Dryburgh Abbey
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Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the
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in the
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, was nominally founded on 10 November (Martinmas) 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Constable of Scotland, and the
Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...
canons regular The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into Religious order (Catholic), religious orders, differing from both Secular clergy, ...
from
Alnwick Abbey Alnwick Abbey was founded as a Premonstratensian monastery in 1147 by Eustace fitz John near Alnwick, England, as a daughter house of Newhouse Abbey in Lincolnshire. It was dissolved in 1535, refounded in 1536 and finally suppressed in 1539. ...
in
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. The arrival of the canons along with their first abbot, Roger, took place on 13 December 1152. It was burned by English troops in 1322, after which it was restored only to be again burned by Richard II in 1385, but it flourished in the fifteenth century. It was finally destroyed in 1544, briefly surviving until the
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, when it was given to the
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by
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. It is now a designated
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and the surrounding landscape is included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan David Stuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, (1 June 1742 – 19 April 1829), styled Lord Cardross between 1747 and 1767, was a Scottish antiquarian, founder of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and patron of the arts and sciences. Backg ...
bought the land in 1786. Sir
Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...
and
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are buried in its grounds. Their respective tomb and headstone, along with other memorials, are collectively designated a
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building.


The Premonstratensian order

The Premonstratensian order was founded by St Norbert of
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who was firstly a canon at Xanten Cathedral. Unhappy with the way of life of his fellow canons, he left the
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lands for the
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
of
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, in the north of
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where the reforming Bishop Bartholomew was transforming his see into one that was more apostolic. Bartholomew persuaded Norbert to form a canonical order at Prémontré, in
Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; ) is a French departments of France, department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne (river), Aisne. In 2020, it had a population of 529,374. Geography The department borders No ...
in 1120 and while the order was Augustinian in form, the canons wore the white habit and not the black.Fawcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey, p. 10 They followed an austere monastic life but had a duty to preach and teach to those on the outside of the monastery walls. The order spread rapidly across Europe with the Abbot of Prémontré becoming Abbot-General for all the daughter-houses. Even before the first Abbot-General Hugh of Fosse died, one hundred and twenty abbots attended the annual general chapter. The Premonstratensians took on many of the methods of the Cistercians including land management and the use of lay-brothers to undertake the labour-intensive work of the communes.


Abbey endowments

Unlike the situation at nearby
Melrose Abbey St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of t ...
with its royal patronage, Hugh de Morville, although a very wealthy noble, could not endow Dryburgh on the same scale as that of a monarch. However, it seems that King
David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic, Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was David I as Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 112 ...
was not unsympathetic to the monastery; it is recorded in a charter that as well as confirming various donations from de Morville's wife, Beatrice de Beauchamp, the king allowed the abbey to take freely, timber from his forests for the building work. Hugh gave the lands of Dryburgh containing the forests, grasslands and accompanying waters; the fishings from Berwick; the churches with their lands at Mertoun and Channelkirk in his lordship of Lauderdale and Asby in Westmoreland; and the earnings from the mills of Saltoun and Lauder. Beatrice gave the income from the church at Bozeat,
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to the abbey as well as lands at Roxburgh that she bought solely for subsequent donation. Hugh, in around 1162, like some other magnates of the period, turned his back on worldly affairs and entered the abbey-church, adopting the habit of the canons. He gave his elder son, Richard, his large Scottish estates while his younger son, Hugh, received those in England. Hugh, the senior, died at Dryburgh Abbey that same year. Following Hugh's death, his son Richard carried on as patron to the abbey. However, in c. 1170 he founded the hospital of St Leonard near his castle at Lauder and then sometime between 1169 and 1187, the abbey of
Kilwinning Kilwinning (, ; ) is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located on the banks of the River Garnock in Ayrshire, west/central Scotland, about southwest of Glasgow. Kilwinning's neighbours are the coastal towns of Stevenston to the west an ...
in the lordship of Cunningham. Although
Kilwinning Abbey Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. History Establishment of the Abbey Kilwinning was a Tironensians, Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tiron in the di ...
was built on a grand scale, it was inadequately provided for and so Richard ensured that some of the expense of its construction and upkeep was met from his holdings in Lauderdale; indeed a long-running argument broke out between Kilwinning and Dryburgh over the former's share of the tithes from the church of Lauder. Richard de Morville's establishment of this second monastery ensured that both establishments would remain in a state of relative poverty.


Daughter houses

Dryburgh Abbey, despite this underfunding, managed to attract a continuous flow of novices to bolster the number of canons, so much so that by the closing years of the 12th century the abbey was overcrowded necessitating the establishment of colonies.Fawcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey, p. 15
John de Courcy Sir John de Courcy (c. 1150–1219) was an Anglo-Norman knight who lived in Ireland from 1176 until his expulsion in 1204. He conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictines and the ...
, the earl of
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
installed a colony at Carrickfergus and a second at Drumcross but neither flourished in the longer term and this is put down more to the constant political convulsions throughout 13th century Ulster rather than any problems at the motherhouse.


Mounting debt

At the beginning of the 13th century, like its near neighbour
Melrose Abbey St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of t ...
, the abbey of Dryburgh commenced on a rebuilding programme on a grander scale, but building in stone against a background of an insecure income soon ensured that the construction work would not be completed quickly. Also at this time, the monastery became embroiled in a series of legal proceedings regarding land ownership and tithe revenues resulting, in April 1221, in the Pope's legate having to spend some time at Dryburgh to adjudicate. The construction effort was protracted and endured into the 1240s and with debts continuing to mount to the point that David de Bernham,
Bishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews (, ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews (), the Archdiocese of St Andrews. The name St Andrews is not the town or ...
gave Abbott John permission on 21 April 1242 to appoint his canons as vicars to the supporting churches stating
''… since they have been burdened by grinding debts both on account of construction of the monastery and also on account of other and various necessities.''
Pope Innocent IV granted to the abbey in 1246, on the anniversary of its consecration, an
indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for (forgiven) sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission bef ...
lasting forty days intended to attract visitors who would hopefully be generous with their alms-giving. Additionally, he also provided a suspension of the requirements to create pensions and benefices that might deplete the abbey's revenues, and importantly, safeguarded the monastery, its property and the canons themselves against legal redress. Abbott John was blamed for ineffectual financial management and was required to resign and, on 13 January 1255
Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death. Early career He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne, Italy, Jenne (now in the Province of Rome ...
wrote to the
Bishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews (, ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews (), the Archdiocese of St Andrews. The name St Andrews is not the town or ...
(position vacant at the time) and to Nicholas de Prenderlathe, abbot of Jedburgh demanding that most of the abbey's income be diverted to paying off debts while only a basic level of income was to be retained for day to day expenses. Slow improvement in the abbey's finances took place over the next forty or so years in a period of relative stability. However this improvement was only relative; Dryburgh's neighbouring monasteries with their much more extensive grazing lands provided the main source of a much greater income.


Changing patronage

Hugh de Morville's line had died out in 1196 on the death of his grandson, William, and the estates passed to William's sister, Helen, whose husband was Lochlann, Lord of Galloway. The semi-independent
Lords of Galloway The lords of Galloway consisted of a dynasty of heirs who were lords (or kings) and ladies who ruled over Galloway in southwest Scotland, mainly during the High Middle Ages. Many regions of Scotland, including Galloway and Mormaer of Moray, Mor ...
were much wealthier than the de Morvilles but even they could not lavish large amounts on all their dependencies. Lochlann was already benefactor to four religious houses in Galloway that included his own
Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
establishment of Glenluce Abbey as well as being associated with
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
in
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and the
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n abbey of Holmcultram and the priory of St Bees.Fawcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey, p. 19 Dryburgh being one of many establishments who sought the generosity of the Galloway lords got a further setback in 1234 when Alan, the last of the line of Galloway lords, died. His property was to be split between three daughters and their husbands. The lands previously held by the de Morvilles were divided again and in the 1250s were held by Helen of Galloway with her husband, Roger de Quincy, the Earl of Winchester, and
Dervorguilla of Galloway Dervorguilla of Galloway (c. 1210 – 28 January 1290) was a "lady of substance" in 13th century Scotland, the wife from 1223 of John de Balliol and mother of John I, a future king of Scotland. Family Dervorguilla was one of the three daugh ...
with her husband,
John I de Balliol John de Balliol (before 1208 – 25 October 1268) was an English nobleman, belonging to the House of Balliol. Balliol College, in Oxford, is named after him. Life John de Balliol was born before 1208 to Cecily de Fontaines, daughter of Aléa ...
, Lord of Barnard Castle and Gainford. These new owners in Lauderdale diluted the available patronage yet again as they themselves had pre-existing commitments however the de Quincys did provide a fishing in Mertoun Loch, a
burgage Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenement ...
at Haddington and lands at Gledswood near Bemerside. Devorguilla's main concern however was her own foundation at Sweetheart Abbey, but she was at Dryburgh in 1281 to settle her lands in England on her son,
John Balliol John Balliol or John de Balliol ( – late 1314), known derisively as Toom Tabard (meaning 'empty coat'), was King of Scots from 1292 to 1296. Little is known of his early life. After the death of Margaret, Maid of Norway, Scotland entered an ...
, the future king. Balliol came to the throne of Scotland on St Andrews Day, 1292 but his reign was short and he abdicated in July 1296 following the defeats of the Scots at Berwick and Dunbar at the hands of King
Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
. This heralded the end of a long period of stability in the borderlands.


Wars of Scottish Independence

The abbots of Dryburgh, Jedburgh, Melrose and Kelso all submitted to Edward I on 28 August 1296 at an event later to be described as the ''
Ragman Rolls The Ragman Rolls are the collection of instruments by which the nobility and gentry of Scotland subscribed allegiance to King Edward I of England, during the time between the Conference of Norham in May 1291 and the final award in favour of Ball ...
'', and so on 2 September, Edward ordered that lands belonging to the abbey of Dryburgh be restored. From this point up to the year 1316, very few records of the abbey exist; however, it is known that Sir Henry de Percy, one of the senior members of the English occupying force, placed himself and his cortege at Dryburgh in 1310. Despite the abbey's affiliation with the Balliol family, who remained resolutely at odds with the Bruce monarchy, the abbot and canons, before 21 October 1316, expelled two of their rank for refusing to acknowledge Robert as their king; a grateful King
Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
rewarded them by providing them with the rent and fishery of the abbey at Berwick. Evidence is lacking on Robert's participation as a patron of Dryburgh. He certainly used the abbey as a base in July 1316 while conducting raiding expeditions into Northumberland. In retaliation for Bruce's raids in July 1322,
Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
took his army north in August only getting as far as Edinburgh. The English army retreated through Lauderdale and looted and burned both the abbeys of Melrose and Dryburgh. Melrose Abbey's reconstruction was generously provided for by Robert while Dryburgh's needs seem to have been ignored.Fawcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey, p. 22 It is unclear why Bruce chose to be so ungenerous towards the canons of Dryburgh; Melrose was granted £2000 by Robert while Dryburgh received the confirmation of a pre-existing rent of 20 shillings per annum
Walter Stewart, 6th High Steward of Scotland Walter Stewart (G. W. S. Barrow, 'Stewart family (per. c.1110–c.1350)', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004.9 April 1327) was the 6th Hereditary High Steward of Scotland and was the father of King Robert ...
and Bruce's son-in-law was not unsympathetic to the abbey though and transferred to it his entitlements from Maxton church, and its lands and provided of land belonging to himself. In 1326, Bishop John de Lindsay of
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endorsed the abbey's possession of the church and allowed the canons to use its considerable income to help fund the rebuilding process. Bruce's brother-in-law, Sir Andrew Murray a Guardian of Scotland during the exile of
King David II David II (5 March 1324 – 22 February 1371) was King of Scotland from 1329 until his death in 1371. Upon the death of his father, Robert the Bruce, David succeeded to the throne at the age of five and was crowned at Scone in November 1331, bec ...
may also have given holdings in his Smailholm lands Added to these were gifts from lesser donors; people like Patrick de Dunbar, earl of Marsh who gave a handful of possessions while Sir William Abernethy gave lands in Saltoun and various other minor nobles added further packets of land. Robert the Bruce died in June 1329 and in August 1332
Edward Balliol Edward Balliol or Edward de Balliol (; – January 1364) was a claimant to the Scottish throne during the Second War of Scottish Independence. With English help, he ruled parts of the kingdom from 1332 to 1356. Early life Edward was the el ...
, son of the ousted king John, returned to Scotland with an army provided by the disinherited Scottish landowners and defeated the Scottish army at the Battle of Dupplin Moor, near
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and had himself crowned King of Scots at
Scone A scone ( or ) is a traditional British and Irish baked good, popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is usually made of either wheat flour or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often ...
.Bruce Webster, ‘Balliol, Edward (b. in or after 1281, d. 1364)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 6 September 2007
/ref> In December, Balliol was attacked at his castle at Annan in Galloway by John Randolph, 3rd Earl of Moray and Sir Archibald Douglas and was forced to flee into England. With the support of King
Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
, Balliol was restored to the Scottish crown but at the price of having to make Edward his overlord and ceding to him the
sheriffdom A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland, led by a sheriff principal. Since 1 January 1975, there have been six sheriffdoms. Each sheriffdom is divided into a series of sheriff court districts, and each sheriff court is presided over by a r ...
s of Berwick,
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
, Edinburgh,
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and Selkirk, including the forests of Ettrick and
Jedburgh Jedburgh ( ; ; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Roxburghshire. History Jedburgh began as ''Jedworð'', the "worth" or enclosed settlem ...
Dryburgh found itself once again under English domination. However, this did not adversely affect the abbey; Sir Wiliam de Felton, the new Sheriff of Roxburgh and Keeper of
Roxburgh Castle Roxburgh Castle is a ruined royal castle that overlooks the junction of the rivers Tweed and Teviot, in the Borders region of Scotland. The town and castle developed into the royal burgh of Roxburgh, which the Scots destroyed along with ...
, bought and granted to the abbey a significant burgage in Roxburgh. In 1334, Balliol was forced to Berwick for protection and the English were slowly finding their authority in the Lothians slipping away and only managed to hold power in the garrisoned centres and so in mid-July 1335, Edward III marched his army to Glasgow where he met with Balliol and his army and together they advanced to Perth. In October, following his campaign, Edward moved to Dryburgh Abbey where he expected the Scots to present him with their terms of surrender but this did not happen. David II returned from France in 1342 and more of the lands held by Edward III were won back into Scottish control so that by 1346, the county of Roxburgh and the western parts of the county of Berwick were in the charge of the Bruce party. Patronage for the canons was once again provided by Scottish lords when it is recorded that Sir John Maxwell gave the income from the Pencaitland church, in East Lothian. The Scottish lordship changed again when David was captured at the Battle of Neville's Cross and an English garrison took command at Roxburgh putting the central lands of Tweeddale and all of Teviotdale firmly back under the control of England and it was to remain so for over twenty years. On 20 January 1356 Abbot Andrew of Dryburgh along with the Abbots of Melrose, Jedburgh and Kelso witnessed Edward Balliol's resignation.Fawcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey, p. 25 With the English victory over the French in September 1356, Scotland lost its continental ally and forced her back to the negotiating table for the release of David II from hostage. The treaty for the Scottish king's release was agreed on 3 October 1357 and four days later David was back in Scotland; under the terms of the treaty, 100,000 marks were to be paid to England over 10 years and England would retain its occupied lands until the ransom was paid in full.


Borderland partition

David II's liberation from hostage in 1357 did not come without conditions, one of which was that Edward would hold on to the lands in the southeast of the country; this ensured that Dryburgh and the other border abbeys stayed in English-held territory. David allowed the abbeys to keep their Scottish possessions and did not interfere with the canons and monks from receiving the income from those. Dryburgh's records had all been lost at this time and it is only from what is known at Melrose that Dryburgh's position can be traced. The wool export trade and the resultant customs duty was important to David and so the Border abbeys who produced large amounts of wool were encouraged to use the Scottish ports and at the expense of Edward's Berwick. The 1360s and 1370s saw the English hold over the Border areas diminish until it was basically the castles at Berwick, Jedburgh and Roxburgh with the county of Berwick and the eastern part of the county of Roxburgh still in their grip. Pressure on these bastions intensified during 1384 and 1385 and Scottish raiding parties moved deep into England forcing
Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
to launch his army on a hugely damaging incursion through the Borders to Edinburgh which he burned. On the way he ordered the sacking of Dryburgh, Melrose and Newbattle. It was while Richard was in Newbattle Wood in August 1385 that he took reprisals against all those in Teviotdale who had returned to the Scottish cause.


Turning point

The damage caused to Dryburgh was great and influential nobles seemed to have played a significant part in its restoration—in the closing years of the 1380s it seems that Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife, Archibald Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas and Walter Trail,
Bishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews (, ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews (), the Archdiocese of St Andrews. The name St Andrews is not the town or ...
all had roles in assisting the abbey to extricate itself from this disaster. King Robert III, in a charter dated 9 March 1391, granted to the canons all the very substantial income-rich possessions of the
Cistercian nuns Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order of the Catholic Church. History The Cistercian Order was initially a male order. Cistercian female monasteries began to appear by 1125. The first Cistercian monastery ...
of South Berwick which had been destroyed by Richard II in 1385. The family of the Black Douglases continued with their support and in around 1420 Archibald, fourth earl of Douglas gave Dryburgh the income from the possessions of Smailholme parish church. The fifth earl continued the grant of Smailholm and went further in 1429 by asking the pope to formally confirm this together with the inclusion of the hospitals of St Leonards of Lauder and Smailholme. In 1443, the canons suffered once again when fire destroyed the abbey, evidently by accident yet eighteen years later in 1461, the abbey is recorded as requesting protection from
Pope Pius II Pope Pius II (, ), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August 1458 to his death in 1464. Aeneas Silvius was an author, diplomat, ...
inferring that the canons were finding it difficult to finance the repairs.Fawcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey, p. 29


The final century

The abbey lost the patronage of
Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c. 1340 – 3 September 1420) was a member of the Scottish royal family who served as regent (at least partially) to three Scottish monarchs ( Robert II, Robert III, and James I). A ruthless politician, Albany ...
on his death in 1420, and in 1455 with the forfeiture of the lands of the Black Douglases, they lost a major benefactor and protector in
James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas James Douglas, 9th Earl of Douglas, 3rd Earl of Avondale KG (1426–1491) was a Scottish nobleman, last of the 'Black' earls of Douglas. Early life The son of James the Gross, 7th Earl of Douglas, by his wife Lady Beatrice Sinclair, daugh ...
. The election of Walter Dewer as abbot in 1461 was seemingly the last prelate to be elected by the canons, but it was under his abbacy that alienation of the monastery lands began. The rest of the 15th century was characterised by contests for the abbacy from either indigenous canons and from outside, expulsions, papal refusals or royal intervention.


Commendators

King
James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...
rewarded clerics who gave him good service by providing them with commendatorships. The first commendator of Dryburgh Abbey was Andrew Forman, the Bishop of Moray in 1509.Watt & Shead, Heads of Religious Houses, p. 61 Forman’s primary role was in the service of James IV as a diplomat and was employed by the king extensively in Europe but accumulated much wealth from his religious and other appointments. He received the commendatorships of the abbey of Culross in 1492 although he stepped down the following year after being provided with a large pension from the abbey. In June 1497 he was prior of Pittenweem, received the rectory of Cottingham from King
Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henr ...
in May 1501, was commendator of Kelso (although he was unable to firmly establish his provision), as well as the Keeper of Darnaway Castle, Chamberlain of Moray and Custumar North of the Spey in 1511. Forman gave up his rights to Dryburgh sometime after becoming
Archbishop of St Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews (, ) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews (), the Archdiocese of St Andrews. The name St Andrews is not the town ...
and was succeeded by James Ogilvie, another secular cleric and diplomat who received the temporalities of the abbey in August 1516.RRS, i, no. 2796 He held the commendatorship for only a short time, dying in 1518. David Hamilton, Bishop of Argyll, and the younger brother of James, Lord Hamilton, Earl of Arran, was the next to be proposed to the Abbey by
John Stewart, Duke of Albany John Stewart, 2nd Duke of Albany (8 July 1482 – 2 June 1536) was the regent of the Kingdom of Scotland and the count of Auvergne and Lauraguais in France. Early life John was a son of Alexander Stewart, Duke of Albany, son of King James I ...
and became commendator in May 1519. He died in 1523. The next to be provided to the abbey was James Stewart, a canon from Glasgow Cathedral. Although named in a letter from Albany to Cardinal Accolti, Cardinal Protector for Scotland in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, Albany actually gave the commendatorship to the
Earl of Lennox The Earl or Mormaer of Lennox was the ruler of the region of the Lennox in western Scotland. It was first created in the 12th century for David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and later held by the Stewart dynasty. Ancient earls The first e ...
who in turn sold or gave his right to it to Stewart who then borrowed from money lenders in Paris to purchase the confirming papal bulls. Stewart received the temporalities of the abbey on 6 October 1526 until his death 1539.
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
received King
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...
’s recommendation of Thomas Erskine as the next commendator in November 1539 but was not confirmed until April 1541 due to a contesting provision. In 1541, hostilities between Scotland and England resumed but Dryburgh remained untouched until 7 November 1544 when Edward Seymour, earl of Hertford, burned the town of Dryburgh and its abbey. He returned in 1545 and again set fire to the abbey. Erskine was captured at Dover when the Scottish warship he was aboard foundered while en route to France prompting Marie de Guise, widow of James V, to call for his release. Erskine was ransomed for £500 and Dryburgh would have been expected to provide amply to the settlement and it may have been the need to obtain funds that, in July 1548, he resigned his commendatorship to his brother John. Like most of his commendatory forebears, John Erskine took very little interest in the spiritual side of the abbey but was an important personage in the politics of Scotland during the reigns of James V,
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
, and
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. John was commendator until 1556 when he stepped down in favour of his nephew, David Erskine. David Erskine received the bulls confirming his office in July 1556Watt & Shead, Heads of Religious Houses, p. 62 and set about quickly alienating the possessions of the abbey by granting lands to important local families. Erskine took part in the kidnapping of James VI known as the
Raid of Ruthven The Raid of Ruthven, the kidnapping of King James VI of Scotland, was a political conspiracy in Scotland which took place on 23 August 1582."Ruthven, William", by T. F. Henderson, in ''Dictionary of National Biography'', Volume 50 (Smith, Elder, ...
but when the king escaped from his imprisonment in Ruthven castle, he and his accomplices fled to England. Erskine was deprived of his lands and the commendatorship of Dryburgh Abbey was given to William Stewart. William Stewart held the commendatorship for just over a year when in 1585 David Erskine found favour once more with James VI and all of his possessions and appellations were reinstated. In June 1600, Erskine wrote to a relative saying that all the canons had now died and marked the ending of the monastery. In 1604, the remaining possessions of the abbey were integrated into the Lordship of Cardross of John Erskine, the then Earl of Mar. Henry Erskine, Mar’s son received the titular title of commendator of Dryburgh Abbey.


Routine of the canons

The daily routine of the canons was made up of religious services, agricultural duties, household functions, copying books and reading. In detail, this would have been:Morton, Monastic Annals, pp. 292–293
* The canonical hour of ''
Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning (between midnight and dawn). The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which w ...
'' was held in the early morning when the canons were wakened by the dormitory bell. They would proceed to the church for the first service of the day following which they returned to bed. * The ''
Prime A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
'' service was held at 6 a.m. when the canons were re-awakened and summoned to church for mass; they would remain in private prayers until the bell announcing the daily meeting in the chapter house. * The community would assemble in the cloister then proceed to the chapter house where a lesson from the rules of the order was read. Any transgressors were held to account for their actions and any punishments carried out by the prior. * In winter, at the hour of ''Tierce'', or 9 a.m., following on from the meeting of the chapter, the canons would proceed in pairs to the church for the singing of hymns. In summer, there was a longer interval before Tierce so that the abbey duties could be performed. The summer Tierce was a high mass. * High mass was performed at the hour of ''
Sext Sext is a canonical hour of the Divine Office in the liturgies of many Christian denominations. It consists mainly of psalms and is held around noon. Its name comes from Latin and refers to the sixth hour of the day after dawn. With Terce, None ...
'', or mid-day, in winter. * The community ate at 1 p.m. where only two dishes were served except on certain occasions when an additional sweet dish, called a ''pittance'' was provided. If someone was late for the meal then unless he had an adequate excuse, he would have to sit at the most remote of the tables and perhaps with no wine or ale. * After the dinner, some canons rested while others conversed until the hour of '' Nones'', or 3 p.m. when the canons proceeded to church for another service after which, the community were required to wash their hands and wait in the cloister until summoned to the refectory to drink. * At 6 p.m. the canons attended ''
Vespers Vespers /ˈvɛspərz/ () is a Christian liturgy, liturgy of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic liturgy, Eastern Catholic liturgical rites), Eastern Orthodox, Oriental O ...
''. * The ''
Compline Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer liturgy (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times. The English wor ...
'', the last of the day's worship was held after 7 p.m. followed by a light supper and then bed. * There were no sheets on the dormitory beds and the canons were required to sleep in their habit * in the Autumn, the agricultural canons would leave for the fields early in the morning and occasionally would not return until after vespers. They had to recite their prayers at the appointed hours as they toiled, however.


List of abbots

:Abbots :Commendators


Fat Lips

There is a legend that the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey is the home of a benevolent spirit called Fat Lips. A woman who lost her lover in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion made her home in the ruined abbey and claimed that Fat Lips, a little man in iron boots, used to tidy her cell for her.


Tourism

This Abbey is part of five other abbeys and historic sights through Scotland on Borders Abbeys Way walk.


Gallery

File:Dryburgh Abbey spring.jpg, Dryburgh Abbey File:Chapterhouse at Dryburgh Abbey 09.jpg, Entrance of Dryburgh Abbey Chapterhouse File:DRYBURGH ABBEY CHAPTER HOUSE.JPG, Interior of Dryburgh Abbey Chapterhouse File:DRYBURGH ABBEY THE FINELY DECORATED DOORWAY TO THE CHAPTER HOUSE.JPG, Doorway of the Chapterhouse File:DRYBURGH ABBEY THE WARMING HOUSE.JPG, Dryburgh Abbey Calefactory ( Warming House) File:DRYBURGH ABBEY NORTH TRANSEPT CHAPEL.JPG, North Transept Chapel File:DRYBURGH ABBEY VIEW FROM THE NOVICES DAY ROOM.JPG, View from Novice's Day Room


See also

*
List of places in the Scottish Borders ''Map of places in the Scottish Borders compiled from this list'':See the list of places in Scotland for places in other counties. This list of places in the Scottish Borders includes towns, villages, hamlet (place), hamlets, castles, golf courses ...
*
List of places in Scotland This list of places in Scotland is a complete collection of lists of places in Scotland. *List of burghs in Scotland *List of census localities in Scotland *List of islands of Scotland **List of Shetland islands **List of Orkney islands **List o ...


Notes


Bibliography

* Anderson, A.O. et al., ed. ''Chronicle of Melrose'', London, 1936. hron. Melrose* Bain, J., ed., ''Calendar of Documents Relating to Scotland'', Edinburgh, 1881-8. DS* Bannatyne Club, ''Liber Sancte Marie de Dryburgh'', Edinburgh, 1847 ryburgh Liber* Bannatyne Club, ''Liber Sancte Marie de Melros'', Edinburgh, 1837 el. Liber* Barrow, G.W.S., ed.''Regesta Regum Scotorum'', ed. Edinburgh, 1971. RS* Brooke, D., ''Wildmen and Holy Places'', Edinburgh, 1994. rooke, ''Wild Men and Holy Places''* Brown, M., ''The Black Douglases'', East Linton, 1998. rown, Black Douglases* Boardman, Stephen I., ''The Early Stewart Kings: Robert II and Robert III, 1371 to 1406'', Edinburgh, Reprint 2007. oardman, ''Early Stewart Kings''* Cowan, I.B., ''Ayrshire Abbeys: Crossraguel and Kilwinning'', Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, 1986. owan, Crossraguel and Kilwinning* Cowan, I.B. & Dunlop, A.I., eds. ''Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome, 1428–32'', Scottish History Society, 1970 SSR, 1428–33* Dunbar, Sir Archibald H.,Bt., ''Scottish Kings – A Revised Chronology of Scottish History 1005–1625'', Edinburgh, 1899. cottish Kings* Duncan, A.A.M, ed., ''Regesta Regum Scotorum,v, the Acts of Robert I'', Edinburgh, 1988. RS, v* Fawcett, Richard & Oram, Richard, ''Dryburgh Abbey'', Stroud, Gloustershire, 2005. awcett & Oram, Dryburgh Abbey* Fawcett, Richard & Oram, Richard, ''Melrose Abbey'', Stroud, Gloustershire, 2004. awcett & Oram, Melrose Abbey* Ferguson, P.C., ''Medieval Papal Representatives in Scotland: Legates, Nuncios, and Judge Delegates, 1125–1286'', Stair Society, 1997. erguson, Papal Representatives* Lindsay, E.R. & Cameron, A.I., eds. ''Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome, 1418–22'', Scottish History Society, 1934 SSR, 1418–22* Morton, James, ''The Monastic Annals of Teviotdale'', Edinburgh, 1837 orton, Monastic Annals* Nicholson, R., ''Scotland: the Later Middle Ages'', London, 1979. icholson, Later Middle Ages* Stringer, K.J., ed. ''The Early Lords of Lauderdale, Dryburgh Abbey and St Andrews Priory at Northhampton'' in "Essays on the Nobility of Medieval Scotland", Edinburgh, 1985. tringer, Early Lords* Thorpe, M.J., ed. '' Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland, i'', 1509–1589, London, 1858. SPS* Thomson, T. & Innes, C., eds. ''Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland'', Edinburgh, 1814–75. PS* Watt, D.E.R and Shead, N.F., ''The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from Twelfth to Sixteenth Centuries'', Scottish Record Society, 2001. att & Shead, Heads of Religious Houses* Watt, D.E.R., ed., Walter Bower, ''Scotichronicon'', 9 vols., Aberdeen & Edinburgh, 1987–97. ower, Scotichronicon


External links

* Historic Environment Scotland
Visitor guide




* Engraving of
view of Dryburgh Abbey
by James Fittler in the digitised copy o
Scotia Depicta, or the antiquities, castles, public buildings, noblemen and gentlemen's seats, cities, towns and picturesque scenery of Scotland
1804 at
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...

Engraving of Dryburgh Abbey in 1693
by John Slezer at
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dryburgh Category A listed buildings in the Scottish Borders Listed monasteries in Scotland Premonstratensian monasteries in Scotland Scheduled monuments in the Scottish Borders Buildings and structures in the Scottish Borders 1150 establishments in Scotland Ruined abbeys in the Scottish Borders Christian monasteries established in the 1150s Monasteries dissolved under the Scottish Reformation Historic Environment Scotland properties in the Scottish Borders 15th-century church buildings in Scotland