Elgin Cathedral
Encyclopedia
Elgin Cathedral, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, sometimes referred to as The Lantern of the North is a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray
, north-east Scotland
. It was established in 1224 on an area of ground granted by Alexander II
that was close to the River Lossie
and outside of the burgh of Elgin. Before its transfer to its present position the cathedral was located at Spynie
, 3 km to the north, and was served by a chapter of eight clerics. The new cathedral, much larger than before, was staffed accordingly with the number of canons increased to 18 in 1226 and then again to 23 by 1242. A fire in 1270 damaged the cathedral significantly initiating a major rebuilding programme that substantially increased the size of the edifice. It was unaffected by the Wars of Independence
but was again badly damaged by burning in 1390 following an attack by Robert III
's brother Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch
. In 1402 the cathedral precinct again suffered an incendiary attack by the followers of the Lord of the Isles
. The number of canons had increased to 25 by the time of the Reformation
in 1560 when the cathedral was abandoned and the services transferred to Elgin's parish church of St Giles. After the removal of the lead from the roof in 1567, the cathedral fell steadily into decay which was only arrested in the 19th century when it was in a substantially ruinous condition.
Today, the walls of the cathedral are at full height in places and at foundation level in others but with the cruciform shape of the cathedral still discernible. The two towers of the west front are mostly complete and are from the first phase of building. The cathedral went through periods of enlargement and renovation following the fires of 1270 and 1390 that included the doubling in length of the choir, the provision of additional aisles in the north and south of the nave, and external aisles to the north and south walls of the choir. A mostly intact octagonal chapter house dates to the period of the major enlargement after the fire of 1270. The gable wall above the double door entrance that links the west towers is nearly complete and was rebuilt following the destructive fire of 1390. It accommodates a large window opening that now contains only stub tracery work but fragments of a large rose window are visible. Recessed and chest tombs in both transepts and in the south aisle of the choir contain effigies of bishops and knights while large flat slabs in the now grass covered floor of the cathedral mark the positions of graves. The manses of the dignitaries and canons stood in the chanonry and were destroyed by fire on three occasions—in 1270, 1390 and 1402. Only the precenter's manse substantially remains while two others have been incorporated into private buildings. A protective wall of massive proportions surrounded the cathedral precinct but only a small section has survived. The wall had four access gates, one of which—the Pans Port—still exists.
(Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim) between 1130 and 1153.
It is possible that there may have been bishops of Moray
before c.1120 but this is not certain. After the suppression of Óengus of Moray
's rebellion in 1130 David I must have regarded the continued presence of bishops in Moray as essential to the stability of the province. The first known bishop of the diocese—possibly later translated to Dunkeld—was Gregory
(or Gregoir) and probably bishop in name only with the first resident diocesan being Richard of Lincoln. Gregory was a signatory to the foundation charter of Scone Priory
, issued by Alexander I
(Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim) between December 1123 and April 1124, and again in a charter defining the legal rights of the same monastery. He is recorded for the last time when he witnessed a charter by David I to Dunfermline Abbey
in c.1128.
The early bishops did not have a settled location for their cathedral and sited it successively at Birnie
, Kinneddar
and Spynie
. Pope Innocent III issued an apostolic bull
on 7 April 1206 that allowed bishop Bricius de Douglas to fix his cathedral church at Spynie with its inauguration between spring 1207 and summer 1208. A chapter of five dignitaries and three ordinary canons for the day-to-day running of the cathedral was authorised and based its constitution on that of Lincoln Cathedral
. Elgin became the lay centre of the province under David I who probably established the first castle
in the town and it may have been this castle with its promise of better security that prompted Bricius, before July 1216, to petition the pope to move the seat from Spynie.
Despite Bricius's earlier appeal, it was not until Andreas de Moravia
's episcopate that Pope Honorius III issued his bull on 10 April 1224 authorising his legates Gilbert de Moravia
, Bishop of Caithness
, Robert, Abbot of Kinloss
and Henry, dean of Ross to examine the suitability of transferring the cathedra
to Elgin. The Bishop of Caithness and the dean of Ross performed the translation ceremony on 19 July 1224. Before that, on 10 July, Alexander II
(Alaxandair mac Uilliam) agreed to the transference in an edict that referred to his having given the land previously for this purpose. The land-grant predated the Papal mandate and there is evidence that the building had started in around 1215. Completion was after 1242 but the chronicler John of Fordun
recorded without explanation that in 1270 the cathedral church and the canons’ houses had burned down. The cathedral was rebuilt in a larger and grander style to form the greater part of the structure that is now visible. The enlargement is supposed to have been completed by the outbreak of the Wars of Independence
in 1296 and although Edward I of England
took an army to Elgin in 1296 and again in 1303 the cathedral was left unscathed, as it was by his grandson Edward III
during his assault on Moray in 1336.
Bishop David de Moravia
(1299–1326) was the uncle of Andrew Moray
who together with William Wallace
successfully defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge
in 1297 and where Moray was mortally wounded. In August 1306 Edward I ordered the arrest of Bishop David for complicity in the murder of John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
and had him excommunicated—he took refuge on Norwegian soil in Orkney. In 1325 he gave the lands of Grisy-Suisnes, outside Paris
which formed the founding endowment of the Collège des Écossais. Soon after his election to the see in 1362–3, Bishop Alexander Bur
requested funds from Pope Urban V for repairs to the cathedral citing neglect and hostile attacks. In August 1370 Bur began protection payments to Alexander Stewart, son of Robert the Steward
, lord of Badenoch who would soon become King Robert II
. Alexander, Earl of Buchan
from 1382, and Bur had many disputes culminating in Buchan's excommunication
in February 1390 and the bishop turning to Thomas Dunbar, son of the Earl of Moray
, to provide the protection service.
These acts by the bishop and any frustrations Buchan may have had by the re-appointment of his brother Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife as guardian of Scotland may have caused him to react defiantly—in May, he descended from his island castle on Lochindorb
and burned the town of Forres
and followed this up in June by burning Elgin and the cathedral with its manses. It is believed that he also burned Pluscarden Priory
at this time, which was officially under the Bishop's protection. Bur wrote to Robert III
seeking reparation for his brother's actions in a letter stating:
complaining that the abbot's prebendary churches in the Moray diocese had not paid their dues towards the cathedral restoration. In the same year Bur wrote to the rector of Aberchirder church telling him that he now owed three years arrears for the subsidy that had been imposed on non-prebendary churches in 1397. Again, on 3 July 1402, the burgh
and cathedral precinct were attacked, this time by Alexander of Lochaber, brother of Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles
. He spared the cathedral but burned the manse
s and for this act Lochaber and his captains were excommunicated prompting his return in September to give reparation and gain absolution. In 1408, the money saved during a vacancy was diverted to the rebuilding process and in 1413 a grant from the customs of Inverness was provided. Increasingly, the appropriation of the parish church revenues led in many cases to churches becoming dilapidated and unable to attract educated priests—by the later Middle Ages, the standard of pastoral care outside of the main burghs was totally inadequate.
Bishop John Innes (1407–14) contributed greatly to the rebuilding of the cathedral evidenced by the inscription on his tomb praising his efforts. When he died, the chapter met secretly— 'in quadam camera secreta in campanili ecclesie Moraviensis' —and agreed that should one of their number be elected to the see that the bishop would grant one third of the income of the bishopric annually until the re-building was finished. The major alterations to the west front were completed before 1435 and contain the arms of Bishop Columba de Dunbar
(1422–35) and it is presumed that both the north and south aisles of the choir were finished before 1460 as the south aisle contains the tomb of John de Winchester (1435–60). Probably the last important rebuilding feature was the major restructuring of the chapter house between 1482 and 1501 and contains the arms of Bishop Andrew Stewart.
was read before the business of the day was discussed.
Bishop Bricius's chapter of eight clerics consisted of the dean, precentor, treasurer, chancellor, archdeacon and three ordinary canons. His successor, Bishop Andreas de Moravia
greatly expanded the chapter to cater for the much enlarged establishment by creating two additional hierarchical posts (succentor and subdean) and added 16 more prebendaries
.Cowan & Easson, Medieval Houses, pp. 206, 207 In total, 23 prebendaries had been created by the time of Andreas' death, and a further two were added just before the Reformation
(see table below for details). Prebendary churches were at the bestowal of the bishop as the churches were either within the diocesan lands or had been granted to the bishop by a landowner as patronage. In the case of Elgin Cathedral the family of de Moravia, of which Bishop Andreas was a member, are noted as having the patronage of many churches given as prebends—quite often appropriation of the parsonage and vicarage earnings to the prebend were also appended.
Rural deans
known as deans of Christianity in the Scottish Church, supervised the priests in the deaneries and implemented the bishop's edicts. In the Moray diocese, there were four deaneries—Elgin, Inverness, Strathbogie and Strathspey—which provided the income not only for the cathedral and chapter but also for other religious houses within and outside the diocese. Many churches were allocated to support designated canons while a small number were held in common—the bishop received mensal
and prebendary income in his separate positions as prelate and canon. Arbroath Abbey
in the diocese of St Andrews received the income from the church of Inverness
, Beauly Priory
had that of Abertarf and Conveth while Pluscarden Priory had Daviot and Dores.
The government of the diocese affecting both clergy and laity was vested entirely in the bishop who appointed officers for the ecclesastical, criminal and civil courts. The bishop assisted by his chapter produced the church laws and regulations for the bishopric and were enforced at occasional diocesan synods by the bishop or, in his absence, the dean. Appointed officials adjudicated at consistorial courts looking at matters affecting tithes, marriages, divorces, widows, orphans, wills etc.—in Moray, the consistory court
s were held in Elgin and Inverness. The Bishop of Moray by 1452 held all his lands in one regality and had Courts of Regality presided over by Bailiffs and Deputies to ensure the payment of revenues from his estates.
Large cathedrals such as Elgin had many chapel altars and daily services required to be suitably staffed with canons assisted by a plentiful number of chaplains and vicars. Bishop Andreas allowed for the canons to be aided by 17 vicars made up of seven priests, five deacons and five sub-deacons—later the number of vicars was increased to twenty five. In 1350 the vicars at Elgin could not live on their stipends and Bishop John of Pilmuir
provided them with the income from two churches and the patronage of another from Thomas Randolph, 2nd Earl of Moray
. By 1489 one vicar had a stipend of 12 marks; six more, 10 marks; one, 8 marks; three, 7 marks, and six received 5 marks—each vicar was employed directly by a canon who was required to provide four months notice in the event of his employment being terminated. The vicars were of two kinds, the vicars-choral who worked chiefly in the choir and took the main services and the chantry chaplains whose primary function was to perform services at the individual lesser foundation altars, but there was some overlap between them. Although the chapter followed the constitution of Lincoln, the form of divine service was that of Salisbury Cathedral
. It is recorded that Elgin's vicars-choral were subject to disciplinary correction for shortcomings in the performance of the services resulting in fines. More serious offences could end in corporal punishment
and would take place in the chapter house, administered by the sub-dean and witnessed by the chapter. King Alexander II
founded a chaplaincy for the soul of King Duncan I
who died in battle with Macbeth
near Elgin while the chapel most frequently referred to in records was that of St Thomas the Martyr
in the north transept—it had five chaplains. Other chaplaincies mentioned are those of the Holy Rood, St Catherine, St Duthac, St Lawrence, St Mary Magdalene, St Mary the Virgin and St Michael. By the time of Bishop Bur's episcopate (1362–1397), the cathedral had 15 canons (excluding dignitaries), 22 vicars-choral and about the same number of chaplains.
Despite these numbers, all of the clergy were not present at the services—absence was an enduring fact of life in all cathedrals in a period when careerist clerics would accept positions in other cathedrals. This is not to say that the time spent away from the chanonry was without permission—some canons were appointed to be always present while others were allowed to attend on a part-time basis. The dean was permanently in attendance while the precentor, chancellor, and treasurer, were available for half the year; the non-permanent canons had to attend continuously for three months. The chapter decided in 1240 to penalise persistently absent canons who broke the terms of their attendance by removing one seventh of their income. In the Diocese of Aberdeen
and it is assumed in other bishoprics also, when important decisions of the chapter had to be taken, an absentee canon had to appoint a procurator to act on his behalf—this was usually one of the dignitaries who had a higher likelihood of being present. At Elgin in 1488, many canons were not abiding by the terms of their leave of absence and resulted in each of them receiving a formal warning and a summons—despite this, ten canons refused to attend and had a seventh of their prebendary income deducted. The bulk of the workload fell to the vicars and a smaller number of permanent canons who were responsible for celebrating high mass and for leading and arranging sermons and feast day processions. Seven services were held daily, most of which were solely for the clergy and took place behind the rood screen which separated the high alter and choir from lay worshipers. Only cathedrals, collegiate churches and large burgh churches were resourced to perform the more elaborate services while the services in the parish churches were more basic and unsatisfactory.
The clergy were augmented by an unknown number of lay lawyers and clerks as well as masons, carpenters, glaziers, plumbers, and gardeners—Master Gregory the mason and Master Richard the glazier are mentioned in the chartulary of the cathedral.
stayed at the manse of Duffus
on 10 and 11 September 1303 as did James II
in 1455. In 1489, nearly a century after the incendiary attacks on the cathedral and precinct by the Wolf of Badenoch in 1390 and then by Alexander of Lochaber and the Isles in 1402, the cathedral records show a chanonry still lacking many of its manses—the chapter ordered that 13 canons which included the succenter and the archdeacon should immediately 'erect, construct, build, and duly repair their manses, and the enclosures of their gardens within the college of Moray'. The manse of the precentor, erroneously called the Bishop's House, is partially ruined and is dated 1557 (Fig. 2) while vestiges of the Dean's Manse and the Archdeacon's Manse (Fig. 3) are now part of private buildings.
The hospital of Maison Dieu, dedicated to St Mary, situated close to the cathedral precinct but outside of the chanonry was established by Bishop Andreas before 1237 for the aid of the poor. It suffered fire damage in 1390 and again in 1445. The cathedral clerks received it as a secular benefice but in later years it may, in common with other hospitals, have become dilapidated through a lack of patronage—Bishop James Hepburn granted it to the Blackfriars of Elgin on 17 November 1520 perhaps in an effort to preserve its existence. The property was taken into the ownership of the Crown
after the Reformation and in 1595 was granted to the burgh by James VI for educational purposes and for helping the poor. In 1624, an almshouse to replace the original building was constructed but in 1750 a storm substantially damaged its relatively intact ruins and was finally lost after a 19th century redevelopment of the area.
There were two friaries in the burgh. The Dominican
Black Friars to the west, founded c. 1233 and the Franciscan
(Friars Minor Conventual) Grey Friars in the east and founded before 1281. It is thought that this latter foundation did not long survive but the Franciscan (Observants) Grey Friars founded their friary near the cathedral between 1479 and 1513. The building was transferred into the ownership of the burgh in c. 1559 becoming the Court of Justice in 1563. In 1489, the chapter founded a school that was not purely a song school for the cathedral but was also to be available to provide an education in music and reading for some of the children of Elgin.
Lord James Stewart's
Privy Council
to order the removal of the lead from the roofs of both Elgin and Aberdeen
cathedrals, to be sold for the upkeep of his army, but the overladen ship that was intended to take the cargo to Holland capsized and sank in Aberdeen harbour.
In 1615, John Taylor
, the "Water Poet" wrote:
Decay had set in and on 4 December 1637, the roof of the eastern limb collapsed during a gale. In 1640 the General Assembly
ordered Gilbert Ross, the minister of St Giles kirk to remove the rood screen which still partitioned the choir and presbytery from the nave and was assisted in this by the Lairds of Innes and Brodie who chopped it up for firewood. It is believed that the destruction of the great west window was caused by Oliver Cromwell
's soldiers sometime between 1650 and 1660.
At some point the cathedral grounds had become the burial ground for Elgin, and so the town council arranged for the boundary wall to be repaired in 1685 but significantly, the council ordered that the stones from the cathedral should not be used for that purpose. Although the building was becoming increasingly unstable the chapter house continued to be used for meetings of the Incorporated Trades from 1671 to 1676 and then again from 1701 to around 1731. No attempt at stabilising the structure was carried out and on Easter Sunday 1711 the central tower gave way, demolishing the nave and initiated the "quarrying" of stone work for local projects. Many artists visited Elgin to sketch the ruins, and it is from their work that the slow but continuing ruination can be observed.Fawcett, Elgin Cathedral, p. 11 By the closing years of the 18th century, travellers to Elgin began to visit the ruin, and pamphlets giving the history of the cathedral were prepared for those early tourists. In 1773 Samuel Johnson
recorded:
Since the abolition of bishops within the Scottish Church in 1689, ownership of the abandoned cathedral fell to the crown, but no attempt to halt the decline of the building took place. It was Elgin Town Council that first saw that the structure required to be stabilised by first re-building the perimeter wall in 1809 and then by clearing the debris from the surrounding area in about 1815. The Lord Provost
of Elgin petitioned the King's Remembrancer for assistance for a new roof for the chapter house and in 1824, £121 was provided to Robert Reid
, the future Head of the Scottish Office of Works (SOW), for its construction. Reid was significant in the development of a conservation policy for historical buildings in Scotland and achieved the setting up of the SOW in 1827. It was during Reid’s tenure at the head of the SOW that supporting buttresses to the choir and transept walls were built.
In 1824 John Shanks, an Elgin shoemaker and an important figure in the conservation of the cathedral, started his work. Sponsored by local gentleman, Isaac Forsyth, Shanks cleared the grounds of centuries of rubbish dumping and rubble. Shanks was officially appointed Keeper and Watchman in 1826. Although his work was highly valued at the time and brought the cathedral back into public focus, his unscientific clearance work may have resulted in much valuable evidence of the cathedral’s history being lost. He died on 14 April 1841. The Inverness Courier notified its readership:
Some minor works took place during the remainder of the 19th century and continued into the early 20th century. During the 1930s further maintenance work ensued that included a new roof to protect vaulted ceiling of the south choir aisle. From 1960 onwards the crumbling sandstone blocks were replaced and new windows were fitted in the chapter house which was re-roofed to preserve its vaulted ceiling. From 1988 to 2000, the two western towers were substantially overhauled with a viewing platform provided at the top of the north tower.
The south transept's southern wall is nearly complete displaying the fine workmanship of the first phase—the pointed arch Gothic style first appeared in France in the mid-12th century was apparent in England around 1170 but hardly appeared in Scotland until the early 13th century and the round early Norman window design continued to be used in Scotland during the entire Gothic period (Fig. 6). The windows and the quoins
are of finely cut ashlar
sandstone. On the south-west of the wall is a doorway possessing large mouldings and has a pointed oval window placed above it. Adjacent to the doorway are two lancet-arched windows that are topped at the clearstorey level with three round-headed windows. The north transept has much less of its structure preserved but much of what does remain taken together with a study by John Slezer in 1693 showed that the two transepts were very similar with the exception that the north transept had a stone turret containing a stair and had no external door.
The west front has the two buttressed towers standing to a height of 27.4m and were originally topped with wooden spires covered in protective lead and date from the 13th century. Although it is thought that the towers were not part of the initial design— revealed by the differing base course construction to that of the transepts—it is likely that the building process was not so far advanced that allowed the nave and towers to be fully integrated into each other (Fig. 7).
In June 1390, Alexander Stewart, Robert III's brother burned the cathedral, manses and burgh of Elgin. This fire was very destructive requiring the central tower to be completely re-built along with the principal arcades of the nave—the entire western gable between the towers was reconstructed and the main west doorway and chapter house were re-fashioned. The internal stonework of the entrance is late 14th or early 15th century and is intricately carved with branches, vines, acorns and oak leaves. A large pointed arch opening in the gable immediately above the main door contained a large sequence of windows, the uppermost of which was a circular or rose window and dates to a period between 1422 and 1435—just above it can be seen three coats of arms; on the right is that of the bishopric of Moray, in the middle are the Royal Arms of Scotland and on the left is the armorial shield of Bishop Columba Dunbar (Fig. 11). The walls of the nave are now very low or even foundation level excepting one section in the south wall which is near its original height. This section has windows that appear to date from the 15th century to replace the 13th century openings and may have been carried out following the 1390 attack (Fig. 12). Nothing of the elevated structure of the nave remains but its appearance can be deduced from the scarring seen where it attached to the eastern walls of the towers—nothing of the crossing now remains following its destruction when the central tower collapsed in 1711. Elgin Cathedral is unique in Scotland for having an English style octagonal chapter house and French influenced double aisles along each side of the nave—only Chichester Cathedral
, in England has similar aisles. The chapter house, attaching to the choir through a short vaulted vestry, required substantial modifications and was now provided with a vaulted roof supported by a single pillar (Figs. 13 & 14). It is 10.3m high at its apex and 11.3m from wall to opposite wall and was substantially re-built by Bishop Andrew Stewart (1482–1501) whose coat of arms is placed on the central pillar. Bishop Andrew was the half-brother of King James II
and the fact that it took until this bishop's episcopacy to complete these repairs demonstrates how extensively damaging the 1390 attack had been.
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
, north-east 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...
. It was established in 1224 on an area of ground granted by Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
that was close to the River Lossie
River Lossie
The River Lossie is a river in north east Scotland. Ptolemy , the Greco / Roman geographer, named it as ost. Loxa Fl. The river originates in the hills above Dallas, in Moray, and has its source 400 meters above sea-level. It enters the sea at Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth...
and outside of the burgh of Elgin. Before its transfer to its present position the cathedral was located at Spynie
Spynie Palace
Spynie Palace, also known as Spynie Castle, was the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray for about 500 years. The founding of the palace dates back to the late 12th Century. It is situated about 500m from the location of the first officially settled Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Moray, in...
, 3 km to the north, and was served by a chapter of eight clerics. The new cathedral, much larger than before, was staffed accordingly with the number of canons increased to 18 in 1226 and then again to 23 by 1242. A fire in 1270 damaged the cathedral significantly initiating a major rebuilding programme that substantially increased the size of the edifice. It was unaffected by the Wars of Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
but was again badly damaged by burning in 1390 following an attack by Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
's brother Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch
Badenoch
Badenoch is a traditional district which today forms part of Badenoch and Strathspey, an area of Highland Council, in Scotland, bounded on the north by the Monadhliath Mountains, on the east by the Cairngorms and Braemar, on the south by Atholl and the Grampians, and on the west by Lochaber...
. In 1402 the cathedral precinct again suffered an incendiary attack by the followers of the Lord of the Isles
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
. The number of canons had increased to 25 by the time of the 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...
in 1560 when the cathedral was abandoned and the services transferred to Elgin's parish church of St Giles. After the removal of the lead from the roof in 1567, the cathedral fell steadily into decay which was only arrested in the 19th century when it was in a substantially ruinous condition.
Today, the walls of the cathedral are at full height in places and at foundation level in others but with the cruciform shape of the cathedral still discernible. The two towers of the west front are mostly complete and are from the first phase of building. The cathedral went through periods of enlargement and renovation following the fires of 1270 and 1390 that included the doubling in length of the choir, the provision of additional aisles in the north and south of the nave, and external aisles to the north and south walls of the choir. A mostly intact octagonal chapter house dates to the period of the major enlargement after the fire of 1270. The gable wall above the double door entrance that links the west towers is nearly complete and was rebuilt following the destructive fire of 1390. It accommodates a large window opening that now contains only stub tracery work but fragments of a large rose window are visible. Recessed and chest tombs in both transepts and in the south aisle of the choir contain effigies of bishops and knights while large flat slabs in the now grass covered floor of the cathedral mark the positions of graves. The manses of the dignitaries and canons stood in the chanonry and were destroyed by fire on three occasions—in 1270, 1390 and 1402. Only the precenter's manse substantially remains while two others have been incorporated into private buildings. A protective wall of massive proportions surrounded the cathedral precinct but only a small section has survived. The wall had four access gates, one of which—the Pans Port—still exists.
Early cathedral churches of Moray
The northern dioceses of Moray, Ross and Caithness were regional in form while bishoprics such as St Andrews derived from a more ancient monastic Celtic church held possessions that geographically were scattered in nature. Unlike other Scottish cathedrals, Elgin's played no part in the foundation of the burgh—by 1224 when the cathedral was finally established at Elgin, the burgh with its parish church were already in existence having been established by David IDavid I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
(Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim) between 1130 and 1153.
It is possible that there may have been bishops of Moray
Bishop of Moray
The Bishop of Moray or Bishop of Elgin was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics...
before c.1120 but this is not certain. After the suppression of Óengus of Moray
Óengus of Moray
Óengus of Moray was the last King of Moray of the native line, ruling Moray in what is now northeastern Scotland from some unknown date until his death in 1130....
's rebellion in 1130 David I must have regarded the continued presence of bishops in Moray as essential to the stability of the province. The first known bishop of the diocese—possibly later translated to Dunkeld—was Gregory
Gregoir of Moray
Gregoir of Moray [Giric, Gregory] is the first attested Bishop of Moray. His name occur in witness lists in two charters. The first is the witness list appended to a charter of King Alexander I of Scotland defining the legal powers held by Priory of Scone...
(or Gregoir) and probably bishop in name only with the first resident diocesan being Richard of Lincoln. Gregory was a signatory to the foundation charter of Scone Priory
Scone Abbey
Scone Abbey was a house of Augustinian canons based at Scone, Perthshire , Scotland. Varying dates for the foundation have been given, but it was certainly founded between 1114 and 1122....
, issued by Alexander I
Alexander I of Scotland
Alexander I , also called Alaxandair mac Maíl Coluim and nicknamed "The Fierce", was King of the Scots from 1107 to his death.-Life:...
(Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim) between December 1123 and April 1124, and again in a charter defining the legal rights of the same monastery. He is recorded for the last time when he witnessed a charter by David I to Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey
Dunfermline Abbey is as a Church of Scotland Parish Church located in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. In 2002 the congregation had 806 members. The minister is the Reverend Alastair Jessamine...
in c.1128.
The early bishops did not have a settled location for their cathedral and sited it successively at Birnie
Birnie Kirk
Birnie Kirk is a Church of Scotland church situated 4 km south of Elgin, in Moray, northeast Scotland. The church was built c. 1140 and became the first cathedral of the Bishop of Moray. It remained the cathedral church until 1184 when Bishop Simon de Tosny died. His successor Richard de...
, Kinneddar
Kinneddar Castle
Kinneddar Castle in Moray, Scotland was the residence of the bishops of Moray from c.1187 and its first documented incumbent was Bishop Richard . Bishop Archibald enlarged or rebuilt the castle in c. 1280 and it continued to be used by the bishops until the late 14th century...
and Spynie
Spynie Palace
Spynie Palace, also known as Spynie Castle, was the fortified seat of the Bishops of Moray for about 500 years. The founding of the palace dates back to the late 12th Century. It is situated about 500m from the location of the first officially settled Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Moray, in...
. Pope Innocent III issued an apostolic bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
on 7 April 1206 that allowed bishop Bricius de Douglas to fix his cathedral church at Spynie with its inauguration between spring 1207 and summer 1208. A chapter of five dignitaries and three ordinary canons for the day-to-day running of the cathedral was authorised and based its constitution on that of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
. Elgin became the lay centre of the province under David I who probably established the first castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in the town and it may have been this castle with its promise of better security that prompted Bricius, before July 1216, to petition the pope to move the seat from Spynie.
Cathedral church at Elgin
Andreas de Moravia
Andreas de Moravia was a 13th century Scottish bishop. He may have been from the "de Moravia" family of Flemish origin who were lords of Duffus and other areas in the Greater Moray region in this period. In the time of Bishop Bricius' episcopate , there was a man called "Andreas" who was rector of...
's episcopate that Pope Honorius III issued his bull on 10 April 1224 authorising his legates Gilbert de Moravia
Gilbert de Moravia
Gilbert de Moravia , later known as Saint Gilbert of Dornoch, was the most famous Bishop of Caithness and founder of Dornoch Cathedral....
, Bishop of Caithness
Bishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his...
, Robert, Abbot of Kinloss
Abbot of Kinloss
The Abbot of Kinloss was the head of the property and Cistercian monastic community of Kinloss Abbey, Moray, founded by King David I of Scotland around 1151 by monks from Melrose Abbey. The abbey was transformed into a temporal lordship for Edward Bruce, the last commendator, who became Lord Kinloss...
and Henry, dean of Ross to examine the suitability of transferring the cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
to Elgin. The Bishop of Caithness and the dean of Ross performed the translation ceremony on 19 July 1224. Before that, on 10 July, Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
(Alaxandair mac Uilliam) agreed to the transference in an edict that referred to his having given the land previously for this purpose. The land-grant predated the Papal mandate and there is evidence that the building had started in around 1215. Completion was after 1242 but the chronicler John of Fordun
John of Fordun
John of Fordun was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th century; and it is probable that he was a chaplain in the St Machar's Cathedral of...
recorded without explanation that in 1270 the cathedral church and the canons’ houses had burned down. The cathedral was rebuilt in a larger and grander style to form the greater part of the structure that is now visible. The enlargement is supposed to have been completed by the outbreak of the Wars of Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
in 1296 and although Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
took an army to Elgin in 1296 and again in 1303 the cathedral was left unscathed, as it was by his grandson Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
during his assault on Moray in 1336.
Bishop David de Moravia
David de Moravia
David de Moravia was Bishop of Moray during most of the First War of Scottish Independence. He was elected Bishop of Moray, probably in early 1299. Extended details exist regarding the election because of an extant letter of Pope Boniface VIII. The result of the election was that David had 13...
(1299–1326) was the uncle of Andrew Moray
Andrew Moray
Andrew Moray , also known as Andrew de Moray, Andrew of Moray, or Andrew Murray, was a prominent military leader of patriotic forces during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He led the rising in northern Scotland in the summer of 1297 against the occupation by King Edward I of England,...
who together with William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
successfully defeated the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge
Battle of Stirling Bridge
The Battle of Stirling Bridge was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence. On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated the combined English forces of John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham near Stirling, on the River Forth.-The main...
in 1297 and where Moray was mortally wounded. In August 1306 Edward I ordered the arrest of Bishop David for complicity in the murder of John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch
John III Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Lord of Lochaber or John "the Red", also known simply as the Red Comyn was a Scottish nobleman who was an important figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence, and was Guardian of Scotland during the Second Interregnum 1296-1306...
and had him excommunicated—he took refuge on Norwegian soil in Orkney. In 1325 he gave the lands of Grisy-Suisnes, outside Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
which formed the founding endowment of the Collège des Écossais. Soon after his election to the see in 1362–3, Bishop Alexander Bur
Alexander Bur
Alexander Bur was a 14th-century Scottish cleric. It is highly possible that Bur came from somewhere in or around Aberdeenshire, although that is not certain and is only based on the knowledge that Aberdeenshire is where other people bearing his surname come from in this period...
requested funds from Pope Urban V for repairs to the cathedral citing neglect and hostile attacks. In August 1370 Bur began protection payments to Alexander Stewart, son of Robert the Steward
High Steward of Scotland
The title of High Steward or Great Steward was given in the 12th century to Walter Fitzalan, whose descendants became the House of Stewart. In 1371, the last High Steward inherited the throne, and thereafter the title of High Steward of Scotland has been held as a subsidiary title to that of Duke...
, lord of Badenoch who would soon become King Robert II
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
. Alexander, Earl of Buchan
Earl of Buchan
The Mormaer or Earl of Buchan was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male line. The earldom had three lines in its history, not counting...
from 1382, and Bur had many disputes culminating in Buchan's excommunication
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
in February 1390 and the bishop turning to Thomas Dunbar, son of the Earl of Moray
Earl of Moray
The title Earl of Moray has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland.Prior to the formal establishment of the peerage, Earl of Moray, numerous individuals ruled the kingdom of Moray or Mormaer of Moray until 1130 when the kingdom was destroyed by David I of Scotland.-History of the...
, to provide the protection service.
Lochindorb
Lochindorb is a freshwater loch north of Grantown on Spey in the Highland council area of Scotland. This loch is home to the ruins of Lochindorb Castle, a former stronghold of the Clan Comyn. It is also a popular spot with fishers and birdwatchers, the latter of whom come to see the local...
and burned the town of Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
and followed this up in June by burning Elgin and the cathedral with its manses. It is believed that he also burned Pluscarden Priory
Pluscarden Abbey
Pluscarden Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery located in the glen of the Black Burn about 10 kilometres south-west of Elgin, in Moray, Scotland...
at this time, which was officially under the Bishop's protection. Bur wrote to Robert III
Robert III of Scotland
Robert III was King of Scots from 1390 to his death. His given name was John Stewart, and he was known primarily as the Earl of Carrick before ascending the throne at age 53...
seeking reparation for his brother's actions in a letter stating:
—my church was the particular ornament of the fatherland, the glory of the kingdom, the joy of strangers and incoming guests, the object of praise and exaltation in other kingdoms because of its decoration, by which it is believed that God was properly worshipped; not to mention its high bell towers, its venerable furnishings and uncountable jewels.Robert III granted Bur an annuity of £20 for the period of the bishop’s lifetime, and the pope provided income from the Scottish Church during the following decade. In 1400, Bur wrote to the Abbot of Arbroath
Abbot of Arbroath
Abbot of Arbroath was the head of the Tironensian Benedictine monastic community of Arbroath Abbey, Angus, Scotland, founded under the patronage of King William of Scotland from Kelso Abbey and dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. The abbot, John Gedy, was granted the mitre on 26 June 1396...
complaining that the abbot's prebendary churches in the Moray diocese had not paid their dues towards the cathedral restoration. In the same year Bur wrote to the rector of Aberchirder church telling him that he now owed three years arrears for the subsidy that had been imposed on non-prebendary churches in 1397. Again, on 3 July 1402, the burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
and cathedral precinct were attacked, this time by Alexander of Lochaber, brother of Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles
Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles
Donald, or properly, Dómhnall Íle , was the son and successor of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles and chief of Clan Donald. The Lordship of the Isles was based in and around the Scottish west-coast island of Islay, but under Domhnall's father had come to include many of the other islands off the...
. He spared the cathedral but burned the manse
Manse
A manse is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of a Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or United Church...
s and for this act Lochaber and his captains were excommunicated prompting his return in September to give reparation and gain absolution. In 1408, the money saved during a vacancy was diverted to the rebuilding process and in 1413 a grant from the customs of Inverness was provided. Increasingly, the appropriation of the parish church revenues led in many cases to churches becoming dilapidated and unable to attract educated priests—by the later Middle Ages, the standard of pastoral care outside of the main burghs was totally inadequate.
Bishop John Innes (1407–14) contributed greatly to the rebuilding of the cathedral evidenced by the inscription on his tomb praising his efforts. When he died, the chapter met secretly— 'in quadam camera secreta in campanili ecclesie Moraviensis' —and agreed that should one of their number be elected to the see that the bishop would grant one third of the income of the bishopric annually until the re-building was finished. The major alterations to the west front were completed before 1435 and contain the arms of Bishop Columba de Dunbar
Columba de Dunbar
Columba de Dunbar was Bishop of Moray from 1422 until his death at Spynie Palace near Elgin sometime before 7 November 1435.Columba was "of Royal race", the youngest "lawful son of George de Dunbar, 10th Earl of March" and his spouse Christian née Seton.His father, who supported the so-called...
(1422–35) and it is presumed that both the north and south aisles of the choir were finished before 1460 as the south aisle contains the tomb of John de Winchester (1435–60). Probably the last important rebuilding feature was the major restructuring of the chapter house between 1482 and 1501 and contains the arms of Bishop Andrew Stewart.
Diocesan organisation
In cathedrals the dignitaries and canons constituted the chapter and had the primary role of aiding the bishop in the governance of the diocese. Often the bishop was the titular head of the chapter only and was excluded from its decision-making processes, the chapter being led by the dean as its superior—as the diocese of Moray based its constitution on that of Lincoln Cathedral the bishop was allowed to participate within the chapter but only as an ordinary canon. Moray was not unique in this, the bishops of Aberdeen, Brechin, Caithness, Orkney and Ross were also canons in their own chapters. Each morning, the canons held a meeting in the chapter house where a chapter from the canonical rule book of St BenedictBenedict of Nursia
Saint Benedict of Nursia is a Christian saint, honored by the Roman Catholic Church as the patron saint of Europe and students.Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, about to the east of Rome, before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. There is no...
was read before the business of the day was discussed.
Bishop Bricius's chapter of eight clerics consisted of the dean, precentor, treasurer, chancellor, archdeacon and three ordinary canons. His successor, Bishop Andreas de Moravia
Andreas de Moravia
Andreas de Moravia was a 13th century Scottish bishop. He may have been from the "de Moravia" family of Flemish origin who were lords of Duffus and other areas in the Greater Moray region in this period. In the time of Bishop Bricius' episcopate , there was a man called "Andreas" who was rector of...
greatly expanded the chapter to cater for the much enlarged establishment by creating two additional hierarchical posts (succentor and subdean) and added 16 more 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...
.Cowan & Easson, Medieval Houses, pp. 206, 207 In total, 23 prebendaries had been created by the time of Andreas' death, and a further two were added just before the 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...
(see table below for details). Prebendary churches were at the bestowal of the bishop as the churches were either within the diocesan lands or had been granted to the bishop by a landowner as patronage. In the case of Elgin Cathedral the family of de Moravia, of which Bishop Andreas was a member, are noted as having the patronage of many churches given as prebends—quite often appropriation of the parsonage and vicarage earnings to the prebend were also appended.
Rural deans
Rural Dean
In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, a Rural Dean presides over a Rural Deanery .-Origins and usage:...
known as deans of Christianity in the Scottish Church, supervised the priests in the deaneries and implemented the bishop's edicts. In the Moray diocese, there were four deaneries—Elgin, Inverness, Strathbogie and Strathspey—which provided the income not only for the cathedral and chapter but also for other religious houses within and outside the diocese. Many churches were allocated to support designated canons while a small number were held in common—the bishop received mensal
Mensa
Mensa meaning table in Latin, may refer to:*Mensa International, an organization for people with high IQs*Mensa , a southern star constellation*Mensa , a term used by geologists to refer to an extraterrestrial mesa...
and prebendary income in his separate positions as prelate and canon. Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey
Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, whom the king had met at the English court...
in the diocese of St Andrews received the income from the church of Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory
Beauly Priory was a Valliscaulian monastic community located at "Insula de Achenbady", now Beauly, Inverness-shire. It was probably founded in 1230. It is not known for certain who the founder was, different sources giving Alexander II of Scotland, John Byset, and both...
had that of Abertarf and Conveth while Pluscarden Priory had Daviot and Dores.
The government of the diocese affecting both clergy and laity was vested entirely in the bishop who appointed officers for the ecclesastical, criminal and civil courts. The bishop assisted by his chapter produced the church laws and regulations for the bishopric and were enforced at occasional diocesan synods by the bishop or, in his absence, the dean. Appointed officials adjudicated at consistorial courts looking at matters affecting tithes, marriages, divorces, widows, orphans, wills etc.—in Moray, the consistory court
Consistory court
The consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England. They were established by a charter of King William I of England, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the 19th century consistory courts have lost much of their subject-matter...
s were held in Elgin and Inverness. The Bishop of Moray by 1452 held all his lands in one regality and had Courts of Regality presided over by Bailiffs and Deputies to ensure the payment of revenues from his estates.
| Chapter | Prebends |
|---|---|
| Bishop | Prebends as a canon of chapter: Ferness; Lethen; Dunlichity; Tulldivie; Logy. Mensal: Elgin; St Andrews; Dyke; Ogston; Rothiemay; Keith; Grantully; Dulbatelouch; Rothiemurchaus; Davit; Talleralie; Innerallian. |
| Dean | Auldearn. |
| Precentor | Lhanbryde; Alves; Rafford; (Rafford removed in 1226). |
| Chancellor | Inveravon; Urquhart (south of Inverness). |
| Treasurer | Kinneddar; Essle. |
| Subdean | Dallas; altarage of Auldearn; chapel of Nairn. |
| Succentor | Rafford; Fothervais. |
| Archdeacon | Forres; Logyn Fythenach. |
| Canons | Advie and Cromdale; Aberlour and Boharm; Botarry and Elchies; Croy; Dipple and Ruthven; Duffus; Duthil; Elgin; Innerkethney; Kingussie and Insh; Kynnoir and Dumbannan; Moy; Rhynie; Petty and Brackla; Spynie. |
| Churches held in common | Artendol; Ferneway; Abriachan; Logykenny; Kyncardin; Abirnethy; Altyre; Ewain; Birnie. (Altyre and Birnie later provided to various chaplainries in cathedral) |
| Deanery | Parishes |
|---|---|
| Elgin | Altyre, Alves, Ardclach, Auldearn, Birnie, Dallas, Dipple, Drainie, Duffus, Dundurkas, Dyke, Edinkillie, Elgin, Essil, Forres, Kinneddar, Lhanbryde, Moy, Ogstoun, Rafford, Rothes, Spynie, St Andrews, Urquhart |
| Inverness | Abertarf, Abriachan, Barevan, Boleskine, Brackla, Conveth, Croy, Dalarossie, Daviot, Dores, Ferneway, Inverness, Kintallirgy, Lunan, Lundichty, Petty, Wardlaw |
| Strathbogie | Aberchirder, Aberlour, Ardintullie, Bellie, Botary, Botriphnie, Drumdelgie, Essie, Gartly, Glass, Huntly, Inverkethney, Keith, Kilreny, Kynnor, Rothymay |
| Strathspey | Abernethy, Advie, Alvie, Cromdale, Duthil, Elchies, Inch, Innerallian, Inveravon, Kincardine, Kingussie, Kirkmichael, Knockando, Laggan, Rothiemurchas |
Cathedral offices
John de Pilmuir
John de Pilmuir [Pilmor, Pylmore] was a 14th century prelate based in Scotland. He was probably the son of Adam de Pilmuir, a Dundee burgess, and the brother of Richard de Pilmuir, Bishop of Dunkeld ....
provided them with the income from two churches and the patronage of another from Thomas Randolph, 2nd Earl of Moray
Thomas Randolph, 2nd Earl of Moray
Thomas Randolph, 2nd Earl of Moray , a Scottish military commander, held his title for just 23 days.The son of Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray, a companion-in-arms of King Robert the Bruce, he succeeded his father on July 20, 1332....
. By 1489 one vicar had a stipend of 12 marks; six more, 10 marks; one, 8 marks; three, 7 marks, and six received 5 marks—each vicar was employed directly by a canon who was required to provide four months notice in the event of his employment being terminated. The vicars were of two kinds, the vicars-choral who worked chiefly in the choir and took the main services and the chantry chaplains whose primary function was to perform services at the individual lesser foundation altars, but there was some overlap between them. Although the chapter followed the constitution of Lincoln, the form of divine service was that of Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
. It is recorded that Elgin's vicars-choral were subject to disciplinary correction for shortcomings in the performance of the services resulting in fines. More serious offences could end in corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
and would take place in the chapter house, administered by the sub-dean and witnessed by the chapter. King Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
founded a chaplaincy for the soul of King Duncan I
Duncan I of Scotland
Donnchad mac Crínáin was king of Scotland from 1034 to 1040...
who died in battle with Macbeth
Macbeth of Scotland
Mac Bethad mac Findlaích was King of the Scots from 1040 until his death...
near Elgin while the chapel most frequently referred to in records was that of St Thomas the Martyr
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
in the north transept—it had five chaplains. Other chaplaincies mentioned are those of the Holy Rood, St Catherine, St Duthac, St Lawrence, St Mary Magdalene, St Mary the Virgin and St Michael. By the time of Bishop Bur's episcopate (1362–1397), the cathedral had 15 canons (excluding dignitaries), 22 vicars-choral and about the same number of chaplains.
Despite these numbers, all of the clergy were not present at the services—absence was an enduring fact of life in all cathedrals in a period when careerist clerics would accept positions in other cathedrals. This is not to say that the time spent away from the chanonry was without permission—some canons were appointed to be always present while others were allowed to attend on a part-time basis. The dean was permanently in attendance while the precentor, chancellor, and treasurer, were available for half the year; the non-permanent canons had to attend continuously for three months. The chapter decided in 1240 to penalise persistently absent canons who broke the terms of their attendance by removing one seventh of their income. In the Diocese of Aberdeen
Diocese of Aberdeen
Diocese of Aberdeen was one of the 13 dioceses of the Scottish church, before the abolition of the episcopacy in 1689.-Early history:...
and it is assumed in other bishoprics also, when important decisions of the chapter had to be taken, an absentee canon had to appoint a procurator to act on his behalf—this was usually one of the dignitaries who had a higher likelihood of being present. At Elgin in 1488, many canons were not abiding by the terms of their leave of absence and resulted in each of them receiving a formal warning and a summons—despite this, ten canons refused to attend and had a seventh of their prebendary income deducted. The bulk of the workload fell to the vicars and a smaller number of permanent canons who were responsible for celebrating high mass and for leading and arranging sermons and feast day processions. Seven services were held daily, most of which were solely for the clergy and took place behind the rood screen which separated the high alter and choir from lay worshipers. Only cathedrals, collegiate churches and large burgh churches were resourced to perform the more elaborate services while the services in the parish churches were more basic and unsatisfactory.
The clergy were augmented by an unknown number of lay lawyers and clerks as well as masons, carpenters, glaziers, plumbers, and gardeners—Master Gregory the mason and Master Richard the glazier are mentioned in the chartulary of the cathedral.
Chanonry and burgh
The chanonry, referred to in the cathedral's chartulary as the college of the chanonry or simply as the college, was the collection of the canons' manses that were grouped around the cathedral.Cant, Historic Elgin and Cathedral, p. 28, 29 A substantial wall, over 3.5m high, 2m thick and around 820m in length, enclosed the cathedral and manses and separated the church community from the laity—only the manse of Rhynie lay outside the west wall. The houses of 17 vicars and the many chaplains were also situated outside the west wall. The wall had four gates, the West Port giving access to the burgh, the North Port provided access to the road to the bishop's palace of Spynie, the South Port opening opposite the hospital of Maison Dieu and the surviving East or Panns Port allowing access to the meadowland called Le Pannis—this gate shows that the gate-houses contained portcullis defences (Fig. 1). Each canon or dignitary was responsible for providing his own manse and was built to reflect his status within the chapter. The castle having become unsuitable, Edward I of EnglandEdward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
stayed at the manse of Duffus
Duffus
Duffus is a village in Moray, Scotland, centred on a Mercat Cross. The Duffus Village Inn, along with the local shop, Post Office and Duffus Village Hall provide a focal point for the community. Nearby are the impressive remains of Duffus Castle, St...
on 10 and 11 September 1303 as did 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...
in 1455. In 1489, nearly a century after the incendiary attacks on the cathedral and precinct by the Wolf of Badenoch in 1390 and then by Alexander of Lochaber and the Isles in 1402, the cathedral records show a chanonry still lacking many of its manses—the chapter ordered that 13 canons which included the succenter and the archdeacon should immediately 'erect, construct, build, and duly repair their manses, and the enclosures of their gardens within the college of Moray'. The manse of the precentor, erroneously called the Bishop's House, is partially ruined and is dated 1557 (Fig. 2) while vestiges of the Dean's Manse and the Archdeacon's Manse (Fig. 3) are now part of private buildings.
The hospital of Maison Dieu, dedicated to St Mary, situated close to the cathedral precinct but outside of the chanonry was established by Bishop Andreas before 1237 for the aid of the poor. It suffered fire damage in 1390 and again in 1445. The cathedral clerks received it as a secular benefice but in later years it may, in common with other hospitals, have become dilapidated through a lack of patronage—Bishop James Hepburn granted it to the Blackfriars of Elgin on 17 November 1520 perhaps in an effort to preserve its existence. The property was taken into the ownership of the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
after the Reformation and in 1595 was granted to the burgh by James VI for educational purposes and for helping the poor. In 1624, an almshouse to replace the original building was constructed but in 1750 a storm substantially damaged its relatively intact ruins and was finally lost after a 19th century redevelopment of the area.
There were two friaries in the burgh. The Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Black Friars to the west, founded c. 1233 and the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
(Friars Minor Conventual) Grey Friars in the east and founded before 1281. It is thought that this latter foundation did not long survive but the Franciscan (Observants) Grey Friars founded their friary near the cathedral between 1479 and 1513. The building was transferred into the ownership of the burgh in c. 1559 becoming the Court of Justice in 1563. In 1489, the chapter founded a school that was not purely a song school for the cathedral but was also to be available to provide an education in music and reading for some of the children of Elgin.
Post–Reformation
In August 1560, parliament assembled in Edinburgh and legislated that the Scottish church would be Protestant, the pope would have no authority and that the Catholic mass was illegal Scottish cathedrals now survived only if they were used as parish churches and with Elgin being fully served by the Kirk of St Giles, its cathedral was abandoned.Oram, Moray & Badenoch, p. 93 An Act of parliament passed on 14 February 1567 authorised RegentRegent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Lord James Stewart's
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray
James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray , a member of the House of Stewart as the illegitimate son of King James V, was Regent of Scotland for his nephew, the infant King James VI of Scotland, from 1567 until his assassination in 1570...
Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
to order the removal of the lead from the roofs of both Elgin and Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
cathedrals, to be sold for the upkeep of his army, but the overladen ship that was intended to take the cargo to Holland capsized and sank in Aberdeen harbour.
In 1615, John Taylor
John Taylor (poet)
John Taylor was an English poet who dubbed himself "The Water Poet".-Biography:He was born in Gloucester, 24 August 1578....
, the "Water Poet" wrote:
—a faire and beautiful church with three steeples, the walls of it and the steeples all yet standing; but the roofes, windowes and many marble monuments and tombes of honourable and worthie personages all broken and defaced.
Decay had set in and on 4 December 1637, the roof of the eastern limb collapsed during a gale. In 1640 the General Assembly
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
ordered Gilbert Ross, the minister of St Giles kirk to remove the rood screen which still partitioned the choir and presbytery from the nave and was assisted in this by the Lairds of Innes and Brodie who chopped it up for firewood. It is believed that the destruction of the great west window was caused by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's soldiers sometime between 1650 and 1660.
At some point the cathedral grounds had become the burial ground for Elgin, and so the town council arranged for the boundary wall to be repaired in 1685 but significantly, the council ordered that the stones from the cathedral should not be used for that purpose. Although the building was becoming increasingly unstable the chapter house continued to be used for meetings of the Incorporated Trades from 1671 to 1676 and then again from 1701 to around 1731. No attempt at stabilising the structure was carried out and on Easter Sunday 1711 the central tower gave way, demolishing the nave and initiated the "quarrying" of stone work for local projects. Many artists visited Elgin to sketch the ruins, and it is from their work that the slow but continuing ruination can be observed.Fawcett, Elgin Cathedral, p. 11 By the closing years of the 18th century, travellers to Elgin began to visit the ruin, and pamphlets giving the history of the cathedral were prepared for those early tourists. In 1773 Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
recorded:
—a paper was put into our hands, which deduced from sufficient authorities the history of this venerable ruin
Lord Provost
A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...
of Elgin petitioned the King's Remembrancer for assistance for a new roof for the chapter house and in 1824, £121 was provided to Robert Reid
Robert Reid (architect)
Robert Reid was the King's architect and surveyor for Scotland from 1827 to 1839. He is responsible for a number of public works particularly the façade of Parliament Square in Edinburgh, which houses the Court of Session....
, the future Head of the Scottish Office of Works (SOW), for its construction. Reid was significant in the development of a conservation policy for historical buildings in Scotland and achieved the setting up of the SOW in 1827. It was during Reid’s tenure at the head of the SOW that supporting buttresses to the choir and transept walls were built.
In 1824 John Shanks, an Elgin shoemaker and an important figure in the conservation of the cathedral, started his work. Sponsored by local gentleman, Isaac Forsyth, Shanks cleared the grounds of centuries of rubbish dumping and rubble. Shanks was officially appointed Keeper and Watchman in 1826. Although his work was highly valued at the time and brought the cathedral back into public focus, his unscientific clearance work may have resulted in much valuable evidence of the cathedral’s history being lost. He died on 14 April 1841. The Inverness Courier notified its readership:
April 28, 1841.—John Shanks, the beadle or cicerone of Elgin Cathedral, died on the 14th inst. in the eighty-third year of his age. His unwearied enthusiasm in clearing away the rubbish which encumbered the area of the Cathedral and obscured its architectural beauties, may be gathered from the fact that he removed, with his pick-axe and shovel, 2866 barrowfuls of earth, besides disclosing a flight of steps that led to the grand gateway of the edifice. Tombs and figures, which had long lain hid in obscurity, were unearthed and every monumental fragment of saints and holy men was carefully preserved, and placed in some appropriate situation ... So faithfully did he discharge his duty as keeper of the ruins, that little now remains but to preserve what he accomplished.
Some minor works took place during the remainder of the 19th century and continued into the early 20th century. During the 1930s further maintenance work ensued that included a new roof to protect vaulted ceiling of the south choir aisle. From 1960 onwards the crumbling sandstone blocks were replaced and new windows were fitted in the chapter house which was re-roofed to preserve its vaulted ceiling. From 1988 to 2000, the two western towers were substantially overhauled with a viewing platform provided at the top of the north tower.
Construction 1224 – 1270
The first church was markedly cruciform in shape, smaller than the present floor plan with a more truncated choir which was unaisled and only a single aisle on the north and south sides of the nave (Fig. 4). The central tower rose above the crossing between the north and south transepts and may have held bells in its upper storey. The earliest extant structure dating to the years immediately after the 1224 foundation is the north wall of the choir although the clearstorey windows sitting on top of it are from the later post-1270 reconstruction. This wall has blocked up windows extending to a low level above ground indicating that it was an external wall and proving that at this time the eastern limb was un-aisled (Fig. 5).The south transept's southern wall is nearly complete displaying the fine workmanship of the first phase—the pointed arch Gothic style first appeared in France in the mid-12th century was apparent in England around 1170 but hardly appeared in Scotland until the early 13th century and the round early Norman window design continued to be used in Scotland during the entire Gothic period (Fig. 6). The windows and the quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
are of finely cut 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. On the south-west of the wall is a doorway possessing large mouldings and has a pointed oval window placed above it. Adjacent to the doorway are two lancet-arched windows that are topped at the clearstorey level with three round-headed windows. The north transept has much less of its structure preserved but much of what does remain taken together with a study by John Slezer in 1693 showed that the two transepts were very similar with the exception that the north transept had a stone turret containing a stair and had no external door.
The west front has the two buttressed towers standing to a height of 27.4m and were originally topped with wooden spires covered in protective lead and date from the 13th century. Although it is thought that the towers were not part of the initial design— revealed by the differing base course construction to that of the transepts—it is likely that the building process was not so far advanced that allowed the nave and towers to be fully integrated into each other (Fig. 7).
Enlargement and re-construction after 1270
Following the fire of 1270, a programme of reconstruction that involved not just repair work but included a major enlargement—outer aisles were added to the nave, the eastern limb comprising the choir and presbytery was doubled in length and had aisles provided on its north and south sides, and the octagonal chapter house was built off from the new north choir aisle (Figs. 8 & 9). These aisles run the length of the choir and passed the first bay of the presbytery and contain recessed and chest tombs—the south aisle of the choir contains the tomb of bishop John of Winchester and suggests a completion date for the re-constructed aisle to between 1435 and 1460 (Fig. 10). The new nave outer aisles had chapels established in them and were partitioned from each other by wooden screens—the first bay at the west end of each of the aisles did not have a chapel function but instead had a door for access for the laity.Oram, Moray & Badenoch, p. 89In June 1390, Alexander Stewart, Robert III's brother burned the cathedral, manses and burgh of Elgin. This fire was very destructive requiring the central tower to be completely re-built along with the principal arcades of the nave—the entire western gable between the towers was reconstructed and the main west doorway and chapter house were re-fashioned. The internal stonework of the entrance is late 14th or early 15th century and is intricately carved with branches, vines, acorns and oak leaves. A large pointed arch opening in the gable immediately above the main door contained a large sequence of windows, the uppermost of which was a circular or rose window and dates to a period between 1422 and 1435—just above it can be seen three coats of arms; on the right is that of the bishopric of Moray, in the middle are the Royal Arms of Scotland and on the left is the armorial shield of Bishop Columba Dunbar (Fig. 11). The walls of the nave are now very low or even foundation level excepting one section in the south wall which is near its original height. This section has windows that appear to date from the 15th century to replace the 13th century openings and may have been carried out following the 1390 attack (Fig. 12). Nothing of the elevated structure of the nave remains but its appearance can be deduced from the scarring seen where it attached to the eastern walls of the towers—nothing of the crossing now remains following its destruction when the central tower collapsed in 1711. Elgin Cathedral is unique in Scotland for having an English style octagonal chapter house and French influenced double aisles along each side of the nave—only Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
, in England has similar aisles. The chapter house, attaching to the choir through a short vaulted vestry, required substantial modifications and was now provided with a vaulted roof supported by a single pillar (Figs. 13 & 14). It is 10.3m high at its apex and 11.3m from wall to opposite wall and was substantially re-built by Bishop Andrew Stewart (1482–1501) whose coat of arms is placed on the central pillar. Bishop Andrew was the half-brother of 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...
and the fact that it took until this bishop's episcopacy to complete these repairs demonstrates how extensively damaging the 1390 attack had been.
19th and 20th century stabilisation
In 1847–8 some of the old houses associated with the cathedral on the west side were demolished, and a series of relatively minor changes to the boundary wall were completed. Consolidation of the ruin and some reconstruction work began in the early 20th century that included restoration of the east gable rose window in 1904 and the replacement of the missing form pieces and mullions and decorative ribs in the window in the north-east wall of the chapter house (Fig. 15). By 1913, work to re-point the walls and additional waterproofing of the wall tops was completed. Lowering of the ground level and the repositioning of the tomb of the Earl of Huntly, a 17th-century construction, took place in 1924. Further repairs and restoration ensued during the 1930s, including the partial dismantling of some of the 19th-century buttressing (Fig. 16), rebuilding sections of the nave piers using recovered pieces (Fig. 17), and the external roofing of the vault in the south choir in 1939 (Fig. 18). During the last forty years of the 20th century there was constant replacement of crumbling stonework (Fig. 19). Between 1976 and 1988, the chapter house window tracery was gradually replaced and its re-roofing completed the process (Fig. 20). Floors, glazing, and a new roof were added to the south-west tower between 1988 and 1998 as did the north-west tower between 1998 and 2000 (Fig. 21).Burials
- Andreas de MoraviaAndreas de MoraviaAndreas de Moravia was a 13th century Scottish bishop. He may have been from the "de Moravia" family of Flemish origin who were lords of Duffus and other areas in the Greater Moray region in this period. In the time of Bishop Bricius' episcopate , there was a man called "Andreas" who was rector of...
- buried in the south side of the choir under a large blue marble stone - David de MoraviaDavid de MoraviaDavid de Moravia was Bishop of Moray during most of the First War of Scottish Independence. He was elected Bishop of Moray, probably in early 1299. Extended details exist regarding the election because of an extant letter of Pope Boniface VIII. The result of the election was that David had 13...
- in the choir - William de SpynieWilliam de SpynieWilliam de Spynie was a Scottish prelate. He was a canon of Moray by 1363 and Precentor of Aberdeen in 1371. By 1372 x 1373, he had exchanged the latter position with William Boyl for the Precentorship of Moray. He had become Dean of Aberdeen by 1388...
- in the choir - Andrew Stewart (d. 1501)Andrew Stewart (d. 1501)Andrew Stewart was a 15th century Scottish prelate and administrator.-Biography:Born between 1442 and 1444, he was the son of Joan Beaufort , widow of King James I of Scotland and former Queen-consort, and her second husband, James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorne...
- Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of HuntlyAlexander Gordon, 1st Earl of HuntlyAlexander Seton , 1st Earl of Huntly was a powerful 15th century Scottish magnate. He was knighted in 1439/40 and was Lord of Badenoch, & Cluny....
Figures referred to
| Fig. 1 | Fig. 2 | Fig. 3 |
|---|---|---|
 |
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| The Pans Port | The Precenter's manse | The boundary wall of the Archdeacon's manse with rounded arch gate |
| Fig. 4 | Fig. 5 | Fig. 6 | Fig. 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| The 1224 establishment and then the enlargement after 1270 | North wall of choir showing traces of blocked in windows | The south wall of the south transept | Integrated tower/nave construction |
Further reading
- Clark, W, A series of Views of the Ruins of Elgin Cathedral, Elgin 1826
- Crook, J. Mordant & Port, MH, The History of the King’s Works, London, 1973
- Simpson, A T & Stevenson, S, Historic Elgin, the archaeological implications of development, Glasgow : University of Glasgow,Dept. of Archaeology, 1982.