Trinity College Kirk facts for kids
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The Trinity College Kirk was an important collegiate church in Edinburgh, Scotland. A collegiate church is a church where a college of clergy (priests) lives and works, rather than a single parish priest. This church and its nearby hospital, called Trinity Hospital, were started in 1460. They were founded by Mary of Gueldres, who was the Queen of Scotland at the time. She built them to remember her husband, King James II, who had died that year during a battle. Queen Mary was buried in the church. Later, in 1848, her coffin was moved to Holyrood Abbey.
The church was never fully finished as planned. Only parts like the apse (a rounded end of the church), the choir (where the singers sat), and the transepts (the parts that stick out like arms of a cross) were built.
The church was located in a valley between Edinburgh's Old Town and Calton Hill. In 1848, it was carefully taken apart because Waverley Station was going to be built on its site. The stones were all numbered so they could be put back together later. They were stored in a yard on Calton Hill. However, by 1872, when a new church was finally built on Jeffrey Street, only about a third of the original stones were left. These remaining stones were used to build a part of the new church, which became its hall.
Contents
What did the church look like?
The church was built using local sandstone. This stone came from a quarry found not far away, where the Scott Monument now stands. The church was built in a style called Scottish late Gothic. This style was popular at the time.
The church had gargoyles on its roof. These were carved stone figures that helped drain water away. People said they looked like they were struggling under the weight of the roof. It was also unusual because some of the church's decorations were said to include monkeys.
How the church was started
The Trinity College Kirk was set up for a leader called a provost, eight prebendaries (priests who received income from specific lands), and two clerks. Each of these people was given land or income to support them. The money came from different places in Scotland. Some of it was given by Queen Mary of Gueldres herself. More income was added later from places like a leper colony in Fife and a parish church in Easter Wemyss.
In 1502, a Dean and Sub-Dean were added to the church's staff. Their pay came from the parish of Dunnottar. Later, in 1529, more income was added from other parishes like Soutra and Ormiston.
Early years of the church
The church and hospital at Soutra Aisle were dedicated to the Holy Trinity. In 1459, Queen Mary asked Pope Pius II if Soutra could be joined with her new Trinity College. The Pope agreed in October 1460. Queen Mary of Gueldres then issued a Royal charter in March 1462. This document explained how Trinity College would be run. It said the provost would oversee Soutra church and also support three bedesmen (poor people) in the Soutra hospital. John Halkerston was put in charge of the building work.
In August 1463, Pope Pius II announced something special. He said that people who visited the church during the feast of the Holy Trinity (July 10th) and the next eight days, over the next five years, would receive a special blessing. This blessing was given if they helped pay for the church to be finished. The money was kept in a locked box, with keys held by the provost and a church official. One-third of the money collected went to the Catholic church for its general work.
The church was very famous for its beautiful altarpiece. This was a large painting with three panels by Hugo van der Goes, finished in 1479. It is now displayed in the National Gallery of Scotland. The painting shows King James III with St. Andrew and his son, the future James IV. It also shows James III's wife, Margaret of Denmark. The person who paid for the altarpiece, Edward Bonkil, who was the first provost of Trinity College, is also in the painting.
Records of the church's early construction are missing. In 1463, a steward of Queen Mary paid John Halkerston for his building work. In 1531, the Provost Master John Dingwall hired a mason, Robert Dennis, to finish the church. Dingwall wanted the church to match the choir section. To get money for this, King James V asked Pope Clement VII if Dingwall could offer blessings to visitors who donated. After Dingwall died in 1533, the masons tried to get the money he had left for the building. However, only the apse, choir, and transepts were ever completed.
After the Scottish Reformation in 1560, the church building became property of the Crown. It seems the church was not used for a while. Then, in 1567, the church and hospital were given to the city of Edinburgh. They were used as a hospital for the poor and sick. Building materials for changes came from the demolished Blackfriars monastery.
For about 17 years, the church served the hospital. Then, in 1584, it became the official church for the north-east part of Edinburgh. It remained this way until it closed.
From 1813 to 1833, the minister of Trinity College was Rev. Walter Tait. He was removed from his position in 1833. He then became a pastor at the Catholic Apostolic Church in Edinburgh.
Taking down and rebuilding the church
In 1844, the North British Railway company was given permission to buy land for its new railway station. This meant the Trinity College Kirk and its hospital had to be demolished. Other nearby buildings were also taken down. The church was special because its stones were numbered before demolition. This was so they could be stored and rebuilt later.
The railway company paid £18,000 to Edinburgh Town Council as compensation. The council made it difficult to use this money for a new church. They hoped the church members would just join other churches. However, a court decision said that only £7,000 had to be spent on rebuilding the church.
The Gothic church was taken down in 1848. This was done under the careful eye of architect David Bryce. Many people, including the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, protested this decision. Photographers David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson took pictures of the church before it was destroyed.
Most of the church members left and joined the Free Church. Only about 80 members stayed with the Church of Scotland. They met in temporary places for worship.
The new church was built on the recently created Jeffrey Street. This street was part of a city improvement plan. The church was the first building on the street.
The new church opened in October 1877. It could hold up to 900 people. The old medieval font from the original church was placed in the new church before it reopened.
The front part of the new church on Jeffrey Street was completely new. It was designed by John Lessels. The remaining stones from the original church (about one-third) were used to build a version of the old choir and apse. This part was called the Trinity Apse and was attached to the back of the new church, serving as its hall. In the 1960s, Lessels' new church was demolished to make way for an office building. This left the Trinity Apse standing alone on Chalmers Close. The office building has since been turned into a hotel.
In the 1980s, the Trinity Apse was home to the Edinburgh Brass Rubbing Centre.
The rebuilt Apse, along with some carved stone pieces and its boundary wall, is now a protected historic building. Some statues and stone decorations from the church are in the gardens of Craigcrook Castle in west Edinburgh.
Important people associated with the church
Many important people were connected to Trinity College Kirk, either as provosts or ministers.
List of provosts
- Sir Edward Bonkle or Bonkel: 1462 – 1495 or 1496
- John Dingwall: 1525 – 1532 or 1533 (he was part of the Scottish parliament)
- George Clapperton: 1540 – 1566
- Robert Pont: 1572 – 1585
List of ministers
Several ministers of Trinity College Kirk later became Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is a high position in the church.
- 1598 to 1616 - Walter Balcanquhal
- 1639 to 1641 - William Colvill
- 1813 to 1833 - Walter Tait
- 1834 to 1843 - William Cunningham (later Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland)
Second minister
The church was large enough to need two ministers. The second minister often became famous in their own right. This was quite unique to Trinity College Church. This second minister position existed from 1597 to 1782.
- 1710 to 1719 - James Grierson (later Moderator)
- 1732 to 1755 - George Logan (later Moderator)
People buried here
Some notable people were buried in the floor of the original church:
- Mary of Guelders (1463) – her body was later moved to Holyrood Abbey in 1840.
- Bishop Thomas Spens (died 1480)
See also
- Berwick Castle, which was also largely demolished in 1847 for a railway.
