the year mentioned in Provost Bannatyne’s inscription. Further, in the
Chamberlain Rolls of 1434,[111] reference is made to the three chaplains
of the Chapel of St. John the Baptist--“contiguous to the Parish Church
of Corstorphine,” showing the independent existence of that chapel after
the date in the Bannatyne inscription. It seems, therefore, most
probable that this was the chapel erected by Sir Adam Forrester.
Sir Adam was succeeded by his son Sir John Forrester, who filled the
office of Great Chamberlain of Scotland, and on the return of James I.
from England was appointed Master of the Household in 1424. The
[Illustration: FIG. 1179.--The Collegiate Church of Corstorphine. Tomb
in South Transept.]
collegiate church was founded and endowed by Sir John. Although the
inscription to Bannatyne, the first provost, says that it was begun in
1429, the foundation was only completed by a Papal Bull in 1444, at
which date Sir John was probably living. The foundation consisted of a
provost, four prebendaries, and two singing boys.
From the above records, and also from the style of the architecture,
there can scarcely be a doubt but that the church to the west was the
collegiate church erected after 1444, and in designing it, the plan was
so arranged as to incorporate the older Chapel of St. John the Baptist
as the chancel of the new church. It is remarkable that, although the
chancel
[Illustration: FIG. 1180.--The Collegiate Church of Corstorphine. Tomb
in South Transept.]
contains monuments to his successors, there is none to Sir Adam, the
supposed founder of it. It may, however, be mentioned that Mr. Laing
believes that an inscription on a stone, which has been built out of its
proper place, in the small porch to the west of the tower, has been
taken from a monument to Sir Adam.
Whether the above view of the history of the Church of Corstorphine is
correct or not, the chancel or the Chapel of St. John the Baptist is the
[Illustration: FIG. 1181.--The Collegiate Church of Corstorphine. Window
and Arms in South Transept.]
most interesting part of the building. It measures internally 25 feet 6
inches in length by 21 feet in width, and is covered with a pointed
barrel vault, having a roof of overlapping stone flags. It contains an
[Illustration: FIG. 1182.--The Collegiate Church of Corstorphine. View
from South-West.]
east window of three lights (Fig. 1174), having perpendicular tracery,
the lower part of which has been altered, as above pointed out.
There are two small windows in the south side of the chancel, and
between them, in the interior, is a fine sedilia, somewhat mutilated
(Fig. 1175). Beside it is a piscina (Fig. 1176), with the basin, as
usually happens, cut away. In the niche of the piscina there is a stone
shelf used as a credence table, and over the niche a projecting round
canopy. A very similar canopy exists over the upper small niche on the
exterior of the east gable.
In the north wall of the chancel are two recessed tombs (Figs. 1177 and
1178). These monuments, judging from the disturbed appearance of the
surrounding masonry and from the different character of the two designs,
were apparently not original parts of the chapel, but were subsequently
inserted as the occasion arose. The arch stones of the westmost tomb
(see Fig. 1177), that of Sir John Forrester (the eldest son of Sir Adam)
and his wife, are cut away or concealed by the west wall of the chapel,
an arrangement not likely to have been adopted had the tomb been erected
when the chapel was built. This monument is usually called the Founder’s
Tomb, from the circumstance that Sir John founded the collegiate church.
He was twice married: first, to Jean Sinclair, daughter of Henry, first
Earl of Orkney; and, second, to Dame Marion Stewart, Lady Dalswinton,
widow of Sir John Stewart.[112] His effigy rests on the tomb, along with
that of one of his wives. Sir John died after the year 1444.
The eastmost tomb (see Fig. 1178) is that of the son of the foregoing,
also Sir John, who died before 1454. It contains his effigy and that of
his wife. It does not appear to be known to what family the lady
belonged; but from the heraldic blazons (to be afterwards described) she
seems to have been a member of the Wigmer family.
There is another tomb situated in the south transept (Figs. 1179 and
1180). It is believed to be that of Sir Alexander Forrester, son of the
last mentioned Sir John. The date of his death is not recorded, but he
is known to have been alive in 1467. It contains his effigy only. There
has been a finial on the tomb, which is now gone.
The amount of heraldic carving on the above tombs, on the gable of the
south transept (Fig. 1181), and on the western porch (Fig. 1182) is
considerable and is well preserved.[113]
The arms represented on the various shields throughout the whole series
comprise, for the different members of the Forrester family above
mentioned,