east-lothian-1924/05-123

Transcription

HUMBIE.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [HUMBIE.

pluteii.1 The remainder of the south wall is
enshrouded in ivy, and a close examination is
impossible. The north wall is fragmentary, and
the west gable, as aforesaid, has been rebuilt.
The structure exteriorly is 63 1/2 feet long,
19 feet wide at the chancel and 22 1/4 feet wide
at the nave. Internally the chancel is 27 1/4 feet
long, 13 feet 10 inches wide at the east end and
12 feet 9 inches wide at the chancel arch. The
nave is 29 1/4 feet long and 15 1/2 feet wide. The
east gable is 2 feet 7 inches thick, and the
south wall 2 feet 9 inches.
GRAVESLAB.-Lying against the north-west
angle of the church is a graveslab 4 feet 1 inch
in length, which tapers in width from 12 to 10
inches, with both ends missing. A margin is
droved on either side, and in the centre is
incised a sword 3 feet long with elevated
quillons, hilt and pommel.
SEPULCHRAL MONUMENT.-Against the ex-
terior of the south wall is built a Renaissance
monument to Anderson of Whitburgh, dated
1685. It bears the arms of Anderson impaled
with those of Forrester or Hunter-a saltire
engrailed between four mullets ; three hunting
horns below a star in chief.
BELL.-Within the mansion (No. 83) is pre-
served the church bell dated 1620 (fig. 30).
The bell is complete with canons and measures
1 foot 3 inches in diameter at skirt, 8 1/4 inches
in diameter at crown. It is 11 inches in height
from the skirt to the bottom of the canons and
15 inches high over all. Beside the date, which
is in relief, is a symbol, also in relief, a crown
surmounting a hammer, this being the insignia
of the Incorporation of Hammermen of Edin-
burgh. It is flanked by the initials G. H. for
George Hog, who cast several bells during the
early part of the 17th century, including one at
Closeburn Church, Dumfriesshire,2 which is in-
scribed " apud Poterraw " locating his foundry
in the street of that name in Edinburgh.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-A church at ' Keith '
was granted c. 1160 by Simon Fraser to the
monks of Kelso. This church was also known
as that of ' Hundeby-Keith ' and was repre-
sented by the former church of Humbie as a
separate parish. But some time before 1176
Hervey de Keith or Hervey Marischal founded
a ' Chapel ' (capella de Keth hervei) in his own
vill of Keith, which is also referred to as a
' church ' and was served by a parson and

51

which paid 20/ annually to the church of
Keith (Hundeby). It is therefore the foundation
at Keith-Marischal which is the subject of this
article.3 On the Keith family and the two
Keiths see Introd. p. xxi.
According to a modern inscription on the
south wall the building was erected as a
private chapel in the reign of David I. by
Hervey de Keith, King's Marischal in the reign
of Alexander II. This would date the structure
at least a century earlier than the architectural
evidence warrants. Later the church served
the parish of Keith-Marischal, which was
merged in 1618 with that of Keith-Hundeby
to form the parish known from the latter as
Humbie.

1 Lombardic Architecture, Rivoira i. 127-8 ;
2 Inventory of Monts. in Dumfriesshire, Art.
No. 58 ; 3 Liber de Calchou passim.

xiv. S.E. (Edin. ix. S.E.) 25 August 1913.

CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC STRUCTURES.

83. Keith House.-Keith House more usually
called Keith Marischal, lies 2 miles west-south-
west from Humbie station amid the well-
wooded policies of the estate. The structure
dates from the end of the 16th century but
has been so added to and modernised from
time to time that few architectural features of
interest remain. Into the north wall of the
north-west wing is built a stone bearing beneath
an earl's coronet a shield charged with three
pallets on a chief-the arms of the Keith family.
Near the angle turret but towards the west
a panel, which was removed from Rubislaw, has
been inserted. It bears the arms of Sir George
Skene of Rubislaw and Fintry and is dated
1688.
On the family of Keith see Introd. p. xxi.

xiv. S.E. (Edin. ix. S.E.) 25 August 1913.

84. Leaston House.-This is a late 17th
century house situated on a foothill of the
Lammermuirs 2 3/4 miles south of East Salton.
It consists of a central oblong portion, lying
north-east and south-west, with a shorter wing
at either end returning rectangularly south-
wards. There are two storeys throughout, but a
garret is contrived beneath the roof of the main
block by heightening a portion of the north and