The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 1/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
Ure gives a drawing of the interior of the church, with detailed
sketches of some of the capitals of the piers. Four of these capitals
are preserved in a garden rockery in Rutherglen, and the annexed sketch
(Fig. 338) shows them as they are seen lying there half covered up and
concealed. The upper one, which shows the bed of the capital, is a
respond from one of the end walls, and the diameter of the column, as
indicated by the inner circle, is 18 inches, the breadth across the
abacus being 2 feet 5 inches. The enrichments of these capitals
correspond with those indicated by Ure in his view, and he informs us
that the pillars, of which there were five on each side, “are smooth and
round, except the middle ones, which are octagonal.” He further says
that the arcade “arches are pointed, but the point is hardly
discernible,” and with this the view in his book agrees. Above the
arcade he shows a small square window, probably measuring about 2 feet
each way, and widely splayed inside. Immediately above this was the
roof. The walls were “about 20 feet high, including the pillars on which
they are supported.” It is satisfactory to find Ure’s description of the
church supported by the
[Illustration: FIG. 337.--St. Mary’s, Rutherglen. Tower, &c.]
remaining fragments. The lower member, shown in Fig. 338, is a carved
stone, probably part of the chancel arch. It is enriched with the
alternate billet ornaments so frequent in such arches during the Norman
period.
The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and was granted to the
Abbey of Paisley by William the Lion before the year 1189, and it
continued in their possession down to the period of the Reformation.
There were several altars, with endowed chaplains.
[Illustration: FIG. 338.--St. Mary’s, Rutherglen. Norman Caps.]
The church stands near the west end of the cemetery, on the north side
of the main street. The entrance from the street is through a
picturesque lych-gate of Renaissance design, dated 1663. (See Fig. 337.)
It is surmounted by a sundial, dated 1679.
The cemetery is mentioned in the charters of Paisley (No. 85) in the
year 1262, when the widow of John of Perthie grants to Paisley a piece
of land lying between the church of the Virgin Mary and the river
Clyde.
LAMINGTON CHURCH, LANARKSHIRE.
The Norman doorway of this ancient church is still preserved. The church
has been altered and the doorway built up; but, doubtless, some of the
old walls still exist.
The church and village were founded by one Lambin, in the twelfth
century. The doorway (Fig. 339) is in the north wall of the church. It
[Illustration: FIG. 339.--Lamington Church. North Doorway.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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