St Mary's Chapel, Rattray facts for kids
St Mary's Chapel is an old chapel in Rattray, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It's also called "the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin." This special building was made a long time ago, around the late 1100s or early 1200s. It was built by a powerful man named William Comyn. The chapel was like a private church for his nearby home, the Castle of Rattray, and for the people who lived there. It was named after the Virgin Mary.
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When Was St Mary's Chapel Built?
It's a bit tricky to figure out the exact age of St Mary's Chapel.
Old Dates and Real Clues
You might see a stone plaque on the wall that says "911." But experts agree this date is not real. The way the chapel is built and the style of its windows didn't exist in Scotland until much later, in the late 1100s. This fits with other records that say the chapel probably dates back to the late 1100s.
William Comyn's Role
William Comyn became the Earl of Buchan in 1212. This means he gained control of a large area of land. So, the chapel was most likely started after this year.
Gifts and Records
We know the chapel was being built or was already finished by 1214.
A Gift of Wax
Records show that William Comyn gave a special gift to the chapel every year between 1214 and 1233. This gift was "wax" from bees. It weighed about 10.8 kilograms, which is roughly the same as two large bags of sugar! This was all the wax William Comyn received as rent from a person named Cospatric Macmadethyn. This rent was for some land and a mill called Stratheyn and Kyndrochet, and it was paid every year around Whitsunday (a spring holiday).
A Specific Date
One old story even says that the chapel was built in the year 1220.
