Kirk O' Field
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The Collegiate Church of St Mary in the Fields (commonly known as Kirk o' Field) was a pre-
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
,
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 ...
. Likely founded in the 13th century and secularised at the Reformation, the church's site is now covered by Old College. The Augustinian monks of
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
held superiority over the church and likely founded it as a centre of education in the 13th century. The church appears to have been raised to collegiate status in the early 16th century. Around this time, erection of the Flodden Wall brought the church just within the bounds of the city and overlooking the Potterow Port, which was also known as the Kirk o' Field Port. After the church was secularised at the Reformation, the
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...
acquired its land and provostry. The area became the first site of the town's college: later, the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
. The church is also notable for its association with the murder of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, husband of
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 ...
, which took place in the vicinity in 1567. Contemporary illustrations show the church as possessing a saddle-roofed tower. The most detailed illustration, from 1567, also shows a tall
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
and lower
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
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
. The church's ruins were removed in the early 17th century. The site is now covered by Old College. Excavations of Old College quadrangle in 2010 found remains that may be associated with the church. In 1969 a church on The Pleasance, Edinburgh, adopted the name Kirk o' Field Parish Church, it is now the Greyfriars Charteris Centre.


History


Early years

The church is first recorded in Bagimond's Roll of around 1275. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Consolation and may have been established around the same time as the neighbouring church of the Blackfriars, which was founded in 1230. A document of 1428 refers to St Mary's as a chapel but it is described as a church in a document of 1489. The church belonged to the Augustinian monks of
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
and may have been founded by them for educational purposes. St Mary's appears to have been raised to the status of a collegiate church early in the 16th century. References are made to the
prebendaries A prebendary is a member of the 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 choir s ...
and the master of the church in separate documents of 1511 with a further mention of the provost and prebendaries in a text of 1512. In litigtion between
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
and the church in 1523, it is stated that the abbey had superiority of the church and had raised it to the status of a colleagiate church. David Vocat, noted as a chaplain of the church in 1509 and as its provost in 1527 (albeit, the source for the latter is ambiguous), supported the erection of an altar in the church in 1518 and the creation of four prebendaries in 1528. These references may suggest he was also the founder of the collegiate church.


Surroundings

The church's name is recorded in Latin as name as ''Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae in Campis'': "the church of St Mary in the Fields. "The Fields" refers to the fact that the church was initially outside the town wall. The church possessed a successful garden that stretched down to the
Cowgate The Cowgate (Scots language, Scots: The Cougait) is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, located about southeast of Edinburgh Castle, within the city's World Heritage Site. The street is part of the lower level of Edinburgh's Old Town, Edinburgh, ...
, incorporating the area now represented by Old College, Infirmary Street, High School Yards. From this garden,
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 ...
obtained the seeds to plant his "new garden" at
Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...
. With the construction of the Flodden Wall between 1513 and 1515, the church was brought within the burgh's boundaries. The south wall of the church's grounds was strengthened to create the new wall. The wall at the church was rebuilt in 1567. The church's tower commanded the view over the southern entry to the town at Potterrow Port, which was also known as the Kirk o' Field Port. The church gave its name to the wynd now known as College Wynd. Initially, it was known as the Wynd of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Field. With the college's expansion in the 16th century, new houses were constructed around the church for the provost,
precentor A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...
, and prebendaries. The prebendaries' houses and the hospital attached to them were destroyed by the English during Hertford's raid in 1544. The church also possessed a tenement dedicated to the altar of St Katherine, located in the Cowgate at the foot of what is now Blair Street. The Duke of Châtellerault purchased the remains of the hospital around 1551 and built a mansion noted for its gardens and painted windows. This later served as the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
's library, only being demolished in 1798.


Reformation and aftermath

At the time of the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
, the college consisted of a provost, ten prebendaries, and two
chorister A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
s. At the Reformation, the church was secularised. In 1563, the
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...
purchased the buildings from their titular provost, William Penicuik, for £1,000. The following year, the sale remained unconcluded. To put pressure on the town council, Penicuik began to sell the stonework of the building. The sale was concluded but the plan to establish a college appears to have fallen dormant. On 10 February,
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley (1546 – 10 February 1567) was King of Scotland as the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, from 29 July 1565 until his murder in 1567. Lord Darnley had one child with Mary, the future James VI of Scotland and I ...
, husband of
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 ...
, was found dead in the vicinity of the church. The explosion preceding Darnley's death destroyed the provost's house and several other buildings surrounding the church. By the time of Darnley's murder, the buildings were in possession of a new titular provost, Robert Balfour, who, accused of involvement in Darnley's death, forfeited them in 1579. The provostry was granted to the town council in 1581. Plans for a college were again in motion by the late 1570s. Despite the town's having considered
Trinity College Kirk Trinity College Kirk was a Scottish monarchy, royal collegiate church in Edinburgh, Scotland. The kirk and its adjacent almshouse, Trinity Hospital, were founded in 1460 by Mary of Guelders in memory of her husband, King James II of Sco ...
as the site for the new institution, Kirk o' Field was again selected as the college's site. The 1582 royal charter which permitted the town council to establish colleges named the Kirk o' Field site as the possession of the council. The college which developed into the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
was built on the site, opening in 1583. The tower was taken down by Michael Hunter in 1616 and the last remnants of the church were removed around 1629, when the upper court of the college was terraced. In 1969, the name Kirk o' Field was revived for a
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
parish church on the Pleasance. The church, whose building has housed the Greyfriars Charteris Centre since 2016, had no direct historical connection to the pre-Reformation collegiate church.


Provosts

The following clergy served as provost of the Collegiate Church of St Mary in the Fields, their names are given along with the dates which can be established for their provostries. Richard Bothwell and John Spittal appear in litigation in 1543 over who was rightly provost, as did William Penicuik and Alexander Forrest in 1562–1563. The controversies are the reason for their overlapping dates. The provostry was vested in the
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland In 2002, 49 urban district councils and 26 town commissi ...
in 1581. Matthew Ker: 1511, 1512–1515
Richard Bothwell: 1523–1544
David Vocat: 1527 (ambiguous source)
John Spittal: 1543–1552
William Penicuik: c1550–1563, 1566
Alexander Forrest: 1552–1561
Robert Balfour: 1566–1579
John Gibb: 1579–


Building

Only two contemporary illustrations of Kirk o' Field exist. One, from a plan of 1544, shows it as a large cross-plan church with central, saddle-roofed tower. The illustration of 1567 also shows a tall, square-based tower with saddle-roof and
crow-stepped gable A stepped gable, crow-stepped gable, or corbie step is a stairstep type of design at the top of the triangular gable-end of a building. The top of the parapet wall projects above the roofline and the top of the brick or stone wall is stacked in ...
s. In contrast to the 1544 illustration, the 1567 illustration depicts the tower at the west end of the church. This tower would have commanded the view over the southern entry to the town at Potterrow Port. As the 1544 depiction is part of a plan, it is likely to be simplified. The 1567 sketch therefore provides the best evidence of the church's appearance. The 1567 illustration shows a low
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
transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
with a taller
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
. Henry F. Kerr argued the transept and nave dated to around 1230 while the choir was enlarged at the church's elevation to collegiate status, which Kerr dates to the 15th century. Kerr also believed the upper, crow-stepped stage of the tower was later than the original 13th-century church. The saddle-roofed tower with gables at the east and west ends appear in the 1544 illustration: this is the usual orientation of gables in Scottish medieval churches. R. H. Mahon proposed that the choir also terminated in an
apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
and that the lower edifice shown between the tower and the nave in the 1567 illustration was the Austin friars' college rather than the nave. The site of the church is now covered by Old College. In 2010, archaeological excavations of the quadrangle of Old College uncovered human remains believed to have been associated with the church. The excavations found that the last remnants of the church had been removed with the lowering of the ground at the completion of Old College around 1832. Remains of what was believed to be a prebendary's house were, however, discovered at the south-east corner of the quadrangle.


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{cite book , last1=Watt , first1=D. E. R. , date=1969 , title=Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae Medii Aevi ad annum 1638 (Second Draft) , publisher=Scottish Record Society, isbn=


External links


Canmore: Edinburgh, Collegiate Church Of St Mary In The Fields
13th-century establishments in Scotland 16th-century establishments in Scotland Demolished buildings and structures in Scotland Churches in Edinburgh Collegiate churches in Scotland