SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGES
Near the North east corner of the
King’s Cellar there is an opening 2 feet wide and 2 ½ feet in height,
which leads upwards by a gentle incline into a small recess. This
opening appears to us to be the top part of an ancient doorway. Were
the accumulated earth and rubbish to be cleared away in front of said
opening, it is likely that a flight of steps would be found descending
to the foot of the now unseen doorway, or steps going down by the side
of the wall. This done, a number of steps would likely be discovered
leading up into this small recess just mentioned. In February, 1877,
our friend Mr. George Robertson (Comely
Park) armed with lights and a magnetic comp0ass, ascended said opening
or top of door. The following are a few of the interesting details he
has kindly sent to us, and for which we return thanks: “In the said
recess there is a water-course, which apparently comes from the north
foot of the wall below the great western window. There is also an
ascending small opening, covered with an iron grating, just below the
causeway of the Pends. In the north west corner there is a Gothic
entrance-the entrance to the subterranean passage-which goes in a
north west direction parallel to the Palace wall. The passage is not
straight, but bends a little at several places. The entire length of
the passage is 89 feet, and 2 ½ feet in breadth and about 4 ½ feet in
height.” (See also Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i. pp. 95-97).
It appears to us that the uneven
and somewhat slight circular direction in some places of the passage
would indicate the foundations of circular towers, which may have
stood on each side of the main door of the Palace, similar to those
seen at Holyrood and Falkland.
TOWER RUINS (MALCOLM CANMORE’S),
TOWER HILL
Of this celebrated tower there
exists only small fragments of the south and the west walls. In 1790
the south wall measured 31 feet in length, the west wall 49 ½ feet,
with a height of about 8 feet and a thickness of about 8 feet.
LIST OF PICTURES AND OTHER WORKS OF
ART BY
SIR NOEL PATON, R.S.A., LL.D.
&c
THE following paintings, &c., are
the work of two eminent natives of
Dunfermline who have, through their
productions, conferred great honour on the “old grey city”—namely, Sir
Joseph Noel Paton, R.S.A., LL.D., Her Majesty’s Limner for Scotland,
and Mr. Waller H. Paton. R.S.A. Also a list is added of the
sculptured works from the chisel of their talented sister, Mrs. D. O.
Hill, now al resident in Edinburgh.
List of a
few of Sir Joseph Noel Paton’s Works from 1838 to 1878
“Fight between Bothwell and
Balfour,” 1838. “Rachel Weeping for her Children,” 1845. Quarrel of
Oberon and Titania,” 1846. “Puck and Fairy,” 1847. “Christ Bearing
His Cross,” 1847-likfe size. “Reconciliation of Oberon and Titania,”
1847; these two Pictures jointly obtained a Prize in the Second Class
of £300 at the Westminster Hall Competition this year. “Thomas the
Rhymer and the Queen of Faerie,” 1851. “Christ Blessing Little
Children” 1852. “The Pursuit of Pleasure,” 1855, an Allegorical
Picture, painted in Wooer’s Alley,
Dunfermline and exhibited in the
Music Hall, Dunfermline, for a benevolent purpose. “Home for the
Crimea,” 1856. “In Memoriam,” 1858, an Illustration of the Indian
Mutiny. By Command of Her Majesty a large Photograph was taken fro
this Picture. “The Entombment and Gethsemane,” 1860. “The Dowie Dens
of Yarrow,” 1862; six pictures, Engraved for the Royal Association for
the Promotion of the Fine Arts. “Illustrations to Coleridge’s Ancient
Mariner,” 1864. “Fact and Fancy,” 1860. “Faith and Reason,” 1869.
“Christ and Sleeping Disciples,” 1870. “The Good Shepherd,” 1872.
“Bruce and the Spider,” 1873. “Christ and Mary at the Sepulchre,”
1873. “Satan Watching the Sleep of Christ,” 1874. “The Man of
Sorrows,” 1875—life size. “Christian Arming in the House Beautiful.”
1876. “Christ the Great Shepherd,” 1876, &c
List of a
few of the Painting, Drawings and Water Colours, &c Exhibited by
Waller Hugh Paton, Esq., R.S.A.
“Ellen Masson,” 1851. “Edinburgh
from the Fife Coast,” 1852. “The Black Pool and Upper Pool, Finnich
Glen.” 1853. “Outlet of Loch Achray,” 1859. “The Two Templars,”
1861. “Cologne, from Bridge of Boats,” 1862. “Rome from the Pincian
Hill,” 1862. “Holyrood Palace,” 1862. “Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat,”
1864. “Lochaber no more,” 1865. “The Island of Graves, Skye,” 1867.
“Tomb of the Bruce, Dunfermline,” 1868. “Castle Campbell,” 1870.
“The Fair of St. Olaf, Kirkwall,” 1874. “Entrance to Glencoe,” 1877,
&c.
List of
Sculptured Works by Mrs. D. O. Hill (Amelia Paton)
Bust of Noel Paton, 1842 (first
attempt). Bust of the Countess of
Elgin, 1863. Bust of Mrs. A. Burns
Shand, 1865. Bust of Dr. Livingstone, 1866. Bust of Sir R.
Murchison, 1866. Bust of Thomas Carlyle, 1867. Bust of Sir David
Brewster, 1867. Bust of Sir George Harvey, 1868. Marble Statuette of
Hugh Miller, 1869. A Marble Statuette of Robert Burns, 1870, &c.
MR. ANDREW BLAIR’S PAINTINGS
THE following is a list of a few of
the Paintings by Mr. Andrew Blair,
Dunfermline; many of these were
exhibited in Edinburgh, were most favourably criticized in the
newspapers of the day, and were disposed of at high prices:
“City of
Dunfermline from the North West”-A
large Lithographic Print was taken from this Painting in 1862. “A
Shadowy Lane, Pittencrieff Glen,” 1864. “The Tay, above the Bridge of
Aberfeldy,” 1865. “Old Porter’s Lodge, near Dunfermline Palace,”
1866. “Old Mills, Monastery Street, Dunfermline,” 1866. “Dunfermline
Palace from the King’s Kitchen,” 1866. “Edinburgh from the Bell House
Rock, Aberdour,” 1867. “Norham Castle,” 1869. “Loch Awe,” 1869.
“North Porch of Old Abbey Church, Dunfermline,” 1873. “Frater Hall,
Dunfermline from the West,” 1873, &c.
MR. A. P. TAYLOR’S PHOTOGRAPHS
THE following is a list of a few of
the full plate photograph views of the public buildings, &c in and
around Dunfermline, by Mr.
Alexander Taylor, photographer, East Port Street, viz.:-Two large
views of Dunfermline from the south and the south east—The Abbey
Church, from the north and the south—Interior Views of the Nave—The
Monastery Ruins (interior and exterior)—The Great Western Window and
“The Pends”—The Palace, from Pittencrieff Glen and from the north
east. The Old Town House, the New Municipal Buildings, the County
Buildings, the Carnegie Baths, &c., and, on a smaller scale, many of
the Churches, the High School, and the principal streets, as also the
Mansion Houses of Pittencrieff, Pitfirrane, Pitliver, Broomhall,
Fordel, &c.
SITE
OF ALTARS IN DUNFERMLINE ABBEY
IT is now impossible to point out
the sites of all the altars of Dunfermline Abbey. The sites of only
two are known with certainty, viz., that of the High Altar and the
Altar of the Holy Cross.
The HIGH ALTAR, from circa A.D.
1075 to 1226, occupied a site near the extreme east end of the then
Abbey—afterwards known as the Nave, and latterly as the Auld Kirk. In
the space between the two spiral cut columns at the east end of the
kirk the high or “grate awtre” stood for about 151 years, and right in
front of it and near, was an area known as the locus sepulturæ regum,
or royal burying place. In this area, between A.D. 1093 and 1250,
many of the royal remains were interred. (See An. Dunf. for dates of
royal interments and Appendix). After A.D. 1226 the High Altar was
transferred to the east end of the then newly built Choir, about three
yards to the east of the present Session house door.
The HOLY CROSS ALTAR or “Rwde Awtre,”
stood in the space between the zig zag cut pillar on the south side
and the plane pillar near to it on the west. Before this altar the
remains of St. Margaret were interred, and near to it one of her sons
(Ethelrede) whose remains were discovered in 1847, when the flooring
of the Auld Kirk was being levelled and repaired. Probably St. Mary’s
Altar stood opposite this Rood Altar on the north side—Viz., the Altar
of our Lady Mary.
ST. MARGARET’S TOMB.—The base or
plinth stones of this tomb are in a very dilapidated state, probably
broken, as we find them, by the fall of some wall which “wes castit
doun” at the Reformation, in 1560. The site is covered by two
stones—the largest, the undermost one, is about 9 feet in length by 6
in breadth; the upper stone, which lies upon it, is about 7 feet by
4. These stones are composed of a kind of blue limestone, marked all
over by shells and other figures. They were probably quarried in 1250
from either Charleston or
Roscobie, as the quarries in these places abound in compact limestones
similarly marked. On the surface of one of the stones are to be seen
six circular indentations, which, according to a vague tradition, were
pointed out to the curious as being places on which once stood tall
candle sticks with their candles, which were kept perpetually burning
on the tomb. Shortly after the Chartulary of the Abbey was printed,
in 1842, we went carefully over may of the old charters, when we
discovered the lights were kept perpetually burning, not
on the tombs, but
before them, or on the
outside of them. We
consequently came to the conclusion that the
six circular marks on one
of these stones were simply the worn out sockets from which arose tall
slender stone pillars, which supported an ornamental canopy, or “herss,”
considerably above these stones, and that on the upper would be a full
length figure, in stone, of St. Margaret lying on her back, with
clasped hands, as observed on other royal tombs.
HIGH ALTAR STEP—Mr. John Baine, C.E.,
who made so many plans and took so many sketches of the old ruins in
1790, has indicated on one of his plans the site of the old High Altar
and notices the position of the remaining step belonging to it. In
his plan this step lies on a site between the present pulpit and the
Session house door. When the ground in this locality was being
levelled, in 1817, for the New
Abbey Church, this old step was removed. The step still exists and
may be seen doing service as a sear for the weary at the outside of
the south wall of the New Abbey Church, a few yards east of the
entrance to Pitreavie burying vault. Here it rests on two pillars
which were taken from a grave in the north churchyard. By inspecting
this very interesting relic of the past, it will be seen that in its
composition it is precisely similar to the base or plinth stones of
St. Margaret’s tomb.
ETYMOLOGIES
THE following etymologies of manes of
places near Dunfermline are
taken from Fernie’s History of Dunfermline, pp. 130, 131—
BALMULE, from
bal (Gaelic) a dwelling
and maol
(Irish) an eminence or promomtory-“the
dwelling on the eminence.”
BEATH, from the
Britich,
dedev; or Gaelic,
beath—“Birchwood.”
CAVEL, it derives its Celtic name from the British,
cavell,
signifying retired, or
“enclosed place, a retreat.”
CRAIGLUSCAR, from the British and Irish,
craig, a rock; and
the Gaelic,
lusca, a cave, or
luscair, signifying
a person who lives in a cave—“”the rock of the hermit.”
DRUMTUTHIL, from
the Gaelic, drum, a
ridge, and
tuathal, northern—“The northern ridge”—(double
ridge?)
DUNDUFF, from the Gaelic;
dun a hill and
dubh, black—“the
black hill.”
GARVOCK or
GARVOCH, an abbreviation of the Gaelic
garbh-cnoc;
garbh, rough;
cnoc,
a hill—“the rough hill.”
KNOCKHOUSE, from
cnoc, Gaelic; and
house, English—“the house on the hill.”
LOGIE, from the Gaelic,
lagan, signifying a hollow; the Gaelic
an, as a termination, is
often changed into the Scoto-Saxon; hence
“kilnlogie.”
PITTENCRIEFF, from the
Gaelic, pit-an-croibh;
pit in the Gaelic and
pitt in the British
signify a hollow;
craobh,
provounced criev,
a tree—“the hollow of the tree; perhaps the hollow of the wood.”
PITFIRRANE or PITFERRAN, from the Gaelic,
pit, a hollow and
fearn,
land—“the hollow of the land.”
PITLIVER, in the British
hliver
signifies a flux or flow, probably the hollow of the stream or water;
in the neighbourhood of Pitliver the burn
or water runs through a deep hollow or glen.
ROSCOBIE, from the British
rhos-cobau—“the
moor with mounds.”
TOUCH, from the British
tuach,
signifying the side of the water.
To which we add the following from
our own list;
Limekilns was
known before the middle of the sixteenth century as
Limekilhill, Lymekill,
&c., the name originating fro the limestone kilns.
Inverkeithing,
inver (Gaelic),
i.e., at the mouth of the
Keithing.
Aber-dour
(British), mouth—“at
the mouth of the Dour.”
Carnock or
Caer-enoc,
caer (British) a
castle; and
cnoc,
an insulated hill.
Caer-neil—“the
castle at the termination of, or end of the wall.”
Carniehill
mau either come fron
cairn, heap of stones
for the dead or from
caer, a castle; and
in
or n,
on and hill; English—“the
cairn of stones on the
hill.” Crossford
(Corsford)
Scotch—“stepping stones across the rivulet.”
Crossgates,
the site where cross
roads meet. Rosythe (Rosshythe)
derived from
ross,
old British, which means a promontory, and
hythe, from the
Saxon, meaning a port or landing
place—“the port or landing place of Edgar, the
atheling, and his Saxon
retinue in the 1069. This root of the word
rosythe was
discovered by the writer in 1835, and by him then made the subject of
an Essay, showing that the name was derived from its being the port
where the Saxon exiles landed in 1069. “Ross”
being the primitive
name, and
hythe being added to Ross after the Saxon landing.
(See An. Dunf. date 1069.) “Saline”—some writers refer the
orgin of this name to
saline or
saltish.
In charters of date about 1300 the name is
sauelyn, quite a
different root from our now common name, saline. The meaning of
sauel
has not been ascertained;
lyn, a pool or
waterfall;
sauel may therefore have some connection with the
contour or
aspect of the ground or
view in the locality of the
lyn.
1.
PAR-DIEU KNOLL—This
knoll, or knowe, appears to be artificial;
“it lies” on a level extent of ground at a distance of about 230 yards
directly south of the
Netherton
Bridge. Fernie in his History of
Dunfermline, P. 83, notes that it is 30 feet in circumference, and
about 16 feet in height, and adds, that according to tradition it was
formed by people who brought sand on their backs from the sea, as a
penance enjoined in the days of popery, and that the name if the
hillock seemed to favour the story of its
origin. We rather think that its name is derived from the ancient
name of the land on which it is situated, viz.,
Pardusin,
a name alluded to by King David I. in his first confirmation charter
to the Monastery of Dunfermline in A. D. 1128. The site came
afterwards to be known as Pardews, Per-deus,
and the hillock appears to be a large tumuli, in the
certre of which probably lie the remains
of some unrecorded hero or heroes who fell in battle on the spot.
2. WHIRLBUT—The
origin of this name is now unknown; the grounds of
Whirlbut, probably a
toft or acre, lie immediately to the south of the “Spittal
Brig” on the west side. Some old dictionaries state that
Whirlbut was an old game, and Jones in his
Dictionary states that Whirlbat means
anything moved rapidly round to give
a blow. There is a tradition that
Wappenshaws were conducted here and that the arrows were shot
against Par-dieu Knowe as a target, the distance between
Whirlbut and the
knowe being about 600 yards. (Whorle
also refers to ancient spinning.)
3. BUYT-ACRE,
some times called Boot-acre, but the proper name would b e Butt-acre,
an acre adjacent to Par-dieu Knowe, the annual proceeds of this would
likely be expended on keeping up the archery butts, &c. A tradition
also exists which asserts that a butt was set up on a site near the
parish manse, west end of Priory Lane, and that arrows were shot from
a site near Par-dieu Knowe, about 500 yards distant.
4. MOUNT HOOLY, or Mount Holy, as it
has some times been designated, is the name of a property adjacent
Rumbling Well Toll Bar, east end of Baldridge Burn. The origin of the
name is unknown, but perhaps the name is not an old one. There are
several Mount Hoolies in
Fifeshire.
5. GEELIES WYND or JEELIES WYND—A
well known name from a remote period down to the end of the first
quarter of the present century. This ancient wynd about 1820 was
named Reid Street and the Abbey Wall, the lower parts of which still
front Reid Street, had a private gate on it here, for the use of the
Abbey servants, &c, hence Gillie’s Wynd or Servant’s Wynd. The Abbey
Servants Wynd or Road led to the Abbey Grange, about three fourths of
a mile south south east from Gillie’s Wynd.
6.
BEE-ALLEY GARDEN—This is evidently a
corruption of the Bailie Garden, the garden on the east side of the
old Royal Bowling Green (back of the mill). It appears this garden
belonged to the Bailie of the monastery.
7. THE QUEST-END YARDS “were yairds
lyand at the lower back of the Collieraw, near the Tolbooth.” Some
writers have translated quest end into
Ostend? As these yards belonged to
Mr. Philian of the olden time, were situate at the extreme west end,
or termination of the Burgh, there can be no doubt that quest, an old
name or pronunciation of west, simply meant the west end yards!
8. MAISON DIEU LANDS(now known as
Mason Lands) lie about 100
yards east from the site of Castle Blair (the Peel-Muir). There are a
great many maison dieus and lands in Scotland, and are all of
ecclesiastical origin and no doubt, the Dunfermline maison dieu lands
were, in the olden time, in connection with some religious house.
9. PILMUIR—There are a great many
Pilmuirs or Peelmuirs, in
Scotland. They appear to have derived their names from some early,
now unknown, Peel or Peil—i.e. a keep or castle. Perhaps the site
called Castle Blair, the foundations of which were visible about the
middle of last century, may have been the “Peil” and the swamp and
muir, lying to the east of it and belonging to it, may have given the
name of “Pilmuir” in its contracted form.
10. BERRY-LAW—This height (Berrylaw
Top) about one and a quarter miles west north west from the Cross of
Dunfermline, is a conspicuous height crowned with trees. A great many
places in Scotland have the
name of Law from British blaw--a hill. “Berry” is probably a
corruption for “Burgh” so that “Berry-law” means Burgh Hill. (See An.
Dunf. date 1860.)
11. HALY-BLUID ACRES—These acres are
in the immediate vicinity of
Dunfermline, being less than half a mile east of the Cross. “The
annuals” arising from these acres belonged to the Abbey and were
disposed of to the monk who officiated at the Haly-bluid Altar, in the
Haly-bluid Aisle of Dunfermline Abbey. A misconception of the
designation applied to the row of houses built on their site is
evident by being designated Marty’s Place!--presuming that holy or “haly
bluid” must have been shed on the spot! The place has had its name
changed lately to Holyrood Place—a more appropriate name. The Acorn
Ward lies a little to the south east of these acres.
12. THE ALMONRY LANDS—This piece of
ground lies at the foot of the New Row, at the back of the house
forming the south west angle of Woodmill Street, or Road, the annuals
for which went to the poor as alms, or doles, under the supervision of
Abbey officials.
13. GALLOWRIGG HILL—It is distant
about a mile and half south south west
from the Cross. This farm has been noticed in some writings, as
having derived its name from some gallows that may have been in
“walking order” here in early times. We rather think not. It is
probable that the name is rather a corruption of Galrig, mentioned in
an Abbey charter of date 1290. (See “Stone and Coal Charter,” An.
Dunf. date 1290, p. 103.)
14. GALLOWS BANK was sometimes
called Garlic Hill. There are some traces of evidence left which go
to show that it was in this locality that the private gallows of the
Laird of Baldridge was erected and hence the name is a genuine one.
(See An. Dunf. dates 1583 and 1587.) This site is about two miles
north of Dunfermline.
15.
BOOFIE’S BRAE—The origin of this name
has not yet been clearly elucidated. It may, perhaps, be derived from
Buffie, which signifies rough and shaggy—i.e. the rough, shaggy brae.
It has been said that Boofie is the old vernacular for rabbit—Rabbit’s
brae or hare, Harie Brae. Again, Buffet’s Brae signifies the Boxing
Brae.
16. GOLFDRUM lies in the
north west district of Dunfermline.
It is said, but without substantial evidence, to have been the drum or
ridge on which King James and his followers amused themselves at the
game or pastime of Golf. Such at least is the traditional account.
17. WALLACE SPA—This well is
situated about 200 yards south from the Ruins of Malcolm Canmore’s
Tower, on Tower Hill. Until the middle of last century it was a
public well, and was held in high esteem for its cooling effects and
other properties. As a mineral well, it would be called Well-of-Spa
in Scotch Wall-o’-Spa, which easily passes into Wallace Spa.
MEMORIAL STONES, OR TABLETS, TO
INDICATE THE SITES OF THE OLD BURGH PORTS.
|
THE WEST PORT
of
1327
Stood Across the
Street Here
REMOVED IN 1780.
|
|
THE EAST PORT
of
1488
Stood Across the
Street
Here
REMOVED IN 1752. |
|
THE COLLIER ROW
Or
MILL PORT
Stood Across the Street Here
REMOVED IN 1754.
|
|
THE
CROSS WYND PORT
Stood Across the Street Here
REMOVED IN 1752. |
|
THE
ROTTEN ROW PORT
Stood Across the Street Here.
REMOVED (circa) 1754.
|
|
THE
TOLBOOTH PORT
Stood Across the Street Here.
REMOVED IN 1769.
|
P.S. Very likely there would be a
Port or “Yett” at the extreme east end of Maygate.
INSCRIPTIONS FOR TABLETS FOR ST. MARGARET’S STONE AND ORATORY.
|
ST.
MARGARET’S STONE
St.
Margaret, Consort of Malcolm III according to tradition, often
rested on this Stone between the years 1069 and 1093. |
|
ST.
MARGARET’S ORATORY
Queen
Margaret, Consort of Malcolm III according to tradition, used this
Cave as an Oratory between the years 1070 and 1093. |
P.S. There are two houses or sites
which should be indicated by memorial stones or plates, viz., the
house situated at the north corner of the Cross Wynd, stating that on
the site stood a house in which Elizabeth Halket, authoress of the
celebrated warlike poem Hardiknute, for sometime lived and that here
she died, in 1727. In the first open space down that close in High
Street, that leads down to the east end of the Maygate, there is n old
house with the date 1607 on it’s “lintel stane.” A plate or stone
should be placed above this date, certifying that the Rev. Ralph
Erskine for some time lived in this house, that here he died on
6th November, 1752 and
that it was in this house that the Associate Synod met to confer with
the Rev. George Whitefield in order that he should become a member of
their body. Many of the sites of the places of sepulture, and of the
sites of some of the old altars, can yet be seen; such interesting
sites are surely worthy of a memorial stone or plate.
RELICS OF “DUNFERMLINE
IN THE OLDEN TIME.”
The following Relics of “Dunfermline
in the Olden Time” are this year (1878) in the possession of E.
Henderson, LL.D.:
1. THE BRASS MATRIX COCQUET (DOUBLE)
SEAL of the Regality of
Dunfermline. (Vide An. Dunf. date 1302, p. 120.)
2. A GLAZED CASE, containing eight
fragments of Stained Glass from the Choir of the Abbey (found 1818); a
double impression in lead of the Burgh Matrix Seal, supposed to have
been attached to some old charter or deed; fragment of the Oak Coffin
of King Robert the Bruce, found in his Stone Coffin, 1819; fragment of
Glazed Brick from the pavement of the Choir (1818) ; fragment of
carved Blue Stone, and one of Marble, from the Tomb on King Robert the
Bruce (1818); a small bit of Oak from the rafters of the Nave of the
Abbey; a Penny of King Robert the Bruce; a bit of Pewter lead, being
part of an ornamental ball from weather cock stalk.
3. A LARGE PIECE OF THE OAK
TABERNACLE WORK OF THE CHOIR,
found in the Choir area, 1818. (Vide Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. ii. plate
iii. p. 3.)
4. THE BURGH OF DUNFERMLINE ARMS (in
iron), from the last Town House.
5. A LARGE COLLECTION of old Prints,
Drawings, Sketches, Plans, Maps, &c of Dunfermline and vicinity (about
150); also, copies of numerous works printed in Dunfermline, between
the years 1780 and 1878 and works printed elsewhere by natives of
Dunfermline.
6. A PENNY OF EDWARD II. OF
ENGLAND, found in the walls of an old
house in the Collier Row in 1807. (Vide An. Dunf. date 1807)
7. A SMALL CIRCULAR
BOX containing a fragment of a finger
bone of King Robert the Bruce, and bit o9f decayed Oak from his Stone
Coffin, and Coffin Nail (1818)
8. A CLOCK FROM “QUEEN
ANN OF DENMARK’S” HOUSE, Dunfermline,
adjacent to the Palace. (The wheels of this clock are of iron.)
9. A CARVED OAK PANNEL from the
King’s Gallery in the Nave of Dunfermline Abbey (circa 1580-1600)
10. AN OAK CHAIR FROM
Dunfermline Palace ornamented with
five Scottish Crowns, the Chair of King James V. (1513-1542.)
11. THE WEAVERS’
FLAG OF SILK, having various devices
woven on it. (See An. Dunf., date 1734.)
12. SEAMLESS SHIRT, woven by a
Dunfermline weaver in the year
1702. (An. Dunf. date 1702.)
The Exterior and Interior Views of
the north fragment of the Ruins of the Old Abbey Choir, in water
colours, by Andrew Mercer,
Dunfermline, 1818. (An. Dunf. date 1819.
TOWN HOUSE STEEPLE (1860)
AT page 680 we notice “the cone-less”
state of the Town House Steeple. The following lines were at the time
composed on behalf of the Steeple by our respected friend Me. A.
Stewart, of Her Majesty’s Customs,
Liverpool (May 21st,
1866). These lines were understood to be the means of leading the
Authorities to recap the Steeple with a cone similar to the old one.
(See Town House View, page 533.)
HUMBLE PETITION OF THE TOWN HOUSE
STEEPLE, DUNFERMLINE
A hunder
years hae o’er
me passed Oh! Wae is
me, we ha’e a host
Since
first I faced the winter’s blast, O’ stranger
men wha rule the roast,
Seen far
and near—baith east and
wast--
O’ magistrates wi’ scarce a ghost
My
weather-cock; O’
public speerit,
A
headless thing I am at last, This
weel I ken, unto my cost,
A laughin’
stock.
An’ try to bear it.
The
strangers and the passers by,
‘Tis not that ready cash is scanty,
Look to
the lift wi’ wonderin’
eye. O’ this they’re often flush and
vaunty;
And,
“Bless my heart,” I hear them cry, Does
mither’s son want for his aunty
“Was that a
steeple?”
A testimonial?
A public
standin’ joke am
I He’ll no wait
lang for cash they’ll grant
ye “Mong decent
people.
An ceremonial.
Through
sun and shower and tempest keen Ye wha’s
sma’ souls nae
higher rise
A
usefu’ ornament I’ve
been, Than chimney cans that cleave
the skies,
The pride
o’ mony glowrin’
een,
Wha’s very name
and memory dies
But noo a
stump; When life
ye sever,
Shorn o’
my head and shoulder clean, Know, on Time’s page
Dunfermline lies
A’ but the rump.
Engraved for ever!
An’ has
it come to this at last, Then ye
wha rule this ancient
toon,
Will no
ane doon the
gauntlet cast,
Frae you I crave a precious boon;
Or nail
his colours to the mast, Bestow on me a
decent croon,
For his auld toon,
As,
ance of yore,
An’ keep
the landmarks o’ the past A noble, generous
hearted loon
Frae
tumblin’ doon?
Bestowed before.
If that
my prayer ye do not grant,
I swear
my ghost your path shall haunt,
An’ by
your death beds mock and taunt,
An’ laugh
and snigger,
An’ in
your glazin’ een
shall flaunt
My rumpit
figure.
THE
DEVON WATER SCHEME
MR. GEORGE LAUDER, to whom the community of Dunfermline is so much
indebted for their water supply, has sent us the following letter,
giving us the details of his exertions in the case of the Devon Water
Supply: “Sir, In the month of October, 1870 the Council of Dunfermline
applied to Parliament for a bill to bring water from Loch Glow. An
agitation was got up against it, and was continued for months. A
plebiscite was taken, which resulted in above
1000 of a majority against the bill. The
bill was withdrawn in 1871, the expense of which being above £700. At
that time I launched the Glendevon Water Scheme, which was to bring
2,000,000 gallons of water per day to Craigluscar Ponds for the supply
of the West of Fife, by means of clay pipes, more than half way with a
fall of three feet to the mile, and 10,000 yards of iron pipes, with a
compensation pond there for the supply of the river, the estimated
cost of which was £30,000. The agitation was kept up by me for nearly
six years by letters to the Press newspaper and otherwise.
Lithographed plans were printed in 1876 showing Glensherup, the
Boreland Burn, &c., as issue streams for a town supply. The Council
took this scheme up, and carried it into effect
by means of above 2000 yards of clay
pipes, the remainder of iron pipes, with a large pond on Glensherup
Burn, as a compensation pond, for the city supply, thereby setting
aside Craigluscar Ponds altogether. The pipe tract was finished, and
the water let on in Dunfermline in August, 1878. We are now supplied
with water four times more in quantity than the city needs……..The
Store and Compensation Ponds are at present progressing (October,
1878), and will be completed in about two years. Cost of the scheme
above £60,000. I am still engaged in trying to get Crossford,
Charleston, Limekilns, Inverkeithing, and Aberdour supplied from our
abundance of water. I may here mention, that the daily supply from
the Glensherup Scheme is about 1,600,000 gallons which in about 100 a
day to each head of the inhabitants of the city. The Loch
Glow Scheme would have cost about £
10,000; and its distance from Dunfermline about 6 miles north.
Glensherup Pond is about 17 miles north west of the city, and about
900 feet above its level.” (See also Annals Of Dunfermline, dates
1870, 1875, 1876, 1878.)
NOTANDA
RECEIVED BY THE PRINTER TOO
LATE FOR
INSERTION
IN THEIR PROPER PLACES
1798—LITERATURE—“Sketch of the Times: a Dialogue between a Weaver and
a Smith, contrasting the New Light with the Days of Old. By Robert
Flockhart. Edinburgh:
Printed
for the author J. Simpson, 1798.” (This octavo, of 31 pp. long out of
print, should have been noticed at page 538. A reference is made to
1798 at p. 635, instead of to this page of the Addenda.)
1827—LITERATURE—“The Elements of Arithmetic, in Two Parts, for the Use
of Schools,” publishes in 1827 by A Haxton, Rector of the Grammar
School, Dunfermline. This is a 12 mo.
work of 194 pp. with an appendix of 32 pp. and contains several
curious questions relative to
Dunfermline.
1851—1854—BOUNDARY OF THE QUOAD SACRA PARISHES OF ST. ANDREWS
AND NORTH CHURCH—In the deeds of
erection of these parishes, the boundary between them is declared to
be the Water of Line!!! There never was a Water of Line in such a
locality and those interested in this matter should at once get this
“vitiating mistake” rectified.
1851—NORTH CHURCH—Ordination—The Rev. Alexander Mitchell, M.A. was
ordained Minister of this Church, on
17th April 1861.
1852—THE
DUNFERMLINE BOWLING CLUB was established this year and leased a piece
of ground at the north end of Woodhead Street, where they constructed
a Bowling Green. There were 36 members.
1855—THE
ABBEY PARK BOWLING GREEN CLUB was laid out by its members this year,
on a piece of ground leased from the Bank of Scotland.
1857—THE
BANKRUPTCY OF THE WESTERN BANK OF SCOTLAND—The head bank in
Glasgow failed on Nov. 9th;
according to another account, on Feb. 4th. The former
appears to be the correct one. The branch of this bank in Dunfermline
consequently ceased to exist on November 9th of this year.
A few days after it was closed, the National Bank of Scotland opened a
branch of their bank in Dunfermline (November 1857) under the agency
of William Beveridge, Esq., who still holds that position.
1859—THE
“Dunfermline: and the “Abbey
Park” Bowling Green Clubs united and enlarged the Green leased by the
Dunfermline Club. In 1860 under the Presidency of Provost Whitelaw,
their “Club Rules and Laws of Game” were adopted and published by A.
Romanes, Press Office. These clubs, although united in the matter of
their enlarged Green, retain their original designations.
1864—THE
PUBLIC PARK AND SIR JOSEPH
PAXTON—On the 17th of August 1864, Sir Joseph Paxton
arrived in Dunfermline, for the special purpose of inspecting the
Public Park. He made a survey of the park, and drew up a plan for
laying it out, &c.
1876—LITERATURE—“Local Musing. By Henry Syme. Printed by A. Romanes,
Dunfermline.” This handsomely
got up 12 mo. vol. of 252 pp., containing 109 musings
(in
poetry), are very interesting, instructive, and amusing.
THE END
