MEMORIALS OF THE ABBEY OF DUNDRENNAN IN GALLOWAY, THE LAST RESTING PLACE IN SCOTLAND OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. BY THE REV. ÆNEAS BARKLY HUTCHISON, B. D., PERPETUAL CURATE OF ST. JAMES, AND CHAPLAIN TO H.M. DOCKYARD, KEYHAM, DEVONPORT; A VICE PRESIDENT, AND HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE PLYMOUTH BRANCH, OF THE SOCIETY. READ AT THE COLLEGE HALL, JULY 30, 1857, BEFORE THE EXETER DIOCESAN Having sought, in the autumn of last year, a little relaxation from the pressing duties of a populous parish, by a fortnight's visit to my relatives in Galloway, I had frequent opportunities of exploring the very interesting ruins of the "old abbey" of Dundrennan, and having recently heard from our worthy Secretary, that although so remote from the scene of our Society's more active labours, a paper on the subject would not be unacceptable; I have ventured, too presumptuously, as I fear the sequel will shew, to make my first attempt at an antiquarian and architectural description place which is not without its points of interest in the history of our country, and of which no full and faithful record exists. 2 To describe the position of the Abbey topographically, I must begin by saying that it is situated in the modern parish of Rerrick, in the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright, and Synod of Galloway. The parish, it appears, 1 Still called "old abbey," locally, to distinguish it from "Sweet-heart," or "new abbey," a Cistertian house in the same Stewartry; founded in the beginning of the thirteenth century, or some seventy years later than Dundrennan, by Dervorgilla, danghter of Allan, Lord of Galloway. 2 "The parish first obtained its present name towards the close of the seventeenth century, when a new Church was erected upon the lands of Rerwick, forming part of the estate of Orroland." (Statistical Account of Scotland.) 12 has borne, at different times, besides its present appellation, the names of Monkton and Dundrennan; the former from the Monks who dwelt at the Abbey, and the latter from the Irish or Celtic words Dun-Drainan, or hill of thorns. The parish of Rerrick is ten miles long, and the average breadth is about six miles.3 Its surface is generally broken and varied. Towards the North it assumes a highland appearance, with a frontier of pretty considerable mountains; the most remarkable of which, both in height and picturesque character, is Bengairn. This mountain, covered by heath, and surmounted by a cairn of almost druidical antiquity, rises to a height of 1,200 feet above the level of the sea, and overlooks the Solway frith in all its length, commanding a view which, in variety, magnificence, and extent, is scarcely to be surpassed on the most romantic shores of Scotland. As describing more minutely the situation chosen by the Monks for the site of their Monastery, further particulars may not be uninteresting. From the base of the hills on the North, the parish tends towards the South and West, exhibiting, as it approaches the sea, a series of bold and lofty headlands, and terminating in an iron-bound coast, of which it is enough to say, that it furnished to the author of Waverley the materials for much of the scenery of Ellangowan. In the romance of Guy Mannering, the shores of Rerrick are delineated by the hand of a master. The traveller, who desires to visit this locality to advantage, should approach it from the village of Dalbeattie, on the East. Few places in the South of Scotland are richer in natural beauty than this. It is situated upon a deeply-indented bay of the Solway, and surrounded on the East and West by the wooded promontories of Torr and Almorness. Towards the North, again, it is encompassed by an amphitheatre of hills, the most striking of which are Skreel and Bengairn. If the traveller has time, it will repay his trouble to witness, from the summit of either of these mountains, the rising of the summer sun over the Skiddaw and the Cumberland range. At such a moment, the broad and still waters of the Solway, reflecting the dark and rocky shores of the Scottish coast, form a picture worthy of the pencil of Claude. Besides the ancient cairn, which I have mentioned as existing on the 3 For these particulars, vide Statistical Account of Scotland. summit of Bengairn, the traces of two druidical temples, and of no less than twelve camps, Saxon, Danish, and Roman, are extant within the parish. But, beyond all question, the most remarkable and interesting remain of antiquity in Rerrick is the ABBEY OF DUNDRENNAN. Its situation in valle reducta has much natural beauty, independent of historical associations, to recommend it to the attention of the traveller or the archæologist. The building is now greatly dilapidated; but enough still remains to indicate its former splendour. It is almost entirely covered with a pale, gray-colored moss, which gives a character of peculiar and airy lightness to the lofty columns and Gothic arches, many of which, in the transepts, are entire. Placed upon a gentle eminence, on the bank of a rocky and sparkling burn, and surrounded on all sides, except the South, by a range of hills, Dundrennan forms an exception to the usual aspect of abbey scenery. There is little old wood near it, save in the dark and devious glens which intersect the adjacent grounds of Mr. Maitland, of Dundrennan; but the neighbouring braes are generally clothed with copse, and afford, from many points, extensive views of the Solway and of the mountains of Cumberland. It now only remains for me, before proceeding to give an account of the ruins of the Abbey, as they at present exist, to furnish such slight notices of its foundation and history as my researches have enabled me to procure. The reign of David I. (A.D. 1124 to 1153,) has been truly described as the great age of religious establishments in Scotland." Holinshed, in his Historie of Scotlande, published in 1577, page 263, says: "He buylded the number of xv Abbeyes, part of them in the beginning of his raigne, before the warres were begon which he had with the Englishe men, and part after the same warres were ended. The names of those Abbeyes are as followeth: Holy Roode house, Kelso, Jedburgh, Melrosse, Newbottell, Holmecultrane, Dundranane, Cambuskenneth, Kynlois, Dunfirmling, Holme in Cumberland: also two Nunries, the one at Carleil, and the other at North Barwike: with two Abbays beside Newcastel, ye one of S. Benedict's order, and the other of White Monks. He erected also foure Bishoprikes within his Realme, Rosse, Brechin, Dunkeld, and Dublane, endowing them with riche rentes, fayre landes, and sundrie right commodious possessions.” Notwithstanding this assertion of Holinshed, Chalmers does not scruple to assign the honour of founding Dundrennan to another. He says, "Fergus, Lord of Galloway, who was by marriage allied to the throne, emulated royalty in the munificence of his foundations, one of the most remarkable of which was Dundrennan." The historical notices of this Abbey are extremely meagre. The Chronicle of Melrose, the compilation of which has been frequently, but perhaps erroneously, ascribed to an Abbot of Dundrennan, contains only this slight mention of the Abbey: "Anno MCILIE." * Galwaya." 6 7 5 "Eodem anno fundata est Abbatia de Dundragnan in Nor does Dempster give much additional information. He says: "Dundran in Galweia; Fundat Cistersiensi ordini S. Dauid Rex. Hect. Boeth. Lib. XII. Historia Scotia, pag. CCLXXIV. Ex hoc S. Richardus From a copy of Fordun in the British Museum, I have been able to glean the following notices, as given in a Tabula Monasteriorum Scotia. "Anno MCXL.9 Et anno sequenti rex David fundavit monasterium de Dundranan ordinis Cistertii." "Anno præcedenti, scilicet millesimo centesimo sexagesimo sexto, obiit comes Marchia Cospatricus; cui successit Waltheus filius ejus. Anno sequenti obiit bonæ memoria Aldredus, sive Baldredus, tertius Abbas Reyvallis, qui composuit vitam Sancti David Scotorum regis; cui successit Silvanus Abbas de Dundranan." 4 Caledonia, vol. iii., p. 301. 5 Stevenson's Preface to Chronica de Mailros. 6 The Cistercian Abbey of Dundrennan in Galloway, was founded by David. (Fordun, vol. i., p. 296; vol. ii., p. 538.) It may be added that Fordun and the Harl. MS. 2363, fol. 46 b, place the foundation in 1141. This entry in the Chronicle of Melrose is in a hand a little later. (Chronica de Mailros. Edinburgi typis Societatis, Edinburgensis, A.D. 1835, p. 72.) 7 Apparatus ad Historiam Scoticum, by Thomas Dempster, Bologna, 1622. Lib. i., cap. 15. 8 Johannis Forduni Scotichronicon Abreviatio; ed. Goodal, Edinburgh, 1759. 9 Ibid, vol. i., p. 296. 1 Ibid, p. 459. "Dundranan 2 in Galweia, ordinis Cistertii: cujus fundator rex David." 3 Spottiswood's account of the Abbey is equally short and unsatisfactory; but he also gives the honour of founding it, not to King David, but to his noble kinsman, Fergus, Lord of Galloway; who is said to have filled it with Cistertian Monks from the Abbey of Rievall, in England. 2 Ibid, vol. ii., p. 538. 6 3 Sir James Balfour also mentions David I. as the founder of this Abbey. See "Account of the Bishopricks and Monasteries of Scotland and their Founders, and time of foundation;" (MS. Advocates' Library.) 4 Notes on Hope's Minor Practicks, and an Account of all the Religious Houses in Scotland, at the Reformation, by John Spottiswood. Edinburgh, 1734. 5 River olim Rievall or Rivaulx. This was the first Abbey of the Cistertian order in Yorkshire, being founded by Walter Espec, A.D. 1131, and commended to the patronage of the blessed Virgin Mary. (Tanner's Notitia Monastica. Yorkshire, CI.) 6"The Cistertians were a religious order, begun by Robert, Abbot of Molesme, in the Diocese of Langres, in France, in the year 1098. These Monks were called Monachi Albi, White Monks, for distinguishing them from the Benedictines, whose habit was entirely black; whereas the Cistertians wore a black cowl and scapular, and all other cloaths were white. They were named Cistertians from their chief house and first Monastery, Cistertium in Burgundy; and Bernardines, because S. Bernard, native of Burgundy, fifteen years after the foundation of the Monastery of Citeaux, went thither with thirty of his companions, and behaved himself so well to their humour, that he was some time after elected Abbot of Clairvoux [Abbas Clarevallensis.] This Bernard founded above 160 monasteries of his order; and because he was so great a propagator of it, the Monks were called, from his name, Bernardines. They were divided into thirty provinces, whereof Scotland was the twenty-sixth, and had thirteen monasteries in this country, situate at the following places: i. Melross; ii. Newbottle; iii. Dundrenan; iv. Holme or Holmcultram; v. Kynloss or Keanloch; vi. Coupar; vii. Glenluce; viii. Saundle; ix. Culcross or Kyllenross; x. Deer; xi. Balmerinach; xii. Sweetheart; xiii. Machline." (Spotiswood's Account of Religious Houses in Scotland, p. 254.) The Cistertians, according to the rules of their order, were obliged to perform their devotions together seven times every four and twenty hours. "The nocturnal, the first of these services, was performed at two o'clock in the morning; 2. Matins, or Prime, at six o'clock; 3. Tierce, at nine o'clock; 4. The Sexte, at twelve o'clock; 5. The None, at three in the afternoon; 6. Vespers, at six o'clock in the evening; and 7. The Compline, which was said after seven. As the Monks went to bed at eight, they had six hours to sleep before the nocturnal service began. If they betook themselves to rest after that service, it was not reckoned a fault; but after matins they were not allowed that liberty. At the tolling of the bell for prayers, they were immediately to leave off whatever business they happened to be engaged in; and even those who copied books, or were engaged in any kind of writing, if they had begun a text letter, were not allowed to finish it. They were to fast every day |