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
Mr Jervise mentions that in 1863, when alterations were made on the east
portion of the church, a stone altar-piece and ambry, in fine
preservation, were found. These were 5 to 6 feet in height, embellished
with the representation of two angels raising the host and other
ornaments, and the text (John vi. 54-56) below the cornice.
CARO · MEA · VERE · EST · CIB · ET · SANGVIS · ME · VERE · Ē · POT · Q
MĀDVCAT · MEĀ · CARNĒ · T̄ · BIBIT · MEV̄ · SĀGVINĒ · VIVET · Ī ·
ETERNV̄.
[Illustration: FIG. 1339.--Cullen Church.
Carved Wooden Pillar.]
It is further stated that the ambry and altar-piece were unfortunately
reconsigned from view. A sacrament house, answering somewhat to the
above description of the ambry, is, however, now visible in the north
wall of the choir, to the east of the monument (Fig. 1335). The design
shows the two angels supporting a monstrance, and is very similar to,
but much simpler than, the sacrament house at Deskford, “which bears to
have been erected by Alexander Ogilvie, and his second wife, Elizabeth
Gordon,” of which an illustration is given below.
The east end of the church has evidently been a good deal altered, as is
apparent from the south wall (see Fig. 1333), where doorways are
visible, which have been built up, and windows introduced above.
The coats of arms of the Gordons and Ogilvies on the exterior correspond
with those in the interior. The choir contains a large east window
divided by three mullions, which cross one another in curved branches,
forming plain tracery in the arch-head (Fig. 1336).
On the south side of the choir is still preserved a fine example of a
laird’s pew (see Fig. 1336). It is in two stories, the upper story
(which forms a gallery) being supported on four solid square wooden
pillars (Figs. 1337, 1338, and 1339), which are well carved with
numerous ornaments of Renaissance work, and bear the date of 1608. The
upper portion or gallery is also old, and contains some good carved
woodwork of the post-Reformation period. It is still used as the
proprietor’s pew, and is occupied by the Earl of Seafield, whose mansion
of Cullen House is close to the church. The lower story is occupied by
ordinary pews.
DESKFORD CHURCH, BANFFSHIRE.
The old church of Deskford is situated in its ancient churchyard, about
four miles south from Cullen. The church is now a roofless ruin, a new
church having been erected in the vicinity. The building is a plain
parallelogram, and has no features of note, except the large sacrament
house in the north wall near the east end. It seems to have been the
fashion in the sixteenth century in this part of the country to make
these features very ornamental. Such are the ambries or sacrament houses
at Kinkell, Auchendoir, and Cullen. The last was erected by the same
individual to whom that at Deskford is attributed, viz., Alexander
Ogilvie of Deskford and Findlater, whose splendid monument exists in
Cullen Church (see Fig. 1334).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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