The ancient town of Cullen stood on the right bank of Cullen Water, at a
little distance from the coast. It was greatly destroyed in the time of
Montrose, and has been rebuilt on a new site nearer the sea. The old
church, however, which is dedicated to St. Mary, still stands,
surrounded
[Illustration: FIG. 1332.--Cullen Church. Plan.]
by the churchyard, on the old site near Cullen House, and continues to
be used as the Parish Church. Although it has been altered at different
times it still retains part of the ancient work, the oldest portions
being the east end and the south aisle. The edifice (Fig. 1332) is
cruciform in plan, having nave, choir, and transepts, all without
aisles. The choir would appear, from the coats of arms it bears on the
outside, and from the splendid monument in the interior of the north
wall, to have been erected by Alexander Ogilvie, who died in 1554, and
his second wife, Elizabeth Gordon.
There was a chaplainry in the church dedicated to St. Ann. This
foundation, with the name of the founder and other particulars, are
recorded by inscriptions cut upon different parts of the south aisle or
transept.[153] “The first quoted inscription is from the arch of a
recess tomb on the west side of the aisle. It is carved in raised and
prettily formed capitals, and accompanied by a craftsman’s mark.
“IHON · HAY · LORD · OF · FORESTBON̄ · AZ̄E · & · TOLIBOVIL· GVDSIR · TO
ELEN · HAY · Y^{t} · BIGIT · YIS · ILE · LEFT · A · CHAPLARI · HEIR · TO
· SING PERSONALI · OF · HIS · LĀDIS · OF · ORDIHVF.”
The places named in the above inscription were received by Alexander
Seton of Gordon (first Earl of Huntly) through his marriage with the
heiress of Sir John Hay of Tilibody. “It was probably John’s son, David
Hay, who, about 1390-1406, had a charter from Robert III. of the place
of Cullen.”
“The next quoted inscription not only presents the important and
interesting facts of the name of the chaplainry, the extent of the gift,
and the services required, but also the names of the founder of the
chaplainry and the persons to be prayed for, together with those in whom
the patronage of the living was to be vested after the decease of the
heirs of the donor. It is carved round the arch of the large window of
the south aisle, in the same style as the above inscription.
“SANT · ANIS · CHAPLAN · HEIR · DOTAT · Y^{t} · 35 (?) ACRE · GVD ·
CROFT LĀD · IN · CULĀ · & · TENEMENTIS · SAL · BE · A · GVDE · SINGAR ·
OF · HALI LIF · BVT · ODIR · SERVICE · & · DAELI · RESIDENT · TO · PRAIE
· FOR · ELEN HAY · · HER · BARNIS · HIS · FYIV · DŌRS · AT · GIFT · OF ·
ION · DUF · & HIS · ARIS · OF · MADAVAT · & · FALING · YAROF · AT · GIFT
· OF · YE · BALZEIS AND COMUNITIE · OF · COLĀ.”
The words PER · ELENA · HAY are carved upon the lower side of one of the
stones of the arch of the south window. Upon the west side of the arch
is this notice of the building of the aisle:--
“· · · ELENGE · HAY · IŌN · DUFFIS · MODR · OF · MALDAVAT · YAT · MAID
YIS · ISLE · YE · CHAPLANRI. · · ·”
The two inscriptions last quoted “show that Elen Hay was mother of John
Hay of Muldavit, who died in 1404, to whom, until 1792, there was a
recumbent effigy in the recess tomb in the south aisle at Cullen, also
an inscribed slab with a rudely engraved figure in armour.”
The entrance to St. Ann’s Chapel from the main church is by an arch with
pilasters and capitals, and below the caps of the west pilaster are the
words ME · MĒTO · MORI, and on the east DISCE · MORI. Below the last
[Illustration: FIG. 1333.--Cullen Church. South Aisle and Choir.]
[Illustration: FIG. 1334.--Cullen Church. Monument of Alexander
Ogilvie.]
motto is the name of the mason who built the aisle, viz., ROBERT · MOIR
MASON, and his mark, †/x. On the outside of the aisle (Fig. 1333)
one corner stone bears PER ELENA · HAY, and another SOLI DEO · HONOR ·
ET · GLORIA.
Although Mr. Jervise attributes the above inscriptions and the erection
of the chapel to 1404, the style of the lettering and the abundance
[Illustration: FIG. 1335.--Cullen House.