Shortly after the erection of the five chapels on the south side of the
nave, another chapel was built on the north side of the nave, to the
[Illustration: FIG. 826.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. South Piers of
Crossing.]
west of the old Norman doorway. This chapel, called the Albany aisle
(Fig. 828), is 32 feet long by 12 feet in width. It opens from the nave
[Illustration: FIG. 827.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. North Piers of
Crossing.]
[Illustration: FIG 828.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. The Albany
Aisle.]
with two arches, which rest on a central pillar, and the roof is covered
with groined vaulting in two bays. The central pillar and the two
responds are moulded, and have caps and bases, all in the same style as
those of the south chapels. The cap of the central pillar contains two
shields, the arms on which not only give a clue to the date of the
chapel, but also recall a dark passage in Scottish history. One of these
shields (that on the south) bears the arms of Robert, Duke of Albany,
the second son of Robert II. (the Scottish lion quartered with the fesse
chequé for Stewart); the other, or north shield, bears the well-known
Douglas arms, being those of Archibald, Fourth Earl of Douglas. These
two noblemen were both implicated in the death of David, Duke of
Rothesay, who, in 1401, was starved to death at Falkland Palace; and it
is believed that this chapel was erected by them as a good work in
expiation of their horrid crime, or, at least, in order to propitiate
the clergy. The architecture of the chapel is light and elegant, and the
vaulting is enriched with bosses, one of which contains the monogram of
the Blessed Virgin.
Two other chapels were added on the north side of the nave, to the east
of the Norman doorway, probably about this period. The eastern of these
chapels was dedicated to St. Eloi.
The vaulting of the north aisle of the nave was almost necessarily
rebuilt at the time when the north chapels were erected.
About half a century after the above restoration, great extensions and
improvements were undertaken. It is believed, from the internal evidence
of the architecture, that the extensions of St. Giles’ were carried out
under the auspices of Queen Mary of Gueldres, by whom also Trinity
College Church, Edinburgh, was founded in 1462.
During the fifteenth century St. Giles’ received many endowments,
chiefly from merchants of Edinburgh, and increased considerably in
wealth, so that funds would thus be forthcoming for the new work. Money
was also contributed by the Town Council, who raised it by fines and
otherwise.
The extensions undertaken at this time consisted of (1) the lengthening
of the choir by one bay; (2) the heightening of the central aisle of the
choir and vaulting it anew, together with the introduction of a new
clerestory; (3) the lengthening of the transepts.
It is thus apparent that the edifice was to a great extent
remodelled--the north and south aisles of the choir, and the central and
recently renewed side aisles and chapels of the nave, being the only
portions left untouched. The south aisle of the nave had (as above
mentioned) been remodelled some fifty years before, when the five
chapels were added to the south of it. The south wall of the south aisle
had then been removed, and its place supplied by the pillars which
connected it with the five added chapels (Fig. 829); while at the same
time both aisle and chapels had been vaulted with finely groined vaults,
having numerous moulded ribs springing from corbels inserted above the
capitals.
1. The first of the alterations of about 1460, above mentioned, is the
lengthening of the choir by one bay. The original east wall, no doubt,
[Illustration: FIG. 829.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. South Aisle of
Nave and South Chapels.]
stood where the two eastern free pillars now stand; and, the wall having
to be removed, the two new pillars (Fig. 830) were substituted for it.
These pillars and the two responds against the east wall tell a very
remark-able
[Illustration: FIG. 830.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Choir.]
[Illustration: FIG. 831.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. The East Pillar,
South Side of Choir.]
and interesting story, and prove beyond doubt the date of the
work. Each capital contains four shields (Fig. 831), which are explained
by Dr. Laing in the following manner:--The north or, as it is commonly
called, the king’s pillar contains in its sculptured cap a series of
heraldic emblems of special significance. The shield facing the east
contains the royal arms (Fig. 832), with a label of three points, which,
no doubt, denotes the infant heir to the throne, James III. The shield
facing the west is also carved with the royal lion rampant, with its
double tressure; but the top of the shield is unfinished. This is
probably the arms of James II. The shield
[Illustration: FIG. 832.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Shield bearing
the Royal Arms.]
[Illustration: FIG. 833.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Shield bearing
Arms of Bishop Kennedy.]
[Illustration: FIG. 834.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Shield bearing
Arms of Nicholas de Otterburn.]
facing the north contains the arms of Mary of Gueldres, impaled with the
royal arms. This also is unfinished on the top. The shield facing the
south has the three fleurs-de-lys for France, the old ally of Scotland.
These shields clearly connect the pillar with Mary of Gueldres and her
husband, James II., and their son, James III. The marriage of the king
and queen took place in 1449, and James III. was born in 1453. His
father was killed at the siege of Roxburgh Castle in 1460, and Mary of
Gueldres died in 1463. The work was, therefore, probably executed
between 1453 and 1463. The unfinished condition of the west and north
shields may, perhaps, point to a date shortly after the king’s death and
before that of Mary of Gueldres. The heraldic devices on the other
pillars and responds are those of distinguished men of the time. On the
pillar on the south side of the choir, the shield facing the east bears
three unicorns’ heads (see Fig. 831), the arms of William Preston of
Gorton, who bestowed (as we shall see) a great gift on the church. The
shield on the west bears the arms of Bishop Kennedy (Fig. 833), a
chevron between three crosses crossleted, surrounded by a double
tressure. This prelate, who
[Illustration: FIG. 835.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. East Pillar of
Choir.]
[Illustration: FIG. 836.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. The Crossing,
from the Nave.]
was a grandson of Robert III., was Bishop of St. Andrews, and one of the
most eminent men of the period. The shield on the north (Fig. 834) bears
the arms of Nicholas de Otterburn, who was Vicar of Edinburgh in 1455,
and who had been sent to France in 1448 in connection with the selection
of Mary of Gueldres as the bride of James II. The south shield bears a
castle, being the emblem of the city (see Fig. 831).
The north respond contains the arms (three cranes gorged) of Thomas
Cranstoun, Chief Magistrate of Edinburgh in 1439 and also in 1454. As
formerly, the good town which he represented would aid in the
restoration.
The south respond bears the arms of Napier of Merchiston, Provost of
Edinburgh, 1457--viz., a saltier engrailed, cantoned with four roses.
These new pillars and responds (Fig. 835) differ entirely from the older
plain octagonal ones. They are of a form which became very common in
Scotland after this time. The pillars are moulded, rather than
clustered, and contain a variety of mouldings instead of shafts. These
rise from a base which is moulded and ornamented with carvings, and is
set on one or two high plinths. The pillar is crowned with a
richly-moulded capital, the lower or bed mould being carved with
cherubs’ heads, fitted into the re-entering angles of the pier, while
the upper mouldings run in straight lines, and include several of the
members of the piers in one stretch.
The mouldings of the main arches, which spring from these piers, are
also richer than the plain splays of the older arches.
2. The heightening of the choir and the introduction of a new clerestory
were also carried out shortly after the middle of the fifteenth century.
The height of the former vault of the choir is shown by the vault of the
crossing (Fig. 836), which it doubtless resembled, and which was not
altered at this time. The former position of the vault of the choir is
also indicated by portions of the groins, which have only been partly
cut away, and which are still visible, springing directly from the caps
of the choir piers at the previous low level (see Fig. 830). The ancient
vault of the choir, springing, as it did, directly from the caps of the
main piers, would only afford room under the wall rib for small
clerestory windows. Traces of several similar small windows may still be
observed over the main arcade on the south side of the nave, where they
have been built up at some period--perhaps during the alterations in
1829; but the rybats and arches are still traceable. The outline of the
old roof may also be observed against the east and west walls of the
tower (see Fig. 836), the raglet and a stepped string course above it
being yet preserved, and being specially apparent on the east side next
the choir.
The condition of the walls where they have been heightened for the
clerestory also indicates that some of the old vaulting has been cut
off, and new masonry substituted. The clerestory is carried up so as to
admit of good windows, each with arched head, and divided into two
lights by a central mullion (see Fig. 830). The traceried heads have
drop arches on the inside. The new vaulting is of simple, but elegant,
design. The ribs of the vault are moulded, and are provided, besides
the main cross ribs, with ridge ribs and intermediate ribs; and the
junctions are all ornamented with large and finely-carved bosses, of
which some examples are given (Figs. 837 and 838). The curved panels of
the vaults are arranged so as to be either parallel or at right angles
to the side walls, so that the joints of the stones composing the
different vaulting surfaces are all set at right angles to one another,
being the plan usually adopted in England, but not in France. The ribs
of the vaults spring from the carved caps (Fig. 839) of short and light
vaulting shafts, inserted in the side walls and resting on corbels,
considerably above the caps of the main piers (see Fig. 830). The
insertion of these shafts in the old masonry is plainly visible.
[Illustration: FIG. 837.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Bosses in
Choir.]
The beauty of the vaulting of the central aisle is particularly
noticeable when contrasted with that of the side aisles. The eastern or
extended bay of the choir aisles, being new, has been vaulted with
groined vaulting in the same manner as the central aisle, but the old
portions of the aisles are vaulted with what nearly approaches to a
domical form (Fig. 840). Each bay has the usual transverse and diagonal
ribs, but the surfaces of the vault are domed up above the wall rib at
the side walls, so that the height to which the windows may be carried
is greatly reduced from what it might be with groined vaults, similar to
those of the central aisle. The difference of this style of vaulting
from the true groined vaulting used in the eastern compartment is most
marked, and its effect on the height of the windows is distinctly
observable in the different divisions of the aisles.
[Illustration: FIG. 838.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Boss in Choir.]
[Illustration: FIG. 839.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Cap of Vaulting
Shaft in Choir.]
The vaulting of the nave remained at this time unaltered at its
comparatively low level, and over the vault of the central aisle there
existed an attic story, which formed the house of the bell-ringer, and
contained several rooms. The vaulting of the aisles of the nave (as
above mentioned) had already been altered, and several chapels had been
extended northwards from the north aisle. These projected beyond the old
Norman porch, and thus placed it in a recess. The central crossing, with
its vault, was left unaltered, and still remains in the same position,
with its vaulting at the level it was raised to about 1400. It thus
forms a break between the nave and choir, in both of which the vault
has been raised (see Fig. 836).
[Illustration: FIG. 840.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. South Aisle of
Choir.]
3. The transepts were extended, their original length being marked by
breaks in the roof, where the vaulting terminates. The extension is
[Illustration: FIG. 841.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Junction of
Vault of South Transept.]
specially observable in the vaulting, the vaults of the transept having
to be carried on arches which rest on corbels, inserted in the arches of
the aisles, in an awkward manner (see Fig. 829 and Fig. 841). The east
window of the north transept, which had been long obscured by a
structure built against it, was recently discovered and opened up. It is
of good, but late, decorated work (Fig. 842), and probably gives an idea
of the mullions which, no doubt, formerly existed in the windows of the
nave and choir, but which have been removed and traceries of 1829
substituted. The details of this window, as shown in Fig. 842, are the
only original window details now remaining in the church. The window is
of three lights, with an arched transom ornamented with battlements,
like some windows at Melrose. In the interior very elaborate niches were
found, with ornamental canopies, which have been unfortunately much
destroyed. Over the windows, on the outside, there were in position two
corbels, supporting the wall-head parapet. As these would have been
concealed by the vaulting of the Chambers aisle (which was recently
inserted), they were built into the piers at the arch springers of the
entrance to that aisle. Amongst the rubbish cleared out in opening up
this window, a rude Norman capital was found built into the wall.
The north transept was considerably widened, in 1829, by setting back
the west wall and wheel stair. A portion of the old arcading is still
visible at the break on the west side.
It has been mentioned above that Sir William Preston of Gorton was a
benefactor of St. Giles’. In 1454, after much trouble and expense
abroad, and aided by “a high and mighty prince, the King of France, and
many other Lords of France,” he succeeded in obtaining an arm bone of
the Patron Saint, which he generously bequeathed to the church. The Town
Council were so gratified with the gift that they resolved to add an
aisle to the choir in commemoration of the event, and to place therein a
tablet of brass narrating the bounty of Sir William. This aisle was to
be built within six or seven years, “furth frae our Lady Isle where the
said William lyis.” From this it appears that the south aisle of the
nave was known as the lady chapel, and that Sir William had been buried
there. The above resolution was carried into effect, and a new aisle,
called the Preston Aisle (see Fig. 824), was constructed to the south of
the lady chapel. In carrying this out the south wall opposite the three
westmost bays of the choir was removed, and three arches carried on two
piers substituted (Fig. 843). These piers and arches correspond with the
work of the same period at the east end of the choir. The vaulting is
also of a similar light and elegant character, and has similar
intermediate ribs or tiercerons and ridge ribs. The vaulting is raised
considerably above the arches next the aisle, and is carried on caps,
which have short shafts resting on corbels. One of these contains a
shield bearing the three unicorns’ heads of the Prestons.
[Illustration: Section of Mouldings of Window Jamb and Niche.
Interior.
Exterior.
FIG. 842.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. East Window of North
Transept.]
[Illustration: FIG. 843.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Preston Aisle.]
The aisle had one large window in the east end and three windows to the
south. This structure extends into the choir the great width of the
four aisles of the church previously formed in the nave, thus adding
greatly both to the superficial area and to the appearance of
spaciousness and grandeur of the edifice.
[Illustration: FIG. 844.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Monument in
Lauder’s Aisle.]
The church, in its full length and breadth, was now complete in all its
parts, as it still remains internally, with a few exceptions, till the
present day. It measures internally 196 feet from east to west by 125
feet from north to south across the transepts. The choir is 68 feet in
width over the north and south aisles, and the Preston aisle is 45 feet
6 inches in length and 27 feet in width. The nave, including the five
south chapels, is 81 feet in length by 91 feet in width within the
walls.
Several additional chapels were afterwards thrown out. In 1513 an aisle
of two arches was formed by Alexander Lauder, of Blyth, Provost of the
city; and in 1518 the altar of the Holy Blood was erected in this aisle,
which lay on the south of the nave, and to the east of the south porch,
immediately adjoining the south transept. It was 29 feet long by 14 feet
wide, and opened into the south chapels of the nave with two arches, and
had two windows to the south. Between these windows, and recessed in the
wall, has now been erected what was, doubtless, a handsome monument
(Fig. 844), containing a recumbent statue, or was, as some suppose, part
of the canopy of the altar.
During the alterations of 1829 one half of this chapel was obliterated;
but the monument is still preserved, and its details are illustrated in
Figs. 845 and 846.
[Illustration: FIG. 845.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Details of
Monument in Lauder’s Aisle.]
In 1466 the Church of St. Giles was erected, by charter of James III.,
into a collegiate establishment, but is not called collegiate till 1475.
The chapter consisted of a provost, curate, sixteen prebendaries, a
minister of the choir, four choristers, a sacristan, and a beadle.
Besides these, there were chaplains ministering at thirty-six altars in
the church. The number of clergy connected with the establishment
probably reached about one hundred, who were supported by its
endowments. The perpetual vicar became the first provost, and the second
provost was Gavin Douglas, whose translation of Virgil’s _Æneid_ into
the Scottish language was the first version of a Latin classic rendered
into any British tongue.
The erection of St. Giles’ into a collegiate establishment was chiefly
effected through the exertions of the Town Council, who were desirous
of raising the status of their parish church. A great impetus was thus
given to the contributions of the faithful, and money for the “new work”
was also raised by fines.
After this period a few additions still continued to be made to the
fabric. A small chapel, called the Chepman aisle, was thrown out from
the Preston aisle close to the south transept. It measures about 14 feet
long by 12 feet wide, and opens from the Preston aisle with a pointed
arch (Fig. 847). The ceiling is formed with a pointed barrel vault,
ornamented with cross ribs, which spring from large carved corbels. This
chapel was founded and dedicated to St. John the Evangelist by Walter
Chepman, called the Scottish Caxton, from his having, in 1507,
introduced the art of printing into Scotland. St. John’s emblem of the
eagle (Fig. 848) is carved on one of the corbels of the roof. Chepman’s
enterprise was greatly encouraged by James IV. and his Queen Margaret;
and, in thankfulness for the royal patronage, this chapel was dedicated
by Chepman, on 21st August 1513, to the welfare of the souls of the king
and queen, and their offspring. This happened within a month of James’s
death at Flodden, on 9th September 1513. Chepman himself was buried in
this aisle in 1532. The south transept seems to have been extended
southwards when the two chapels last mentioned were erected.
[Illustration: FIG. 846.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Mouldings of
Monument.]
The only part of the interior of the structure still unmentioned is a
chapel to the east of the north transept. This building was at one time
used by the Town Clerk as his office, and contained several stories and
a staircase. It is said to have been erected after the Reformation, but
it was altered, having large windows inserted, and was connected with
the church as a vestry in 1829. It has recently been set apart to
contain the monument of Dr. Wm. Chambers, to whose liberality the city
is indebted for the complete renovation of the ancient cathedral.
In 1829 the church was entirely renewed as regards the exterior, when
two chapels to the south of those built in 1389 and the south porch
were
[Illustration: FIG. 847.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. The Chepman
Aisle, from the Preston Aisle.]
removed. The round arched doorway of the south porch (Fig. 849) was
again erected between the north pillars of the crossing as the entrance
to the central division of the church. It has now been transferred to
the entrance doorway to the royal pew at the east end of the Preston
aisle. Fig. 850 shows the carved ornaments of this doorway, which are
all in the decorated style of its period.
[Illustration: FIG. 848.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Chepman Aisle:
Corbel of Vault.]
The only portions of the exterior which escaped renewal were the tower
and steeple. Fortunately the well-known crown of St Giles’ (Fig. 851),
which forms such a characteristic object in almost every view of
Edinburgh, was not interfered with in 1829. The date of its erection is
unknown, but to judge from its style it was probably built after the
great alterations in the interior were carried out. This crown
termination seems to have been a favourite feature with Scottish
architects. The crown of the tower of King’s College, Aberdeen, was
built after 1505, and similar crowns formerly existed on the towers of
Linlithgow and Haddington churches. The crown of St. Nicholas’ Church,
Newcastle, which is probably the only other steeple of this kind in
Great Britain, is also of a late date. There is a crown of the same
description on the tower of the Town Hall at Oudenarde, in Belgium,
[Illustration: FIG. 849.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Doorway of South
Porch and Section of Mouldings.]
which is also of late Gothic work, and there can be no hesitation in
assigning a late date (probably about 1500) to that of St Giles’. It is
a very picturesque and striking design, and accords well with its
surroundings
[Illustration: FIG. 850.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Details of
Doorway to Royal Pew.]
[Illustration: FIG. 851.--St. Giles’ Collegiate Church. Tower and
Crown.]
in the Old Town. Some of the above crown steeples have an arch thrown
from each angle to a central pinnacle, an arrangement which renders them
rather thin and empty looking; but that of St. Giles’ has, in addition
to the arches from the angles, another arch cast from the centre of each
side to the centre pinnacle (Figs. 852 and 853). This produces an
octagonal appearance, which, together with the numerous crocketed
pinnacles with which the arches are ornamented, gives a richness and
fullness of effect which is wanting in some of the other steeples of
this description (Fig. 854). The steeple of St. Giles’ was partly
rebuilt in 1648.
Towards the beginning of the sixteenth century, several of the guilds
had chapels assigned to them, for which they contributed to the church
funds. St. Eloi’s Chapel was given to the hammermen, and the “blue
blanket,” the flag to which the trades rallied, was kept there. Other
chapels and altars were set apart for the other corporations and trades,
and maintained by them. Many individuals famous in Scottish history were
buried in St. Giles’. Amongst these was Napier, the inventor of
logarithms, who died in 1617. His tomb is now inserted in the exterior
of the north wall of the choir, having been removed there, in 1829, from
the south side of the church. There still exist the remains of an arched
tomb recessed in the interior of the north wall of the choir, nearly
opposite the above, but no clue can be found to the name of the person
buried there. The Regent Murray, who was assassinated at Linlithgow in
1569, was buried in the south aisle. His monument was destroyed, but the
brass plate containing the inscription written in his honour by George
Buchanan was fortunately rescued, and has again been inserted in a new
monument erected in the Murray aisle (Fig. 855). The scattered members
of the body of the great Montrose were collected and buried in the
Chepman aisle in the south part of St. Giles’ in 1661, but all trace of
his remains has now been lost, and no monument till recently marked his
grave.
The Norman doorway on the north side of the church, which had been
carefully preserved for upwards of five centuries, and had survived all
the above alterations and reconstructions, was taken down and removed in
1798, probably, as Sir D. Wilson suggests, “for no better reason than to
evade the cost of its repair.”
The disturbances of the Reformation broke out in Edinburgh at an early
date, and the Church of St. Giles was one of the first to suffer. In
1556 several of the images were stolen from the church, and next year
that of St. Giles was carried off by the mob, and first drowned in the
North Loch, and then burned. His arm bone, regarded as so precious one
hundred years before, is supposed to have been thrown out into the
adjoining churchyard. The church was pillaged and the altars and images
cast down. The valuables, however, were taken possession of by the
authorities and sold, and the proceeds spent in the repair of the
[Illustration: Plan through Parapet.
Plan through Pinnacle, looking down.