Yester Chapel facts for kids
Yester Chapel is a very old building found on the grounds of Yester House. It's located near the village of Gifford in East Lothian, Scotland. This chapel is considered a very important historical building, known as a Category A listed building.
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A Look Back at Yester Chapel's History
We don't know exactly when the first church was built here, but people think it was put up by the de Giffard family in the early 1200s. A church leader named David de Bernham, who was the Bishop of St. Andrews, officially blessed it in 1241. The church and the village around it were originally called Bothans.
The land of Yester was given to Hugh de Giffard in the 1100s by King Malcolm IV of Scotland and his mother Ada de Warenne. Later, between 1198 and 1202, Malcolm's brother, William I of Scotland, confirmed this gift to Hugh's son, William de Giffard. The king called the area Jhestrid back then.
This church served the local community until 1421. At that time, the new owners of Yester, the Hay family, asked the Archbishop of St. Andrews to change the church into a college church. This meant it would be a special church where a group of priests would live and pray together. The Hay family wanted this church, now called the Collegiate Church of St. Cuthbert at Bothans, to pray for their family's souls. It had a leader called a provost, four priests (called prebendaries), a chaplain, and even boys who sang. By 1539, the college had six prebendaries.
What Happened After the Reformation
After the Reformation in 1560, which was a big change in how churches were run in Scotland, the church went back to being a regular Parish Church for Bothans. The Hay family still owned it.
This continued until the Hays, who were now known as the Marquesses of Tweeddale, decided to build a brand new village called Gifford, East Lothian. They also built a new church there, called Yester Kirk, in 1708. This meant the old Bothans Kirk was no longer needed as a main church. The old Bothans Kirk, now known as Yester Chapel, became the special burial place for the Hay family. Over the years, the chapel has been repaired and restored many times to keep it in good condition.
What Do the Names Mean?
The name Yester comes from Yestryd, which is a Welsh word for a wide valley or dale. The name Bothans comes from the Gaelic word Bothans or the Welsh word Bwthyn. Both of these words mean "a group of small houses."
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