The town of Douglas, in the parish of the same name, stands in the Upper
Ward of Lanarkshire, about 3½ miles south from Douglas Station, on the
Lesmahagow branch of the Caledonian Railway. The town and castle are
closely connected with the great Douglas family, several members of
which are buried in the church, and have sumptuous monuments erected
therein to their memory.
The church of Douglas existed in the twelfth century, but the present
structure is of considerably later date. Douglas Church belonged to
Kelso Abbey. In the end of the fourteenth century it was made a prebend
of Glasgow Cathedral. The ancient church here, in 1307, played an
important part in one of the bold feats of the Good Sir James Douglas in
the time of Bruce. The English garrison of Douglas Castle, being
assembled in the church, were attacked by Sir James, and were all
killed.
The church, of which some fragments are still preserved, was doubtless
destroyed during the troublous times of the War of Independence. The
present structure, of which little but the choir remains, appears to
have been built about the end of the fourteenth century. Its
architecture is very simple, all the rybats and mullions having plain
splays instead of mouldings.
The choir (Fig. 914) measures, internally, 40 feet in length by 17 feet
4 inches in width, and has no aisles. There has at one time been a nave,
the large arch to which, though built up, is visible in the wall between
the nave and choir.
The central part of the nave has entirely disappeared, and its space
now forms part of the churchyard. There remains, however, what has
apparently been the south aisle of the nave. It has been connected with
the central aisle by two arches, the central pillar and west respond of
which still survive, though built up with modern masonry. This aisle is
about 38 feet in length by 20 feet in width over the walls. In the
north-east angle of the aisle a square turret, about 10 feet over the
walls, has been erected.
The choir contains a large three-light window in the east end (Fig.
915), having two mullions, which form three smaller pointed arches
within the large arch-head. In the south side there are three similar
windows, but smaller, the central one having the sill kept very high,
and being thus of a stunted appearance.
[Illustration: FIG. 914.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Plan.]
The monument in the south side, which contains the effigies of James,
seventh Earl of Douglas, and his wife, has required a break to be formed
in the wall on the exterior, so as to allow breadth for the two figures
under the canopy.
The entrance to the choir is by a modernised doorway in the north wall,
close to the west end. On entering one is struck by the fine appearance
of the large monuments (Fig. 916), especially those on the left or north
side. These monuments, as well as the whole building, have evidently
been considerably repaired within recent years. Until about fifteen
years ago the church was in a miserable condition, the windows being
built up, so that the monuments could only be seen by lamp light. The
building stood open, and the school children (the schoolhouse being
[Illustration: FIG. 915.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. View from
South-East.]
near) used it as a place to play in. It is, therefore, no wonder that
the fine monuments and effigies suffered damage. The whole have been
[Illustration: FIG. 916.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Interior
of Choir.]
[Illustration: FIG. 917.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Monument
of the Good Sir James Douglas.]
repaired by Lord Home, and are now in excellent condition, and a new
roof has been placed on the building.
The oldest monument is, doubtless, that in the north wall (Fig. 917),
near the doorway. It is traditionally ascribed to the Good Sir James,
the staunch adherent and companion in arms of Bruce. He died in Spain,
in 1331, when on his way to the Holy Land with the heart of King Robert.
The tomb contains a broken effigy, having a shield on the left side, and
with hands drawing his sword, but the right arm is broken off. The legs
have been crossed, but the upper limb is broken off by the knee. The
head rests on a cushion and the feet against a mutilated animal,
probably a lion. This monument is illustrated by Blore in his
_Monumental Remains_, and the effigy is pronounced by him to be of a
date anterior to the time of Sir James. The canopy is of a much later
period, probably fifteenth century.[182] It comprises a large pointed
arch with fine detached and freely cut cusping, surmounted by a
crocketed label moulding of ogee form, terminating in a large finial,
which reaches to the top of the wall of the church. A buttress on each
side, set diagonally, encloses the monument. Each buttress has a tall
crocketed pinnacle and foliaged finial. The shield in the spandril of
the canopy contains the heart, an addition to the Douglas Arms, made in
consequence of Sir James’s mission to the Holy Land with Bruce’s heart.
To the east of the above monument in the north wall is that of
Archibald, fifth Earl of Douglas (Fig. 918), who died in 1438. He was
the son of Archibald, fourth Earl, who distinguished himself in the
service of Charles VII. of France, and received therefor the Duchy of
Touraine, in 1423. This Earl was killed, along with most of his Scottish
followers, at the battle of Verneuil, 1424. Archibald, the fifth Earl,
after serving for some time in France, returned home and died of fever
in 1438.
The effigy which lies within the monument is habited in robes of state,
and wears a ducal coronet. In the left hand was probably a baton of
office, and the right hand holds together the cord which fastens the
mantle. The feet rest on a lion couchant. Round the waist is a broad
ornamental belt. Round the margin of the slab was formerly an
inscription, now nearly obliterated, which Godscroft gives as follows:--
HIC · JACET · ARCHIBALDUS · DE · DOUGLAS · DUX · TOURENIAE · COMES DE ·
DOUGLAS · ET · LONGUEVILLE · DOMINUS · GALLOVIDIAE · WIGTONIAE · ET
ANNANDIAE · LOCUM · TENENS · REGIS · SCOTIE · OBIIT · XXVIº · DIE ·
MENSIS IUNII · ANNO · DOMINI · MILLESIMO · QUARINGENTESIMO · TRICESIMO ·
OCTAVO.[183]
The effigy rests on a tomb, the front of which is divided into six
panels, each containing a small figure, probably representing the family
of the deceased. The figures stand on small pedestals, and are
surmounted with ornamental canopies. Over the tomb is a somewhat flat
arch of ogee form,
[Illustration: FIG. 918.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Monument
of Archibald, Fifth Earl of Douglas.]
with enriched mouldings, having a crocketed hood terminating in an
enriched finial. At either side are two small buttresses, each
containing
[Illustration: FIG. 919.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Monument
of James, Seventh Earl of Douglas.]
a small statue and covered with a crocketed pinnacle. A parapet, pierced
with quatrefoils, and which has been considerably renewed, runs along
the top. On the wall at the back of the arched recess a figure,
kneeling at an altar, is carved. A small shield over the altar bears
the Douglas arms, and the scroll carried an inscription, now
obliterated.
In Blore’s time this monument was sadly destroyed, and the small figures
were scattered over the floor, but they have now been replaced and the
monument restored.
The base of the monument bears an ornament of sculptured foliage, very
closely resembling that on the two eastern pillars of St. Giles’,
Edinburgh, the work on both being probably of about the same period,
about the middle of the fifteenth century.
[Illustration: FIG. 920.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Effigies
of James, Seventh Earl of Douglas, and Beatrice de Sinclair.]
In the south wall of the choir there is a third monument (Fig. 919),
which contains recumbent figures of James, seventh Earl of Douglas, and
Beatrice de Sinclair, his wife (Fig. 920). The former is in armour, but
the statue is much broken. The latter wears a long robe. The heads rest
on cushions, and the hands are clasped in the attitude of prayer. In the
face of the tomb are ten niches containing upright figures of the sons
and daughters of the Earl and Countess, and one niche containing an
angel, who supports a shield blazoned with the Douglas and Sinclair
arms. Above the figures was the following inscription:--“Hic jacet
magnus et potens princeps Dominus Jacobus de Douglas Dux Toureniae et
Comes de Douglas Dominus Annandiae Gallovidiae Liddaliae Jedburg
Forestiae et Dominus de Balveniae Magnus Wardanus Regni Scotiae versus
Angliam, &c., qui obiit 24 die mensis Martii anno domini 1443.”[184]
[Illustration: FIG. 921.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Crocket
and Finial of Monument.]
This Earl was the brother of the forementioned Archibald, sixth Earl, to
whom he succeeded after the murder, in Edinburgh Castle, of Archibald’s
two sons. He was called “Le Gros” on account of his corpulence, and
seems to have been a “prudent and peaceable man.”
The inscription for his lady was as follows:--“Hic jacit Domina Beatrix
de Sinclair filia domini Henrici Comitis Arcadum Domini de Sinclair, &c.
Comitessa de Douglas et Aveniae Domina Gallovidiae.”
On the east side of these inscriptions was a stone, on which were
recorded the names and titles of the sons and daughters.
“This inscription enables us to fix the date of the erection of the
monument--viz., between 1448, when Archibald was made Earl of Moray, and
1451, when James, the eldest son, was killed.”[185]
[Illustration: FIG. 922.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Monument
in South-West Angle of Choir.]
As already mentioned, the outer wall has been extended so as to give
width for the tomb. The arch of the canopy is flat and low, so that the
space is dark at the back. The label is enriched with crockets, which
run up into a foliaged finial of late character (Fig. 921). Over this a
shield, bearing the Douglas Arms, surmounted by a helmet with a peacock
for crest, and covered with a small enriched string course, is inserted
in the wall. In a niche in the wall on either side of the shield there
have been “wild men” as supporters, but one of these has been removed.
This monument is evidently of a later date than those on the north side,
and is inferior in design and execution, as might be expected from its
date.
To the west of the above monument, and in the extreme south-west angle
of the church, there lies an effigy (Fig. 922) of beautiful workmanship
and of an early date. It is apparently a female figure, the arms and
head of which are damaged. The feet rest upon a bunch of foliage of
first pointed design, greatly worn away. Such a footing for the effigy
of a monument is rare in Scotland.
In the east wall two circular headed recesses occur under the large
window, which may have been credence niches.
[Illustration: FIG. 923.--St. Bridget’s or St. Bride’s Church. Norman
Fragments.]
In the south wall near the east end there is a double piscina in a
recess, having a trefoiled head. The basins are round plain sinkings.
The nave appears to have been a structure of the same date as the choir.
The pillar between it and the south aisle seems to be of the fifteenth
century. At the east end of the south aisle there is a piscina in the
south wall, set in a trefoil headed recess, similar to that in the
choir.
The turret in the north-east angle of the nave aisle is carried to a
considerable height. It is octagonal in the upper stories; and the top
story, which forms the belfry, is pierced with eight small pointed
windows (see Fig. 915), the mouldings round which form square frames
above the arch-heads. The turret is finished with an octagonal spire of
stone, and at the base of each angle of the spire there is a small stone
pinnacle, now much worn away.
There still survive some fragments of carved work, which bear evidence
of the former existence of an ancient church in Douglas. These fragments
are portions of Norman capitals, which are piled up, as shown in the
sketch, (Fig. 923), in the recess of the south aisle adjoining the
turret. One cap shows a face with a fierce moustache, and others are
good specimens of characteristic Norman design.