Church of St Mary on the Rock facts for kids
The Church of St Mary on the Rock, also known as St Mary's Collegiate Church, was a special church in St Andrews, Scotland. It was home to a group of priests who lived and worked together, forming what was called a "secular college." This church was located near St Andrews Cathedral, close to the sea. People also called it St Mary of the Culdees, Kirkheugh, or Church of St Mary of Kilrymont.
This church became Scotland's very first collegiate church in the 1240s. It continued the traditions of an older group of clergy known as the Culdees or Céli Dé, which means "vassals of God." The church was important for many centuries. However, it did not last long after the Scottish Reformation in the 1500s. Today, only a few parts of the original building remain.
Contents
The Céli Dé and Early Beginnings
The Church of St Mary on the Rock started with a monastery called Kilrymont monastery. This monastery had a group of priests known as "Culdees" or Céli Dé. These priests served a smaller altar inside the Cathedral during the 1100s and early 1200s. The Céli Dé group was led by an abbot. We know of one abbot named Gille Críst, who was recorded around 1172 to 1178.
Before the Augustinian priory was founded in 1140, the Céli Dé and seven other clerics were the only known church leaders at the cathedral. The new Augustinian monks were meant to become the main clergy for the cathedral. In 1147, Pope Eugenius III confirmed that the Augustinians had the right to choose the Bishop of St Andrews.
It seems that Bishop Robert, who was an Augustinian himself, wanted the Céli Dé to join the Augustinian order. This would have brought their property into the new Cathedral Priory. However, this did not happen. Even though a papal order in 1147 said that an Augustinian should replace each Céle Dé when they died, the Céli Dé were still there in 1199. The priory even recognized that the Céli Dé had a permanent right to their land.
A Second Group of Church Leaders
Historian G. W. S. Barrow believed that from the time of bishops Roger de Beaumont and William de Malveisin, the bishops of St Andrews tried to make the Céli Dé a second group of cathedral leaders. This was similar to what happened in other places. For example, in Dublin, the archbishop created a new collegiate church at St Patrick's parish church. This church later became a second cathedral. In both Dublin and Canterbury, bishops tried to balance the power of the existing monastic groups.
The Céli Dé often worked closely with the bishop, especially from Bishop Beaumont's time. They were often allies in disagreements with the prior of St Andrews, who was the head of the Augustinian monks. For example, between 1202 and 1216, Bishop William de Malveisin removed a punishment that the prior had given. Also, in 1220, Pope Honorius III sent someone to settle a dispute between the Augustinians and Bishop William and "certain clergy of St Andrews commonly called Céli Dé."
From 1239 onwards, the Céli Dé even claimed the right to help choose the bishop. They took part in the election of David de Bernham that year, because the king insisted. In 1253, after Bishop David died, the Augustinian group chose Robert de Stuteville as the new bishop. But the Céli Dé and another church leader, Abel de Gullane, complained to the Pope. They said the election was not fair because the Céli Dé were left out. The Pope agreed and appointed Gullane as the new bishop. However, the Pope did not make a clear decision on whether the Céli Dé had the right to vote in future elections.
Becoming a Collegiate Church
Because of these reasons, G. W. S. Barrow suggested that the original Gaelic-speaking Céli Dé were slowly replaced by clerks and helpers of the bishops. Many of these new people came from France or England in the early 1200s. By 1250, these new Céli Dé had moved to the Church of St Mary. They were given the special status of a "secular college," which meant it became a collegiate church. This likely happened in 1248 or 1249. This was the first time the Church of St Mary was mentioned as a separate institution from the cathedral.
This change made St Mary's the very first collegiate church in Scotland. It was also the only secular college in the kingdom before the 1300s. The first known leader of the church was Master Adam de Malkarviston, recorded in 1250. Besides the leader, called a provost, there were six other canons (priests). Even with its new status, the church was still sometimes called "St Marys of the Céli Dé" as late as 1344. The Church of St Mary also became an official royal chapel around 1286 to 1296. It remained a royal chapel until 1501.
In 1386, the Provost of St Mary's was allowed to join the main group of leaders at St Andrews Cathedral. This meant the provost became one of the three important secular (non-monk) leaders of the cathedral. The other two were the archdeacons. This gave the provost a special seat in the choir and a vote in choosing the bishop.
Church Funding and Properties
The exact number of properties that supported the church (called "prebends") changed over time. But during the time of Bishop Henry Wardlaw, there were eight prebends. These included lands like "Cairns and Cameron", "Kinglassie and Kingask", Lambieletham, "Durie and Rumgally", Kinkell, Kinaldy, Fetteresso, and Strathbrock.
The Céli Dé had owned Lambieletham since the 1100s. The Provost of St Mary's also held the lands of Kinkell, which the Céli Dé controlled in the 1170s. Most of these properties were likely old Céli Dé lands. However, Fetteresso and Strathbrock were new additions. Bishop Henry Wardlaw gave them to the college in 1425 and 1435-1436. More properties were added later in the 1400s and 1500s, such as Arbuthnott, Ballingry, Benholm, Dysart, and Idvies. It is believed there were thirteen prebends by the time of the Reformation.
Location and What Remains
The church was located at a place called Kirkheugh or Kirkhill. This area, where modern North Street and South Street meet, might have been where religious activity started even before the new cathedral was built. There are old burials found near Kirkheugh that are older than the monastery's supposed founding in the 700s. This suggests a small religious group was there as early as the 500s. Some cross-slabs from the 900s were also found in the grounds. According to John Lesley, the church was torn down by reforming Protestants in June 1559.
The remaining foundations of the church show that it was shaped like a cross. It did not have side aisles. We cannot tell the exact length of the side arms (transepts), but the choir (where the altar was) was longer than the nave (the main part of the church). The nave seems to be the oldest part of the building. The altar was at the eastern end of the choir. Other parts, like the seats for priests (sedilia), the room for sacred items (sacristy), and the living areas for the canons and the provost, are now gone.
Leaders of the Church
Known Provosts of St Mary's
- Adam de Makerstoun, served between 1250 and 1287
- William Comyn, 1287–1329
- John de Roxburgh, 1329–1363
- Gilbert Armstrong, 1362–1376
- William de Dalgarnoch, 1376–1377
- Duncan Petit, 1376–1398
- Robert de Lany, 1397–1437
- Hugh Kennedy, 1437–1454
- John Kennedy, 1454–1477
- William Scherar, 1472–1480
- James Allardice, 1477–1507
- James Kincragy, 1506–1540
- James Lermont, 1540–1578
- Thomas Buchanan, 1578–1599
- Robert Buchanan, 1599–1618
- The church was under the control of the Archbishop of St Andrews in 1625.
See also
- St Nicholas Hospital, St Andrews
