Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral, a historic ruin in Elgin, Moray, northeast Scotland, was dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It was established in 1224 on land granted by King Alexander II and stood outside the burgh of Elgin, close to the River Lossie. It replaced the cathedral at Spynie located to the north, which was served by a small chapter of eight clerics. By 1226, the new and developing cathedral was staffed with 18 canons, a number that increased to 23 by 1242. A damaging fire in 1270 led to significant enlargement. It remained unscathed during the Wars of Scottish Independence but suffered extensive fire damage in 1390 when attacked by Robert III's brother Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch. In 1402, the cathedral precinct faced another incendiary attack by the Lord of the Isles followers.

As the cathedral grew, so did the number of clerics and craftsmen. Repairs following the fires of 1270 and 1390 resulted in the choir's doubling in length and the addition of outer aisles to both the nave and choir. While some parts of walls retain their full height, others are at foundation level, yet the overall cruciform shape is still discernible. A mostly intact octagonal chapter house dates from the major enlargement after the fire of 1270. The near intact gable wall above the double door entrance linking the west towers was rebuilt after the fire of 1390. It contains fragments of a large rose window with remnants of tracery work. The transepts and the south aisle of the choir contain recessed and chest tombs with effigies of bishops and knights. The now grass-covered floor bears large flat slabs marking early graves. The residences of the dignitaries, canons and chaplains within the chanonry were also destroyed during the fires of 1270, 1390 and 1402, forming part of the overall reconstruction process. Only the precentor's manse remains substantially intact, while two others have been incorporated into private buildings. Both west front towers, part of the initial construction, are mostly complete. A massive protective wall surrounded the cathedral precinct, but only two small sections have survived. Of the wall's four access gates, only the Pans Port remains.

By the time of the Scottish Reformation in 1560, the number of canons had increased to 25. After the Reformation the cathedral was abandoned, and its services transferred to Elgin's parish church of St Giles. The removal of the roof's lead waterproofing in 1567 marked the beginning of the cathedral's steady decay. Although still largely intact in 1615, a winter storm brought down the roof covering the eastern limb. In the spring of 1711, the central steeple above the crossing collapsed, taking the walls of the nave with it. Ownership shifted from the Church to the Crown in 1689, but made no difference to the building's continued deterioration. Conservation efforts began in the early 19th century and continued until the end of the 20th century, with significant improvements to the two western towers.

Early church in Moray

The Diocese of Moray was a regional bishopric, unlike the pre-eminent see of the Scottish church, St Andrews, which had evolved from a more ancient monastic Celtic church and administered dispersed localities. It is uncertain whether there were bishops of Moray before c. 1120, but the first known prelate—possibly later translated to Dunkeld—was Gregory (or Giric, in Gaelic) and was probably bishop in name only.Barrow, ''Kingship and Unity'', p. 68 Gregory was a signatory to the foundation charter of Scone Priory, issued by Alexander I (''Alaxandair mac Maíl Choluim'') between December 1123 and April 1124, and again in a charter defining the legal rights of the same monastery. He is recorded for the last time when he witnessed a charter granted by David I to Dunfermline Abbey in c. 1128. These are the only known details of Gregory with no basis for later assertions that he was a promoted monk in a 'Pictish Church'.

After the suppression of Óengus of Moray's rebellion in 1130, King David must have regarded the continued existence of a bishopric in Moray as essential to the stability of the province.Fawcett, ''Elgin Cathedral'', p. 5 However, the next bishop, William (1152–62) was an absentee titular bishop and King David's chaplain. Having been David's aide since 1136, he likely did little to improve the stability of the see by the time he died in 1162.

Felix was the next bishop and is thought to have been prelate from 1166 to 1171, although no accurate dates are certain. Little is known about his tenure, with only one instance of him appearing as a witness in a charter of William the Lion at his court held in Elgin.

After Felix's death, Simon de Toeni, a kinsman of King William and former abbot of Coggeshall in Essex, became the next bishop. Bishop Simon was the first of the early bishops to adopt a hands-on approach to managing his diocese. It is believed that he was buried in Birnie Kirk, near Elgin, after his death on 17 September 1184, although this claim only emerged in the 18th century.Fawcett & Oram, ''Elgin Cathedral and Diocese'', pp. 26–7

Simon's successor was Richard of Lincoln, once again a royal clerk, and one who struggled to build up the revenues of the bishopric during and after the insurgence of Domnall mac Uilleim (Donald MacWilliam). Richard is regarded as the first significant resident bishop of the see.

During this early period, these bishops had no settled location for their cathedral, and sited it successively at the churches of Birnie, Kinneddar and Spynie.Cowan & Easson, ''Medieval Religious Houses'', p. 206 On 7 April 1206, Pope Innocent III issued an apostolic bull allowing bishop Brice de Douglas to fix his cathedral church at Spynie. The inauguration was held between spring 1207, and summer 1208. A chapter of five dignitaries and three ordinary canons was authorised and based its constitution on that of Lincoln Cathedral. Under David I, Elgin emerged as the lay centre of the province likely with the establishment of the first castle in the town. It may have been this castle, with its promise of better security, that prompted Brice to petition the Pope to move the seat from Spynie to Elgin before July 1216 .Lost Episcopal Acta

Cathedral church at Elgin

Despite Brice's earlier appeal, it was not until Andrew de Moravia's episcopate that Pope Honorius III issued his bull on 10 April 1224 authorising his legates Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness; Robert, Abbot of Kinloss; and Henry, Dean of Ross to examine the suitability of transferring the cathedra to Elgin. The Bishop of Caithness and the Dean of Ross performed the translation ceremony on 19 July 1224. On 5 July, Alexander II (''Alaxandair mac Uilliam'') agreed to the transference in a writ referring to his previous land grant for this purpose. The land grant predated the Papal mandate and could indicate that work on a new church was already underway before Brice's death, but this is thought unlikely and that it was Bishop Andrew who commenced the building works on an unoccupied location.Construction of the cathedral was completed after 1242. Chronicler John of Fordun recorded (without explanation) that in 1270 the cathedral church and the canons' houses had been destroyed by fire. The cathedral was rebuilt in a larger and grander style, forming the greater part of the structure that stands today. This work is believed to have been completed by the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence in 1296. Although Edward I of England took his army to Elgin in 1296 and again in 1303, the cathedral remained untouched, as it was by his grandson Edward III during his assault on Moray in 1336.

Soon after his election to the see in 1362–63, Bishop Alexander Bur requested funds from Pope Urban V to repair the cathedral, citing neglect and hostile attacks. In August 1370 Bur began protection payments to Alexander Stewart, Lord of Badenoch, also known as the Wolf of Badenoch, who became Earl of Buchan in 1380, and who was the son of the future King Robert II. Numerous disputes between Bur and Buchan led to Buchan's excommunication in February 1390. The bishop then turned for protection to Thomas Dunbar, the son of the Earl of Moray. In response, and possibly through frustration of the reappointment of his brother Robert Stewart, Earl of Fife as guardian of Scotland, Buchan descended from his island castle on Lochindorb and burned the town of Forres in May and Elgin, including the cathedral and its manses, in June.Grant, ''Moray: Province and People'', p. 152 It is believed that he also burned Pluscarden Priory at that time, which was under the bishop's protection. Bur sought reparation from Robert III for his brother's actions in a letter stating:

Robert III granted Bur an annuity of £20 for his lifetime, and the Pope provided income from the Scottish Church over the following decade. In 1400, Bur complained to the Abbot of Arbroath about prebendary churches in the Moray diocese not paying their dues for the cathedral restoration. In the same year Bur wrote to the rector of Aberchirder church, telling him that he now owed three years' arrears of the subsidy that had been imposed on non-prebendary churches in 1397. Once again, on 3 July 1402, the burgh and cathedral precinct were attacked, this time by Alexander of Lochaber, brother of Domhnall of Islay, Lord of the Isles, sparing the cathedral but burning the manses. For this, Lochaber and his captains were excommunicated, prompting Lochaber's return in September to make reparations and gain absolution.

In 1408, the money saved during an ecclesiastic vacancy was diverted to the rebuilding process, and in 1413 a grant from the customs of Inverness was provided.Fawcett, ''Elgin Cathedral'', p. 6 Increasingly, the appropriation of the parish church revenues led to many churches becoming dilapidated and unable to attract educated priests. By the later Middle Ages, the standard of pastoral care outside the main burghs had significantly declined.

Bishop John Innes (1407–14) made significant contributions to the cathedral's rebuilding efforts, as evidenced by the inscription on his tomb praising his work. Upon his death, the chapter met secretly—"''in quadam camera secreta in campanili ecclesie Moraviensis''" ("in the same secret chamber in the bell tower of Moray church")—and agreed that if one of its members was elected bishop, they would provide one-third of the bishopric income annually until the reconstruction was completed. The major alterations to the west front were completed before 1435 and bear the coat of arms of Bishop Columba de Dunbar (1422–35). The north and south aisles of the choir were likely completed before 1460, with the south aisle containing the tomb of John de Winchester (1435–60). The final significant feature to be rebuilt was the chapter house between 1482 and 1501, which displays the arms of Bishop Andrew Stewart.

Diocesan organisation

The chapter was the total of dignitaries and canons and had the primary role of aiding the bishop in governing the diocese.Fanning, ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', article: Chapter As Moray adopted the constitution of Lincoln diocese, the bishop's involvement in the chapter was restricted to being an ordinary canon, while the dean took on the leadership role.Cant, ''Historic Elgin and its Cathedral'', p. 22 This arrangement was also true for the bishops of Aberdeen, Brechin, Caithness, Orkney and Ross. Every morning, the canons met in the chapter house to listen to a reading from St Benedict's rulebook before the day's business was discussed. Bishop Brice presided over a small chapter comprising eight clerics, including the dean, precentor, treasurer, chancellor, archdeacon, and three canons. His successor, Bishop Andrew de Moravia expanded the chapter significantly by appointing two additional senior positions (succentor and subdean) and 16 more canons with prebends.Cowan & Easson, ''Medieval Religious Houses'', pp. 206–7 By the time Andrew died, there were 23 prebendary canons, and two more were created before the Reformation. Churches that were either located in ecclesiastic lands or granted to the diocese by landowners were subject to assignment to canons as prebends. The de Moravia family, to which Bishop Andrew belonged, contributed greatly to these endowments.

'' Deans of Christianity'' oversaw the priests within the deaneries and carried out the bishop's directives. The Moray diocese was divided into four deaneries—Elgin, Inverness, Strathspey and Strathbogie. The parish churches within these deaneries provided income not only for the cathedral and chapter but also for other religious houses within and outside the diocese. Many churches were allocated to support designated canons and a smaller number were held in common. The bishop received mensal and prebendary income from the parish churches in his separate capacities as prelate and canon.

The diocese's government affecting both clergy and laity was vested entirely in the bishop, who appointed officers to the ecclesiastical, criminal and civil courts. The bishop, assisted by his chapter, produced the church laws and regulations for the diocese and enforced them at occasional diocesan synods by the bishop or, in his absence, by the dean.Shaw, ''History of Moray'', pp. 331–2 Appointed officials adjudicated at consistory courts looking at matters affecting tithes, marriages, divorces, widows, orphans, wills and other related legal matters. In Moray, these courts were held in Elgin and Inverness. By 1452 the Bishop of Moray held all his lands in one regality and had Courts of Regality presided over by Bailiffs and Deputies to ensure the payment of revenues from his estates.

Cathedral offices

Large cathedrals such as Elgin had many chapel altars requiring canons, assisted by many chaplains and vicars, to conduct daily services. Bishop Andrew allowed for the canons to be aided by seventeen vicars consisting of seven priests, five deacons and five sub-deacons. Later the number of vicars was increased to twenty-five. In 1350, the stipends of the vicars at Elgin were not sufficient for their livelihoods, so Bishop John of Pilmuir provided them with the income from two churches and the patronage of another from Thomas Randolph, second Earl of Moray. By 1489, the stipends varied among the vicars, with one receiving 12 marks, six receiving 10 marks, one receiving eight marks, three receiving seven marks, and six receiving five marks. Each vicar was directly employed by a canon, who was obligated to provide four months' notice in the event of termination of his service.[ The vicars were of two kinds: the vicars-choral who primarily worked in the choir for the main services, and the chantry chaplains who conducted services at individual foundation altars though there was some overlap in their duties. While the chapter followed the constitution of Lincoln, the form of divine service replicated that of Salisbury Cathedral.

Records indicate that disciplinary measures, including fines and even corporal punishment, were imposed on Elgin's vicars-choral for shortcomings in the performance of services. Such punishments were administered in the chapter house by the sub-dean and witnessed by the chapter. King Alexander II founded a chaplaincy for the soul of King Duncan I who died in battle with Macbeth near Elgin. The chapel most frequently mentioned in records was St Thomas the Martyr, located in the north transept and supported by five chaplains. Other chaplaincies documented are those of the Holy Rood, St Catherine, St Duthac, St Lawrence, St Mary Magdalene, St Mary the Virgin and St Michael.Fawcett, ''Elgin Cathedral'', p. 7 By the time of Bishop Bur's episcopate (1362–1397), the cathedral had 15 canons (excluding dignitaries), 22 vicars-choral and a similar number of chaplains.

Despite these numbers, not all clergy were regularly present in Elgin Cathedral. Absences were a common occurrence in all cathedrals during a period when ambitious clerics would accept positions in other cathedrals. Time spent away from the chanonry was not without permission, as some canons were appointed to be always present while others were allowed to attend on a part-time basis.Dalyell, ''Records of Bishopric of Moray'' pp. 13–4 The dean of Elgin was permanently in attendance; the precentor, chancellor, and treasurer were available for half the year. The non-permanent canons had to attend continuously for three months. However, in 1240, the chapter decided to penalise canons who persistently absented themselves, breaching the terms of their attendance, by deducting one-seventh of their income. In the Diocese of Aberdeen, and likely in other bishoprics as well, when important decisions needed to be made by the chapter, an absentee canon had to appoint a procurator to act on their behalf. This task usually fell to one of the dignitaries having a higher probability of being present.[ In 1488, at Elgin, many canons failed to adhere to the terms of their approved leave of absence, resulting in each of them receiving a formal warning and summons. Despite this, ten canons refused to attend, leading to a deduction of one-seventh of their prebendary income.

Much of the workload fell on vicars and a smaller number of permanent canons who were responsible for celebrating high mass, delivering sermons, and organising feast day processions. Seven services were held daily, mostly for the clergy and took place behind the rood screen, separating the high altar and choir from lay worshipers. Only cathedrals, collegiate churches and large burgh churches were resourced to perform the more elaborate services while services in the humbler parish churches were more basic.

The bishops were careful to uphold high standards within the cathedral ensuring that a significant number of graduate clerics who, as choir vicars, could act as proxies for absentee canons, alongside an unknown number of resident chaplains. In addition to those in holy orders, clerks and lawyers were needed to record and execute the requirements of the chapter. Of necessity, there were needs for artisans and craftsmen such as masons, carpenters, and glaziers, all engaged in maintaining the fabric of the buildings with housekeepers, cooks, land workers and gardeners needed to sustain the precinct population. At the bishop's residence at Spynie, the household numbers would also have been significant with officials handling records of the bishop's estate, and servants working in the service buildings such as the kitchen, bakehouse, brewhouse, granary and stables.

Chanonry and burgh

Map interpretation

The description of the relative positions of the chanonry manses given by the late 19th, and early 20th century antiquarian, the Rev. Stephen Ree has been reproduced in David Firth's article for ''The Innes Review'' and forms the basis for this map. It is constructed from a 19th century Ordnance Survey (OS) town map of Elgin as its base layer and preserves the road layout which has changed little since medieval times. Extraneous detail has been removed but in all other respects, it retains standard mapping proportions and accuracy. The college boundary walls and Ree's data are applied.

Although modified over time, three manses still exist—those of Inverkeithny, the Precentor, and the Archdeacon (positions 4, 9 and 13 respectively). However, two further manses, Duffus and Unthank (positions 18 and 19) can be accurately located by juxtaposing the pre-Reformation and post-Reformation chanonry layout. To do this, the much later King Street (established in 1830), is shown as a transparent overlay to preserve detail. King Street divided those manses from each other leaving them on opposite corners of King Street where it joined North College Street (shown on the map as Derne Road) and were not set back into their respective gardens, but formed part of their respective property boundaries. These five manses provide precise reference points that assist in placing the others. While the exact positioning, alignment and other characteristics of the remaining manse boundaries are speculative, they correlate with Stephen Ree's description. Similarly, aside from the two existing sections, the precise positioning of the chanonry wall is unclear, however, a notable indicator of the wall's position was a six-foot thick segment integrated into a house on Collie Street.

The College of Elgin and associated locations

The chanonry, referred to in the cathedral's records as the ''college of the chanonry'' (collegio canonicatus), or simply as the ''college'' (collegium), comprised the cathedral and the residences of canons, vicars, and chaplains grouped around it.Cant, ''Historic Elgin and its Cathedral'', p. 28–9 This precinct was surrounded by a substantial wall, measuring over in height, approximately in thickness, and said to have measured about 820 meters (2,690 ft) in length.Byatt, ''Elgin: A history'', p. 19 The wall had four gatehouses: the west gate that allowed travel to and from the burgh, the south gate facing the lands of the hospital of Maison Dieu and joining with the King's Highway, the extant east gate, or Panns Port, accessing the meadowland called ''Le Pannis''—this gate illustrates the portcullis defences of the gatehouses (Fig. 1)—and the north gate providing a more convenient route towards the bishop's mill and his Spynie Palace.

Although manses were normally located within the precinct walls this was not always the case. Bishop John Pilmuir (1326-1362), on 14 December 1360, gifted a portion of land that he had secured from a secular clerk specifically for the building of four manses for chaplains. The land, feued from the Brothers of St Lazarus, was situated outside the west wall, on the road to the burgh of Elgin and between two lanes—one of which may have been the proto-Lazarus Wynd (position 26). With his death approaching, Pilmuir's terms were that the chaplains should pray for the redemption of his soul and those of his parents. Again, but by whose authority is unknown, the manse of Rhynie adjacent to the manses of five or more chaplains stood outside of the west wall but to the north (positions 1 and 2).

Bishop Andrew Stewart (1482-1501), the youngest son of James Stewart of Lorne, and Joan Beaufort, the widow of James I of Scotland, was a significant figure during the reign of his nephew, James III. Following the death of James in 1488, Bishop Andrew found himself out of favour at James IV's court allowing him to spend more time in his diocese. In May 1489 Andrew called a general convocation of his canons to make long overdue changes to the college and its environs. Midst his slew of legislation was the approval of essential repairs to two of the gatehouses, the Panns Port and the west gate to the burgh. Another major improvement involved inserting a new gateway (the North Gate) into the precinct wall beside the manse of Botarie (position 3). Andrew also instructed thirteen prebendaries, which included the archdeacon and the succentor, to immediately "erect, construct, build, and duly repair their manses, and the enclosures of their gardens within the college of Moray".

The manse of Duffus (in its earlier wooden form) had hosted two kings. The first was Edward I of England on 10 and 11 September 1303 after the castle became unusable and then to the Scottish king James II in 1455. As already stated, the manse of the precentor, mistakenly called the ''Bishop's House'', is partly ruined and is dated 1557 (Fig. 2). Vestiges of the prebendary of Inverkeithny's manse and the Archdeacon's manse (Fig. 3) are now part of private buildings.Oram, ''Moray & Badenoch'', p. 92

There were two friaries in the burgh. The Dominican Black Friars friary was founded in the western part of the town below the castle, around 1233. The friary of the Franciscan (Friars Minor Conventual) Grey Friars was later founded in the eastern part of the burgh sometime before 1281. It is thought that this foundation didn't last long but was followed between 1479 and 1513 by a house of Observantine Grey Friars. The building was transferred into the ownership of the burgh around 1559 and later became the Court of Justice in 1563. In 1489, the chapter founded a school that served not only as a song school for the cathedral but also to provide an education in music and reading for some children of Elgin.

The hospital of Maison Dieu, dedicated to St Mary, was situated near the cathedral precinct and was established by Bishop Andrew de Moravia before 1237 for the aid of the poor.Cowan, ''Medieval Religious Houses'', p. 179 It suffered fire damage in 1390 and again in 1445. Initially, the cathedral clerks received it as a benefice but it gradually fell into disrepair due to a lack of support. Bishop James Hepburn granted it to the Blackfriars of Elgin on 17 November 1520, possibly to try and ensure its survival. After the Reformation, the Crown took ownership of the property, and in 1595, James VI granted it to the burgh for educational and charitable purposes. In 1624, it was replaced by an almshouse but in 1750 it was substantially damaged during a storm and lay in ruins until its demolition during a 19th-century redevelopment of the area.

Post–Reformation

In August 1560, parliament gathered in Edinburgh to enact legislation declaring the Scottish church to be Protestant, removing papal authority, and making the Catholic mass illegal. Consequently, cathedral buildings now survived only if they were used as parish churches and as Elgin had been fully served by the Kirk of St Giles, its cathedral was abandoned.Oram, ''Moray & Badenoch'', p. 93 On 14 February 1567, an act of parliament authorised Regent Lord James Stewart's Privy Council to order the removal of the lead from the roofs of both Elgin and Aberdeen cathedrals, to be sold to support the army, but the overladen ship commissioned to take the cargo to Holland capsized and sank in Aberdeen harbour. Regent Moray and Patrick Hepburn, Bishop of Moray ordered repairs to the roof in July 1569, appointing Hew Craigy, Parson of Inverkeithing, as master of the work and was to collect contributions from the canons of the diocese—this didn't happen.

In 1615, John Taylor, known as the 'Water Poet,' described Elgin Cathedral as a "fair and beautiful church with three steeples." However, he noted that the roofs, windows, and many marble monuments and tombs were broken and defaced.

Decay began and the roof of the eastern limb collapsed during a storm on 4 December 1637. In 1640 the General Assembly ordered Gilbert Ross, the minister of St Giles Kirk, to remove the rood screen partitioning the choir and presbytery from the nave. The screen was chopped up for firewood by Ross and the Lairds of Innes and Brodie.MacGibbon, ''Ecclesiastical Architecture'', p. 123 It is believed that the destruction of the great west window was caused by Oliver Cromwell's soldiers sometime between 1650 and 1660.

At some point, the cathedral grounds became the burial ground for Elgin. In 1685, the town council repaired the boundary wall but specifically ordered that stones from the cathedral not be used. Despite the building's increasing instability, the chapter house continued to be used for meetings of the Incorporated Trades from 1671 to 1676 and then again from 1701 to around 1731. No attempt was made to stabilise the structure and on Easter Sunday 1711, the central tower collapsed demolishing the nave. Subsequently, the cathedral's stonework was quarried for local projects. Many artists visited Elgin to sketch the ruins, and it is from their work that the slow but continuing ruination can be observed.Fawcett, ''Elgin Cathedral'', p. 11 By the closing years of the 18th century, travellers to Elgin began to visit the ruin, and pamphlets giving the history of the cathedral were prepared for those early tourists. In 1773 Samuel Johnson recorded, "a paper was put into our hands, which deduced from sufficient authorities the history of this venerable ruin."

Since the abolition of bishops within the Scottish Church in 1689, ownership of the abandoned cathedral fell to the crown, but no attempts were taken to halt the building's decline. Acknowledging the necessity to stabilise the structure, the Elgin Town Council initiated the reconstruction of the perimeter wall in 1809 and cleared debris from the surrounding area in about 1815. The Lord Provost of Elgin petitioned the King's Remembrancer for assistance to build a new roof for the chapter house and in 1824, £121 was provided to the architect Robert Reid for its construction. Reid was significant in developing a conservation policy for historic buildings in Scotland and was to become the first Head of the Scottish Office of Works (SOW) in 1827. It was probably during his tenure at the SOW that the supporting buttresses to the choir and transept walls were built.

In 1824, John Shanks, an Elgin shoemaker and an important figure in conserving the cathedral started his work. Sponsored by local gentleman Isaac Forsyth, Shanks cleared the grounds of centuries of rubbish dumping and rubble. Shanks was officially appointed the site's Keeper and Watchman in 1826. Although his work was highly valued at the time and brought the cathedral back into public focus, his unscientific clearance methods may have resulted in much valuable evidence of the cathedral's history being lost. He died on 14 April 1841, aged 82. A fortnight later, the Inverness Courier published a commemorative piece on Shanks, calling him the "beadle or cicerone of Elgin Cathedral", and writing:

Some minor works continued during the remainder of the 19th century and were on going into the early 20th century. During the 1930s further maintenance work followed that included a protective roof for the vaulted ceiling of the south choir aisle. From 1960 onwards, crumbling sandstone blocks were replaced and new windows fitted in the chapter house, which was also re-roofed to preserve its vaulted ceiling. From 1988 to 2000, significant renovations were carried out on the two western towers, including the establishment of a viewing platform at the top of the north tower.

Diocesan possessions

As well as being the ecclesiastical head of the diocese, the bishops of Moray also possessed significant secular powers as prominent feudal lords. Their landed estates were extensive in significant areas of the Highlands and along the southern reaches of the Moray Firth. The bishops, representing religious and secular authority, played an important role in solidifying royal governance and stability in a historically volatile region. The importance of this relationship was recognised on 8 November 1451 when James II provided Bishop John Winchester with the Barony of Spynie enabling the consolidation of the disparate church lands and other properties into a single entity. On 15 August 1452, the king elevated the barony into a regality. This provided the bishop with wide-ranging powers including the convening of courts of law capable of adjudicating crimes that had previously fallen solely under the jurisdiction of the king's legal officer, the Sheriff. While the 1390 fire destroyed many charters that likely contained significant details regarding the attainment of land grants from royalty and the aristocracy, the surviving documents offer valuable insights into this process. However, the Barony of Spynie charter of 1451 named and defined much, but not all, of the diocesan lands.

Some of the unspecified lands only became apparent during their transference into tenancies or, in some cases, litigation against transgressors. Additional records provide information regarding diocesan lands held by notable leaseholders obliged to pay the bishop homage. These actions typically occurred following events such as the appointment of a new bishop or the emergence of a new heir to relevant lands. Although these occasions were largely symbolic as the lands had normally been granted in perpetuity, they did demonstrate the lengths the bishops went to retain their privileges as secular overlords. The records also provide details of the lands that once were held exclusively by the church but had then been transformed into lease holdings. Land transfer had mainly arisen in the turbulent period from the mid-14th to the early 15th centuries. But even during this time, the bishops strongly defended their rights when secular lords tried encroaching on church lands.

The bishops retained properties that were important to their needs and those of their households. These included elevated areas immediately north of Elgin, considered part of the bishops' demesne, and comprised the lands of Spynie, where the bishop's palace was, and the adjoining barony of Kinneddar. Outside of these areas, church lands were widely dispersed. The lengthy River Spey entered the Moray Firth some to the east of Elgin. On its east side lay church lands within the upland territories in the Strathbogie including the bishops' mensal barony of Keith (Strathysla). The lands extended southwards into the highland territories on the river's upper reaches of Strathspey and in its catchment area spreading as far south as Logynkenny near the diocesan border with the lordship of Lochaber. West of the Spey, churchlands were present in areas along the fertile coastal plane between Elgin and Inverness and then down both sides of the Great Glen. The highland hinterland also contained church holdings in Glenfiddich, Strathavon, the Findhorn Valley, Strathnairn, and Badenoch.

Barony and Regality of Spynie

Charter of the Barony of Spynie—granted to Bishop John Winchester (1451)

Charter of the Regality of Spynie—granted to Bishop John Winchester (1452)

The lands detailed in the charter of the Barony of Spynie, including all diocesan clergy utilised property, in the order that they appear in the charter:

Building phases

Construction 1224–1270

The first church was markedly cruciform in shape and smaller than the present floor plan. This early structure had a choir without aisles and more truncated, and a nave with only a single aisle on its north and south sides (Fig. 4). The central tower rose above the crossing between the north and south transepts and may have held bells in its upper storey. The north wall of the choir is the earliest extant structure, dating to the years immediately after the church's 1224 foundation; the clerestory windows on top of it are from the later post-1270 reconstruction. This wall has blocked up windows extending to a low level above ground, indicating that it was an external wall and proving that the eastern limb then had no aisle (Fig. 5).

The south transept's southern wall is nearly complete, displaying the fine workmanship of the first phase. It shows the Gothic pointed arch style in the windows that first appeared in France in the mid-12th century and was apparent in England around 1170, but hardly appeared in Scotland until the early 13th century. It also shows the round early Norman window design that continued to be used in Scotland during the entire Gothic period (Fig. 6).Oram, ''Moray & Badenoch'', p. 90 The windows and the quoins are of finely cut ashlar sandstone. A doorway in the southwest portion of the wall has large mouldings and has a pointed oval window placed above it. Adjacent to the doorway are two lancet-arched windows that are topped at the clerestory level with three round-headed windows. The north transept has much less of its structure preserved, but much of what does remain, taken together with a study by John Slezer in 1693, shows that it was similar to the south transept, except that the north transept had no external door and featured a stone turret containing a staircase.

The west front has two 13th-century buttressed towers high that were originally topped with wooden spires covered in protective lead.Oram, ''Moray & Badenoch'', p.87 Although the difference between the construction of the base course and the transepts suggests that the towers were not part of the initial design, it is likely that the building process was not so far advanced that the masons could fully integrate the nave and towers into each other (Fig. 7).

Enlargement and reconstruction after 1270

After the fire of 1270, a programme of reconstruction was launched, with repairs and a major enlargement. Outer aisles were added to the nave, the eastern wing comprising the choir and presbytery was doubled in length and had aisles provided on its north and south sides, and the octagonal chapter house was built off the new north choir aisle (Figs. 8 & 9). The new northern and southern aisles ran the length of the choir, past the first bay of the presbytery, and contained recessed and chest tombs. The south aisle of the choir contained the tomb of bishop John of Winchester, suggesting a completion date for the reconstructed aisle between 1435 and 1460 (Fig. 10). Chapels were added to the new outer aisles of the nave and were partitioned from each other with wooden screens. The first bay at the west end of each of these aisles and adjacent to the western towers did not contain a chapel but instead had an access door for the laity.Oram, ''Moray & Badenoch'', p. 89

In June 1390, Alexander Stewart, Robert III's brother, burned the cathedral, manses and burgh of Elgin. This fire was very destructive, requiring the central tower to be completely rebuilt along with the principal arcades of the nave. The entire western gable between the towers was reconstructed and the main west doorway and chapter house were refashioned. The internal stonework of the entrance is late 14th or early 15th century and is intricately carved with branches, vines, acorns and oak leaves. A large pointed arch opening in the gable immediately above the main door contained a series of windows, the uppermost of which was a circular or rose window dating from between 1422 and 1435. Just above it can be seen three coats of arms: on the right is that of the bishopric of Moray, in the middle are the Royal Arms of Scotland, and on the left is the armorial shield of Bishop Columba Dunbar (Fig. 11). The walls of the nave are now very low or even at foundation level, except one section in the south wall which is near its original height. This section has windows that appear to have been built in the 15th century to replace the 13th-century openings: they may have been constructed following the 1390 attack (Fig. 12). Nothing of the elevated structure of the nave remains, but its appearance can be deduced from the scarring seen where it attached to the eastern walls of the towers. Nothing of the crossing now remains following the collapse of the central tower in 1711. Elgin Cathedral is unique in Scotland in having an English-style octagonal chapter house and French-influenced double aisles along each side of the nave; in England, only Chichester Cathedral has similar aisles. The chapter house, which had been attached to the choir through a short vaulted vestry, required substantial modifications and was now provided with a vaulted roof supported by a single pillar (Figs. 13 & 14). The chapter house measures high at its apex and from wall to opposite wall; it was substantially rebuilt by Bishop Andrew Stewart (1482–1501), whose coat of arms is placed on the central pillar. Bishop Andrew was the half-brother of King James II. The delay in the completion of these repairs until this bishop's episcopacy demonstrates the extent of the damage from the 1390 attack.

19th and 20th century stabilisation

In 1847–8 several of the old houses associated with the cathedral on the west side were demolished, and some minor changes were made to the boundary wall. Structural reinforcement of the ruin and some reconstruction work began in the early 20th century, including restoration of the east gable rose window in 1904 and the replacement of the missing form pieces, mullions, and decorative ribs in the window in the north-east wall of the chapter house (Fig. 15). By 1913, repointing the walls and additional waterproofing of the wall tops were completed. In 1924 the ground level was lowered and the 17th-century tomb of the Earl of Huntly was repositioned. Further repairs and restoration ensued during the 1930s, including the partial dismantling of some 19th-century buttressing (Fig. 16), the reconstruction of sections of the nave piers using recovered pieces (Fig. 17), and the addition of external roofing to the vault in the south choir in 1939 (Fig. 18).Fawcett, ''Elgin Cathedral'', pp. 12–13 From 1960 to 2000, masons restored the cathedral's crumbling stonework (Fig. 19) and between 1976 and 1988, the window tracery of the chapter house was gradually replaced, and its re-roofing was completed (Fig. 20). Floors, glazing, and a new roof were added to the southwest tower between 1988 and 1998 and comparable restoration work was completed on the northwest tower between 1998 and 2000 (Fig. 21).

Burials

* Andrew de Moravia – buried in the south side of the choir under a large blue marble stone
* David de Moravia – buried in the choir
* William de Spynie – buried in the choir
* Andrew Stewart (d. 1501)
* Alexander Gordon, 1st Earl of Huntly
* Columba de Dunbar (c. 1386 – 1435) was Bishop of Moray from 1422 until his death
* George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon and his wife Lady Elizabeth Howard

Referenced figures

Notes

References

Sources

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* Fanning, W. (1908). Chapter. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 24 March 2010 from New Advent
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Further reading

* Clark, W, ''A series of Views of the Ruins of Elgin Cathedral'', Elgin 1826
* Crook, J. Mordant & Port, MH, ''The History of the King's Works'', London, 1973
* Simpson, A T & Stevenson, S, ''Historic Elgin, the archaeological implications of development'', Glasgow: University of Glasgow, Dept. of Archaeology, 1982.

External links

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Photos of Elgin Cathedral

The Early Church in Northern Scotland (ECNS)



Engraving of Elgin Cathedral in 1693
by John Slezer at National Library of Scotland

{{Coord, 57, 39, 02, N, 03, 18, 20, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title

Buildings and structures completed in 1224
Churches completed in the 1220s
13th-century church buildings in Scotland
Listed cathedrals in Scotland
Medieval cathedrals in Scotland
Roman Catholic cathedrals in Scotland
Collegiate churches in Scotland
Scheduled monuments in Moray
Historic Environment Scotland properties in Moray
Churches in Moray
1224 establishments in Scotland
Former cathedrals in Scotland
Tourist attractions in Moray
Buildings and structures in Elgin, Moray
Ruins in Moray