The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3MacGibbon, David
History
The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century; vol. 3/3
MacGibbon, David
Church architecture -- Scotland
In connection with the rebuilding Spalding mentions two names. First,
under the year 1640 he says:--“Dr. Gordon, medicinar, and one of the
founded members of the College of Old Aberdeen, and common procurator
thereof, departed this life upon the 10th of March, in his own house in
Old Aberdeen; a godly, grave, and learned man; singular in publick works
about the college, and putting up on the steeple thereof the stately and
glorious crown, which you see thereon, which was thrown down by the
wind.” Second, under the year 1642 he says:--“Saturday the 10th
September, George Thomson, Master Mason, new come frae Strathboggie to
Aberdeen, suddenly fell over Thomas Thomson’s stair, and with the fall
became speechless and senseless, and departed this life upon the
Thursday thereafter. An excellent mason, of singular device; he builded
sundry brave buildings; among the rest, he re-edified the steeple of the
College Kirk of Old Aberdeen.” It has been supposed[122] that Dr. Gordon
was the architect who designed the lantern, but the same claim might be
put forward for the then Bishop, for in Gordon’s description of Aberdeen
(p. 23) we are told--“Bot the crown was quicklie afterwards restored in
a better forme and condition, by the direction of Patrick Forbes of
Corse, then Bishop of Aberdeen.” It is quite as likely that Thomson was
both the architect and builder, and that the bishop and Dr. Gordon were
the men of affairs.
The old lantern, which had stood for upwards of a century, appears to
have been neglected and to have fallen into a state of disrepair, as in
1620 the authorities ordained “that the heid of the gryt stepill sould
be mendit in steane leid and tymer as the samen was abefoir;”[123] but
evidently nothing was done, and so it yielded to the storm.
Most of the windows on the west front of the tower appear to be modern.
This tower, with its crown and most of the chapel, is built of
sandstone.
THE CHURCH OF THE MONASTERY OF THE CARMELITE FRIARS, SOUTH QUEENSFERRY.
Queensferry is a town on the south side of the Frith of Forth, at the
point where the water narrows and is spanned by the Forth Bridge.
At the time the drawings of this church were made, about thirty years
ago, it was entire, as shown on the Plan (Fig. 1214), the nave only
being roofless; but a few years afterwards the nave was ruthlessly cast
down, and the materials were entirely destroyed. The transept and
[Illustration: FIG. 1214.--Carmelite Friars’ Monastery. Plan.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1215.--Carmelite Friars’ Monastery. View from
North.]
choir, with the stone roof of the latter, were almost entirely hidden
from view beneath a dense mass of ivy; while the beautiful east end was
quite unapproachable owing to the incongruous surroundings. The
[Illustration: FIG. 1216.--Carmelite Friars’ Monastery. Crossing, from
Transept.]
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