Dunglass Collegiate Church, East Lothian
Encyclopedia
Dunglass Collegiate Church is situated in south-east East Lothian just off the old A1 highway, one mile north of Cockburnspath in Berwickshire
, Scotland
, UK.
status which was confirmed by King James II
of Scots in 1450 and confirmed by Pope Nicholas V
. The college was composed of a provost, three chaplains and four boy choiristers. The church consisted of, originally, a nave and a choir and the Home or Hume burial vault. Later, in the 16th century transepts were added and a new tower. In 1544 the church was attacked by the Earl of Hertford's army during the wars of the Rough Wooing but the locals managed to repel the insurgents. In 1560, the church closed at the onset of the Scottish Reformation
. An Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1563 abolished mass forever and the church's days as a Roman Catholic Chapel were over. In the early days of the church, a hospital, to offer solace and aid to the sick, was built nearby and dedicated to St. Mary and John the Baptist. The building is built of ashlar
sandstone and roofed by stone slabs though the tower in now unroofed.
and is situated in an idyllic situation surrounded by well manicured lawns and thick woodland. An interesting sundial stands on a mound adjacent to the ancient edifice. Dunglass Collegiate Church is one of the top attractions in East Lothian.
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, 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...
, UK.
History
The date of building the Chapel, dedicated to St. Mary of Dunglass, is unclear but when Sir Alexander Home of that Ilk was granted a charter, in 1421, to the lands of Dunglass the chapel was in existence. In 1423, Sir Alexander of Dunglass employed priests (a college) to pray for the family's souls and the chapel was raised to collegiateCollegiate 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...
status which was confirmed by King James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
of Scots in 1450 and confirmed by Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V , born Tommaso Parentucelli, was Pope from March 6, 1447 to his death in 1455.-Biography:He was born at Sarzana, Liguria, where his father was a physician...
. The college was composed of a provost, three chaplains and four boy choiristers. The church consisted of, originally, a nave and a choir and the Home or Hume burial vault. Later, in the 16th century transepts were added and a new tower. In 1544 the church was attacked by the Earl of Hertford's army during the wars of the Rough Wooing but the locals managed to repel the insurgents. In 1560, the church closed at the onset of 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...
. An Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1563 abolished mass forever and the church's days as a Roman Catholic Chapel were over. In the early days of the church, a hospital, to offer solace and aid to the sick, was built nearby and dedicated to St. Mary and John the Baptist. The building is built of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
sandstone and roofed by stone slabs though the tower in now unroofed.
Later years
After the closure of the college church, it was still used as a parish church until the 18th century before it was sold to a farmer. The holy building was desecrated when the farmer bulldozed the east window to make way for his vehicles and the church including the burial aisle was used as a barn. In 1807 some dignity was restored when Sir John Hall bought Dunglass; the family later used the south transept as a burial aisle. In 1919 the estate was purchased by the Usher family.The present day
Dunglass Church is now in the care of Historic ScotlandHistoric Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
and is situated in an idyllic situation surrounded by well manicured lawns and thick woodland. An interesting sundial stands on a mound adjacent to the ancient edifice. Dunglass Collegiate Church is one of the top attractions in East Lothian.
See also
- DunglassDunglassDunglass is a location in East Lothian, Scotland, lying east of the Lammermuir Hills on the North Sea coast. It has a 15th century Dunglass Collegiate Church, now in the care of Historic Scotland...
- Dunglass Viaduct