Roof structure over side aisles, St Machar's Cathedral

St Machar's Cathedral usually called Old Machar (

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 as ...

: Cathair-eaglais Naomh Machar), (or, more formally, the Cathedral Church of St Machar) is a

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 Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...

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 ...

. It is located to the north of the city centre, in the former

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Bur ...

Old Aberdeen Old Aberdeen is part of the city of Aberdeen in Scotland. Old Aberdeen was originally a separate burgh, which was erected into a burgh of barony on 26 December 1489. It was incorporated into adjacent Aberdeen by Act of Parliament in 1891. It ret ...

. Technically, St Machar's is no longer a

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 denominations ...

but rather a

high kirk Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk' ...

, as it has not been the seat of a

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

of the

Catholic Church in Scotland The Catholic Church in Scotland overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. After being firmly established in Scotland for nearly a millennium, the Catholic Church was outlawed f ...

or the

Scottish Episcopal Church 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 ...

since 1690.

History

St Machar is said to have been a companion of St Columba on his journey to

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though ther ...

. A fourteenth-century legend tells how God (or St Columba) told Machar to establish a church where a river bends into the shape of a bishop's

crosier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Cathol ...

before flowing into the sea. The River Don bends in this way just below where the cathedral now stands. According to legend, St Machar founded a site of worship in Old Aberdeen in about 580. Machar's church was superseded by a Norman cathedral in 1131, shortly after

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 ...

transferred the See from Mortlach to Aberdeen. Almost nothing of that original cathedral survives; a lozenge-decorated base for a capital supporting one of the architraves can be seen in the Charter Room in the present church. After the execution of

William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army ...

in 1305, his body was cut up and sent to different corners of the country to warn other dissenters. His left quarter ended up in Aberdeen and is buried in the walls of the cathedral. At the end of the thirteenth century Bishop Henry Cheyne decided to extend the church, but the work was interrupted by the

Scottish Wars of Independence The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...

. Cheyne's progress included piers for an extended choir at the transept crossing. These pillars, with decorated capitals of red sandstone, are still visible at the east end of the present church. Though worn by exposure to the elements after the collapse of the cathedral's central tower, these capitals are among the finest stone carvings of their date to survive in Scotland. Bishop Alexander Kininmund II demolished the Norman cathedral in the late 14th century, and began the nave, including the granite columns and the towers at the western end. Bishop Henry Lichtoun completed the nave, the west front and the northern transept, and made a start on the central tower. Bishop Ingram Lindsay completed the roof and the paving stones in the later part of the fifteenth century. Further work was done over the next fifty years by Thomas Spens, William Elphinstone and Gavin Dunbar; Dunbar is responsible for the heraldic ceiling and the two western spires. The chancel was demolished in 1560 during 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 ...

. The bells and lead from the roof were sent to be sold in Holland, but the ship sank near Girdle Ness. The central tower and spire collapsed in 1688, in a storm, and this destroyed the choir and transepts. The west arch of the crossing was then filled in, and worship carried on in the nave only; the current church consists only of the nave and aisles of the earlier building.See Cathedral Church of St Machar, Old Aberdeen: A Welcome to Visitors (visitor pamphlet)See St Machar's Cathedral: A short history and guide (visitor information sheet) The ruined transepts and crossing are under the care 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 ...

, and contain an important group of late

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 period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

bishops' tombs, protected from the weather by modern canopies. The cathedral is chiefly built of outlayer granite. On the unique flat panelled ceiling of the nave (first half of the 16th century) are the heraldic shields of the contemporary kings of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and the chief earls and bishops of Scotland. The cathedral is an example of a fortified kirk, with twin towers, believed to have been inspired by the central tower of Perth's

St John's Kirk St John's Kirk is a church in the Scottish city of Perth, Perth and Kinross. Of Church of Scotland denomination, it is located in St John's Place, just southeast of the city centre. It stands on the former site of a church dating to 1126. Tod ...

,''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland''

Francis Hindes Groome Francis Hindes Groome (30 August 1851 – 24 January 1902), son of Robert Hindes Groome, Archdeacon of Suffolk, was a writer and foremost commentator of his time on the Romani people, their language, life, history, customs, beliefs, and lore. ...

(1901) built in the fashion of fourteenth-century tower houses. Their walls have the strength to hold spiral staircases to the upper floors and battlements. The spires which presently crown the towers were added in the 15th century. Bishops Gavin Dunbar and Alexander Galloway built the western towers and installed the heraldic ceiling. Notable figures buried in the cathedral cemetery include the author J.J. Bell,

Robert Brough Robert John Cameron Brough ARSA (1872 – 21 January 1905) was a Scottish painter born near Invergordon, Ross and Cromarty. Life He was born on 20 March 1872. at Garty Cottage, Kilmuir Easter, near Invergordon. His mother was Helen Brough, fo ...

, Gavin Dunbar,

Robert Laws Robert Laws Royal Geographical Society, FRGS Royal Scottish Geographical Society, FRSGS (1851–1934) was a Scottish missionary who headed the Livingstonia mission in the Nyasaland Protectorate (now Malawi) for more than 50 years. The mission pl ...

, a missionary to

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northe ...

and William Ogilvie of Pittensear—the ‘rebel professor’. St Machar's kirk has been featured by BBC TV's

Songs of Praise ''Songs of Praise'' is a BBC Television religious programme that presents Christian hymns sung in churches of varying denominations from around the UK. The series was first broadcast in October 1961. On that occasion, the venue was the Ta ...

.The Cleveland Way

BBC TV BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

, accessed 2019-06-16Glory Be To God The Father
hymn,

, accessed 2019-06-16

Ministry

The minister from 2004 to 2011 was the Reverend Dr Alan D. Falconer, who previously worked with the Secretariat of the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

. In 2011 the Reverend Jane Barron became the first female minister of St Machar's Cathedral. She was formerly minister at

St Andrew's Church, Jerusalem St Andrew's Church, also known as the Scots Memorial Church, is a church in Jerusalem built as a memorial to the Scottish soldiers who were killed fighting the Turkish Army during the Sinai and Palestine campaign of World War I, bringing to ...

and Stobswell Parish Church, Dundee. In 2015 Rev Barry Dunsmore became minister of St Machar's Cathedral. Notable past ministers include: * James Lawson first Presbyterian minister 1569 to 1572 - translated to St Giles in Edinburgh to replace

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

, Moderator in 1580 * Alexander Arbuthnot from 1574 to 1596 - also Principal of

King's College, Aberdeen King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland, the full title of which is The University and King's College of Aberdeen (''Collegium Regium Abredonense''), is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and now an integral part of the Univer ...

, Moderator in 1573 and 1577 *

David Rait David Rait (c. 1560–1632) was a Scottish clergyman in the Church of Scotland who was minister of St Machar's Cathedral in Aberdeen and served as Moderator of the General Assembly in Aberdeen in 1605. Life He was from the family of Rait o ...

1598 to 1632, Moderator of Synod and Moderator of the Aberdeen General Assembly of 1605 * Alexander Scrogie 1621 to 1640 * William Strachan 1640 to 1653 *John Seaton 1656 to 1662 *Alexander Scrogie (secundus) 1659 to 1661 * Alexander Middleton 1661 to 1665 became Principal of

* Robert Reynold 1665 to 1670 also Rector of

*George Strachan (son of William) 1672 to 1678 * George Chalmers 1729 to 1745 also Principal of

* Patrick Forbes second charge 1816 to 1847, Moderator in 1829

Conservation and restoration

There has been considerable investment in recent years in restoration work and the improvement of the display of historic artefacts at the cathedral. The battlements of the western towers, incomplete for several centuries, have been renewed to their original height and design, greatly improving the appearance of the exterior. Meanwhile, within the building, a number of important stone monuments have been displayed to advantage. These include a possibly 7th-8th century cross-slab from Seaton (the only surviving evidence from

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

at such an early date); a rare 12th century sanctuary cross-head; and several well-preserved late medieval effigies of Cathedral clergy, valuable for their detailed representation of contemporary dress. A notable modern addition to the cathedral's artistic treasures is a carved wooden triptych commemorating

John Barbour John Barbour may refer to: * John Barbour (poet) (1316–1395), Scottish poet * John Barbour (MP for New Shoreham), MP for New Shoreham 1368-1382 * John Barbour (footballer) (1890–1916), Scottish footballer * John S. Barbour (1790–1855), U. ...

, archdeacon of Aberdeen (d. 1395), author of

The Brus ''The Brus'', also known as ''The Bruce'', is a long narrative poem, in Early Scots, of just under 14,000 octosyllabic lines composed by John Barbour which gives a historic and chivalric account of the actions of Robert the Bruce and Sir Jame ...

. In 1987, bells from the deconsecrated

St Stephen's Church, Ealing St Stephen's Church is a Church of England church on Castlebar Hill in Ealing. It was founded in 1867 as a Christian mission, mission and is now established as a separate parish. The first church building was a temporary tin tabernacle, iron ...

were restored by Eayre & Smith and installed in St Machar's. It is now one of the few churches in Scotland to have a set of bells designed for

change ringing Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a tightly controlled manner to produce precise variations in their successive striking sequences, known as "changes". This can be by method ringing in which the ringers commit to memor ...

. In 2020 the cathedral embarked on a £1.85m project to re-slate the roof, clean the heraldic ceiling, and repair some of the stained glass windows. Work, which was delayed by Covid-19 began mid-year and is expected to take until the end of 2020.

Stained Glass

Scots law and religious convention only allowed the re-introduction of stained glass in 1866 and there were no manufacturers then to fill the skills gap so the earliest windows are of English creation. The range and quality of stained glass in St Machar's is exceptional. * Main west window, by

Clayton and Bell Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832 ...

1870 - a set of seven narrow linear windows * Main east window, by William Wilson 1953 - flanked by small windows by

Daniel Cottier Daniel Cottier (1838–1891) was a British artist and designer born in Anderston, Glasgow, Scotland. His work was said to be influenced by the writing of John Ruskin, the paintings of the Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the work of William Morris. H ...

from 1870s * North aisle, window 1 - by Marjorie Kemp 1920s - Parable of the Talents * North aisle, window 2 - by Marjorie Kemp 1920s - Nativity as memorial to James W. H. Trail * North aisle, window 3 - by

Margaret Chilton Margaret Isobel Chilton (1875–1963), born at Clifton, Bristol, was a British stained glass artist and instructor. Career In the early 1900s she attended the Royal College of Art in London, where she was taught by Christopher Whall. In about ...

1920s - Dorcas window * North aisle, window 4 - by

1920s - Serpent and the Crucifixion * North aisle, window 5 - by

1920s - memorial to Marshall Gilchrist, organist * North aisle, window 7 - by

1870s - Memorial to James Jameson and James Auldjo Jameson * South aisle, window 1 - by

1870s * South aisle, window 2 - by

1870s - Faith Hope and Charity: A memorial to George Jamesone, John Philip and

William Dyce William Dyce (; 19 September 1806 in Aberdeen14 February 1864) was a Scottish painter, who played a part in the formation of public art education in the United Kingdom, and the South Kensington Schools system. Dyce was associated with the Pre-R ...

* South aisle, window 3 - by

Douglas Strachan Douglas Strachan (26 May 1875, Aberdeen, Scotland – 20 November 1950) is considered the most significant Scottish designer of stained glass windows in the 20th century. He is best known for his windows at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherl ...

1913 - the Bishops Window * South aisle, window 4 - by

1877 - as a memorial to Robert Smith DD * South aisle, window 5 - by

1924 - as a war memorial, depicting St Michael and the dragon over Aberdeen Bay * South aisle, window 6 - by

1908 - the Crombie window

Ceiling

The heraldic ceiling features 48

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in i ...

in three rows of sixteen. Among those shown are: *

Pope Leo X Pope Leo X ( it, Leone X; born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, 11 December 14751 December 1521) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 March 1513 to his death in December 1521. Born into the prominent political an ...

's coat of arms in the centre, followed in order of importance by those of the Scottish archbishops and bishops. * the Prior of St Andrews, representing other Church orders. * King's College, the westernmost shield. *

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV and Margaret Tudor, and du ...

and multiple instances for the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

, who was also King of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to s ...

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

and

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

at the time the ceiling was created. *

St Margaret of Scotland Saint Margaret of Scotland ( gd, Naomh Maighréad; sco, Saunt Marget, ), also known as Margaret of Wessex, was an English princess and a Scottish queen. Margaret was sometimes called "The Pearl of Scotland". Born in the Kingdom of Hungary to th ...

, possibly as a stand-in for

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Ma ...

, James V's mother, whose own arms would have been the marshalled arms of England and Scotland. * the arms of Aberdeen and of the families Gordon, Lindsay, Hay and Keith. The ceiling is set off by a frieze which starts at the north-west corner of the nave and lists the bishops of the see from Nechtan in 1131 to William Gordon at the Reformation in 1560. This is followed by the Scottish monarchs from Máel Coluim II to

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

. File:Shield of the Royal Burgh of Aberdeen.jpg, Royal Burgh of Aberdeen File:Shield of Charles V of Sicily.jpg, Charles V of Sicily File:Shield of St. Margaret of Scotland.jpg, St Margaret of Scotland File:Shield of James V of Scotland.jpg, King James V of Scotland File:Shield of Charles V - Holy Roman Emperor.jpg, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor File:Shield of Christian II of Denmark.jpg, Christian II of Denmark File:Shield of Henry VIII.jpg, King Henry VIII of England File:Sheild of Charles V of Spain.jpg, King Charles V of Spain

Internal burials

*William Wallace, Bishop of Culter Railway (1422–1440) *

William de Deyn William de Deyn ''de la Deyn(died 1350) was a 14th-century Scottish monk and cleric. Little can be said about Deyn's early life. He had obtained a licentiate in decrees at some point in his youth, and he must have become a Tironensian monk, fo ...

Bishop of Aberdeen The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nec ...

(1344–1350) *

John de Rait John de Rait ''Raith, Rathe, Rate, Rathetwas a 14th-century Scottish cleric. The name "Rait" probably links him to the village of Rait in Gowrie, although the name "Rath" – Gaelic for a type of enclosed settlement – is common to many settlem ...

, Bishop of Aberdeen (1350–1355) * Alexander de Kininmund, Bishop of Aberdeen (1355–1380) *

Henry de Lichton Henry de Lichton ''de Lychtone, Leighton(died 1440) was a medieval Scottish prelate and diplomat, who, serving as Bishop of Moray (1414–1422) and Bishop of Aberdeen (1422–1440), became a significant patron of the church, a cathedral ...

, Bishop of Aberdeen (1422–1440) * Gavin Dunbar (Bishop of Aberdeen), 1518/9–32 *

William Stewart (bishop of Aberdeen) William Stewart (c. 1490–1545) was a late medieval Scottish prelate. Born around 1490 in Glasgow, he was the son of Thomas Stewart of Minto. Details about his early life are obscure, but it is known that he attended the University of Glasg ...

, 1532–1545 * William Gordon (bishop), Bishop of Aberdeen (1545–1577) * Patrick Forbes, Bishop of Aberdeen (1618–1635) *

David Mitchel Bishop David Mitchel, Mitchell or Mitchelson (c.1591–1663) was a Scottish clergyman. Life Born in the Mearns, he was the son of a farmer in Garvock parish. He gained an MA degree from St Andrews University and became minister in his home pa ...

, Bishop of Aberdeen (1662–1663) *

Patrick Scougal Patrick Scougal (1607–1682) was a Scottish churchman who served as Bishop of Aberdeen. Life He was born in Haddington, East Lothian, a cousin of the painter John Scougal, in 1624 he graduated from the University of Edinburgh as Mast ...

, Bishop of Aberdeen (1664–1682)

External Burials

*Sir

Harvey Adamson Sir Harvey Adamson (7 October 1854 – 28 March 1941) was a member of the Indian Civil Service who served as an Ordinary Member of the Council of the Governor-General of India and Lieutenant Governor of the British Crown Colony of Burma from M ...

James Barron (harbour engineer) James Barron MICE JP (1842–1929) was a 19th/20th century Scottish engineer who specialised in harbour design in the north-east of Scotland. Life He was born in Peterhead the son of Archibald Barron, a trainee mason, and his first wife, ...

John Joy Bell John Joy Bell (7 June 1871 – 14 November 1934), known professionally as J.J. Bell, was a Scottish journalist and author. Life Born at 4 Bothwell Terrace in Hillhead, Glasgow he was the eldest son of James Taylor Bell, a tobacco manufactu ...

author *

artist *Very Rev Prof

Peter Colin Campbell Peter Colin Campbell (1810–1876) was a Scottish clergyman in the Church of Scotland who became the first professor at Queen's University, Canada and was later the first Principal of the University of Aberdeen, a role he held for 21 years ...

* James Edward Crombie philanthropist *

John William Crombie John William Crombie (4 March 1858 – 22 March 1908) was a Scottish woollen manufacturer, folklorist and Liberal Party politician. Early life Crombie was born in Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dhe ...

MP * George Dickie (botanist) * Very Rev Patrick Forbes *Sir

William Hamilton Fyfe Sir William Hamilton Fyfe (9 July 1878 – 13 June 1965) was an English and Canadian classics scholar, educator, and educational administrator. He served as the 10th Principal of Queen's University, Ontario, from 1930 to 1936, and was th ...

(memorial only) * Rev George Garden *

William Duguid Geddes Sir William Duguid Geddes (21 November 1828''Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950''9 February 1900) was a Scottish scholar and educationalist, who promoted the cause of classical Greek at the University of Aberdeen and later became ...

*Very Rev

Alexander Gerard Alexander Gerard FRSE (1728 –1795) was a Scottish minister, academic and philosophical writer. In 1764 he was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Life He was born on 22 February 1728, the son of Gilbert Gerard ...

* James Giles RSA *

David Gill (astronomer) Sir David Gill (12 June 1843 – 24 January 1914) was a Scottish astronomer who is known for measuring astronomical distances, for astrophotography, and for geodesy. He spent much of his career in South Africa. Life and work David Gill w ...

*Prof

John Harrower John Douglas Harrower (born 16 October 1947) is an Australian Anglican bishop who served as the eleventh Bishop of Tasmania from 2000 to 2015. Harrower was educated at the University of Melbourne and worked as a petroleum engineer and indu ...

* Jessie Seymour Irvine, hymn tune composer * Rev Prof William Jack principal of King's College *Very Rev John Marshall Lang * James Leatham social reformer and author *Bishop Henry Leighton *William Leslie of Nethermuir (1802-1879) Lord Provost of Aberdeen * John Lumsden * Hector Munro MacDonald * Very Rev Prof Roderick MacLeod (within the east enclosure) *Rev Prof

Duncan Mearns Duncan Mearns (1779–1852) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1821. He was professor of divinity at Aberdeen University from 1816. Life He was born in the manse at Cluny in Aberd ...

* George Pirie (mathematician) *Very Rev

William Robinson Pirie William Robinson Pirie (1804–1885) was a Scottish minister who served as Principal of Aberdeen University. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1864, the highest position in the Church of Scotland. He acti ...

*Prof Hercules Scott *James Augustus Sinclair, 16th

Earl of Caithness Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and it has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have ...

*Prof

David Thomson (physicist) Prof David Thomson (1817–1880) was a 19th-century Scottish physicist. He was known as Davie Thomson or later Auld Dauvit. Life He was born on 27 November 1817 the son of David Thomson a merchant in Leghorn in Italy. He was educated in Italy ...

*Lt General

William Montgomerie Thomson Lieutenant General Sir William Montgomerie Thomson (1877–1963) was a senior British Army officer who became military governor of Baku in 1918. Military career Born on 2 December 1877, William Thomson was the fourth son of Captain William Tho ...

(memorial only) * Philip Tidyman *Prof James W. H. Trail *Very Rev

Samuel Trail Samuel Trail (1806–1887) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1874. Life He was born in the parish of Udny on 31 May 1806, the son of John T. Trail, a farmer. He studied divinity ...

References

External links

St Machar's Cathedral website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Machars Cathedral Category A listed buildings in Aberdeen Listed cathedrals in Scotland Medieval cathedrals in Scotland Cathedrals of the Church of Scotland Tourist attractions in Aberdeenshire