Glasgow Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Ghlaschu) is a
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 the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. It is the oldest
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
in mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. The cathedral was the seat of the
Archbishop of Glasgow
The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of the ...
, and the
mother church
Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metro ...
of the
Archdiocese of Glasgow
The Archdiocese of Glasgow was one of the thirteen (after 1633 fourteen) dioceses of the Scottish church. It was the second largest diocese in the Kingdom of Scotland, including Clydesdale, Teviotdale, parts of Tweeddale, Liddesdale, Annanda ...
and the Province of Glasgow, until the
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
in the 16th century. Glasgow Cathedral and
St Magnus Cathedral
St Magnus Cathedral dominates the skyline of Kirkwall, the main town of Orkney, a group of islands off the north coast of mainland Scotland. It is the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom, a fine example of Romanesque architecture built ...
in
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
are the only
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
cathedrals in Scotland to have survived the Reformation virtually intact. The medieval
Bishop's Castle
Bishop's Castle is a market town in the south west of Shropshire, England. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,893.
Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales-England border, about north-west of Ludlow and about south-west of ...
stood to the west of the cathedral until the 18th century.
The cathedral is dedicated to
Saint Mungo
Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Name
In Wales and England, this s ...
, the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of Glasgow, whose tomb lies at the centre of the building's Lower Church. The first stone cathedral was dedicated in 1136, in the presence 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 (di ...
.
Fragments of this building have been found beneath the structure of the present cathedral, which was dedicated in 1197, although much of the present cathedral dates from a major rebuilding in the 13th century.
Following its foundation in 1451, the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
held its first classes within the cathedral's chapter house. After the Reformation, Glasgow Cathedral was internally partitioned to serve three separate congregations (Inner High, Outer High and
Barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
). The early 19th century saw a growing appreciation of the cathedral's medieval architecture, and by 1835 both the Outer High and Barony congregations had moved elsewhere in the city, allowing the restoration of the cathedral to something approaching its former glory.
Glasgow Cathedral has been
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
property since 1587. The entire cathedral building passed into the care of the state in 1857, and today it is the responsibility of
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...
. The congregation is today part of the Church of Scotland's
Presbytery of Glasgow
The Presbytery of Glasgow is one of the 46 Presbyteries of the Church of Scotland. It dates back to the earliest periods of Presbyterian church government in the Church of Scotland in the late 16th century. The Presbytery of Glasgow currently has ...
.
History
![Stmungotomb](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Stmungotomb.JPG)
Early history
The history of Glasgow Cathedral is closely linked with that of the city. In the 6th century
Saint Mungo
Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Name
In Wales and England, this s ...
is said to have brought the body of a holy man, Fergus, for burial at a site named Cathures (which came to be known as Glasgow).
Saint Ninian
Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedication ...
is reputed to have dedicated the burial ground there on the western bank of the
Molendinar Burn
The Molendinar Burn is a burn in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the site of the settlement, Mellingdenor, that grew to become the kernel of Glasgow, and where St Mungo founded his church in the 6th century. It was later used to power the growing town ...
in the 5th century (the cathedral's Blacader Aisle may mark this site).
Mungo built a
monastic cell
A cell is a small room used by a hermit, monk, nun or anchorite to live and as a devotional space. Cells are often part of larger cenobitic monastic communities such as Catholic and Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist vihara, but may also form sta ...
in the burial ground, and was buried in his church there in
614
__NOTOC__
Year 614 ( DCXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 614 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
. His shrine in the Lower Church of Glasgow Cathedral was an important place of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
in the medieval period.
Little is known about the early church buildings, except that they would have been of
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
and
wattle
Wattle or wattles may refer to:
Plants
*''Acacia sensu lato'', polyphyletic genus of plants commonly known as wattle, especially in Australia and South Africa
**''Acacia'', large genus of shrubs and trees, native to Australasia
**Black wattle, c ...
construction.
The first stone cathedral was built on high ground above the steep western bank of the Molendinar Burn. Initiated by the decision 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 (di ...
to establish (or re-establish) a bishopric at Glasgow, the new cathedral was
consecrated
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...
in 1136 in the presence of David and his court during the episcopate of
John Capellanus
John (died 1147) was an early 12th-century Tironensian cleric. He was the chaplain and close confidant of King David I of Scotland, before becoming Bishop of Glasgow and founder of Glasgow Cathedral. He was one of the most significant religious ...
. Constructed over St Mungo's burial place - a sacred location which may explain the otherwise unusual hillside site - the cathedral rose slowly, not without interruption and recasting, over a period of some 150 years. Excavations at Glasgow Cathedral between 1988 and 1997 uncovered architectural fragments of this first stone cathedral beneath the floor of the present cathedral. The west front of the 1136 cathedral lay at the third pier of the existing
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 ...
and its east end included the area of St Mungo's tomb. Following the defeat of
Somerled
Somerled (died 1164), known in Middle Irish as Somairle, Somhairle, and Somhairlidh, and in Old Norse as Sumarliði , was a mid-12th-century Norse-Gaelic lord who, through marital alliance and military conquest, rose in prominence to create the ...
in 1164 at the
Battle of Renfrew
The Battle of Renfrew was fought between the Kingdom of the Isles and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1164, near Renfrew, Scotland. The men of the Isles, accompanied by forces from the Kingdom of Dublin, were commanded by Somairle mac Gilla Brigte, ...
, Somerled's head was brought to the cathedral. In 1175
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
recognised Glasgow as ‘a special daughter’ of Rome, freeing the diocese from the supremacy of the
Archbishop of York
The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
. Around the same time Bishop
Jocelin was granted a charter by
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
to establish Glasgow as a
burgh of barony
A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town (burgh).
Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...
, but with the privileges of a
royal burgh
A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs.
Most royal burghs were either created by ...
. The king attributed the birth of his only son,
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, to the intercession of St Mungo.
Medieval period
![Glasgow Cathedral - Nave Rear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Glasgow_Cathedral_-_Nave_Rear.jpg)
Destroyed or severely damaged by fire, the first cathedral was succeeded by the present cathedral, which was consecrated in 1197. Between 1207 and 1232, Bishop
Walter Capellanus
Walter Capellanus was an important cleric and politician in the Kingdom of Scotland during the reigns of kings William the Lion and Alexander II.
Walter was chaplain (''capellanus'') of King William the Lion, and after the resignation of the unc ...
embarked upon a building programme which saw the completion of the
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
and the Lower Church, and provided the basis for the layout of the transepts and nave as eventually built. From 1233 to 1258, Walter's successor, Bishop
William de Bondington
William de Bondington († 1258) was a 13th-century Chancellor of Scotland and a bishop of Glasgow.
Biography
Before becoming bishop, William was rector of Eddleston, a prebendary of Glasgow, and archdeacon of Lothian. From the year 1231, Willia ...
continued the rebuilding, which included a new, longer, eastern arm to provide a shrine to St Mungo at the main level, and adding three projections (the chapter house, the sacristy/treasury, and what later became the Blacader Aisle). Construction work continued for much of the 13th century, including the central tower and spire, a bell-tower at the north-west corner of the nave (a south-west tower was added in the 14th century).
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
visited the cathedral in August 1301 during the
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty o ...
, making offerings over four days at the high altar and the tomb of Saint Mungo. Following the killing of
John Comyn
John Comyn III of Badenoch, nicknamed the Red (c. 1274 – 10 February 1306), was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced ...
at
Greyfriars, Dumfries in February 1306,
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
hurried to Glasgow where he met with
Robert Wishart
Robert Wishart was Bishop of Glasgow during the Wars of Scottish Independence and a leading supporter of Sir William Wallace and King Robert Bruce. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen, the freedom of Scotland and the freedom of the S ...
, the "warrior" Bishop of Glasgow, in whose diocese the murder had been committed. Wishart granted Bruce absolution and urged the clergy throughout the land to rally to him, before accompanying Robert to
Scone
A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component of th ...
where he was crowned as Robert I. Wishart used timber which had given to him by the English to repair the bell tower of Glasgow Cathedral to make siege engines, and laid siege to the English-held
Kirkintilloch Castle, before crossing into
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
where he took charge of the assault on
Cupar Castle
Cupar Castle was a royal castle at Cupar, Fife, Scotland. It was located on a small hill or motte that is known as Castle Hill next to Castlehill Primary School in Cupar. No vestiges of the castle remain above ground.
History
The castle was bui ...
. After his death in 1316, Wishart's body was entombed at the east end of the cathedral's Lower Church. The tomb is uninscribed and the head of the effigy has been defaced at some point, probably during the Reformation.
In 1406 a lightning strike caused significant damage, including to the wooden steeple. Bishops
William de Lauder
William de Lawedre (modern spelling: Lauder) ( – 14 June 1425) was bishop of Glasgow and Lord Chancellor of Scotland.
Sometimes given (wrongly) as a son of Alan de Lawedre of Haltoun, he was in fact the son of Sir Robert de Lawedre of Edringto ...
(1408-25),
John Cameron (1426-46) and
William Turnbull (1447-54) rebuilt the
central tower,
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
and chapter house. Bishop Turnbull was primarily responsible for the foundation of the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
. Turnbull prompted
James II James II may refer to:
* James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade
* James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier
* James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily
* James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...
(who was a
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western can ...
of the cathedral) to write to
Pope Nicholas V
Pope Nicholas V ( la, Nicholaus V; it, Niccolò V; 13 November 1397 – 24 March 1455), born Tommaso Parentucelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 March 1447 until his death in March 1455. Pope Eugene IV, Po ...
to request the establishment of a university in Glasgow. The Pope responded with a
papal bull issued on 7 January 1451, which erected a new ''
Studium generale
is the old customary name for a medieval university in medieval Europe.
Overview
There is no official definition for the term . The term ' first appeared at the beginning of the 13th century out of customary usage, and meant a place where stude ...
'' in Glasgow for the teaching of ''"theology, canon and civil law, as well as the arts and any other lawful faculty"''. The Bishops of Glasgow were to serve as the Chancellors of the new University of Glasgow, which held its first classes within the chapter house of Glasgow Cathedral, before moving to the Pedagogium or "Auld Pedagogy" on the
Rottenrow
The Rottenrow is a street in the Townhead district of Glasgow, Scotland. One of the oldest streets in the city, it was heavily redeveloped in the 20th century and is now enveloped by the University of Strathclyde's John Anderson Campus.
Histor ...
.
By the 15th century the cathedral stood within an extensive walled precinct known as the chanonry, containing the
Bishop's Castle
Bishop's Castle is a market town in the south west of Shropshire, England. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,893.
Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales-England border, about north-west of Ludlow and about south-west of ...
, the
manse
A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions.
Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...
s of the cathedral
prebendaries
A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...
, the houses of the vicars choral, St Nicholas' Hospital (founded in 1450), and the burial ground. Much was cleared away in the aftermath of the
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
in 1560, and the only upstanding structure surviving today is the late 15th-century
Provand's Lordship
The Provand's Lordship of Glasgow, Scotland, is a medieval historic house museum located at the top of Castle Street within sight of the Glasgow Cathedral and Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and next to the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art.
...
, on the west side of Castle Street.
In 1492
Pope Innocent VIII
Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...
raised the see of Glasgow to the rank of
archbishopric
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
.
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 Sauchi ...
(who was a canon of the cathedral) ratified the
treaty of Perpetual Peace
The Treaty of Perpetual Peace was signed by James IV of Scotland and Henry VII of England in 1502. It agreed to end the intermittent warfare between Scotland and England which had been waged over the previous two hundred years, and, although it ...
with England at the high altar on 10 December 1502. The cathedral and the nearby castle played a part in the battles of
Glasgow in 1544 and
1560
Year 1560 ( MDLX) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 7 – In the Kingdom of Scotland, French troops commanded by Henri Cleutin and ...
.
Reformation
The
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...
saw Archbishop
James Beaton
James Beaton (or Bethune) (1473–1539) was a Roman Catholic Scottish church leader, the uncle of David Cardinal Beaton and the Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland.
Life
James Beaton was the sixth and youngest son of John Beaton of Balfour, ...
flee to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, taking the diocesan records with him, and Glasgow Cathedral was 'cleansed' of its Catholic furnishings such as altars and sculpture, and the roof was apparently stripped of lead. It was decided to retain the building for Protestant worship, and in 1562 David Wemyss, who had been
minister of
Ratho
Ratho ( gd, Ràthach) is a village in the Rural West Edinburgh area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Its population at the 2011 census was 1,634 based on the 2010 definition of the locality. It was formerly in the old county of Midlothian. Ratho Statio ...
, became the first Protestant minister of Glasgow Cathedral. The fabric of the cathedral suffered from vandalism and plunder, and by 1574 it was in sufficiently bad condition to attract the attention of the Glasgow town council: ''"the greit dekaye and ruyne that the hie kirk of Glasgow is cum to, throuch taking awaye of the leid, sciait and wther grayth thairof in this trublus tyme bygane sua that sick arte greit monument will alluterlie fall doun and dekey without it be remidit"''. The condition was serious enough to encourage the town council to raise a tax of £200 for repairs to the cathedral in that same year, but the process of repairing the cathedral and modifying it for
presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
worship dragged on for years. Many of the windows were bricked up, in 1578 the lead of the cathedral roof was repaired, and in 1579 the members of the Glasgow Trades House defended the cathedral from further depredation, enabling it to survive the Reformation relatively unscathed. On 22 April 1581
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 ...
granted the income from a number of lands to Glasgow town for the cathedral's upkeep. In July 1584 the Reverend Wemyss was pulled from the pulpit of the cathedral by members of the town council and other supporters of
episcopalianism
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, to make way for Robert Montgomery, who had been appointed as "
tulchan
A Tulchan (from the Scottish Gaelic, ''tulachan'') was in Scotland a man appointed as bishop after the Reformation, who was a bishop in name only and whose revenue was drawn by his patron. The term originally referred to a calfskin stuffed with s ...
" Archbishop of Glasgow by the
Duke of Lennox
The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenn ...
. In 1635 the choir was transformed through the erection of a partition on the pulpitum into the High Church or, as it came to be called, the Inner High Church. The cathedral eventually came to house three congregations: in addition to the Inner Church, the Outer High Church (whose congregation began worshipping in the nave in 1587) eventually secured a distinct architectural space in 1647 when a stone wall was erected at the east end of the nave, and the Barony Church began worshipping in the Lower Church when that congregation was created in 1595.
Following the signing of the
National Covenant
The National Covenant () was an agreement signed by many people of Scotland during 1638, opposing the proposed reforms of the Church of Scotland (also known as ''The Kirk'') by King Charles I. The king's efforts to impose changes on the church i ...
, the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.''An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland'' by A. Gordon McGillivray ...
met in the cathedral in November 1638. Dominated by the
Covenanters
Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
, the Assembly nullified all acts and pronouncements of General Assemblies held between 1606 and 1618 because they had been dominated by the King and bishops, abolished episcopacy in the Church of Scotland and affirmed the Assembly's right to meet annually.
19th century
In 1798 the Barony Church ceased using the Lower Church for worship, and the entire crypt was transformed into a burial place. This involved introducing about one metre of earth over the floor and the erection of railings to mark out the lairs.
In the 1830s there was a growing appreciation of the architectural significance of the building which led to the execution of detailed architectural drawings and the publication of proposals for restoration work. By 1835, both the Outer High Kirk and the Barony Kirk had left the premises, leaving only a single congregation using the choir. In 1843 the graves and earth were removed from the Lower Church and, as part of restorations to the crypt and the chapter house, the original levels of the floors were restored and the windows were opened up. The 1840s also saw the demolition of the two towers which flanked the west front, as they were deemed too asymmetrical. The south-western tower, or consistory house, was demolished in 1846, and the north-western tower, which was 120 feet (36 metres) tall and contained a bell, was demolished in 1848. A lack of funds prevented their ‘balanced’ replacements from being built, and the present nave aisles were formed instead, under the direction of
Edward Blore
Edward Blore (13 September 1787 – 4 September 1879) was a 19th-century English landscape and architectural artist, architect and antiquary.
Early career
He was born in Derby, the son of the antiquarian writer Thomas Blore.
Blore's backg ...
. In 1852 the galleries in the Inner High Kirk were removed, and in 1857 the entire cathedral building passed into the care of the state. The 1860s saw the windows of the nave and choir replaced with
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
by the Royal Bavarian Stained Glass Establishment in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
. This scheme was one of the largest public art commissions of the Victorian age. In 1879 the organ, built by
Henry Willis
Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...
, was installed in the triforium of the choir, the first in the cathedral since the Reformation.
In 1849
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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
and
Prince Albert
Prince Albert most commonly refers to:
*Albert, Prince Consort (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria
*Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco
Prince Albert may also refer to:
Royalty
* Albert I of Belgium ...
paid an official visit to the cathedral.
20th century to the present
Between 1909 and 1912 the medieval timber roofs over the choir and nave (which were found to be unsafe) were replaced with new oak roofs, under the direction of
William Thomas Oldrieve
William Thomas Oldrieve HRSA FRIBA (15 December 1853 – 12 January 1922) was an English-born architect and scholar primarily associated with public buildings in his role as Architect for Scotland within the Office of Works. His predominant styl ...
, Architect for Scotland within the Office of Works. The weight of the roof was reduced by the substitution of copper sheeting for lead and slate, and the distinctive green copper roofing on the exterior of the nave and choir dates from that time.
By 1938 the colours of the 'Munich Glass' had faded and the leading of the windows had deteriorated and needed to be replaced. The Society of Friends of Glasgow Cathedral decided that it should be replaced by works of the best contemporary artists.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...
unveiled a window in 1954 in memory of the dead of the four Scottish divisions in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
In 1971 a memorial service was held in Glasgow Cathedral following the
Ibrox Stadium disaster which claimed the lives of 66 football supporters.
The funeral of
First Minister
A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of '' ...
Donald Dewar
Donald Campbell Dewar (21 August 1937 – 11 October 2000) was a Scottish politician who served as the inaugural First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2000. He previously served as ...
was held in the cathedral in October 2000.
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
attended services of thanksgiving at Glasgow Cathedral to mark her
Silver Jubilee in 1977 and her
Diamond Jubilee
A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
in 2012.
File:Glasgow_CathedralPlanEyreTodd.jpg, 1898 plan of Glasgow Cathedral; drawing by George Eyre-Todd
File:GlasgowCathedralLowerChurchPlanEyreTodd.jpg, 1898 plan of the Lower Church of Glasgow Cathedral; drawing by George Eyre-Todd
File:Bishop Wishart's effigy, crypt of Glasgow Cathedral.JPG, Defaced effigy on the tomb of Bishop Robert Wishart
Robert Wishart was Bishop of Glasgow during the Wars of Scottish Independence and a leading supporter of Sir William Wallace and King Robert Bruce. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen, the freedom of Scotland and the freedom of the S ...
File:Glasgow Cathedral - Choir.jpg, Choir
Ministers of Glasgow Cathedral
*David Wemyss (1562-1615)
*Robert Scott (1616-1629)
*John Maxwell (1629-1639)
*
Edward Wright (1641-1646)
*Robert Ramsay (1647-1651)
*James Durham (1651-1658)
*Ralph Rodger (1659-1662)
*
Arthur Rose
Arthur Rose (also found as Ross; 1634–1704) was a Scottish minister, Archbishop of St Andrews, and, informally, the first Episcopal Primate of Scotland, after the fall of the Restoration Episcopate in 1689.
Life
The younger son of Elizabet ...
(1664-1675)
*Richard Waddell (1682-1684)
*Archibald Inglis (1685–1687)
*Ralph Rodger (1687–1689)
*James Brown (1690–1714)
*George Campbell (1715–1748)
*John Hamilton (1749–1780)
*
William Taylor (1780–1823)
*
Duncan Macfarlan
Duncan Macfarlan (1771–1857) was a Scottish minister. He was twice Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland both in 1819 and in its most critical year of 1843. He was Principal of Glasgow University from 1823 to 1857.
Life
He ...
(1824–1857)
*John Robertson (1858–1865)
*George Stewart Burns (1865–1896)
*
Pearson McAdam Muir
Pearson McAdam Muir (1846–1924) was the minister of Glasgow Cathedral and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1910. He served as Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Scotland. He was Chaplain in Ordinar ...
(1896–1915)
*James McGibbon (1916–1922)
*
Lauchlan Maclean Watt (1923–1934)
*
Nevile Davidson (1935–1967)
*
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
(1967–2005)
*Laurence A. B. Whitley (2007–2017)
*Mark E. Johnstone (2019–present)
Great Bell
The great bell of the cathedral now stands on the floor of the cathedral as an object of interest rather than hanging in the tower. Its inscription says it was originally made in
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
in 1583 at the expense of Marcus Knox, a Glasgow merchant. It was broken in 1778 and recast in London in 1790 by Thomas Mears.
[Book of Days vol.2 p.49 by R. Chambers ]
Music
Glasgow Cathedral Choir is a professional adult ensemble, singing at the two regular Sunday services each week. The current director of music is
Andrew Forbes and the cathedral organist is
Malcolm Sim. The four-manual
Father Willis
Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...
organ was installed in 1879, and has been maintained by
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd is a British company that makes and restores pipe organs, based in Durham and established in Rochdale in 1861. It is well known for its work on instruments such as King's College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, and the R ...
since they rebuilt the instrument in 1996.
Directors of Music
*1879
Albert Lister Peace
*1897 Herbert Walton
*1929 R H Clifford Smith
*1936 Wilfred J Emery
*1965 John Turner
*2010 Ian Simcock
*2012 Richard Pratt
*2014 Andrew Forbes
Burials
Cathedral
* John Anderson, Lord Provost of Glasgow (1667)
* John Anderson of Dowhill, Lord Provost of Glasgow (4 times between 1689 and 1705)
*
James Law
James Law (ca. 1560 – 12 November 1632) was Archbishop of Glasgow. Entering the church after graduation from university, he rose to the position of Bishop of Orkney, reorganising the diocese, before rising to hold the position of Archbishop o ...
, Archbishop of Glasgow (1615–1632)
*
Saint Mungo
Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Name
In Wales and England, this s ...
, founder and patron saint of Glasgow
* Sir Robert Stewart of Minto, Lord Provost of Glasgow (1526-1536)
*
Robert Wishart
Robert Wishart was Bishop of Glasgow during the Wars of Scottish Independence and a leading supporter of Sir William Wallace and King Robert Bruce. For Wishart and many of his fellow churchmen, the freedom of Scotland and the freedom of the S ...
, Bishop of Glasgow (1271-1316)
Old Burial Ground
*
Mary Hill of Gairbraid
Mary Hill (1730-1809) was an heiress after whom the town of Maryhill, now a district of Glasgow, was named.
Mary inherited the Gairbraid Estate from her father, Hew Hill, who had no surviving male heirs. In 1763, she married Robert Graham. General ...
(1730-1809), landowner
*
George Hutcheson
George Hutcheson (died 1639), of Lambhill, Lanarkshire, was joint-founder with his younger brother Thomas Hutcheson, of Hutchesons' Hospital, Glasgow.
Life
George Hutcheson became a public writer and notary in Glasgow, and by his success in bus ...
(c.1558-1639), lawyer and merchant, founder of
Hutchesons' Grammar School
Hutchesons' Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school for pupils aged 3-18 in Glasgow, Scotland.
It was founded as Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School by George Hutcheson and Thomas Hutcheson in 1641
It is a selective school, m ...
* Thomas Hutcheson (1590-1641), lawyer, founder of
Hutchesons' Grammar School
Hutchesons' Grammar School is a co-educational independent day school for pupils aged 3-18 in Glasgow, Scotland.
It was founded as Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School by George Hutcheson and Thomas Hutcheson in 1641
It is a selective school, m ...
*
Peter Lowe (c.1550-1610), surgeon
*
Charles Macintosh
Charles Macintosh FRS (29 December 1766 – 25 July 1843) was a Scottish chemist and the inventor of the modern waterproof raincoat. The Mackintosh raincoat (the variant spelling is now standard) is named after him.
Biography
Macintosh was b ...
(1766-1843), chemist and inventor
*
Peter Murdoch of Rosehill
Peter Murdoch of Rosehill (1670–1761) was an 18th-century Scottish sugar merchant and refiner who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1730 to 1732.
Life
He was born in Glasgow in 1670, the son of Patrick Murdoch (1627–1681) and his w ...
(1670-1761), Lord Provost of Glasgow (1730-1732)
Gallery
File:Glasgow Cathedral, Southwest View engraved by John Henry Le Keux - ABDAG006447.jpg, ''Glasgow Cathedral, Southwest View'', engraving by John Henry Le Keux
John Henry Le Keux (23 March 1812 – 4 February 1896) was an English architectural engraver and draughtsman.
Life
The son of John Le Keux, he was born in Argyll Street, Euston Road, London, on 23 March 1812, and studied under James Basire III. He ...
, 1847
File:Valentine's postcard of Glasgow Cathedral And Necropolis.JPG, An old postcard view of the cathedral (1893)
File:Glasgow Cathedral, Cathedral Square 14.jpg, Choir viewed from the pulpit
File:Glasgow Cathedral, Cathedral Square 18.jpg, South aisle of the nave
See also
*
Bishop's Castle, Glasgow
The Bishop's Castle (also known as Glasgow Castle, the Bishop's Palace, and the Archbishop's Palace) was a medieval castle in Glasgow, Scotland. It stood to the west of Glasgow Cathedral, covering much of the present day Cathedral Square. The ca ...
*
St. Andrew's Cathedral (Glasgow's Roman Catholic cathedral)
*
St Luke's Cathedral (Glasgow's
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
cathedral)
*
St. Mary's Cathedral (Glasgow's
Scottish Episcopal
The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland.
A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
cathedral)
Notes
References
External links
Official site of Glasgow Cathedral*
*
– History and original drawings of the Cathedral area.
– from Virtual Scotland
Glasgow Cathedral Photographs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glasgow Cathedral
12th-century church buildings in Scotland
13th-century church buildings in Scotland
Tourist attractions in Glasgow
St Mungo's
Category A listed buildings in Glasgow
Listed cathedrals in Scotland
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
Scottish parliamentary locations and buildings
Mungo's
Protestant churches converted from Roman Catholicism
Listed churches in Glasgow