Despite wholescale destruction on three INVESTIGATING occasions, a surprising number of the abbey buildings survive, DRYBURGH ABBEY casting light on the lives of the canons of Dryburgh. Information for Teachers investigating historic sites dryburgh abbey 2 The beautiful ruins of Dryburgh supported by the Crown after Canon Abbey lie within a serene loop Patrick presented a poem describing the Timeline of the River Tweed, surrounded catastrophe to the Scottish court. 1120 Founding of by parkland and mature trees. The abbey suffered a second time at Premonstratensian order Despite wholescale destruction in France the hands of the English when it was on three occasions, a surprising burnt again in 1385 during Richard II’s 1150 Dryburgh Abbey number of the abbey buildings invasion. The third and worst attack founded by Hugh de survive, casting light on the lives of Moreville came in 1544 during the Wars of the the canons of Dryburgh. ‘Rough Wooing’ when the abbey and 1162 de Moreville dies as a member of the Abbey Historical background village was laid waste by a party of 700. 1322 Abbey razed by The abbey was founded in 1150 by Considering the scale of the destruction, retreating English troops powerful landowner Sir Hugh de it is amazing that there were any canons 1330 Poem sent to the Moreville, constable of Scotland. He left by the time of the Reformation king appealing for further invited canons from Alnwick to establish in 1560. The eight surviving canons funds for rebuilding work the first house of the Premonstratensian hurriedly embraced the new religion 1385 Abbey devastated order in Scotland, and in old age joined and abbey life lingered on in its new by fire during invasion by the abbey himself as a novice. form until 1600, by which time there Richard II of England were no surviving canons. The Premonstratensian order combined 1544 Abbey devastated a the austerity of the Cistercian order In 1786 the abbey was bought by third time during Wars of enthusiastic antiquarian, the Earl of ‘Rough Wooing” with the preaching commitments of the Augustinians. They lived communally Buchan. He conserved, excavated and 1560 Reformation Act like monks but also went out to serve added his own ‘antique’ touches to the outlaws Catholicism; abbey, and also planted many fine trees canons convert to as priests in churches belonging to Protestantism Dryburgh. Their lives were tough and on the site before being buried there in unremitting; it’s perhaps no surprise 1829. Three years later he was joined by 1584 Only two canons Sir Walter Scott, who had family links to remain that their first act at Drybrugh was to consecrate the cemetery. the site. A third famous internee is Earl 1786 Abbey bought by Haig, commander in chief of the British Earl of Buchan In the early 14th century, the abbey was forces in France during the First World badly burnt by the retreating troops of 1832 Sir Walter Scott War. buried at Dryburgh Edward II. Rebuilding work followed, 1928 Field Marshall Earl Haig buried at Dryburgh HISTORIC SCOTLAND education dryburgh abbey 3 Before the visit Working on site • It would be helpful if pupils had Pupils should be encouraged to look an idea of some of the key terms for physical evidence. In addition to the Supporting learning relating to abbey buildings and life points for discussion included in this and teaching e.g. monastery, canon, abbot, lay pack, useful starting points are: Appropriate field trips are brothers, nave, tower, cloister, • What materials were used to an essential element of altar, chapter, chapel, Reformation, construct the abbey? Where did they delivering 5-14 Guidelines Mass, monk, tomb. These and other for Environmental Studies: come from? Why have some survived terms could be collated into a class Social Subjects People in and not others? the Past. A visit to Dryburgh dictionary. • How was the abbey protected Abbey would be particularly • The abbey has changed dramatically appropriate for teachers against intruders? over the years. Discuss with pupils working on topics such as how and why buildings change. • Can you see any ways in which the • The Middle Ages Discuss how wind and weather abbey has changed? • The Reformation can affect a building as well as the • What evidence is there for daily life? As well as providing a deliberate destruction following the context for developing Pupils can record by: skills and attitudes, a visit Reformation. • Taking notes. supports the delivery • The role and extent of the power of all Knowledge and of the Church in medieval times is • Making quick drawings. Understanding strands from hard for today’s children to grasp. levels B-E: • Taking photographs. Research into everyday life at this • People, events and • Using tape-recorders to describe societies in the past time will help show its influence what they see, hear, feel and smell. • Change and continuity, – for example, the paying of teinds cause and effect or tithes to the local church. On the Historic Scotland website: • Time and historical • Discuss and research what it would www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ sequence have been like to live in a monastery education_unit teachers can find • The nature of historical or convent. Investigate the everyday additional resources to help with work evidence lives of monks and nuns. Further on site, These include compiling an As the Curriculum for information can be found on the Evidence Record and a My Impressions Excellence develops, it is accompanying fact file. If possible, Record. clear that site visits such as that outlined here are make contact with a contemporary Suggestions for follow-up work ideally placed to assist in monk or nun to discuss how they the delivery of the four live today and what their motivation Following the visit pupils can pool their capacities underpinning the is. Please note that at Dryburgh the findings in groups to create a fuller curriculum, i.e. developing: inmates were technically canons record of the abbey and the lives of • successful learners rather than monks, though their the people who worked there. This • confident individuals lives would have been very like could form the basis for a range of • responsible citizens monks’. presentation activities, for example: • effective contributors • Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of • A poster, leaflet or guide book for the time scale by making a time future visitors. line with them, counting back the • A slide show with commentary of centuries and then marking on key their visit. events. This could be added to after • Imaginative writing based on the the visit. lives of the canons at the abbey. HISTORIC SCOTLAND education dryburgh abbey 4 Canon Fact File Daily Programme How was the abbey organised? A canon’s life was Who were the canons of dedicated to serving god Dryburgh Abbey? At the head of the abbey was the and his day was structured The abbey at Dryburgh was a Abbot, responsible for the overall around a programme of community of Premonstratensian spiritual life of the monastery. prayers and services. The canons. This order was established in However, he was often absent, away programme might be as about 1120 by St Norbert, who set up meeting potential benefactors or in follows: his reformed model of the Benedictine meetings with the Parliament and the 0130 Prayers followed order in France, at Premontre. To start monarch. Below him were a number by sung service the community there had to be thirteen of other office bearers, known as the Nocturns canons, representing Christ and the obedientaries. The Prior was the abbot’s 0330 Matins prayers. twelve disciples, sent out from another deputy, responsible for the day to Back to bed. abbey. In the case of Dryburgh, the day organization and discipline of the 0600 Prime prayers monastery. Below him were office – first mass of the founding canons came from Alnwick bearers with other responsibilities as day. in Northumbria. There were four other Change into day Premonstratensian abbeys in Scotland, follows: Sacristan – church furnishings; shoes. at Whithorn, Holywood, Tongland and Precentor – church services: Cellarar – Meeting in Fearn . food, drink and fuel; Kitchener – cooking; chapter house Fraterer – the running of the refectory, Canons were usually adults who entered to conduct any crockery, table linen; Chamberlain the order of their own free will and abbey business, – housekeeping including care for tended to come from better-off local hear confession of clothes; Almoner – distribution of charity families. The canons dedicated their sins and to sort out to the needy. Other jobs included lives to opus dei – the work of god, a work for the day. responsibility for the sick, for visitors ceaseless round of prayer and at least in Spiritual work and so on followed the the early days, of manual labour. They meeting. lived a life of poverty, chastity and strict 0800 Terce prayers and obedience to the rules of the order. The sung mass canons themselves wore rough, undyed 0900 Reading white ‘habits’ and so were often known 1130 Sext prayers as the ‘White Canons’. The majority of 1200 Main meal of the the canons spent much of their lives day. Rest and within the abbey, devoting themselves private prayer. to a formal round of worship and abbey 1430 None prayers. Physical work works, though many of the brothers 1730 Supper would often leave the abbey to preach 1800 Vespers. Change in abbey churches. into night shoes. 1930 Light supper, followed by Compline service. 2015 Bed time HISTORIC SCOTLAND education dryburgh abbey 5 What was it like to be a canon? Food was generally vegetarian and frugal, consisting mainly of bread, Monasteries were generally wealthy vegetables and eggs. Fish was served organizations, often receiving patronage on a Friday and important visitors and donations from the crown and would be offered meat on other days.