east-lothian-1924/05-221

Transcription

WHITEKIRK AND] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [TYNNINGHAME.

alternative name of the 'Chapel of Fairknowe'
is not otherwise known. Nor did that King
have anything particular to do with Holyrood;
Bower, a contemporary, a churchman and
favourable to that monarch, says nothing of
it; while we have seen that the parish church
was granted to the Abbey in the 12th century.
The precise figures given for the number of
pilgrims suggest some form of record.
The attribution of the building of the choir
to Adam Hepburn in 1439 raises another
question. Nothing is said of any other part
of the building. It will be noted that one
feature is the small window high up in the east
gable. Now Bower, in the personal narrative
referred to above, tells how one of the English-
men, "treading on the high altar" (majus
altare pedibus calcans) snatched a ring from the
finger of the image, which was above the
altar, and broke off the finger in doing so;
then, sacrilegiously setting foot on the head of
the image, climbed into the "solar" or room
above and threw down to his accomplices "in
the choir" (in choro expectantibus) the personal
property (res peculiares) of the staff of the
church, which had been placed there under
the protection of Our Lady. But as the un-
fortunate man, jumping for joy at his booty,
left "the chancel" (cancellariam exiens) with
his friends, the figure of a crucifix scarcely
2 feet high, "the avenger of his robbed mother,"
fell upon him and dashed out his brains. It
appears then that the upper part of the
chancel behind the high altar was a room,
which would be lighted by the window in
question. But this again implies that the
present east wall is either that of 1356 or is,
if not built till 1439, as seems to have been
the case, similar in plan. There is clear evi-
dence at Lincluden College of a floored com-
partment over the choir.5
Fordun goes on to tell how the robbers also
carried off two canons of Holyrood, "who had
been lately entrusted with the care of the
Chapel," how the ship with its plunder was
sunk by a storm ("off the port of Tynemouth,"
Bower interpolates), but that the canons,
having previously been transferred to another
ship, escaped death, and were allowed to
return home.
In 1386 Clement VII., Anti-Pope, recognised
in Scotland, issued a "Relaxation of enjoined

128

penance to penitents who annually visit and
give alms to the fabric of the church of St.
Mary, Qwytkirk, in the diocese of St Andrews,
situate a day's journey from the boundaries of
the enemies of the realm and renowned for
miracles wrought by Jesus Christ, through the
intercession and merits of St. Mary."6
In the reign of James I. of Scotland, Aeneas
Sylvius Piccolomini, afterwards Pope Pius II.,
visited Scotland and, in fulfilment of a vow
made at sea, performed a pilgrimage barefooted
"on the frozen ground" to the shrine nearest
his port of landing, which happened to be
Alba Ecclesia ten miles away. The result was
he had to be brought back to the town (? Dun-
bar, Aberlady) in a litter, suffering from a
chill which left him with rheumatism for the
rest of his life.
On Oliver Sinclair's house see "Tithe Barn"
(No. 203).
In 1607 James VI. erected the free barony
of Holyroodhouse with the title of Lord Holy-
roodhouse in favour of John Bothwell of
"Aldhammer," one of the judges or senators
of the College of Justice, including with the
other properties a regrant of those previously
held and for this purpose resigned, among others,
the lands and barony de Alhammar alias
Quhytekirk with the lands of "Quhyte-inche,"
and adding from the spirituality of Holyrood
the revenues of churches including Whitekirk
and Tranent. Bothwell, however, had to
provide a suitable minister for each of the
churches, who should be nominated by the
king, the minister of Whitekirk getting three
chalders of victual and 100 merks with the
manse and glebe of the vicarage.7
Whitekirk was made part of the estate of
the bishopric of Edinburgh on its constitution
in 1633,8 but on the abolition of the bishopric
reverted to its position as a parish church.

1 Waddell's An Old Kirk Chronicle, pp.138-
40; 2 Gesta Annalia, clxxvi.; 3 Scotichronicon
Lib. xiv., cap. xiii., xiv.; 4 Accts. Lord High
Treas. i., pp. 172, 337; 5 Inventory of Monts.
in Kirkcudbright. No. 431; 6 Calendar of Papal
Registers iv., p. 253; 7 Reg. Mag. Sig. s.a.,
No. 2004; 8 Reg. Mag. Sig. s.a., No. 2225.

vi. N.W. 4 July 1913.

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