Crichton Collegiate Church
Encyclopedia
Crichton Collegiate Church is situated about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) south west of the hamlet of Crichton in Midlothian
, Scotland
. Crichton itself is 1.4 miles (2.3 km) west of Pathhead
and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh
. The church is reached by leaving the A68 road at the north end of Pathhead and turning on to the B6367 minor road at Crichton on a single track lane signposted Crichton Castle
. Before reaching the castle car park, on the left, is the church, situated at .
, Lord Chancellor of Scotland
"Out of thankfullness and gratitude to Almighty God
, our Lord Jesus
Christ
, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Kentigern and All Saints
", with the consent of his son, James of Frendraucht and confirmed on the 29 December by James Kennedy, Bishop of St Andrews. Like many other collegiate church
es, Crichton was built for the use of the local lord, and a provost, eight prebendaries
, two choir boys and a sacrist were appointed to pray for the souls of the Crichton family. The provost was granted the tiends and tithe
s of the prebends, the Rectory of Crichton and the Temple lands appertaining to Crichton.
The church was built in a Gothic
and Romanesque
cruciform
style with a large central tower; the nave was used as the place of worship for the poor people. This continued until the Scottish Reformation
of 1560 when it was considered unusable.
(church) and a minister, Adam Johnston, was ordained to lead the service. By the 1580s, major restoration work began, though the nave was said to be ruinous, as it is to this day. In 1641, by an Act of Parliament
, Crichton Church was declared to be the parish church for all time. Though there was more restoration and adaptation in 1729 it was considered to have been carried out "badly". More work in the 1820s helped to bring the old church back to life, but it was not until the end of the 19th century that the church was fully restored, by the Edinburgh architects Hardy & Wright. Stained glass windows were installed at this time.
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Crichton itself is 1.4 miles (2.3 km) west of Pathhead
Pathhead
Pathhead is an area of Kirkcaldy, in Fife, Scotland. Formerly an independent village, Pathhead was incorporated into the Royal burgh of Kirkcaldy....
and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south of Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The church is reached by leaving the A68 road at the north end of Pathhead and turning on to the B6367 minor road at Crichton on a single track lane signposted Crichton Castle
Crichton Castle
Crichton Castle is a ruined castle situated at the head of the River Tyne, near the village of Crichton, Midlothian, Scotland. The castle lies two miles south of the village of Pathhead, and the same distance east of Gorebridge, at . A mile to the south-west is Borthwick Castle.-History:In the late...
. Before reaching the castle car park, on the left, is the church, situated at .
Origins and Pre Reformation
Crichton Church was founded on 26 December 1449 by William Crichton, 1st Lord CrichtonWilliam Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton
William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton of Sanquhar was an important political figure in Scotland.He held various positions within the court of James I. At the death of James I, William Crichton was Sheriff of Edinburgh, Keeper of Edinburgh Castle, and Master of the King’s household...
, Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
"Out of thankfullness and gratitude to Almighty God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, our Lord Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Kentigern and All Saints
All Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
", with the consent of his son, James of Frendraucht and confirmed on the 29 December by James Kennedy, Bishop of St Andrews. Like many other collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
es, Crichton was built for the use of the local lord, and a provost, eight prebendaries
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
, two choir boys and a sacrist were appointed to pray for the souls of the Crichton family. The provost was granted the tiends and tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s of the prebends, the Rectory of Crichton and the Temple lands appertaining to Crichton.
The church was built in a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
style with a large central tower; the nave was used as the place of worship for the poor people. This continued until the Scottish Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
of 1560 when it was considered unusable.
Post Reformation
By 1569 it was being used as the parish kirkKirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
(church) and a minister, Adam Johnston, was ordained to lead the service. By the 1580s, major restoration work began, though the nave was said to be ruinous, as it is to this day. In 1641, by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, Crichton Church was declared to be the parish church for all time. Though there was more restoration and adaptation in 1729 it was considered to have been carried out "badly". More work in the 1820s helped to bring the old church back to life, but it was not until the end of the 19th century that the church was fully restored, by the Edinburgh architects Hardy & Wright. Stained glass windows were installed at this time.
Post Reformation Ministers
- 1569 Adam Johnston
- 1639 Gideon Penman
- 1682 Andrew Donn
- 1690 Matthew Selkirk
- 1729 Charles Primrose
Today
The 'T' shaped remains are no longer used as a parish church and is in the care of the Crichton Collegiate Church Trust based in nearby Pathhead and is used for weddings and is available for visiting. Crichton is category A listed building.External links
- Scottish Collegiate Churches
- More photographs of Crichton from Geograph