The Church of the Friars Preachers of St Laurence, Stirling, commonly called Blackfriars, was a

mendicant A mendicant (from , "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, Mendicant orders, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many i ...

friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

founded in the 13th century at

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

History

The ''Chronica Extracta'' and

John Spottiswoode John Spottiswoode (Spottiswood, Spotiswood, Spotiswoode or Spotswood) (1565 – 26 November 1639) was an Archbishop of St Andrews, Primate of All Scotland, Lord Chancellor, and historian of Scotland. Life He was born in 1565 at Greenbank in ...

alleged that the Stirling Dominican house was founded by King

Alexander II of Scotland Alexander II ( Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; nicknamed "the Peaceful" by modern historians; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined t ...

(d. 1249). Spottiswoode was particularly specific, giving a foundation date of 1233. These dates are possible, but unconfirmed by contemporary evidence. The Stirling Dominican friary lasted over three centuries.

Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie (also Lindesay or Lyndsay; c. 1532–1580) was a Scottish chronicler, author of ''The Historie and Chronicles of Scotland, 1436–1565'', the first history of Scotland to be composed in Scots rather than Lat ...

claimed that it was destroyed by

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

s in June 1559, a claim partially confirmed in a document of 12 September 1559, which speaks of the ejection of the prior and the destruction of the house earlier in the year. The possessions of the friary went into the hands of Alexander Erskine of Cangnoir, though on 15 April 1567,

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 List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

, granted the revenues of all religious houses in the

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

of Stirling to the burgh authorities. Erskine however appears to have retained possession of this friary's revenues, while it is clear that the burgh of Stirling did not gain possession until 1652.

Burials

Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox Donnchadh of Lennox was the Mormaer of Lennox from 1385 to 1425. He was a son of Baltar mac Amlaimh and Margaret, daughter of Domhnall, Earl of Lennox. When Domhnall of Lennox died in 1365, Donnchadh's mother Margaret became ruler of Lennox. I ...

Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany () (1362 – 25 May 1425) was a leading Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, and the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389, he became Justicia ...

References

* Cowan, Ian B. & Easson, David E., ''Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man'', Second Edition, (London, 1976)

External links

* Ronald Page & Catherine Page
Blackfriars of Stirling
''Proc Soc Antiq Scot'', 126 (1996), 881-898 {{coord, 56, 07, 10, N, 3, 56, 12, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title 1233 establishments in Scotland 1559 disestablishments in Scotland Churches in Stirling (council area) Dominican houses in Scotland History of Stirling (council area) Former Christian monasteries in Scotland Buildings and structures in Stirling (city)

History

Burials

See also

References

External links