The Church of the Holy Rude (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...
: ''Eaglais na Crois Naoimh'') is the medieval
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. It is named after the
Holy Rood, a relic of the
True Cross
The True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was said to have been crucified, particularly as an object of religious veneration. There are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves, althoug ...
on which Jesus was crucified. The church was founded in 1129 during the reign of
David I David I may refer to:
* David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399
* David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741)
* David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881)
* David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048)
* David I of Scotland ...
, but the earliest part of the present church dates from the 15th century. As such it is the second oldest building in Stirling after
Stirling Castle, parts of which date from the later 14th century. The chancel and tower were added in the 16th century.
Stirling Castle has long been a favoured residence of the Scottish monarchs, and was developed as a
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
palace during the reigns of the later Stewart kings. The Church of the Holy Rude, adjacent to the castle, became similarly associated with the Scottish monarchy, hosting royal baptisms and
coronation
A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...
s. It is one of three churches still in use in Britain that have been the sites of coronations.
History
![West window, Holy Rude Church, Stirling](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/West_window%2C_Holy_Rude_Church%2C_Stirling.JPG)
The church was founded in 1129 but nothing of this early structure now remains due to a fire in 1405.
Construction on the new
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
had begun by 1414, and based on the evidence of carved heraldry the vault of the nave was completed between 1440 and 1480. Work on the
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ov ...
did not commence until 1507 and was completed around 1530 which was when the west tower was also extended to its current height. King
James VI
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
was
crowned King of Scots in the church on 29 July 1567.
Adam Bothwell,
Bishop of Orkney performed the ceremony, and
John Knox preached a sermon.
[Joseph Bain, ''Calendar of State Papers Scotland'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 370, TNA SP 14/52 f.81r.]
It is alleged that, in the Siege of Stirling Castle in 1651 by
General Monk
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...
, during the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 B ...
, the church and churchyard suffered damage from musket shots, which is still visible. However, all damage is opposite the south rampart of Stirling Castle, and as damage clusters around the slot windows, it is clearly just a "game" of soldiers firing from the castle to get the musket ball through the slot. Were it from an attacking force damage would be on the south side, which it is not.
James Guthrie, who was later executed, was the minister at the time. Soon after, Guthrie with two or three elders appointed Robert Rule as Guthrie's successor which caused a schism in the congregation and a dividing wall was built which stood until 1936.
In 1940 the church was restored and the fine oak beam roof was re-exposed.
Hew Scott's summary
The fine parish church of the Holy Rood at Stirling was built in 1500, to replace the church of St Modan, which had been burned down. It is about 200 feet long, but is sadly marred internally by a wall which screens off the western part of the building.
his was removed in the 1930s A Second Charge was secured for the parish of Stirling in 1607. In 1656 the church was divided into two parts, each of which was fitted up as a separate
place of worship. In 1731 a Third Charge was founded. This led to the growth of a third congregation, and, in 1840, the North Church was built for the services of the Third Charge.
There is an early record of a church built at Stirling by St Monenna, but it is not likely that it was a stone building. In 1463, when
James III was King, the Hospital of St James was erected at the Stirling end of the bridge over the Forth. Near the bridge, somewhat later, was built a chapel of St Roque. In James IV's time Stirling acquired another hospital, which still exists. It attests to the munificence of Robert Spital, the King's tailor. During the same reign, in 1494, a house of the Grey Friars, dedicated to St Modan, was established in the town. King
James IV
James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauch ...
lived much at Stirling, and it was he who set up one of its most notable foundations, that of the Collegiate Church of the Chapel Royal. It was dedicated to St Mary and St Michael, and was famed for its elaborate musical services. In the part of this parish that lies on the left bank of the
Forth stand the ruins of St Mary's Augustinian
Abbey of Cambuskenneth. It was founded by King
David I David I may refer to:
* David I, Caucasian Albanian Catholicos c. 399
* David I of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenia (728–741)
* David I Kuropalates of Georgia (died 881)
* David I Anhoghin, king of Lori (ruled 989–1048)
* David I of Scotland ...
in 1147, and had very wide possessions. Within its church there were altars of St Ninian and St Katherine. Of the Abbey buildings little now remains but the church tower. It is very complete. There is also an interesting monument erected by
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
to keep in mind her ancestors
James III and his Queen,
Margaret of Denmark, who lie buried in the Abbey Church. There were many altars and shrines in the Rood Kirk, and some of their names are well known. These include dedications to the Holy Trinity, St Mary, St Michael, St Anne, St Andrew, St James, St John the Baptist, St Ninian, St Salvator, St Peter, St Paul, St Laurence, St Katherine, St Modan, St Cuthbert, St Eloi, St Severinus, and St Aubert. In the Rood Kirk, on the 29th of July 1567, King
James VI
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
was crowned, having then attained the age
of 13 months.
There were in this parish Wells of St Mary, St John, and St Thomas. Stirling held fairs on Ascension Day, Roodmas Day, and Our Lady Day in Harvest.
Stained glass
The church contains many fine stained glass windows, mainly from the late 19th century, including examples by
Ballantine & Co., Adam & Small, and Cottier & Co.
Apse
The church's semi-octagonal
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...
was the inspiration for that of
St Leonard's-in-the-Fields Church in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
.
[''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland'']
Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
Graveyard
![Star Pyramid Stirling 2018-08-31 by Marcok](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Star_Pyramid_Stirling_2018-08-31_by_Marcok.jpg)
The church has a historic churchyard lying primarily to the west and north-west of the church. Stones date from the 16th century.
The churchyard was extended in 1851, creating the fascinating
Valley Cemetery to the north, divided from the old cemetery by only a path. This contains a series of statues by
Alexander Handyside Ritchie to figures of the Reformation.
The old graveyard contains a unique stone with a carved depiction of body-snatching, marking the theft of Mary Stevenson (1767–1822) by James McNab, the local gravedigger who had buried her two days earlier, on 16 November 1822, aided by a friend, Daniel Mitchell. The body was passed to John Forrest, for dissection. The two men were caught, but released due to legal technicalities and a riot ensued. Mary's body was reburied and the stone carved to mark the strange event.
Graves of note in the old cemetery include:
* Rev
Alexander Beith
Alexander Beith (1799–1891) was a Scottish divine and author who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland 1858/59.
Early life and education
He was born at Campbeltown, Argyllshire, on 13 January 1799. ...
* Rev
Archibald Bennie FRSE
* John Cowane, founder of
Cowane's Hospital
*
David Doig
*
Professor
Henry Drummond
*
Charles Albert Fawsitt chemist and colleague of
William Dittmar
* Rev George Mure Smith, theological author
* William Honeyman Gillespie, theological author
* Commander
George Holbrow Lang RN
* William Marshall founder of the Marshall Trust
* Rev Prof John MacMillan
* Charles Randolph, engineer and shipbuilder, co-founder of Randolph & Elliott
* Major William Henry Peddie of 21st Royal North British Fusiliers, and Fort Major: Stirling Castle
*
Rev John Russell subject of poems by
Robert Burns
Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...
* John Sconce (a huge Renaissance monument)
*
John Elliot Shearer historian
*
John Terris (artist)
New Cemetery
To the north, under the castle ramparts
*
A. R. W. Allan RSA, artist (stone by
Pilkington Jackson
Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson RSA, FRBS, FRSA (11 October 1887 – 20 September 1973) was a British sculptor prominent in Scotland in the 20th Century. Throughout his career he worked closely with the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. He ...
*
Charles Henry Greig, architect of
Craig House Asylum in 1889
*
Irvin Iffla cricketer
*Air pilot Charles Livingstone DFM killed on
BOAC Flight 781
References
;Notes
;Citations
;Sources
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External links
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The Church Of The Holy Rude
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holy Rude, Church of
1129 establishments in Scotland
12th-century church buildings in Scotland
Churches completed in 1530
Protestant churches converted from Roman Catholicism
Churches in Stirling (council area)
Category A listed buildings in Stirling (council area)
Listed churches in Scotland
Church of Scotland churches in Scotland
Coronation church buildings
Buildings and structures in Stirling (city)