St. Mary's Collegiate Church
Encyclopedia
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, 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...
.
Building work on the church was started in 1380, and further building and rebuilding has taken place up to the present day. It is the longest church in Scotland, at 206 feet (62.8 metres) from east to west, and is in the early Gothic Perpendicular style.
Description
The cruciformCruciform
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,...
church is located in a large open churchyard, at some distance from the town centre. The church is built on a scale becoming of a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. It is of a uniform and consistent design, that suggests a clear adherence to the original plans. Having been desecrated during the sixteenth century, the nave of the church and the tower were repaired for use by the congregation, this part being subject to various restorations in subsequent centuries. A comprehensive renovation of the whole church was carried out in the 1970s.
Choir
The choirQuire (architecture)
Architecturally, the choir is the area of a church or cathedral, usually in the western part of the chancel between the nave and the sanctuary . The choir is occasionally located in the eastern part of the nave...
is aisled and is made up of four bays, intersected by buttresses with a mixture of gabled and pinnacled terminals. The windows between have simple curvilinear tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
dividing two main lights. The cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
below the eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
has foliate carving. The clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
is unbuttressed and has double-lighted windows beneath two mouchettes. The window at the east end of the choir was built in 1877, and consists of four lights with contemporary tracery. One of the finials shows an angel playing the bagpipe. On the north side of the choir there is a medieval sacristy, which is now an ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
chapel and mausoleum of the Maitland family.
Tower and transepts
The transeptTransept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s are aisleless, with windows at the gables and to the west, the gable windows are triple lighted with mouchettes above. The south transept contains the Lauderdale Aisle, a small Scottish Episcopal chapel
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
that commemorates John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane
John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane
John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, , Knight , was Lord Chancellor of Scotland.He was the second son of Sir Richard Maitland of Thirlestane, Berwickshire, and Lethington, Haddingtonshire, who settled the lands of Thirlestane upon him, and he was sent abroad for his education.Upon John...
and the remainder of the Maitland family. There is a stair turret in the west angle of the south transept which gives access to the tower. The tower is cubic in form and has triple lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s on each elevation. There are single figure niches on either side of the openings. The wall heads terminate in a decorative cornice with gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s. The corbelling at this level suggests that there were plans to erect a crown spire
Crown steeple
A crown steeple, or crown spire, is a traditional form of church steeple in which curved stone flying buttresses form the open shape of a rounded crown...
similar to that of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and St. Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow
St. Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow
St. Michael's Parish Church is one of the largest burgh churches in the Church of Scotland. It is one of two parishes serving the West Lothian county town of Linlithgow, the other being St. Ninian's Craigmailen...
. It is not known whether or not this decorative structure was ever built.
Nave
The naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
is similar to the choir, in that it has four bays on the north and south aspects, buttressed in between. The windows, however, are similar to those on the transept gables. The side aisles were raised by some 10 feet in 1811 and were finished with castellation and pinnacles. The clerestory windows are similar to those of the aisles and the wall heads finished with cornicing.
The western front of the building has a large window divided into six main lights in groups of three divided by a 'Y' shaped central mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
. These are each surmounted by double mouchettes and vesica piscis
Vesica piscis
The vesica piscis is a shape that is the intersection of two circles with the same radius, intersecting in such a way that the center of each circle lies on the circumference of the other. The name literally means the "bladder of a fish" in Latin...
windows. The capital is formed of double "dagger" and single quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
windows. Below is the main door, with round headed arch composed of several filleted shafts, the door is divided into two by a trumeau
Portal (architecture)
Portal is a general term describing an opening in the walls of a building, gate or fortification, and especially a grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit. The surface surrounding the opening may be made of...
shaft topped with two semi-circular arches; the capital here bears a representation of the Arma Christi
Arma Christi
Arma Christi , or the Instruments of the Passion, are the objects associated with Jesus' Passion in Christian symbolism and art....
.
Interior
The interior of the church is notable for the extensive sexpartite vaultSexpartite vault
Sexpartite vault, in architecture, is a rib vault divided into six bays by two diagonal ribs and three transverse ribs.The principal examples are those in the Abbaye-aux-Hommes and Abbaye-aux-Dames at Caen , Notre Dame de Paris, and the cathedrals of Bourges, Laon, Noyon, Senlis and Sens; from...
ing. The pulpit and font were both designed by glaswegian sculptor, William Birnie Rhind
William Birnie Rhind
William Birnie Rhind RSA was a Scottish sculptor.Rhind was born in Edinburgh as the eldest son of sculptor John Rhind , and the elder brother of J. Massey Rhind...
in 1891. In the north choir aisle there is an ancient sculpture of Haddington Burgh arms, discovered in the north transept, during the 1970s restoration. The east wall of the south transept houses a memorial to William Seton, Provost
Provost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
of Haddington, erected in 1682. In the late 1980s a new pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
was commissioned, and installed in 1990 on a gallery within the north transept. The tower of St Mary's had been silent since 1548, when the English army removed the three bells extant. In 1999 the church acquired a set of eight bells, cast to celebrate the coronation of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
in 1911. These were installed between March and May 1999 and were dedicated by The Very Rev Dr John B. Cairns
John B. Cairns
John Ballantyne Cairns is a retired minister of the Church of Scotland.Following a career as a solicitor, he studied theology and was ordained in 1974. His first charge was as minister at the parishes of Langholm, Ewes and Westerkirk. He then became minister at Riverside Parish Church, Dumbarton...
, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
, on the 6th of June.
Christianity in Haddington
Haddington was the fourth largest town in Scotland in the High Middle AgesHigh Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
, and the first chartered Royal Burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
. There is record of the church in Haddington in a charter of David I of Scotland
David 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...
dated 1139, giving the monks of St Andrews Cathedral Priory
St Andrews Cathedral Priory
St Andrews Cathedral Priory was a priory of Augustinian canons in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Plans were made for its foundation in the reign of Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim , who set aside some land for that purpose. It was finally established by King David I and his son in 1140 with canons from...
the benefits of its revenues. The king granted unam mansuram in Haddington, as well as to the monks of Haddington a full toft "in burgo meo de Hadintun, free of all custom and service". This parish church was probably built upon the site of the choir of the present edifice.
In the late 12th century the great Abbey of Haddington was founded by Ada de Warenne
Ada de Warenne
Ada de Warenne was the Anglo-Norman wife of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Northumbria and Earl of Huntingdon. She was the daughter of William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey by Elizabeth of Vermandois, and a great-granddaughter of Henry I of France...
, Countess of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria
Earl of Northumbria was a title in the Anglo-Danish, late Anglo-Saxon, and early Anglo-Norman period in England. The earldom of Northumbria was the successor of the ealdormanry of Bamburgh, itself the successor of an independent Bernicia. Under the Norse kingdom of York, there were earls of...
and Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
, for a community of Cistercian Nuns
Cistercian nuns
Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order belonging to the Roman Catholic branch of the Catholic Church.-History:...
. In addition to the Cistercians and the Franciscans, there was a representative house of the Dominican Order
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...
, a Hospitium
Hospitium
Hospitium , hospitality, among the Greeks and Romans, was of a twofold character: private and public.-Private:In Homeric times all strangers without exception, were regarded as being under the protection of Zeus Xenios, the god of strangers and suppliants...
and a Lazar house. This was represented by a hamlet within the parish of Haddington, now part of a housing estate on the outskirts of the town, called St Lawrence, a corruption of St Lazarus
Lazarus and Dives
The Parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a well known parable of Jesus which appears in one of the Four Gospels of the New Testament....
.
Burnt Candlemas
In recognition of Haddington's strategic importance in the LothianLothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
s, it was burnt twice in the 13th century by the English, once by the forces of John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
in 1216, and in 1246 by John's son Henry III of England
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
. In early 1356, Edward III of England
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...
, following in his great-grandfather's footsteps, invaded Scotland, in an episode that would become known as the Burnt Candlemas. Edward had come north to recapture Berwick upon Tweed, taken by the Scots in 1355, this having been accomplished he overwintered at Roxburgh
Roxburgh
Roxburgh , also known as Rosbroch, is a village, civil parish and now-destroyed royal burgh. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland...
. There, Edward Baliol, the pretender to the Scots throne, had resigned his interest in the Scots throne to Edward. By February, 1356, Edward had crossed the Lammermuir Hills
Lammermuir Hills
The Lammermuir Hills, usually simply called the Lammermuirs , in southern Scotland, form a natural boundary between Lothian and the Scottish Borders....
, and in revenge for Berwick, spent ten days at Haddington, where he sacked the town, and destroyed most of the buildings there, including the Franciscan Lamp of Lothian. His army ravaged the whole of Lothian, burning Edinburgh and the Shrine of the Virgin at Whitekirk.
The Kirk o' St Mary
By 1380, the townsfolk of Haddington had recovered enough to start building a new foundation. The kirk of Saint Mary took nearly a century to build, being consecrated around 1410 by Henry WardlawHenry Wardlaw
Henry Wardlaw was a Scottish church leader, Bishop of St Andrews and founder of the University of St Andrews.He was a son of II Laird of Wilton Henry Wardlaw who was b. 1318, and a nephew of Walter Wardlaw Henry Wardlaw (died 6 April 1440) was a Scottish church leader, Bishop of St Andrews and...
, Bishop of Saint Andrews; the structure was completed in 1462. However, in a document from this date the prior of Saint Andrew's promised a grant of £100 for the embellishment of the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
.
Ministry
The current minister at St. Mary's (since 2007) is the Reverend Jennifer Macrae MA BD. She was previously minister at Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church, GlasgowKelvinside Hillhead Parish Church, Glasgow
Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church is a parish church of the Church of Scotland, serving the Hillhead and Kelvinside areas of Glasgow, Scotland. It is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Glasgow.-History:...
.
External links
- Website of St Mary's Kirk
- Haddington Community Council Website Selection of articles relating to St Mary's.
- RCAHMS Website Entry for St Mary's on the Royal Commission's database.
- Rosslyn Templars website Selection of Photographs of carvings at St Mary's.