Melrose Abbey
Encyclopedia
Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style
abbey
in Melrose, Scotland
. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monk
s, on the request of King David I of Scotland
. It was headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Melrose
. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland
(open all year; entrance charge). The ruins of Melrose are widely considered among the most beautiful of religious houses in the United Kingdom, being especially notable for a wealth of well-preserved figure-sculpture, and its architecture is considered to be some of the finest in Scotland.
The east end of the abbey was completed in 1146. Other buildings in the complex were added over the next 50 years. The abbey was built in the form of a St. John's cross. A considerable portion of the abbey is now in ruins, though a structure dating from 1590 is maintained as a museum open to the public.
Alexander II
and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. The embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce
is also said to rest on the abbey's grounds, while the rest of his body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey
. In 1812, a stone coffin that some speculated was that of Michael Scot
the philosopher and "wizard", was found in an aisle in the abbey's south chancel.
It is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. On one of the abbey's stairways is an inscription by John Morow, a master mason, that says: "Be halde to ye hende" (Keep in mind, the end, your salvation), which has become the motto of the town of Melrose.
was founded at Old Melrose in the 7th century on a site about two miles (3 km) east of Melrose Abbey. It was raided by Kenneth I of Scotland
in 839. Set in a bend of the river Tweed
, a graveyard marks the site. St. Cuthbert was one of the abbots, before he became bishop of Holy Island
, in Northumbria
.
King David I wanted the new abbey to be built on the same site, but the Cistercians insisted that the land was not good enough for farming and instead selected the current site. It is supposed to have been built in ten years. The church of the convent was dedicated to St. Mary (like all Cistercian houses) on July 28, 1146. The Abbey became the mother church
of the order in Scotland.
A town slowly grew up around the Abbey. In 1322 the town was attacked by the army of Edward II
, and much of the Abbey destroyed. It was rebuilt by order of King Robert the Bruce, with Sir James Douglas
being principal auditor of finance for the project. The King's embalmed heart, encased in lead, was later buried in the church following its return from crusade with the dead Lord Douglas in 1330/1331.
In 1385 the Abbey was burned by the army of Richard II of England
as he forced the army of Robert II of Scotland
back to Edinburgh. It was rebuilt over a period of about 100 years—construction was still unfinished when James IV
visited in 1504.
In 1544, as English armies raged across Scotland in an effort to force the Scots to allow the infant Mary, Queen of Scots to marry the son of Henry VIII
, the Abbey was again badly damaged and was never fully repaired. This led to its decline as a working monastery. The last abbot was James Stuart (illegitimate son of James V
), who died in 1559. In 1590, Melrose's last monk died.
The Abbey withstood one final assault—some of its walls still show the marks of cannon-fire after having been bombarded by Oliver Cromwell
during the English Civil War
.
In 1610, a portion of the Abbey's church was converted into a parish church for the surrounding town. This involved the insertion of a plain vault into the crossing, which obscured the original ribbed vaulting. It was used until 1810 when a new church was erected in the town.
In 1996 an archaeological excavation on the site unearthed a conical lead container and an engraved copper plaque that read "The enclosed leaden casket containing a heart was found beneath Chapter House floor, March 1921, by His Majesty's Office of Works
"; the lead container was not opened, but it is assumed that since there are no records of anyone else's heart being buried at Melrose that it was indeed the heart of Robert I. The container was reburied at Melrose Abbey on June 22, 1998. A plinth was unveiled on June 24 that covers the burial site of the container.
The abbey is built in the form of St. John's cross, of the Gothic
style of architecture
, and is 258 feet (78.6 m) in length; the breadth 137-1/2 feet; and 943 feet (287.4 m) in circumference. A considerable part of the principal tower is now in ruins; its present height is 84 feet (25.6 m). There are many very superb windows; the principal one at the east end (which is the top nave of the cross,) appears to have been more recently built than the others, and is 57 feet (17.4 m) in extreme height, and 28 feet (8.5 m) wide. It has been ornamented with statues, &c. The beauty of the carved work, with which the abbey is profusely decorated, is seldom equalled.
There are in the external view of the building 50 windows, 4 doors, 54 niches, and above, 50 buttresses. The abbey was much injured by the English in 1322 and 1384. Richard II
made it a grant in 1389, as some compensation for the injuries it had sustained in the retreat of his army. It was also greatly defaced by Protestants during the Reformation.
There were 100 monks, without including the abbot and dignitaries. The last abbot was James Stuart, natural son of James V
, who died in 1559. The privileges and possessions of the abbey were very extensive, and it was endowed by its founder, David, with the lands of Melrose, Eildon, and other places; the right of fishery on the Tweed
; and succeeding monarchs increased its property. In 1542, the revenue of the abbey was, "£1758 in money, 14 chalder
s nine bolls of wheat, 56 chal. 5 bolls of barley, 78 chal. 13 bolls of meal, 44 chal. 10 bolls of oats, 84 capons, 620 poultry, 105 stone of butter, 8 chal. of salt, 340 loads of peats, and 500 carriages;" besides 60 bolls of corn, 300 barrels (47.7 m³) of ale, and 18 hogsheads of wine, for the service of the mass: a large quantity for the entertainment of strangers; £4,000 for the care of the sick; and £400 to the barber. These were given up at the commencement of the reformation in 1561. The lands were either seized by the crown, or divided amongst the nobles. A large portion fell into the hands of the Scotts of Buccleuch.
described Melrose Abbey in one of his poems, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Canto Second.
A Presbyterian congregation in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
, USA has built what may be the last Gothic cathedral in the U.S. and patterned it after Melrose Abbey. The church, Kirk in the Hills
, completed in 1958, majestic in its Gothic style, is located on a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) lakeside setting 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Detroit.
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
in Melrose, 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 founded in 1136 by Cistercian monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, on the request of King 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...
. It was headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Melrose
Abbot of Melrose
The Abbot and then Commendator of Melrose was the head of the monastic community of Melrose Abbey, in Melrose in the Borders region of Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1136 on the patronage of David I , King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire...
. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
(open all year; entrance charge). The ruins of Melrose are widely considered among the most beautiful of religious houses in the United Kingdom, being especially notable for a wealth of well-preserved figure-sculpture, and its architecture is considered to be some of the finest in Scotland.
The east end of the abbey was completed in 1146. Other buildings in the complex were added over the next 50 years. The abbey was built in the form of a St. John's cross. A considerable portion of the abbey is now in ruins, though a structure dating from 1590 is maintained as a museum open to the public.
Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. The embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
is also said to rest on the abbey's grounds, while the rest of his body is buried in 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 1812, a stone coffin that some speculated was that of Michael Scot
Michael Scot
Michael Scot was a medieval mathematician and scholar.- Early life and education :He was born in Scotland, and studied first at the cathedral school of Durham and then at Oxford and Paris, devoting himself to philosophy, mathematics, and astrology...
the philosopher and "wizard", was found in an aisle in the abbey's south chancel.
It is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. On one of the abbey's stairways is an inscription by John Morow, a master mason, that says: "Be halde to ye hende" (Keep in mind, the end, your salvation), which has become the motto of the town of Melrose.
History
An earlier monastery dedicated to Saint AidanSaint Aidan
Saint Aidan may refer to:*Aidan of Lindisfarne, the Apostle of Northumbria , founder and first bishop of the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne in England*Aedan of Ferns , early bishop of Ferns, in Ireland...
was founded at Old Melrose in the 7th century on a site about two miles (3 km) east of Melrose Abbey. It was raided by Kenneth I of Scotland
Kenneth I of Scotland
Cináed mac Ailpín , commonly Anglicised as Kenneth MacAlpin and known in most modern regnal lists as Kenneth I was king of the Picts and, according to national myth, first king of Scots, earning him the posthumous nickname of An Ferbasach, "The Conqueror"...
in 839. Set in a bend of the river Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
, a graveyard marks the site. St. Cuthbert was one of the abbots, before he became bishop of Holy Island
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
, in Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
.
King David I wanted the new abbey to be built on the same site, but the Cistercians insisted that the land was not good enough for farming and instead selected the current site. It is supposed to have been built in ten years. The church of the convent was dedicated to St. Mary (like all Cistercian houses) on July 28, 1146. The Abbey became the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the order in Scotland.
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
, and much of the Abbey destroyed. It was rebuilt by order of King Robert the Bruce, with Sir James Douglas
James Douglas, Lord of Douglas
Sir James Douglas , , was a Scottish soldier and knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.-Early life:...
being principal auditor of finance for the project. The King's embalmed heart, encased in lead, was later buried in the church following its return from crusade with the dead Lord Douglas in 1330/1331.
In 1385 the Abbey was burned by the army of Richard II of England
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
as he forced the army of Robert II of Scotland
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...
back to Edinburgh. It was rebuilt over a period of about 100 years—construction was still unfinished when James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
visited in 1504.
In 1544, as English armies raged across Scotland in an effort to force the Scots to allow the infant Mary, Queen of Scots to marry the son of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, the Abbey was again badly damaged and was never fully repaired. This led to its decline as a working monastery. The last abbot was James Stuart (illegitimate son of James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
), who died in 1559. In 1590, Melrose's last monk died.
The Abbey withstood one final assault—some of its walls still show the marks of cannon-fire after having been bombarded 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....
during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
In 1610, a portion of the Abbey's church was converted into a parish church for the surrounding town. This involved the insertion of a plain vault into the crossing, which obscured the original ribbed vaulting. It was used until 1810 when a new church was erected in the town.
In 1996 an archaeological excavation on the site unearthed a conical lead container and an engraved copper plaque that read "The enclosed leaden casket containing a heart was found beneath Chapter House floor, March 1921, by His Majesty's Office of Works
Office of Works
The Office of Works was established in the English Royal household in 1378 to oversee the building of the royal castles and residences. In 1832 it became the Works Department within the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings...
"; the lead container was not opened, but it is assumed that since there are no records of anyone else's heart being buried at Melrose that it was indeed the heart of Robert I. The container was reburied at Melrose Abbey on June 22, 1998. A plinth was unveiled on June 24 that covers the burial site of the container.
Description
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and is 258 feet (78.6 m) in length; the breadth 137-1/2 feet; and 943 feet (287.4 m) in circumference. A considerable part of the principal tower is now in ruins; its present height is 84 feet (25.6 m). There are many very superb windows; the principal one at the east end (which is the top nave of the cross,) appears to have been more recently built than the others, and is 57 feet (17.4 m) in extreme height, and 28 feet (8.5 m) wide. It has been ornamented with statues, &c. The beauty of the carved work, with which the abbey is profusely decorated, is seldom equalled.
There are in the external view of the building 50 windows, 4 doors, 54 niches, and above, 50 buttresses. The abbey was much injured by the English in 1322 and 1384. Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
made it a grant in 1389, as some compensation for the injuries it had sustained in the retreat of his army. It was also greatly defaced by Protestants during the Reformation.
There were 100 monks, without including the abbot and dignitaries. The last abbot was James Stuart, natural son of James V
James V of Scotland
James V was King of Scots from 9 September 1513 until his death, which followed the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss...
, who died in 1559. The privileges and possessions of the abbey were very extensive, and it was endowed by its founder, David, with the lands of Melrose, Eildon, and other places; the right of fishery on the Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
; and succeeding monarchs increased its property. In 1542, the revenue of the abbey was, "£1758 in money, 14 chalder
Chalder
A chalder is an ancient Scottish dry measure, applied to grains, varying with the grain being measured....
s nine bolls of wheat, 56 chal. 5 bolls of barley, 78 chal. 13 bolls of meal, 44 chal. 10 bolls of oats, 84 capons, 620 poultry, 105 stone of butter, 8 chal. of salt, 340 loads of peats, and 500 carriages;" besides 60 bolls of corn, 300 barrels (47.7 m³) of ale, and 18 hogsheads of wine, for the service of the mass: a large quantity for the entertainment of strangers; £4,000 for the care of the sick; and £400 to the barber. These were given up at the commencement of the reformation in 1561. The lands were either seized by the crown, or divided amongst the nobles. A large portion fell into the hands of the Scotts of Buccleuch.
Burials
- Jocelin (Bishop of Glasgow)
- Waltheof of Melrose
- William de BondingtonWilliam de BondingtonWilliam de Bondington was a 13th century bishop of Glasgow. Before becoming bishop, William was rector of Eddleston, a prebendary of Glasgow, and archdeacon of Lothian. From the year 1231, William was Chancellor of Scotland. He was elected Bishop of Glasgow sometime between 19 May 1232 and June 1233...
- Bishop of Glasgow - William Douglas, 1st Earl of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...
- James Douglas, 2nd Earl of DouglasJames Douglas, 2nd Earl of DouglasSir James Douglas, 2nd Earl of Douglas and Mar was an influential and powerful magnate in the Kingdom of Scotland.-Early life:He was the eldest son and heir of William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas and Margaret, Countess of Mar...
- Philip de ValognesPhilip de ValognesPhilip de Valognes, fifth son of Roger de Valognes, came to Scotland around 1165, at the end of Malcolm IV's reign. He was the attendant of William the Lion and was one of the hostages for his release named in the Treaty of Falaise in 1174...
, Chamberlain of Scotland
Tributes
Sir Walter ScottWalter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
described Melrose Abbey in one of his poems, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Canto Second.
A Presbyterian congregation in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
, USA has built what may be the last Gothic cathedral in the U.S. and patterned it after Melrose Abbey. The church, Kirk in the Hills
Kirk in the Hills
Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian in Bloomfield Township, Michigan was designed by architects George D. Mason; Wirt Rowland had made preliminary designs for the church before World War II, but Rowland died in 1946 and the Mason design was not based on the Rowland sketches...
, completed in 1958, majestic in its Gothic style, is located on a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) lakeside setting 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Detroit.
See also
- Abbot of MelroseAbbot of MelroseThe Abbot and then Commendator of Melrose was the head of the monastic community of Melrose Abbey, in Melrose in the Borders region of Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1136 on the patronage of David I , King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire...
, for a list of abbots and commendators - List of religious houses in Scotland
- Borders Abbeys WayBorders Abbeys WayThe Borders Abbeys Way is a long-distance footpath in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is a circular walkway and is 68 miles long....
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
External links
- Melrose Abbey and its Sculptures
- Melrose Abbey from aboutscotland.com
- The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, No. 290, Saturday, December 29, 1827, available from Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...