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1275.—SIMON, Lord Abbot
of Dunfermline, was deposed for “obstinacy and crosses to the poor,” by Bagimont, the Papal Legate. He was the
twelfth Abbot of Dunfermline, and held the abbotship for nearly six
years. Simon’s name appears frequently in the Register of Dunfermline.
He was sent, with William Earl of Mar, as ambassador to the King of
England, for recover of the King’s Earldom of Huntingdon. He granted
Charters of Confirmation for the lands of Ballard, of
Pitbauchly, near Dunfermline, and of Bendachen,
belonging to the Church of Dunkeld. (Print. Regist. Dunf. pp. 178, 184,
213, 215; Fordun, ii. 123.)
RALPH DE GREENLAW,
Sub-Prior of the Abbey, elected and consecrated Lord Abbot of Dunfermline,
successor to Simon, deposed. He was the thirteenth Abbot.
LORD ABBOT RADALPHUS:
HIS CHARTER TO THE QUEENSFERRY BOARMEN.—The Abbot grants eight oars in the
new passage boat to seven persons, one of whom is a woman, for payment of
8d. yearly for each oar, and performing the usual services, as also paying
the old rent to the tenant of the passage. One of the persons, Johannes
Armiger, his heirs and assignees, ecclesiastics excepted, shall have two
oars, and the rest one only. Farther, the Abbot declares that the
successor of any of them “per vos, vel per ballivos
nostros saysinum remi sui habebit.” This is one of the earliest
instruments of seisin in constituting the
right to a ship or boat. (Print. Regist. Dunf. pp. 216, 217, No. 320; Dal.
Mon. An. P. 63.) The names of the persons to whom this grant was make
are—John Armiger; Peter, the son of Adam; Thomas, the son of Bernard;
Richard de Kirkeland;
Magote de Craggy; John Floger; and Eue, the daughter of John
Harloth. The Charter is designated “Carta de
viij. remins
in batello passagii.”
RESIGNATION OF LANDS,
&c.—About this period several lands, crofts,
&c., are resigned into the hands of Alexander III. “cum
omnibus hominibus et
cotariis” (with all the men and cottars on them, &c.), and the King
immediately, by charter, conveys them to the Abbey. (Print. Regist. Dunf.
1270-1275; Dal. Mon. An. P. 42.)
1276.—POPE GREGORY X.,
between 1273 and 1276, granted two bulls to the Abbot and Convent of
Dunfermline. (Print. Regist. Dunf. pp. 188, 189 and
Nos. 297, 298.)
1277.—A CHARTER
GRANTED BY Alexander III., of this date, confirming the gift of the land
of Lumphennens by Constantine de Lochor to his son Adam, is still to be
seen at Pirfirrane House, near Dunfermline.
It is beautifully written on vellum, and has the Great Seal of Scotland
appended to it. It is still in a remarkably fine state of preservation.
(Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i. pp. 526-573.)
1278.—RESIGNATION OF
LANDS (and men, &c., on them) into the King’s hands—viz., the lands of Beeth Waldef by
Sir Ranulp de Strathechyn,
“cum omnibus hominibus et
cotariis.” (Print. Regist. Dunf. p. 52, No. 8; Dal. Mon. An. p,
43.)
“THE BLESSED
MARGARET’S CHAMBER.”—In a Charter of Alexander III. (the
King), dated 1278, reference is made to a resignation of lands—“Apud castrum puellarum
de Edenburg in Camera nra
q de. Camera be. Margerite regine,” &c., i.e.
at the Maiden’s Castle of Edinburgh, in our chamber which is called the
blessed Queen Margaret’s Chamber. This would be a chamber in the Castle
Palace, where she so often had her residence, probably the chamber in
which she died on November 16th or 17th, A.D. 1093.
(Print. Regist. Dunf. p. 53, No. 87, entitled, “ Carta dni Regis de terra Beeth Waldef;” Dal. Mon. Antiq. p. 54.)
1279.—JOHN DE
INCHMARTYN AND THE LANDS OF ABBETHAYN.—In the Register of Dunfermline
there is a Writ of Agreement between the Abbey and John de Inchmartyn, by which it is agreed that John
must pay three merks sterling for the lands of
Abbethayn, and declaring, if payment be delayed three weeks beyond
the stipulated period, he shall be excommunicated by the Bishop of Dunkeld
(or his substitute for the time) renouncing for him and his heirs all
letters obtained or to be obtained, and all remedy of law, both canon and
civil. (Print. Regist, Dunf. pp. 144, 145; Dal. Mon. An. p. 59.)
1280.—DAVID (Prince),
Son of Alexander III., died at Stirling, and was interred in the Abbey of
Dunfermline. (Hay’s Scotia Sacra, p. 329.) According to Winton—
“A
thowsand and twa
hundyr yhere,
Foure scor oure tha, to rekyn clere,
Of Daivy thys
third Alysawndry’s sone,
Of thys lyf all
the sayes war done.
Dede
he wes into Stryvelyn,
And enteryd in
Dwnfermelyn.”
(Wynton’s “Orygynale Cronikil Scot.” vol. ii. p. 392.)
ALEXANDER (Prince),
Son of Alexander III., died at Lindores, and was interred in the Abbey of
Dunfermlin—(Hay’s Scotia Sacra, p. 329)—of whom Winton says—
“The ferd Alysawndyre,
our Kungis sone,
At Lundorys deyde,
and syne
Enteryd wes in Dwnfermelyn.”
(Wynton’s “Orygynale Cronikil Scot.” vol. ii. p. 396.)
Nothing is known of
these two Princes. David appears to have been about 18 and Alexander 20
years of age. Their deaths (the deaths of the heirs apparent), and that,
too, in the same year, was the cause of deep-felt sorrow throughout
Scotland. In what part of the Abbey they lie is not known. If they were
interred beside their mother, the place of interment would be near the
east end of the nave (the Auld Kirk). If near their father, their graves
would be somewhere near the pulpit of the present modern Abbey Church.
THE MILL POOL OF
KIRKCALDY.—In a Charter of the Register of Dunfermline of the date,
granted by Lord Abbot Ralph to Sir Michael Scott of
Balweary, the Abbot enters into a convention with Sir Michael for
the same, notifying “the he and his heirs shall possess the course of the
water running between Balweary and Invertiel and the land of
Milneton.” An engraved fac-simile of
this Charter is given in the Register. (Vide Print. Regist. Dunf. p. 145,
422.)
1281.—“THE KING SITS
IN DUNFERMLING TOUNE, DRINKING THE BLUID-RED WYNE.”—These often-quoted
lines are to be found in the fine old ballad of Sir Patrick Spens,
composed to commemorate a sad disaster that occurred near the end of this
year (1281). As the lines are associated with Dunfermline in the olden
time, a few words regarding the ballad in question will be necessary.
The Princess Margaret,
only daughter of Alexander III., was espoused to King Eric of Norway. The
marriage was arranged to take place before winter of that year. Probably
she was at the time residing with her father in his royal residence on
Tower Hill (Canmore’s), which was a favourite
abode of the King, and here he often domiciled for long periods.
In the ballad the King
and his Courtiers are represented as being in Dunfermline discussing over
their wine, the forthcoming marriage, a suitable ship, and a trusty
captain. Such were the weighty matter talked over in “Dumfarlin toon” over the bluid-red
wine—
“The King sits in
Dunfermling toune
Drynking
the bluid-red wyne.”
He asks—
“Oh, where will I get a saylor bold
To sayl this schipe
of mine?”
Sir Patrick Spens is
recommended to the King, who writes to Sir Patrick, and he accepts the
office of captain.
“O up and spake an eldern
knight,
Sat at the King’s right knee;
Sir Patrick Spens is the best saylor
That ever sayl’d on sea.
Our King has written a braid letter,
And seal’d it with his hand,
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spens,
Who was walking on the strand.”
It has been suggested by
some critics that the strand here alluded to was the strand at Aberdour,
in the Firth of Forth. Had this been so, the King would not have troubled
himself writing “a braid letter” to Sir Patrick. Aberdour-on-Forth is
within an hour’s ride of “Dunfermling toun;”
and instead of writing to him, a special messenger on horseback, demanding
his attendance at Dunfermline, would have answered the purpose at once.
We, with others, suspect that Sir Patrick was then residing in Montrose,
or some other North-eastern port, and that the Aberdour brought into the
ballad, if it means anything, refers to the Aberdour in Aberdeenshire.
All the necessary
preparations are made, the ship splendidly fitted up, and on 31st
July, 1281, it leaves some now unknown port, with Margaret the Princess
and her numerous retinue.
“The ship, it was a guidlie ship,
The tapmast was o’ gowd,
And at ilk tak o’ the needle-wark,
A silver bell it jow’d
To Noroway, to
Noroway,
To Noroway, o’er the faem;
The King’s daughter of Noroway,
‘Tis thou maun
bring her hame.”
The “guidlie
ship” arrived in safety at its destination, but on the return voyage a
great storm arose; the ship becomes a wreck, and sinks with all on board,
when approaching the Orkney Isles (near Papa Stronsay),
which is rather more than half-way between “(Noroway”
and Aberdour, on the Moray Firth. Here, about
“Half owre, half owre to Aberdoure,
It’s
fifty fathoms deep,
And there lies guid Sir Patrick Spens,
And the Scots lords at his feet.”
So ended this disaster,
over which great lamentation was made—
“Oh, lang, lang, may
the laydes look,
Wi’
their gown-tails ower their croun,
Before they see their ain dear lords
Come sailing to Dunfermling toun.”
It may be here noted
that in the little island of Papa Stronsay
there is a large tumulus which has been known to the inhabitants from time
immemorial as “the grave of Sir Patrick Spens.” (Vide “Aytoun’s
Ballads of Scotland.”)
There has been much
discussion from time to time as to who was the author of this famous old
ballad, We strongly suspect that it was composed by Lady Wardlaw (whose
maiden name was Elizabeth Halket), the reputed
authoress of the well-known poem entitled “Hardyknute.” The construction
of the lines and expression used in Sir Patrick Spens have a close
resemblance to those in Hardyknute. We shall extract a stanza from each
to show the extreme probability of the author of Sir Patrick Spens being
the composer of Hardyknute. From Sir Patrick Spens—
“The King sits in
Dunfermling toune,
Drynking
the bluid-red wyne,” &c.
From Hardyknute—
“The tidings to oure good Scots King
Came as he sat at dine,
With noble chiefs in brave array,
Drinking the blood-red wine.”
We have never seen the
original print of Sir Patrick Spens, and, therefore can say nothing about
the spelling of the toune. It has been supposed that toune is a misprint
for toure. There can be no doubt that if toure is the original spelling,
it would be more correct, for the Kings of Scotland resided in Dunfermling
toure, and not, strictly speaking, in Dunfermling toune.
Elizabeth Halket, or Lady Wardlaw, died about the 1727.
SEAL OF THE ABBOT
RADULPHUS.—The Seal of Lord Abbot Ralph appears to have been made about
this period. The following is a fac-simile of
the Seal. A fine impression, in gutta percha, was sent to us, in 1850, by Mr. Henry
Laing, medallist, Elder Street, Edinburgh. It is oval in shape, and is
thus described by Mr. Laing:--“A Seal in excellent preservation; within a
Gothic niche, a representation of the Eternal Father and Son—the Father
sitting with the cruciform nimbus, holding between his knees the Son,
extended on the Cross. Above the right shoulder of the Father is a star,
and above the left a pellet with a crescent. At the sides of the niche
are the words, ‘ECCLA XRI’ In the lower part of the Seal, within a niche,
is a figure of an Abbot in pontifical vestments kneeling at prayer, and
‘S: RADVLPHI ABBATIS DE DVNFERMELIN,’ in letters of the period, are within
ornamented dotted curves along the circumference.” (Laing’s
Catalogue of Seals.)
At the time the writer
received the impression of this fine Seal from Mr. Laing, he suggested to
him that the Church which crowns it was probably intended to represent the
east view of the Abbey, or new Choir, and in this view he agreed, and,
since then, all antiquaries who have taken the matter into consideration.
Therefore, although rude, still we have a faint resemblance of the Abbey,
in 1280, from the east. (Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i.
p. 94; and Descrip. vol. ii. pp. 216,217.)
1285.—ROYAL INTERMENT
OF KING ALEXANDER III.—“This King, in the dusk of the evening, riding
between Burntisland and Kinghorn, was, on March 16th, thrown
from his horse over a high rocky cliff, and killed on the spot.” Some
accounts state that the horse went over the precipice with the rider. (Hailes’
An. Scot. vol. i. p. 183; Fordun, x. 40;
Foedera, iv. 370; Abrid. Scot. Chron. p. 203.)
The remains of the
King were embalmed and according to Hay’s Sacra Scotia, p. 323, his heart
was extracted and buried in the Church of St. John the Baptist at Perth.
Fordun, in his account of the violent end of Alexander, says, “And he was
buried in the Abbey of Dunfermline as became a King.” (Fordun, x. 40.)
In the “Chronicon de
Lanercost,” mention is made of the site of the
tomb of this Alexander, viz., “1285. He lies at Dunfermline alone, in the
middle part, and is buried near the Presbytery;” to which the writer in
the Chronicon appends: “Where when we see a multitude lamenting as much
his sudden death as the desolation of the kingdom, they alone did not
moisten their cheeks with their tears, who closely adhered to him for his
acts of friendship and good deeds.” At his death Alexander was 44 years
of age and had reigned about 36 years.
The following are
other references to the violent death and interment of Alexander III.:--“Alexandre
le fits Alexandre qi
de vviij. aunz de
age comensa a regna
xxxvij aunz Qi roumpy de cole a Kinkorn, sours de quoyen uevnt grant mal, et
Sepultus Dunfermelin:--i.e., Alexander,
son of Alexander, who at eight years of age commenced to reign; he reigned
37 years, and broke his neck at Kinghorn, from which arose great evil, and
he was buried at Dunfermline. (Skene’s Col. No. 32, pp. 206-208.)
“Alexander, filius
Alexandri, regnavit xxxix annis et mortuus apud Kingorin,et sepultus
in Dunfermelin”—i.e., Alexander, the son of
Alexander, reigned 39 years, died at Kinghorn, and was buried at
Dunfermline. (Skene’s Chron. Scots and Picts, p. 290.) It is singular
that these notices give 37 and 39 years for Alexander’s reign. He reigned
36 years.
Winton refers to the
death, &c., as follows:--
“A
thowsand twa
hundyr foure-score of yhere
The fyft, frae
that the Mayden clere,
Jesus Cryst oure
Lord had borne;
Alysawndyr oure Kyng deyd at Kyngorne
Fra
that place he wes
had syne,
And entered in Dunfermlyne;
In that Collegyd Kirk he
lyis:
His Spyryt in –til
paradays,” &c.
(Wynton’s Orygynale Cronikil, vol. ii. p. 390.)
The Chronicon de
Lanercost noted that he was buried in the “middle part near the
Presbytery.” In 1285, the Presbytery was situated near the east end of
the new Choir, or a little to the south of the site of the pulpit of the
present modern church.
Barbour, in his notice
of the death of this King, says—
“When Alexander the King
was dead,
That Scotland had to steer and lead,
The land six years, and more perfay,
Lay desolate after his day.”
(Barbour’s “Bruce,” p. 2, 36-40 lines.)
1291.—COAL AND STONE
CHARTER OF WILLIAM DE OBERWIL TO DUNFERMLINE ABBEY.—This very interesting
Charter is in the Register of Dunfermline; it is the oldest Coal Charter
in Scotland. It appears that coal was dug at Tranent
in 1285; but Dunfermline coal had become subject for a charter in 1201.
The later workings may therefore be older than those at Tranent; being first noticed does not always
imply the first in reality. The following is a copy of the Charter, with
our translation:--
“Omnibus has literas visuris vel audituris, Willelmus de Oberwill,
cominus de Pethyncreff, eternam in Domino salutem.—Noveritis
me ex mera gratia
et perpetua voluntate concessisse religiosis viris Abbati et Conventui de Dunfermelyn
unam carbonariam in terra nea de Petyncreff, ubicunque voluerint, eexcepta terra arabili, ita quad sufficienciam
ad usus suos inde percipient et aliis vendere non presumant; una vero deficiente aliam mpro voluntate sua facient quociens viderent expedire sibi. In
super volo et
concede eisdem liberam potestatem fodiendi, capiendi et caedendi, lapides in dicta terra mea ad usus suos pro voluntate eorum excepta terra arabilli. Concedo etiam (eis) et ad eos pertinentibus quod libere uti possint omnibus viis
et semitis per terras meas de Petyncref
et de Galurig sine aliquot impedimento, quibus
aliquot tempori usi sunt vel uti consueverunt.
In cujus rei testimonium presentibus sigillum meum apposui uns cum sigillo officiali domini Episcopi Sancti
Andrea et sigillo Roberti de Malavilla,
qui sigilla sua ad instanciam meam presentibus apposuerint.—Datum apud Dunfermelyn die Marti proximo ante festum sancti Ambrosii Episcopi et confessoris.—Annp gratie millesimo Ducentesimo Nonagesimo
Primo.” (Print. Regist. Dunf. pp. 218, 219, No. 323.)
“To all who shall hear
or see this Charter, William de Oberwill, owner of Pittencrieff, wishes
eternal salvation in the Lord. Be it known to you that I have granted,
from my mere good pleasure and of my own free will, to the religious men,
the Abbot and Convent of Dunfermline, a coal pit in my land of
Pittencrieff, wherever they may wish, excluding the arable land, in such a
way that they may get from thence sufficiency of coal for their own use,
and may not presume to sell to others; moreover, one failing, they will
make another, according to their own free will, as often as they may see
it expedient for themselves. In addition, I am willing to grant, and do
grant to the same, free power to quarry , take, and cut stones in the said
land of mine, for their own use, according to their own free will,
excluding the arable land. I grant also to them, and to those belonging
to them, that they may use freely all the roads and paths through my lands
of Pittencrieff and Galrig, without any
hindrance, which they have used at any time, or have been wont to use. In
testimony whereof I have attached my seal to these presents, along with
the official seal of my Lord Bishop of St. Andrews and the seal of Robert
Melville, who have attached their seals to these presents at my instance.
Given at Dunfermline on the Tuesday next before the Feast of St. Ambrose,
Bishop and Confessor, in the year of grace 1291.”
EDWARD I., KING OF
ENGLAND, arrived in Dunfermline 17th July, 1291 (his first
visit).—King Edward I. of England, in his route from Berwick to Perth,
arrives in Dunfermline on 17th July, as he had done at other
places, to ascertain the disposition and strength of the people,
and imperiously calls upon persons of all ranks—Earls, Barons,
Bishops, Abbots, Burgesses, &c.—to sign his roll of homage as his
vassals. (Vide Tyler’s Hist. Scot. vol. i. p.
87.) The “Ragman Rolls” gives the following account of Edward’s
visit:--“In the year of our Lord, and Indication (MCCXCI.), upon 17th
day of month of July, there came to the said Lord King at Dunfermline,
Radulph, Abbot of the same place, and noble men, Sirs Andrew Fraser,
William of Haye, Andrew of Moray, and Constantine de Loghor, Sheriffs of
Fife, and to the same Lord King of England, as over and immediate lord of
the kingdom of Scotland, made fidelity, and swore, some of them, upon the
High Altar of the said Abbey, and some in the Chapter, in the presence of
the venerable fathers in Christ, Sir Antony of Durham, and Alan, Bishop of
Caithness, along with noble men, Sirs John of St. John, Patrick of Graham
, and Galfrid of Moubray, knights, and many other nobles, clergymen, and
lay men.” (Vide Ragman Rolls, print. at Edin. 1835; Rymer’s Foedera, i. 773, A.D. 1291-1296, p. 15; Chal. Hist.
Dunf. vol. ii. p. 260.)
1295.—JOHN BALIOL,
KING OF SCOTLAND, at Dunfermline, relative to his Son and Heir’s
Marriage.—There is a treaty still extant regarding this affair, between
John Baliol, King of Scotland, and Philip IV., King of France, for Philip
to give his niece, the eldest daughter of Charles, Count of Anjou, in
marriage to Edward, the son and heir of Baliol, which was ratified by John
Baliol at Dunfermline on the vii. Kal. Marcii (23rd Feb.),
1295, where it received the assent of the clergy, nobility, and burghs.
This treaty was registered at Paris, 23rd October, same year.
(Vide Rymer’s Foedera; Anderson’s Diplomata Scotia; Chal. vol. i. p. 510.)
1296.—EDWARD I. KING
OF ENGLAND, IN DUNFERMLINE (second and third visits).—Edward I. had a
twenty-one weeks’ march through Scotland during the summer of this year,
his object being, according to Tytler and other Historians, “to destroy
everything of antiquity in Scotland, to carry off it Records and men of
learning.” He appears to have been twice in Dunfermline during his
progress, viz., on June 17th, when the Sheriff of Stirling
swore fealty to Edward before the Great Altar, and again on the 13th
August, on his returning journey. On his return, he came to Dunfermline
by way of Markinch, and then went on to Stirling. (Fordun, xi. 26; Tytler’s Hist. Scot. vol. i. pp. 88 and 432; Crawford’s Remarks on the
Ragman Roll, vol. i. p. 13; Hect. Boeth, xiv.
Fol. 305; Hemingford, p. 97; Nimmo’s Hist. Stirlingshire, vol. i. p. 496.)
1297.—ARNOLD BLAIR, “a
Monk of the Benedictine Cloister of Dunfermline,” left the monastery and
became chaplain to Sir William Wallace (at the hero’s request). (See date
1327; Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i. p. 530;
Nicholson’s Scot. Hist. lib. pp. 248, 249.)
1300.—DUNFERMLINE ABBEY
in High Repute for Sanctity.—In the “year 1300, William de Lamberton,
Bishop of St. Andrews, in premising the great perfection of discipline,
the commendatory life and charity of the monks, gives them the vicarage of
a church to render them still more fervent.”” (Print. Regist. Dunf. p. 73;
No. 122; Dal. Mon. Antiq. pp. 16, 17.)
END OF THE THIRTEENTH
CENTURY. |
