; Rev. John Nugent at Wick St Fergus Church; Dave Ellis, Chairman of the HMS Exmouth Association; and a special mention to John Cormack at Wick St Fergus Church for going far and beyond the call of duty. All of these, and countless others, have unhesitatingly extended the right hand of friendship and in doing so have demonstrated the essence of Christian fellowship, and I thank them for it. I am indebted to National Museums Scotland for their generous support which has enabled me to complete this thesis, and in particular Dr Samuel Alberti for his pa‐ tient encouragement. My greatest debt and gratitude, however, goes to the people who have walked every step of the way with me, who have cheered at my triumphs, and have carried the load when it has all been too much for one person to bear. Thanks to my sister Hedley and brother‐in‐law Jon for their cheerful support and interest in my ongoing adventures. Thank you to my mother, Hilary Wells, for reading and re‐reading the en‐ tire thesis, for spotting the howlers and the unfinished sentences, and for correcting my poor grammar; any errors in this thesis are my own and not for want of her diligent checking. To the two who have lived this journey with me; my husband Joachim; my driver, chief mathematician, IT support and measuring stick‐wielder, thank you for your loving patience and for making all things possible. This thesis is dedicated to our daughter Mila who has had countless school holidays blighted by visits to churches to look at ship models; I hope one day you will look back and think it wasn’t so bad after all. Page 4 Greiling 201301737 Table of Contents Abstract ……………… ..................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... 3 List of figures……. ........................................................................................................ 7 Chapter 1: Introduction ......................................................................................... 8 1.1 Previous Research and Literature on Church Ship Models .................................... 13 1.2 Sources and Methods .......................................................................................... 22 1.2.1 Primary Sources .................................................................................................................. 22 1.2.2 Printed and Published Sources ........................................................................................... 23 1.2.3 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 24 1.2.4 Field research ..................................................................................................................... 25 1.2.5 Some problems, challenges and exclusions to research .................................................... 26 1.2.6 Geographical limits to research: Focus on the Scottish church ......................................... 31 1.3 Contribution to Knowledge.................................................................................. 32 Chapter 2: Shipwreck, Intercession and pre‐Reformation Ship Models in the Early Church: Mataró and Ebersdorf ................................................................................. 35 Chapter 3: Post‐Reformation Scottish Church Ship Models ................................. 49 Chapter 4: Nineteenth‐century Scottish Church Ship models .............................. 74 4.1 The Napoleonic war models; Scotland’s true votive ships. ................................... 76 4.2 Aberdeen and the Post‐war Boom ....................................................................... 87 Chapter 5: Twentieth and Twenty‐first Century Ship Models ............................ 109 5.1 The First Fishing Boats in Scottish Churches ....................................................... 111 5.2 ‘Genteel and Fashionable’ ‐ Ship Models in New Episcopalian Churches ............ 116 5.3 Old Churches; New Models ................................................................................ 122 5.4 Late Twentieth Century Models ......................................................................... 129 5.5 Cockenzie Old Parish Church Models ................................................................. 137 5.6 HMS Exmouth and Wick St Fergus Church .......................................................... 140 Chapter 6: An Enduring Maritime Cultural Practice ........................................... 145 6.1 Findings ............................................................................................................. 145 6.1.1 What are the models? ...................................................................................................... 146 6.1.2 Where are they? ..............................................................................................................