Amongst the numerous remains of ancient ecclesiastical structures still
surviving in the Western Isles, the Church of St. Clement, situated near
the south point of Harris, holds a prominent place, being one of the
very few ancient structures in that region which are not ruinous, and
are still in use for public worship.
The origin of the church is uncertain, but it is supposed to have been
originally founded by an emissary from Iona, and to have fallen into
decay during the occupation of the Norsemen. It is thought that the
necessities of the monastery, thus arising, were probably relieved by
David I. “from the revenues of the newly instituted Abbey of Holyrood
House,” and that this may have given the monks of the latter the claim
to St. Clement’s, which they afterwards substantiated.[139]
It is agreed amongst writers on the subject[140] that the church was
restored or rebuilt by Sir Alexander M‘Leod, Rector of Harris, who seems
to have used the materials of an older building in the restoration. This
is evident from the random manner in which some carved figures are built
into the walls of the west tower.
Mr. Ross points out that Alaster Crotach or Humpback had, in 1498, a
charter from King James IV. for the hereditary lands of Ardmanich, &c.,
and that he was succeeded by his son William, who died in 1553.
The _Old Statistical Account_ informs us that the church was repaired by
the said Alexander M‘Leod, who died (as the inscription on his tomb in
the church bears) in 1527.
Of the domestic buildings of the priory not a stone now remains. The
church was burnt and was repaired in “1784 by the late patriotic Alex.
M‘Leod, Esq., of Harris. After the church was roofed and slated, and the
materials for furnishing it within laid up in it to a considerable
value, it unfortunately took fire at night through the carelessness of
the carpenters, who had left a live coal in it among the timbers. So
zealous, however, was this friend of religion and mankind in his design
of repairing it, that by his orders and at his expense it was soon after
this accident roofed, and it is now [1794], though left unfinished since
the time of his death, used as one of the principal places in the parish
for celebrating divine service.”
The church was again repaired in 1787. About 1866 it had once more
become dilapidated, and was repaired under the supervision of Mr.
Alexander Ross, architect, Inverness, to whose kindness we are indebted
for permission to use the description and illustrations in his
[Illustration: FIG. 1298.--Priory Church of St. Clement. Plan.]
article on St. Clement’s in the _Proceedings of the Society of
Antiquaries of Scotland_, above referred to.
[Illustration: FIG. 1299.--Priory Church of St. Clement. View from
South-East.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1300.--Priory Church of St. Clement. Interior of
South Side.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1301.--Priory Church of St. Clement. Interior of
North Side.]
The building is chiefly remarkable from containing an elaborately
sculptured monument to Alexander M‘Leod of Dunvegan or Harris.
The structure (Fig. 1298) is small and is cruciform in plan. It has a
square tower at the west end, the full width of the nave, which is
founded on a rock at a higher level than the nave (Fig. 1299).
The choir is not architecturally distinguished from the nave, and the
whole building is 61 feet in length (internally) by 15 feet in width.
It has a square east end, and is lighted by a large traceried east
window, and by two small windows in the side walls. The former is
[Illustration: FIG. 1302.--Priory Church of St. Clement. Responds and
Mouldings at Entrance to Transepts.]
pointed, and is divided by two mullions into three lights. The tracery
in the arch-head consists of a circle divided by six radiating bars.
The church (Fig. 1300) has two square-headed windows and two pointed
windows in the south wall, and one square and one round-headed window in
the north wall (Fig. 1301), and the entrance doorway, which is in the
north wall, is also square lintelled.
The transept consists of a north and south chapel, which are not exactly
opposite one another. They have square-headed windows in the north,
south, and east walls. Each chapel is entered from the nave by a moulded
and pointed arch (see Figs. 1300 and 1301) springing from responds. The
latter have both in their section and caps (Fig. 1302) a certain
resemblance to Norman work. As pointed out by Mr. Muir, the details
indicate the second pointed period, “though, as in the mouldings at
Iona, the adoption of forms resembling Norman and first pointed has
given to it an appearance of greater antiquity.”
[Illustration: FIG. 1303.--Priory Church of St. Clement. Monument in
Choir (East of South Transept).]
The monuments are the most remarkable features in the building. These
are three in number, two of them being placed against the south wall,
one in the choir and one in the nave (see Fig. 1300) on either side of
the arch leading into the south transept. The third monument is at the
south end of the south transept.
The monument in the choir is the most elaborate, being specially rich
in sculpture. Its form (Fig. 1303) is peculiar, having, in addition to
the usual recessed arch, a sloping gable-shaped moulding, which encloses
the design on top, and is continued perpendicularly down each side. The
space between the arch and the enclosing moulding is divided into nine
panels, each containing a distinct carving of figures. That in the apex
represents God the Father, holding between his knees a cross bearing a
figure of the Crucifixion. Each of the panels at the sides contains one
or two figures of angels waving censers, and saints holding scrolls. The
wall
[Illustration: FIG. 1304.--Priory Church of St. Clement. Effigy of
Alexander M‘Leod of Harris.]v
at the back of the arch is also divided into panels, containing
sculptures in three rows. In the upper row the panels comprise angels
censing with a star in the centre, and at each side an angel holding a
candle. In the central row the chief panel contains the Virgin and
Child, supported by a bishop or abbot on each side, one of whom holds a
skull. These figures are each enclosed in a Gothic canopy. The left
panel shows the faint outline of a castle, and that on the right a
galley (the M‘Leod arms). The third row exhibits several panels. That on
the
[Illustration: FIG. 1305.--Priory Church of St. Clement.