east-lothian-1924/05-154

Transcription

OLDHAMSTOCKS.] HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. [OLDHAMSTOCKS.

bearing the arms of Sir Thomas Home, grand-
father of the founder (see below), impaled with
those of his wife Nicola Pepdie, heiress of the
barony of Dunglass,1 dexter a lion rampant
(Home) ; sinister three papingoes (Pepdie).
The south transept is the burial place of the
Halls of Dunglass.
The tower contains three storeys beneath the
wall head, and a garret would occupy the
space within the spire. The floor beams were
borne on projecting corbels. The only means
of access between the floors seems to have been
a ladder.
INCISED CROSSES.-In the choir on either
side of the archway between the sacristy, and
below the level of the apex, is a cross patté
within a double circle measuring some 12 inches
in exterior diameter; a third cross is found on
the south wall at the head of the west window,
while the east wall of the sacristy bears three
similar crosses at eye level and has had three
others on the west wall ; the formation of a
later doorway at the north-west corner caused
the removal of the northern of these.
TOMBSTONES.-Within the north transept is
a number of 17th century tombstones, which
appear to have formed the pavement of this
division. They are in a dilapidated condition.
CONDITION OF STRUCTURE.-Notwithstand-
ing the varied uses to which the building has
been put, the fabric appears to be structurally
sound.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-A " chapel of the Virgin
Mary of Dunglas and the presbyters (priests)
there " existed before 1423, in which year
" Alexander Hume, lord of that Ilk " granted
certain properties to the institution.2 This
charter was confirmed by James II. in 1450,
when the chapel is described as " now lately
founded as a Collegiate Church." The foun-
dation charter of the Collegiate Church, how-
ever, is dated 1403 (millesimo quadringentesimo
tertio), but as the founder Sir Alexander Hume
of that ilk, enumerates, among those to be
commemorated, his father Alexander, whom he
succeeded in 1424, and his grandfather Thomas,
as well as two Jameses, Kings of Scotland,
there must be an error in the date.3 Possibly
[marginal note]
/en/
the scribe has been led by the quadring/tesimo
to slip the nearly similar quadragesimo, so
that the date may have been 1443, which
might be described as " now lately " in the

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charter of 1450. Or 1403 may be the date of
an original, probably private, chapel, such as
that of Herdmanston (No. 162). The foun-
dation charter establishes " in the chapel of
the blessed Mary of Dunglas " three chaplain-
ries, each having a priest, of whom one was to
be superior with the title of " provost." There
were besides four boys for singing in choir and
serving in church. Manses were allotted to the
priests in the vill of Dunglas, and each was to
have a garden, in which fruit trees must be
planted. The habit of the priests at the daily
service was to be " at least " a surplice-the
long mediæval form-and almuce or cape-hood
which was to be lined with sheepskin. There
was also an allowance for bread and wine at
the daily mass, for service-books, ornaments
and lights. The stipend of the provost came
from lands and rents in Kello, Berwickshire,
those of his two colleagues from " Balwsly "
(Balhousie) and " Gordounshal " in Fife-the
amount in each case twelve marks, while the
same amount was allotted to the four boys
from " Hutoun, Hirssale, Colbrandspeth (Cock-
burnspath) and Pinkertoun " in Berwickshire.
The patronage of the livings was reserved to
the patron and his heirs. A papal bull from
Nicholas V, dated 2 January 1451, approved
the foundation but, in consideration of the
fact that the endowment was insufficient, while
the rectory of the parish church of Dunglas
was very wealthy, appropriated the use of
the greater and lesser teinds to the Collegiate
Church.4 Meantime, too, Sir Alexander Home
had added some other properties to the foun-
dation (5 Aug. 1450) and Patrick Hepburn of
Hailes had given a revenue from Oldhamstocks
(7 August 1450) ; while William Earl of Douglas
and Avondale conferred some lands with the
parish church of Hutton and the hospital (1451),
James II. in 1452 gave to the " College of
Dundas " the lands of Trefontanis (Strafon-
tane), Pope Pius II. the vicarage of Edrom, and
in 1460 came a gift of the lands of Upsettlington
-all these latter being in Berwickshire.5 The
collegiate church also possessed as a prebend the
lands of "Reidspittell" in the constabulary of
Haddington (Spittal near Redhouse No. 7).6
The number of prebends had increased, since
in 1465 we have reference to a sub-prior,7 and
there are on record prebendaries of Strafontane
(held by the provost in 1589), Upsettleington,