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KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
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B. H. HOSSACK
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ICIRKWALL
WILLIAM PEACE & SON
1900
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PREFACE.
ji(i\'^HE main object of this book is to keep alive the memories of some of the people whose names are associated with the history of our ancient Burgh, and who have
?left in its records a local reputation. To accomplish this end in a systematic manner, it has seemed best to associate the persons with the houses in which ) they lived.
C In a few cases it is difficult to fix the site of an ancient dwelling. Long ago,
with comparatively few inhabitants, Kirkwall could allow each house a kail-yard and a peat-brae ; but, as population increased, these spaces were built upon, making it anything but easy to dissect out the position of the original dwelling.
In seeking information about our old tenements, the writer has persistently worried present proprietors, from the Shore to the Head of the town, and he has to thank them all for their courteous and kindly help.
Our Kecords of Sasine, which date from the middle of the seventeenth century, show the changes of ownership since that time, and in some instances, by the use of a name which "of old" was borne by a particular tenement, a ray of light is cast upon that house which enables us to go back upon its story, perhaps a century and a half previous to the event recorded.
Family papers, public documents, such as Town Council minutes. Session records, Sheriff Court books, and diaries, notably that of Thomas Brown, give us an insight into the lives and conduct of our forebears. In making use of such papers, a writer is often led to chronicle very small beer indeed ; but, in a little community like ours, the authenti- cated gossip of two centuries ago forms to-day an important contribution to our social history.
In the following pages, with the exception of public buildings, the old part of the town alone is dealt with, and the very attractive period, where memory merges into tradition, is left untouched. Old memories are treacherous, and tradition unreliable.
The writer begs to thank the many friends, too numerous to name, in Orkney and in the South, who have kindly given him assistance.
CsAioiBFiELD, Srd December 1900.
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. -INTRODUCTORY.
Agrioola's Voyage— The Qrcades — Old References— Mission of PAlladius— Corinac's Mission — Position of Kirkwall— Hound Towers — Coming of the Vikings — Harald of Norway — his Invasion — Extinction of Christianity in the Islands — Reintroduction — Norwegian Earls — Brusison's Church in Kirkwall— St. Olaf s— Thorfinn's in Birsay— Christ's Kirk— Earl Magnus — his Death — Earl Hakon — Rognwald II. — his Vow — Swein of Gairsay — Bishop William the Old— his Pilgrimage— the Three Earls— Erlend's Death— Feuds— Ronald's Death — Harald and Swein — Swein's Death — the Angus Earls — the Annual of Norway — Stratheme Line — St. Clairs — Kirkwall Castle I
CHAPTER II.— THE CASTLE.
Scandinavian Kingdoms United — Court of Earl Henry II. — Capture of Prince James of Scotland —Earl William— Bishop Thomas Tuiloch's ** Diploma"— Bishop William Tulloch— his Imprisonment by William the Waster— Marriage of James III. and Margaret of Den- mark— Impignoration of the Islands — St. Clair Estates Confiscated — Father Hay's Account of the St. Clairs — Bishop Andrew — the Burgh Charter — Sir James Sinclair — Battle of Summerdale — Visit of James V. — Oliver Sinclair — James Hepburn, Duke of Orkney— Gilbert Balfour— Earl Robert— Earl Patrick— Earl's Palace built— Bishop Law — Siege and Demolition of Kirkwall Castle 15-
CHAPTER IIL— THE CATHEDRAL.
Rognwald's Vow — Site of Cathedral — Kol's Work — Remains of St. Magnus removed from Birsay — See transferred to Kirkwall — Cardinal Nicolas — Dimensions of the Cathedral as first Designed — Bishop Stewart's Addition — Bishop Reid's — Marwick's Hole — Sir Henry Dry den's Description — Masons' ** Marks " — the Spire— the Pyramid— Cowper's Ha' — the Bells — Bishop Maxwell's Gift — the Clock — Communion Cups — Collection Plates — Upkeep of the Building — the Meason Bequest — Town Council's Neglect . . . 2&
CHAPTER IV.— THE CHURCH.
Cathedral Altars and Endowments— Masters of Grammar School and Sang School — Screen — Lofts : Grahams', Dicks', Magistrates', Sailors', Scholars', Strangers', St. Clairs', Stewarts' Lofts— Pulpit— Pews— Earl's Seat — Stalls— Disputes over Sittings — Church White-washed — Ministers — Readers — Desecration 3^
CHAPTER v.— CATHEDRAL AS BURIAL-PLACE.
Relics of St. Magnus — Earl Erlend buried — William the Old— Earl Ronald — Margaret, Maid of Norway — Bishop Tuiloch's Tomb— Captain Patricio — *' El Gran Grifon" Wrecked on
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Fair Isle — William Henryson's Tom))stone — Burial- Place of Earl Robert Stewart — of Lord Adam — William, Earl of Morton — Bishop Honyman — Bishop Mackenzie — Craigie's Burial-place— Covingtrie's— Recessed Arch— Tombstones of Irving of Sabay and others — Nicolson's Mort-brod — a Son Sells his Father's Tombstone— Dr Baikie's Cenotaph — Dr Rae's Monument 49
CHAPTER VI. -THE BISHOP'S PALACE.
Early Bishops ot Orkney — Rjarui the Scald — Lay of the Jomsburg Vikings — Bishop Henry I. — Haco*s Expedition— Battle of Largs— Haco's Death— Troubles of Bishop William III. — Bishop Thomas TuUoch gets the Secular Government of Orkney —his "Diploma" — William TuUoch — Encroachments on the Royal Revenue — Bishop Stewart— Bishop Thomas' Endowment — Bishop Maxwell — Visit of James V. — Bishop Reid — his Missions to France — Death of Queen Magdalen — Mournings First Worn in Scotland — Reid Reorganises the Cathedral StaflF — his Death— his Monument— English Fleet sent to Orkney — Bishop Both well — Reformation — Square Tower — Water Gate . . . ,58
CHAPTER VII.— THE EARL'S PALACE.
Earl Patrick's Palace — Scott's Description — Palace given to the Bishops — Bishop La W;— Apostolic Succession — Excambion between King and Bishop — Law saves the Cathedral — Bishop Graham — his Deposition— TuUoch of Langskaill— Graham acquires Breckness — Graham's W'ife — their Sous — Bishop Baron — Morton gets the Earldom — Rents the Palace — An-ival of Montrose— his Defeat and Execution — Letter of the Orkney Ministers to Montrose — Archbishop Sharpe— Bishop Sydserff — Bishop Honyman — Bishop Mackenzie — the Bishop Cup — Marriages of Bishop's Daughters — Bishop Bruce — Elphinston of Lopness — Menzies of Raws— Douglas of Egilshay and others, Tacksmen of the Bishopric — Slates from Lord Morton's House — Memorial regarding Ruins of Palace . . .73
CHAPTER VIII. —TOWN HALL.
** Up-the-Gates" and ** Down- the- Gates " — Early Provosts— ** The House called Tountgar" — Parliament Close— Kirkwall sends Commissioner to Convention of Royal Burghs — Orkney **to bruicke its awen Lawes" — comes under Scots Law — a Tolbooth acquired — the *' Ridgeland" — Escapes from Tolbooth — Langirons — Deaths in ToUM)oth — Long Impnsonrnents — Burgess Tickets — Unfree Traders — Complimentary Tickets — Dis- tinguished Burgesses — Elections for the Northern Burghs — Fox Elected — Dispute between Kirkwall and Stromness — Riding the Marches — Gow the Pirate — a New Tolbooth — Assemblies— Extinct Trades — New Town Hall— Council Reconstituted . . 96
CHAPTER IX.— THE STREETS : SHORE AND RAMPARTS.
Threefold Division of Kirkwall — Shore Street — Butter Storehouse— Tounigar — Gockhall — Queen's Hotel— the Ramparts — Townspeople Armed — House **of old called the Inns" — its Builder and Occupants— Orkney Golf Club — Girnell House — Traill of Elsness— Traill's Folly— the Pier— Old Time Shipping— New Pier 117
CHAPTER X.— BRIDGE STREET.
Bridge Street — Rev. George Spence — ScoUay's Inn — Scott's Visit — House of Captain Leask, afterwards Dr Logic's — John and David Covingtrie — Rev. Thomas Covingtrie — Com- mercial Bank Agency Established — Craigie of Gairsay — Captain Peter W^inchester — William Patterson, Surgeon — William Watt Bain — his Death 133
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CHAPTER XI. -BRIDGE STREET, EAST SIDE.
John Cuthbert — John Curaiter — Clickimin — the Fea Family — the Forty -five-Burnintf of the House of Sound— the Kelp Industry— the "Kelp Riot"— the Piper's House— Piper's Memorial— Irving of Sabay's House — Sinclairs of Sal>ay — Walter Fcanie, Litster — Rev. John Wilson— Interference in Church Matters l>y Rol)ert Elphinston— Wm. Traill, Treasurer— Town Council Convivialities — Sir James Sinclair of Mey — Anchor Close — the Gallery — Kennedies of Stroma — their Tomb — Gallery rebuilt by James Traill of Wood- wick — George William Traill — General Burroughs— St. Ola's Church — the Poor House- Poor House, Business Premises — the Dishington Family — Letter of Sir Hew Dairy mple — "Old Guard-House Yard "—"Lang Stean"—Hempow— the Burgh . . . .144
CHAPTER XII.— BRIDGE TO LONG GUTTER.
The " Midtown " — Long Gutter — the Drummonds, weavers — John White's Close —Brouns of Weyland — Sinclairs of Campstane— Rev. James Wallace — his " Description of Orkney " — Liddells of Hammer— the "Cros^ House "—an Election of the Council reduced — ^Traill of Frotoft— the W^att Family — Alexander Geddes, Skipper and Bailie — Traill of Quen- dale, Provost — the Dowcot — Parliament Close — Buchanan of Sound — the Kaas — Warren's Walk 16»
CHAPTER XIII.-LONG GUTTER TO STRYND.
Baikie of Burness — William Laughton — Town Borrows from Laughton — Hell and Purgatory — Sinclair of Essenquoy — " A Drunken Orkney Asse" — Edward Cock — Stainigair's Land — Wilson of Hunclet — Davidson's Land — Dr Fea's Account of Orkney — Strang of Lopness — Arthur Buchanan — Margaret Buxtoun — Elspet Ballenden's Lapse — the "Meikle" Kirk3''ard — Andrew Ross — the Lindsays — the Linen Trade— the Groats — Vaccination — ** Brassy " — the Union Bank — Reward for Shooting an Eagle — Duke of Clarence visits Kirkwall — the Broadfoots — Neill's **Tour" — Mounthoolie — the Balfours — Moncrieff of Rapness — Orhiey Herald — Heddles of Cletts and of Melsetter — Henrysons of Holland — Youngs of Castleyards — Riddochs — PoUexfens- Stewarts of Burray . . 18S
CHAPTER XIV.— BROAD STREET.
Earl Patrick's Blacksmiths— Bess Hoy — Captain Knightson — Graham and Baikie Mutual Assault — the South Blockhonse — Fleshmarket — Morrison's Houses in the Strynd — Castle Hotel — Laverock — Bishop Reid's Chapter— the Provostrie — the Halcro Family — the Dicks — the Thesaurie — the Sub-chantry — the Archdeanery — ^Tankemess House — Gilbert Foulzie — the Chancellor's House — Sir William Dick of Braid — Andrew Dick — Prince Family — New Town Hall— Post Office — the Traills — Andrew Ross — Harry Erburie— the Craigies —the Baikies of Burness— Rev. Thomas Baikie ousts Mr Wilson from the Pulpit— Baikies of Tankerness— Arthur Baikie— Monteith of Egilshay — Douglas of Spynie — the Glebe — the Meeting-House — Struggle between Episcopacy and Presbyterianism — Banishments to Orkney — Mr Sands accused of Sheep- Stealing — Proclamation of James VIIL— Smythe of Braco 22S?
CHAPTER XV.— THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
Grammar School — Teachers — Endowments — Sang School — Isbister Mortification — Ba* Money — Private Tutors, Chaplains or Levites — Struggle for Patronage between Church and Magistracy— Fees— New School to be built in Churchyard— Interdict — Site on Pabdale grarited— Number of Pupils— Present Condition 261
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CHAPTER XVI.— PALACE STREET.
Long Tenement— Hony man of Graemsay— Lord Braxfield— Marriage of Richard Honjrroan—
Stewarts of Grwmsay— William Orem— Charles Stewart, Stewart Clerk .... 279
CHAPTER XVIL— THE KIRK GREEN.
Old Town Hall— Wreck of the "Crown," with Covenanters— Monument— Arthur Murray's
Guard-House—** Jongs" — Market Cross 284
CHAPTER XVIIL— VICTORIA STREET.
Chaplain's Chamber— Subdean's Lodging— Buchanan of Sandside — Calder's Inn— Gospel Hall — Chapel of Our Lady in the Laverock— Rev. Mr Nisbet and Mrs Agnew— Crown Chamberlain's— William Troup, Dancing Master— Mally Troup— *' Charming Mally" — Old Post OflSce— the Butts— Traill of Elsness — Urquharts of Elsness — John Richan — Rev. Harry Colville — Strangs : Andrew, David, and George — Sir Rol^ert Strange — CuUoden — Dupaique, Fencing Master — Andrew Strang — James Stewart, **Pea8ie" — his Will — Rev. Andrew Ker. — Endowment of Second Charge — Robert Donaldson — Hugh Clouston— Rev. William Scott builds New House — Mrs Thuring— Francis Halcro refuses Oak for Repairing Gun Carriages — Hall of Banks — Quoybanks— the "Black Roll" — Victoria Street Hall — Francis Murray — his Child's Name — Site of National Bank — Douglas of Egilshay — Thomas Swentoune, Archdean — William Mudie--Riot in Church — " Wanton Francis" — Captain James Moodie— Christian Crawford — Captain Benjamin Moodie —his Correspondence with Groat of Warse — his Treatment of Orcadian Jacobites — Captain Baikie — *' Glorious First of June " — Dr Baikie — Provost Louttit of Lykiug — James Scarth— Patrick Murray of W^oodwick — David M'Lelland buys Woodwick— Spence of Overscapa — Rev. Hugh Stalker— Magnus Anderson, Bookbinder — Orcadian — John Boynd — Proclamation by Plafe and Sjtoon — Robert Mackay— Matthew Mowbray — Bishop Maxwell's House — John Edmonston — Arthur Murray — Stewarts of Massater — Mutiny of the *' Bounty " — Taylors and Pottingers — Thomas Urquhart, Postmaster — his Trial and Sentence — David Erskine — Sir James Marwick — John Caldell — Patrick Craigie, Provost— Robert Borwick— Highland Park— Oliver Scott— Clay Loan— Execu- tions and Executioners 288
CHAPTER XIX.— THE LAMMAS MARKET.
Market — Dues— Town Guard — Guard-House — Lammas Bed— Lammas Brother and Sister —
Appropriation of Portions of Broad Sands by Private Persons 344
CHAPITER XX.— THE UPPER LAVEROCK.
Richan of Linklater— Thomas Warwick, Litster -Magnus Taylor, " Clay braes "—William Farquhar, Glover— Ballendens of Stenncss — Isobel Ballendcn — Margaret Richan Slan- dered— George Richan — Richan of Rapness — Richan of Hoxa— Captain Richan, of H.M.S. "Norfolk"— Sheriff Shirreff— Election Riot- the Balfour Hospital - Matron- Doctors — Edward Rind — Gutter Hole — Robert Nicolson, Glazier — Robert Nicolson, Sheriff — Thomas Brown, N.P. — Horse-hiring — Christian Poison — Misses Moodie's School — North Pole Mission — Mr Copland's House — Neukatineuks — Glaitness School . 348
CHAPTER XXI.— JUNCTION ROAD AND CASTLE STREET.
Ruins of Castle — Masonic Hall — Freemasonry— Cathedral Building — Lodge Kirkwall Kilwinning
-s-Foitndation Stone of Pier laid 366
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CHAPTER XXII.— THE AIRE AND PEERIE SEA.
Stewarts of Brugh— Mr Walls' Bargain— Proposed Wind-Mill on the Aire— The "Doctor"— Water Mill— Mr Hutton's Bridge — Stone Bridge— Clearing the Oyce Mouth— Ship- building—Deepening the Peerie Sea— the Craftie 372
CHAPTER XXm.— BACK OF TOWN.
Pipersquoy — Horneraquoy — Roasting Dyke — Quoybanks — the Glebe — Quoyangrie — Bu tquoy — Cuikisquoy — Adrian the Cook — Walter the Gardener — Brandiequoy — Play Ground — Old Manse — Inscription— Let to Governor Watson — Burning of the Manse — Disputes about Repsdrs among Rival Claimants — Captain Baikie sells to Mr Charles Slater — George Eunson — Smuggling — Charts of Orkney — Spirit Licenses 379
CHAPTER XXIV.-PABDALE.
The name Pabdale — William Craigie of Pabdale — Laing — James, father of thirty-four Children — Gilbert Meason — Robert Laing buys Pabdale — Malcolm, the Historian, encloses and squares Pabdale— the Ba'lea — Laing an Advocate — Bursting of Pabdale Mill-dam — Scott visits Laing — Pabdale Garden— Death of Lord Kinedder — Feuing of the East Hill — Mr Rae's Interdict — Scott visits Stones of Stenness— Destruction of Semi-Circle — Ring of Odin — Mill Street — the Brewery— the Snuff Mill— (xeorge Robertson — William the Third's Volunteers — Keelie Park — Carter's Park — Dundas Crescent — Gallowha' . 394
CHAPTER XXV.— TRADEvS' PARK.
Origin of Trades' Corporations — the ** Blue Blanket " — Abuse of Privilege by the Trades — Incor- porated Trades of Kirkwall — Feuing of Trades' Park- DiflScul ties of the Committee of Management — Suppression of Trades' Corporations — Sale of Park — Division of Funds — Minute Book — Taylor's Seat in Church — Shoemakers' Misconduct — Deacons Members of Council ex officio — Standard of Weights — Tampering with the Weights by Earl Robert — Earl Patrick — Lord Ochiltree — Elphinston of Lc^pness — the Standards — the Bysmar — the Pundlar — the sniail Bysmar— Fraudulent Weighing possible— Weighing by Beam and Scale introduced — Raising of the " Pundlar Process " — Guaging of Butter — the Barrel as a Measure — the Beer-tree — Beer-tree Bind — Dressing of Grain — Drinking and Gambling 403
CHAPTER XXVI.— ST. CATHERINE'S QUOYS, DUNKIRK, AND CROMWELL'S FORT.
St Catherine's Quoys, Upper and Lower— David Drever — Catherine Place — Back Walk — Young Street— Dunkirk — Whale Fishing Company — the "Ellen" — Reading Parties — Crom- well's Fort — Cromwell's Soldiers — his Governors — Judges — County Committee— Levies of Men and Money — Efficiency of the Fort 412
CHAPTER XXVIL— RULE OF THE CHURCH.
Rule of the Church— Modes of Punishment — Breaches of the Third Commandment — Act of Parlia- ment against — the Fourth Commandment — Black Roll— Absence from Church — Sunday Walking — Travelling — Drinking — Domestic Work — Boys of Kirkwall— Sunday Sports — Football — Golf — Archery — Sixth Commandment — Case of Robert Bellie, Murderer — Seventh Commandment — Treatment of Rich and Poor — Favourable Terms for Ready Money — Pledges taken for Fines : a Piece of Cloth, a Three-year-old Cow — Arthur Murray's Guard-House — Oaths concerning Paternity — Excommunication — Fugitives from Discipline — Case of Robert Erskine — Marriages — Pledges raised Peculiar Questions — Sackcloth— Slander — Witchcraft — Registration of Baptisms — of Marriages — Diffi-
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culties of a Sailor's Widow in getting Married — in the case of Unreasonable Parents the Church favoured the Young People — Contracted Parties bound to Marry within Forty Days — Breaches of this Rule — Duties undertaken by the Bridegroom : a Donation to the Poor Box, a Football to (grammar School Boys — Proclamations — Bells — Passing- Bell — Registrations of Deaths Instituted by Bishop Honyman — Burials in Woollen Ordained — the Mort-Cloth — Desecration of Churchyards — Burial of Snicides — Burial in the Choir of St. Magnus— Meal and Malt given to the Poor — Special iVifts to Distressed Strangers — Church Collections, various purposes, Domestic and Foreign — Debased CuiTenc3" of Scotland before the Union — Legal Interest on Money — Fasts and Thanksgiving Days . 417
The Secession Church in Kirkwall — Rev. William Broadfoot — his Translation to London — Mr Pringle, Newcastle, and Mr Stark, Forres — Messrs White and Paterson, Preachers — Mr Paterson's Appointment— his Ordination— Sunday School — Infant School — Sub- scription School — Mr Paterson's Letter to Mr Paul — Mr Webster, Assistant and Successor— Mr Haldane's Visit to Orkney — its effects 445
Congregational Church in Kirkwall — their places of Worship— their Ministers — their Office- bearers - 452
Original Seceders or Protestors — their Opposition to other Denominations — Controversy between Mr Paterson and Rev. Ebenezer Ritchie — Dawn of the Disruption — Rev. Peter Petrie — ** Stone and Lime Disruption" 453
Free Church — Office-bearers — Union with Original Seceders— Church in King Street— Jubilee
Church— F.C. Manse— Sale of empty Meeting-Houses 457
EIpiscopal Church — Persecution suffered by Episcopalians — present Incumbent .... 458
Gospel Hall — Work of Mr Darby 459
Salvation Army — Work in Ijarge Cities 459
CHAPTER XXVIII.— SOME RECENT CHANGES.
Home Industries sixty years ago— Net-knitting— Straw-plaiting— Growing and Preparation of Rye Straw— local value of the Industry— the Village ** Natural " — an Expensive Pauper — Periodical Blood-Letting — »Sheep-ruing— Introduction of Gas — Kirkwall (ias Company — Private Gas-making — Street Lamps— Introduction of Water by Gravitation — Old Methotls of Water Carrying— the iS^ay— Steamboat Communication with the South —the last of the Sailing Packets— Steam Communication between Kirkwall and the North Isles — its effect on the Habits of the People— Orkney Road Act — New Year's Ba'— Queen's Birthday Bonfire 460
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
•' St. Magnus Cathedral Front utpiece.
Seal of Burgh of Kirkwall, 1675 Page 14
One of Bishop Graham's Communion Cups * 35
Collection Plate 37
Ship, from Sailors' Loft, Cathedral. Original in possession of J. W. Cursiter, Esq.jF.S.A. Scot.
DrawingbyT. S. Peace, F.S. A. Scot., Architect 41
* For use of block favoured by Rev. J. B. Craven.
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Cathedral Choir, showing Graham's Loft and Earl's Seat 43
Tombstone erected by John Covingtrie 62
West Front of Cathe<lral, Main Doorway 63
North Aisle, Nave, from photograph by Miss H. Courtenay 65
North Aisle, Dot>rway 57
Arms of Bishop TuUoch, from St. Magnus. Drawn by T. S. Peace 62
Arms of Bishop Stewart, from St. Magnus. ,, ,, 64
Arms of Bishop Maxwell, from old Gateway, Victoria Street. Drawn by T. S. Peace . 64
Arms of Bishop Reid, ,, ,, ,, ,, . . 66
Mural Brass, Notre Dame, Dieppe, in Memory of Bishop Reid. Photograph procured for this
book by the lat€ Father Henderson 67
Earl's Palace, from Billings' ** Baronial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Scotland," . . 72
Old Town Hall, Kirk Green 108
Putt Stone behind St. Ola Hotel. Drawn by T. S. Peace 124
Putt Stone in Storehouse. ,,
Lintel, back of the Inns. ,,
House of Craigie of Gairsay. ,,
Large Fireplace in Craigie's House. ,,
Monograms from Craigie's House. ,,
Lintel over Front Door of the Gallery. ,, Doorw.iy of Old St. Olaf s. Anmbrie of Old St. Olaf's. „
Kirkwall Beggar's Badge. .,
Stone with Burgh Arms, Old Bridge. ,, Doorway, House of Rev. J. Wallace. ,,
126
125
140
141
143
167
160
161
162
168
170
Communion Cups, Mr Wallace's Bequest 172
Tombstone in Cathedral, (ieorge Liddell of Hammer 174
Arras of Watt of Skaill 176
Stone over Doorway in Lang Stcan Close. Drawn by T. S. Peace 177
Stone from Sinclair of Essenquoy's House. ,, ,, 186
Arms of Balfour of Balfour and Trenaby 199
Henryson Shield, from Tombstone, Cathedral. Drawn by T. S. Peace 207
Stone from Karl's Palace. „ ,, 214
Arms of Stewart of Burray. „ ,, 216
abroad Street, circa, 1780 „ „ ... to face 222
Gateway, Taukerness House 228
Inscription over Gateway. Drawn by T. S. Peace 229
"/Municipal Buildings to face 232
Stone from George Traill's House. Drawn by T. S. Peace 235
David Craigie's Tombstone 237
•Arms of Monteith of Egilshay, Bishop Graham, and Smythe of Braco. Drawn by T. S. Peace.
to J ace 244
Orem's House and Bishop's Tower, from water colour by Miss Maude A. Balfour , . . 283
Hugh Halcro's Arms. Drawn by T. S. Peace 289
Monogram in Buchanan's House. ,, 290
Lintel, 34 Victoria Street 296
John Richan's Tombstone 297
Carved Stones, John Richan's House. Drawn by T. S. Peace 298
Lintel, John Richan's House. ,, „ 299
Tablet, Victoria Street. „ „ 307
Carved Stone, 5 Victoria Street. ,, „ 329
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XVIU CONTENTS.
Stone with Bishop MaxwelFs Monogram. Drawn by T. 8. Peaoe 332
Old Houses in Victoria Street. „ ,, 883
Lintel, back of Balfour Hospital. ,, „ 349
Tombstone, Robert Rtchan and Isobel Ballenden 850
Stone in House at Gutterhole. Drawn by T. S. Peace 351
Ruins of Kirkwall Castle. ,, „ 387
JErskine's Houses tojtict 372
^a>abdale to face 394
Stone with Ring of Odin. Drawn by T. S. Peace 399
AVAPS.
J Kirkwall in the Time of Rognwald I .to fact 5
V Kirkwall from Shore to Long Gutter ,, 117
/TtlRKWALL FROM LoNO GUTTER TO HeAD OF BrOAD StREKT „ 183
V Kirkwall, Victoria Street „ 288
ABBREVIATIONS.
Acts ^Scottish Acts of Parliament.
Aat. Mus. — Mu.seum of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries.
C.R. — Town Council Records.
Fabti — Fasti Ecclesiie Scoticanae : The succession of ministers in the Parish Churches of Scotland,
from the Reformation, 4560, to the present day, by Hew Scott, D.D. H.L. — Henry Leask, Boardbouse. North. Ant. — Mallet's Northern Antiquities. Ork. and Zet. Cliron. — Orkney and Zetland Chronicle. Pet. Notes— Sheriff Peterkin's Notes on Orkney. Pet. Rent. — Peterkin's Orkney Rentals. Presb. Rec. — Presbytery Records. Pund. Proc. — Pundlar Process. Reg. — Registered. Saga — Orkneyinga Saga. S.R. — Session Records. Sh. Ct. Reg. — Sheriff Court Registers. T.B. — Tliomas Brown or Brown's Diary.
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Kirkwall in the Orkneys.
CHAPTER I.
Introductory.
^N the introduction to the Life of Agricola, it is casually stated that the fleet sailing round ^ by the northern coast discovered what had not been known, that Britain was an island, and found and annexed the Orcades. The name remained steadily in use, and is repre- sented by the Orkneys of the present day.*
From the middle of the first century of the Christian era there are in European literature frequent references to the Orcades. Geographers and historians professed to fix the position and to state the number of the islands. Poets, trading on the romance which hangs round remote and imperfectly known places, used them to adorn their lines. Thus Claudian, towards the close of the fourth century, reciting the exploits of his imperial patron, Theodosius^ saturates the Orkneys with Saxon gore.t
Before the islands had acquired any political recognition, ecclesiastical history shows that the Church had marked them out as a field of missionary effort.
About the year 429, Pope Celastinus consecrated Palladius and sent him to Scotland, ** for before, the Scots were instructed in the faith by priests and monks without bishops. He is the first that created anie bishops in Scotland. He ordained Servanus bishop, and sent him to Orkney to preach the Qospell." X
" Cormac, a soldier of Christ, attempted a second time to discover a desert in the ocean. After he set out under full sail from the land along the boundless ocean, Saint Columba, who was then staying beyond Drumalban (the Grampians), commended him to King Brude, in the presence of the ruler of the Orkneys, saying, * Some of our brethren have lately set sail, desiring to find a desert in the pathless sea ; should they chance after many wanderings to come to the Orkney Islands, do thou carefully commend them to this prince, whose hostages are in thy hand, that no evil may befall them within his territories.' The Saint spake thus because he foresaw in spirit that after a few months Cormac would arrive at the Orkneys. And so it came to pass ; and to the aforesaid commendation of the holy man, Cormac owed his escape from impending death."
♦ HiU Burton, i. 20.
t Barry has noted 13 references from a.d. 45 to 657, p. 19, 2nd Ed.
X Calder^'ood, i. 40.
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2 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Whether Cormac, on his arrival, discovered any results of the teaching of Servauus does not appear, but the Golumban mission, once begun, was maintained, and Christianity spread over Orkney.
A small collection of huts occupied the site of what was to become the chief town in the islands.
What the hamlet was during the Pictish occupation, we can from its position fairly conjecture. Drawing their sustenance chiefly from the water, the first settlers planted their dwellings along the shore of the bay, and by the edge of a large tidal basin known in later times as the Oyce, shut off from the open sea bya long stretch of stony beach, now called the Aire.*
Such a position was highly advantageous to the primitive community, for when the outer waters were too boisterous for their frail vessels, they could launch their coracles on the lagoon, ready at all times to yield a liberal return to their primitive modes of fishing.
Here for centuries generation had suceeded generation in submission to a patriarchal government, which has left no history, and in the practice of a religion of which nothing now is known.
In this i)lace the Culdees established a mission. But this was not the only, nor indeed the principal, station of the Irish missionaries in Orkney. Such names as Papa and Paplay show that they had dotted themselves down all over the islands, while the round tower in Egilshay marks the site of the metropolitan church. John Hill Burton, the historian, who does not appear to have known of the Egilshay tower, says concerning such building :— " Most people have heard of those mysterious edifices, the Irish round towers. We have two specimens of the structure in Scotland ; there are none in England or on the Continent. Buildings so exclusively peculiar could not but excite curiosity and wonder ; and the more 80 that, while they stand beside churches, or are indeed actually part of them, yet it is clear that they were built at a different time and never formed any feature of the design on which the church might be built. Different in their general form and structure from the early Christian buildings, they were eccentric in this, that while the Irish ecclesiastics seemed to have built nothing else of stone or nothing of a lasting kind, they had raised these prodigious towers. Yet if we suppose their means to have been limited, this devotion of them would, keeping purely ecclesiastical purposes in view, be a good investment. The great difficulty they had to deal with was the sudden invasions of the Norsemen, who carried off what was ready to their hand, and burned what was destructible. One cannot suppose better fortresses of defence against enemies like these than the round towers. They had no stairs, and could only be scaled by ladders. Nowhere could the treasures of the church— the books, the relics, and the objects of more material value— be so safe as in one of these stone tubes, whether attended with a guard or not. It was impossible to attack them without a scaffolding of equal height ; for to attempt to topple thom down, by attacks from below, before the days of artillery, would have been destructive to the besiegers.
** It was natural that, as the practice of their parent Irish church, the raising of such buildings would find its way across to the ecclesiastics of Scotland.*'
Though destitute of a tower, our little village had its church, and the name Pabdale shows that the monks had fixed their abode on the bank of the stream that ran past the hamlet into the Oyce.
For a couple of centuries after Cormac's time the mission was left in undisturbed enjoy- ment of Christian ordinances.
• Norse, Eyer, a shore.
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INTRODUCTORY. »
But no\¥ an intrusion of an alarming kind began to make itself seen and felt. An occasional galley put into the bay having on board a heathen crew, which feared not God nor regarded man, whose idea of the rights of property was the simplest — everything belonged to them which they had the opportunity to seize and the strength to hold.
And these rovers could appreciate to the full the advantages of the situation which th& Pictish settlers had chosen for their home. The splendid bay could afford shelter for navies. It had communication on the west with the Atlantic and on the east with the North Sea. But it was not the magnificent bay or " hafn " that specially attracted the Norsemen ; it wa» the Oyce, the convenient and commodious vagr* — the " Peerie Sea" of to-day. Here their galleys, beached or anchored, could in all seasons and in all weathers lie in perfect safety ; and these advantages the vikings were not slow to utilise. From regarding the place as a port of occasional call, they soon came to make it the rendezvous for those annual piratical cruises which were the terror of the whole European sea-board.
One can easily imagine the scene, on a spring morning, as witnessed from the Aire, when,, on the first of the ebb tide, galley after galley, following the long ship of the chief, filed through the mouth of the Oyce, sped across the bay, and disappeared down the String.
These wanderers, regarding home and country simply as head-quarters, or as a base of operations, instead of returning to Norway with their spoils, began to winter in the islands ; and the number of settlers increased so rapidly that, before the end of the eighth century^ Orkney had entirely fallen into the hands of Norse rovers, who held themselves independent alike of Scotland and of Norway, and who recognised no law but the law of the strongest
As yet there was no King of Norway. The country was divided among a number of independent chiefs, not one of whom could assert any authority over the others.
Shortly after the middle of the ninth century one of these, Harald, surnamed the Fair- haired, resolved to make a dash for monarchy. This man " stands completely isolated from parentage and early history. The legend is that he had vowed to let his beautiful locks of golden hair grow undipped until he should call himself monarch of all Norway." t
The Sagas throw around this episode in northern history the romance of a love story.
Harald, probably the son of one of the petty kings, asked Gyda, the daughter of another,, to be his wife. She replied that she would give him his answer when he could make her Queen of all Norway.
Harald set himself to the task, and, mainly by the help of Rognwald of Moeri, was able to have himself proclaimed sole King, 872. Of necessity Gyda became Queen.
Harald's work in Norway gave a fresh departure to the history of our islands.
" Many men left Norway, fleeing the country, on account of King Harald, and went on viking cruises into the west sea. In winter they were in the Orkney Islands, but marauded in summer in Norway, and did great damage."J
To crush those irritating pests, and perhaps to find employment for the more turbulent of his own chiefs, Harald set out with a powerful fleet, and sweeping aside all opposition, not only brought Orkney and Shetland under subjection, but extended his sway over the Hebrides and Man. The king offered the lordship of the northern isles to his friend and supporter. Earl Rognwald. Rognwald, however, preferred returning to Norway, but he secured the insular rule to his brother, Sigurd, who thus became first Earl of Orkney, a.d. 872. And so these islands, geographically Scottish, and which had been tributary to the northern Pictish kings, became politically attached to Norway. By this time the aboriginal Picts had died out or
* Rhymes with ogre. + Hill Burton, i. 326.
:{: Harald Harfager's Saga ; Laing's Sea Kings, i. 289.
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4 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
had become merged among the Norse invaders. Their religion died with them, and in its place came the hero worship of Odin and Thor.
In mound and monolith, so common in our islands, we have a voiceless history of the Viking period :— " Odin established by law that all dead men should be burned, and the ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth. For men of consequence a mound should be raised to their memory, and for all other warriors who had been distinguished for manhood, a standing stone, which custom remained long after Odin's time." *
At the close of the tenth century Christianity was re-established by the baptism of Earl Sigurd II. and his followers. The story is very simply related in the Saga :— " Olaf Tryggvison, returning from a viking expedition to the west, came to the Orkneys with his men, and seized Earl Sigurd in Osmundwall as he lay there with a single ship. King Olaf offered the Earl to ransom his life on condition that he should embrace the true faith and be baptized ; that he should become his man, and proclaim Christianity over all the Orkneys."
Under compulsion, Sigurd submitted, but his fealty and his religion sat equally lightly on him. The Saga continues :—" After that Earl Sigurd paid no allegiance to King Olaf. He married the daughter of Malcolm, King of Scots." And when he w^ent forth to be slain in the battle of Clontirf, his raven banner was consecrated by the most potent spells of the old superstition.
On the death of Sigurd, his youngest son, Thorfinn, encouraged by his grandfather, Malcolm II. of Scotland, seized the earldom. But by a former marriage Sigurd had three sons. The eldest died in his bed. The two younger, Einar and Brusi, made a compact that the survivor should succeed to the estate of the other. Einar was killed by the followers of Thorfinn, and when Brusi died the grandson of the King of Scotland regarded himself as sole ruler of the Orkneys.
But Brusi's son, Rognwald, came from the east and claimed his portion— not only his father's share, but also that of his uncle, Einar.
Thorfinn was Earl of Caithness, and quite powerful enough to retain the position in Orkney which he had assumed, yet he quietly ceded this claim, and " thus eight winters passed that Earl Rognwald had two-thirds of the islands without any objection on the part of Thorfinn."
Rognwald Brusison erected the church from which Kirkwall has its name. Wiiat the Norsemen called the hamlet before the kirk was built is not known. In the Saga it is nameless till the days of Brusison, and even then the compound Kirkiu-vagr— the creek of the kirk— shows that the Oyce was what was valued, and not either kirk or village.
Rognwald dedicated his church to the memory of his foster-father, Olaf the Holy, who was killed in the battle of Sticklastadt, 1030. Uncle and nephew, in their joint earldom, agreed pretty well for eight years, but, "when bad men went between them, dissensions arose." Then came war— battles on sea and on land, heroic fighting, and marvellous escapes, till at last Rognwald was slain in Papa Stronsay, and Thorfinn ruled alone. " Men said that Earl Rognwald was one of the best-beloved of all the earls of the Orkneys ; and his death was greatly lamented by all the people." t
Brusison is the first of the earls named as living in Kirkwall, and it is probable that he built his hall here shortly after the arrangement with Thorfinn. " Earl Rognwald resided in Kirkwall, and brought there all necessaries for the winter ; he had a great number of men and entertained them liberally." J
This is the first mention of the village by name, and it is with Earl Rognwald L, presum- ably the builder of church and castle, that the history of Kirkwall begins, circa 1035. * Yinglinga Saga. t Saga. X Saga.
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KIRKW^ZZ B Jl T
— KIRKWALL.—
IH THE TIME OF EARL ROGNWALD /.
NOTE,— The sUwUion of the modem ttreeU and highway $ u thown thus —.zzirz:^
»L MEDDLE.
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INTRODUCTORY. 5
Id Earl Rognwald's time the little town still consisted of two irregular rows of houses, one lying east and west on the shore of the bay, the other running southward at right angles to the sea front, and facing the Oyce. The southmost building then and for many years after- wards was St. Olaf s Church, attached to which was a space of consecrated ground extending to the Burn of Pabdale. The Hall or Castle was on the higher ground, a little to the south- west of the hamlet.
After the death of his nephew, " Earl Thorfinn took possession of the whole of the islands, and no one spoke against him. He left off making war expeditions, and turned his mind to the government of his land and his people, and to the making of laws." He made a pilgrimage to Rome, and received from the Pope absolution for all his sins. After his return he resided chiefly in Birsay, where he built Christ's Kirk, ** a splendid church, and there was the first Bishop's see in the Orkneys." " Earl Thorfinn was five winters old when Malcolm, King of Scots, his mother's father, gave him the title of earl, and after that he was earl for seventy winters." " He was a man of very large stature, uncomely, sharp-featured, dark haired, and sallow and swarthy in his complexion. Yet he was a most martial- looking man and of great energy, greedy of wealth and of renown, bold and successful in war, and a great strategist. It is truly said that he was the most powerful of all the earls of the Orkneys. He is buried ali Christ's Kirk, which he had built." *
Thorfinn and his wife, Ingibiorg, " the mother of earls," " had two sons who arrived at manhood ; one was called Paul, the other Erlend. They were men of large stature, fine- looking, wise and gentle, r&sembling their mother's relations. They were much loved by the Earl and all the people. Now the sons of Earl Thorfinn succeeded him. Paul was the elder of the two, and he ruled for both of them. They did not divide their possessions, yet they almost always agreed in their dealings." " When the brothers, Paul and Erlend, ruled the Orkneys, King Magnus came from Norway with a large army. He seized the Earls Paul and Erlend and sent them east to Norway, where they died ; placed his son Sigurd over the Isles, and gave him counsellors." t
" King Magnus went to the Sudreyar, accompanied by Magnus and Erlend, tlie sons of Earl Erlend, and Hakon, Paul's son. He fought a great battle in Anglesea Sound with two British chiefs. When the men took up their arms and buckled for the fight, Magnus, Erlend's son, sat down on the fore-deck and did not take his arms. The King asked why he did not do so. He said he had nothing against anyone there, and would not therefore fight. The King said, * Go down below and do not lie among other people's feet if you dare not fight, for I do not believe that you do this from religious motives.' Magnus took a psalter and sang during the battle, and did not shelter himself." t
After the fight in Menai Strait, King Magnus Barefoot looked askance at Magnus, Erlend's son, so the young man stole away from the Norwegian Court and found refuge with the Scottish King.
" Then King Magnus married Gunnhild, the daughter of Earl Erlend, to Kol, Kali's son. Her dowry consisted of possessions in the Orkneys." Kol and Gunnhild had a son. Kali.
Sigurd, whom his father, Magnus Barefoot, had placed over Orkney, went, on the King's death, to take the throne of Norway, and Hakon, Paul's son, with Sigurd's consent, ruled the Orkneys.
After a time, Magnus, the son of Earl Erlend, came from Scotland and claimed his patrimony, which was reluctantly ceded by Hakon. '* So long as their friendship continued there were good times and peace in the Orkneys/'
" Magnus, Earl of the Islands, was a most excellent man. He was large of stature, a man * Saga. t Saga. t Saga.
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6 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
of noble presence and intellectual countenance. He was of blameless life, victorious in battles, wise, eloquent, strong-minded, liberal, and maj];nanimou8, sagacious in counsels, and more beloved than any other man." *
But Hakon became " very jealous of the popularity and greatness of his kinsman, Magnus. Through the slander of wicked men this enmity went so far that the earls gathered troops and went to meet each other. But as many well-disposed men joined themselves together to avert hostilities between them, and to a.ssist neither of them against the other, they confirmed their reconciliation with oaths and shaking of hands."
** Some time after this. Earl Hakon, with hypocrisy and fair words, appointed a day of meeting with the blessed Earl Magnus. This meeting, which was to confirm their peace, should take place in Pasch week in Egilsey. Each of them should have two ships and an equal number of men. Earl MagniLs arrived first with his men at Egilsey, and when they saw Earl Hakon coming they perceived that he had eight war ships." t
Hakon's object was apparent. Magnus was murdered in cold blood, and, as if he had been a criminal and deserved to be capitally punished, his body was denied honourable buriaLJ
Thora, the mother of Magnus, had prepared a feast for the two Earls when they should return from the conference, and when Hakon came alone she readily understood the cause of her son's absence. Concealing her feelings, and waiting till " the drink began to have effect upon the Earl," she obtained permission to bury her son's body where she chose, and she selected Christ's Kirk at Birsay as its resting-place.§
Soon it was noticed that " above the grave was a beam of light, while a fragrant odour diff'used around had marvellous healing virtues." || " Then men who were placed in danger began to pray to him, and their prayers were heard." IT
In the Magnus Saga a list of cures is chronicled, two of them being cases of leprasy from Shetland, whence most of the pilgrims came.* It was also observed that the place where Earl Magnus was slain, which was previously covered with moss and stones, became green sward, and at no time of the year could any one go thither without finding a flower in blossom.t " But people dared not make this known while Earl Hakon was alive." J Hakon became a good ruler, and established peace throughout his dominions ; he also made new laws for the Orkneys, which the landowners liked better than the old. He was pious, too, after the fashion of the times, for he made a pilgrimage to Rome and to Jerusalem, and cleansed himself from all physical and moral impurities in the waters of the Jordan.
After his return he built in Orphir a church, formed upon the plan of the church of the
Holy Sepulchre, in Jerusalem, and " he became so popular that the Orkneymen desired no
^ther rulers than Hakon and his issue." § So he reigned in peace over all Orkney during his
lifetime, and died greatly mourned by his people. At Hakon's death his son, Paul, assumed
the earldom.
Meanwhile Kali, the son of Gunnhild, sister of Earl Magnus, "grew up and was a most promising man. He was of middle size and very handsomely shaped. He was very affable, popular, and highly accomplished." To him Sigurd of Norway gave the half of the Orkneys. "He also gave him the name of Earl Rognwald because his mother, Gunnhild, said that Rognwald Brusison was the most accomplished of the Orkney Earls, and thought the name would bring good fortune." This youth now claimed the estate of his uncle, the murdered
* Saga. t TorfsBus.
t The Aberdeen Breviary gives the date as 1104. The Bollandists suggest 1106. A recent thoughtful but anonymous writer makes it 1116. But Dr Anderson, in his introduction to the Orkneyinga Saga, gives good reasons for fixing it 1115.
§ Saga. II TorfsBus. IT Saga. * Anderson. t Saga. t Saga. § Saga.
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INTRODUCTORY. 7
Magnus. But Paul would not cede any part of the earldom, and Rognwald in prosecuting his claim, while not actually defeated, was baffled and unsuccessful. Indeed there is no doubt that the islanders felt more restful and secure under one than under two earls, and this, with their memory of Hakon's beneficent reign, made them less than lukewarm in the cause of Rognwald. In these circumstances, Kol, the father of Rognwald, advised his son to invoke the aid of his sainted uncle. " Now it is my counsel to seek for help where it is likely to be had eflfectually, and to pray that he may permit you to enjoy these possessions to whom they rightly belong— namely, the holy Saint Magnus,* your mother's brother. It is my wish that you should make a vow to him that he may grant you your patrimony and his inheritance. You should promise one thing— that if you obtain these dominions you will build a stone minster at Kirkwall^ in the Orhieys, more magnificent than any in these lands, dedicating it to your kinsman, Earl Magnus the Holy, endowing it with money so that it may be fitly established, and that his relics and the Bishop's See may be brought there." t
The vow was made. Rognwald was successful. Without bloodshed. Earl Paul ceded the half of the islands and went to live in Rousay, while Rognwald occupied the Hall at Kirkwall.
At this time there lived in Gairsay, Swein Asleifs son, perhaps the most daring and reckless of the viking leaders, but when Paul came to Rousay, Swein had gone " to Scotland to see his friends." Among others he visited Paul's sister, Margaret, who had married Maddad, Earl of Athol, and the three " had many secret consultations." J
Hearing of disturbances in Orkney, Swein came north with a single ship, surprised Earl Paul at an otter hunt in Rousay, and carried him away to Athol. Paul never returned to Orkney, but his nephew, Harald, Maddad's son, was admitted joint earl with Rognwald, the latter to be sole ruler.
Earl Rognwald II. found Kirkwall very much as Earl Rognwald I. had left it a century before ; but the fulfilment of his vow transformed the hamlet into a town. The building of the Cathedral necessitated a palace for the bishops, residences for the dignitaries of the church, and dwellings for the numerous followers of these important personages.
In these changes Bishop William, who resided for the most part in Egilshay, was an important factor.
Buchanan, in his description of Kirkwall, 1582, gives the key to a proper interpretation of its history :— " In this town there are two Castles of moderate extent near to each other, the one the King's and the other the Bishop's. Between them is a Church which, for these regions, may be termed magnificent ; and between the Church and the Castles there are some buildings on both sides which the inhabitants call two cities — the one the Royal, and the other the Episcopal."
James the Third's Charter, 31st March 1486, recognises this division, when it is proposed " to erect all and haill our said Burgh and City of Kirkwall, and that part thereof called the Laverock, in ane ffull Burgh Royal."
The Laverock was the Episcopal domain, and the boundary between the two " cities " was the lane which divides Broad Street into two nearly equal portions.
The rivalry between the youths of Burgh and Laverock always found ready vent in the trials of strength and skill afforded by the popular sports. Thus the fierce struggle which annually takes place round the ** New Year's Ba'," and which always begins at the ancient boundary, is in its origin a tug-of-war between Crown and Mitre.
The building of the Cathedral progressed under Kol's supervision, and after it was
* Magnus was canonised 1135, and stands high in the Calendar, as the first regular canonization was that of Ulric, Bishop of Augsburg, by Pope oohn XV., in 993.
t Saga. X Saga.
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8 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
safficiently advanced to allow of consecration, Rognwald and the Bishop set off on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They required, however, to live by the way, and piracy did not at all detract from the piety of these devotees ; on the contrary, it enabled them to be more liberal in the practice of Christian charity :— " Of the booty we obtain we shall give every fiftieth penny to the poor." ♦
Soon after Rognwald's departure, Erlend, Harald's cousin, aided by Swein of Gairsay, invaded Orkney.
In hereditary descent this claimant had a better right to the earldom than had Harald. They were both grandsons of Hakon, the slayer of Magnus, but Erlend's father was Earl Harald, Hakon's eldest son,t while the other was the son of Hakon's daughter, Margaret, Countess of Athol.
On Michaelmas evening, Harald and his men saw long ships approaching, and, suspecting them to be enemies^ they ran from the ships at Scapa into the Castle. There was a man named Arni, Rafn's son, who ran from Harald's ship to Kirkiuvag. He was so frightened that he forgot that he had his shield at his shoulder until it stuck fast in the door, t The width of the landward doorway is the only hint given in the Saga of any of the dimensions of the EarFs Hall.
That it was a place of considerable strength is shown in the context. ** Earl Erlend and Swein ran from their ships and pursued Earl Harald to the Castle, and attacked them, both with arms and fire. The assailed defended themselves bravely, until night parted them. Many were wounded on both sides. Next morning the Boendr and their mutual friends arrived, and tried to make peace between them." The end was that Erlend dispossessed Harald and ruled all Orkney. However, " it was an agreement between Earl Erlend and the Boendr that he should not hinder Earl Rognwald from taking possession of that part of the islands which belonged to him if it should be granted him to come back " ; but if Earl Rognwald should demand more than one-half of the islands, they should help Earl Erlend to resist his claims.
Erlend, now sole ruler, did not at once take up his residence in the Castle of Kirkwall. Harald had gone over to Caithness, and might return. Swein, Asleif's son, cautioned Erlend not to trust the Scots. Accordingly, " the most part of the winter they were on board their ships, and had scouts on the look-out. Towards Yule-tide the weather began to grow boisterous, and Swein went home to his estate in Gairsay, and asked the Earl not to relax his vigilance though they parted. He remained on board his ships, and had nowhere a Yule feast prepared for him in the Islands."
After three years' absence, Rognwald returned and came straight to his Kirkwall resi- dence.
The pilgrimage of the Earl and the Bishop had been successful throughout. They gathered booty, rode out a gale under Candia, arrived at Acre on a Friday morning, landed "with great i)omp and splendour," visited Jeru.salem, went to Jordan and bathed. Earl Rognwald swam across the river, and, finding a willow bush, twisted in its branches a memorial knot. §
On their return journey, they brightened up their ships and made them " look splendid " before visiting the Emperor Manuel at Constantinople. Here they were well received, and
♦ Saga. + Slettinali.
X " The shield was suspended by the Skialdurfettle, a shoulder belt or strap which went from the right side of the neck down under the left shoulder, and held the shield when not actually required. Figures of the shield so borne are not frequent. Such a fi^re is given in Cutt's Sepulchral Crosses, Lond., 1849, p. 21, from a gravestone of the 14tb century in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirk- wall."— Stephen's Runic Monuments, iii. 64. § Saga.
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INTRODUCTORY. 9
bad tempting offers made them to stay and join the ImiKjrial Varangian bodyguard. After enjoying the gaieties of the cai)ital of the Eastern Empire for half the winter, they set sail and came up the Adriatic to Ai)ulia, Here the Earl and Bishop, with a few of their noblest men, procured horses and rode first to Rome, and then across the Continent of Eurojie to Denmark — a most remarkable feat for the brave old priest. No wonder the Saga adds :-7r" This journey became very famous, and all those who had made it were considered greater men afterwai'ds than before."
As the result of Rognwald's return, a conference took place between the earls, and peace was confirmed, the Boendr insisting that their bargain with Erlend should be adhered to. Thus, there were three earls of Orkney— Rognwald, Erlend, and the ousted Harald. But the exile came back, and then there was war. At first it was each man for himself, but by and by Kognwald and Harald joined against Erlend. " Earl Erlend yielded to the i)ersuasions of his men that they should go to Damsay, and in a large castle there they drank all day, but fastened the ships together every night and slept on board." Here " the Earls Rognwald and Harald surprised Earl Erlend." But Erlend personally was past surprise. " A man named Orm, and another Ufi, were in the forepart of the Earl's shij)." When the assailants were boarding, " Ufi jumped up and tried to rouse the Earl, but could not, for he was dead-drunk. Then he took him in his arms and jumiied overboard with him into a boat alongside the ship. There Earl Erlend was slain, and most of those on board." Harald returned to the Castle of Kirkwall, but Rognwald remained for a time in Damsay.
After Erlend's death, Swein of Gairsay made i)eace with the earls, both of whom were glad to have him as a friend. " When the Earls Harald and Rognwald had made i)eace ^'ith Swein, Asleif's son, they (the earls) were always together, and Earl Rognwald governed, but they agi-eed very well." " Earl Rognwald gave Earl Harald the ship which had belonged to Swein."
One day when Swein was staying with Rognwald in Kirkwall, the two had stepped over from the Castle to the Cathedral. About one hundred and fifty yards from the church door, where they stood, on the shore of the Vagr, lay Swein's galley preparing for sea. " The sail, which had been lying in Saint Magnus Church, was carried out, and Swein looked rather gloomy." He had no share in the preparations ; his ship was the property of another. But at the sight of her, old memories in swift recurrence crowded before him— all the vicissitudes of war, triumph and defeat, pursuit and flight ; the no less earnest struggle for life against winds and waves and tides, and in all, himself the chief on whose courage and tact his mea relied for victory. No wonder that Swein looked gloomy.
Though on the whole fairly successful, the dual rule of Rognwald and Harald was some- times the source of discords. Kirkwall at this time was a turbulent little village, some of the inhabitants regarding themselves as Harald's retainers, while others were devoted to Rognwald. Thus " Thorbioni Klerk went to Earl Harald and became his counsellor. It was said that Thorbiorn did not improve the harmony between Earl Harald and Earl Rognwald."
"Thorarinn Killinef was one of Earl Rognwald's men, a great friend of his, and was always with the Earl. A man named Thorkell was one of Thorbiorn Klerk's followers, and a friend of his. Thorarinn and Thorkell quarrelled over their drink in Kirkwall, and Thorkell wounded Thorarinn. Thorarinn's companions pursued Tliorkell, but Thorbiorn and his men defended themselves in a loft. The earls were informed of this, and they went to part them. Thorbiorn refused to leave the decision of the case to Earl Rognwald, as it was his men that were concerned in the pursuit. When Thorarinn had recovered from his wounds, he slew Thorkell as he was going to church (St. Olaf s). Thorarinn ran into the church, but Thorbiorn and his men pursued him. Earl Roguwald was told what was happening, and he went with
c
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10 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
his men and asked Thorbiorn whether he was going to break the church open. Thorbiom said the church ought not to shelter him who was within. Earl Rognwald said there should be no violation of the church at this time, and Thorbiom was pushed away from it. No agreement was come to about this case." But out of it arose a vendetta, which only terminated in the deaths of the principal persons concerned. "Thorbiorn went over to Caithness, and was there for a while," behaving very badly both to men and women. After a time " he went out secretly to the Orkneys in a boat with thirty men, and landed at Scapa^ and walked to Kirkwall with three men. In the evening he went alone into an inn where Thorarinn was drinking, and struck him a death-blow immediately. Then he ran out into the darkness and far away.*
"Every summer the earls were wont to go over to Caithness and up into the forests to hunt the red deer."
In 1158, "the earls went over to Caithness during the latter part of the summer as usual." At Thurso they learned that Thorbiorn, with a large following, meant to attack them if a favourable opportunity offered. Rognwald, with four others riding well in front of the main party, came to a house close by which a farmer was building a stack of grain. Seeing the Earl, " he saluted him by name and asked for news, si)eaking very loud so that he could be heard far away. This was a short distance from the sitting-room of the house." Thorbiorn, who was within, got quietly out at the back with his followers, and coming round, struck a treacherous blow at Rognwald. Asolf, one of his four companions, " warded off the blow with his hand, and it was cut off ; and then the sword touched the Earl's chin, inflicting a great wound."
" On receiving the blow, Asolf said, * Let them serve the Earl better who have to thank him for greater gifts.' He was then eighteen winters old, and had lately entered the EarFs service."
" Earl Rognwald was going to jump off his horse, and his foot stuck fast in the stirrup." In that plight he was slain.
" Earl Harald brought the body with a splendid following to the Orkneys." It was buried in St. Mary's Church, South Ronaldshay, " and there it rested until God manifested Rognwald's merits by many and great miracles. Then Bishop Bjarni had his holy remains exhumed with the permission of the Pope." They w^ere dejwsited in the Cathedral, which he had built. A skeleton in the wall of the south choir aisle is supposed to be that of the chivalrous Earl Rognwald.
Rognvald was survived by a daughter and six grand-children, but none of these suc- ceeded to the earldom.
" After Earl Rognwald's death, Earl Harald took possession of the whole of the islands, and became their sole ruler. He was a mighty chief, and a man of large stature and great strength." t But, deprived of Rognwald's judicious counsels, he sometimes behaved foolishly, and suffered in consequence. In 1194 an attempt to dethrone the King of Norway was organised in Orkney with Harald's connivance. The insurgents were defeated and*nearly all slain by King Sverrir. For his share in the rebellion, the Earl was summoned to Norway.
Accompanied by Bishop Bjarni, he appeared before the King, laid his head at the Monarch's feet, and appealed for pardon. Possibly through the Bishop's influence, Sverrir allowed Harald to return to Orkney, but to mark his sense of the magnitude of the crime, the King deprived him of the whole of Shetland.
The Saga shows Earl Harald at the social board, and records some of his table talk,
* Saga. + Saga.
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INTRODUCTORY. 11
Harald and Swein, Asleifs son, were very friendly; indeed, the heroic chief of Qairsay undertook the training of one of the EarPs sons.
"Once it happened that Swein went out on a spring expedition, taking with hin* Hakon, the son of Harald. They had five rowing ships, all large. They went to Ireland and plundered there, but when they came to Dyflin (Dublin), two merchant ships came from England, laden with English cloth and other merchandise. Swein made for the vessels, and offered them battle. There was little resistance by the English, and Swein's party took every^ penny in the vessels, leaving to the Englishmen only what they stood in and a small quantity of provisions. They sailed from the west with great pomp."
" Swein used to reside at home in Gairsay in winter, keeping eighty men at his own expense. He had such a large drinking hall that there was none equal to it anywhere else in the Orkneys.''
'^ He had taken a large quantity of wine and English mead from the vessels in Dublin Bay. When he had been at home a short time, he invited Earl Harald and prepared a splendid feast for him. When Earl Harald w^as at the feast a great deal was said of Swein'a magnificence. The Earl said :— * I wish, Swein, you would leave off your marauding expedi- tions ; it is good now to drive home a whole wagon. You know that your plundering has. fed you and your men a long time, but to most men of violence it happens that they perish in their raiding if they do not leave it off in time.' "
Swein looked to the Earl, and replied, smiling, " This is well said, my lord ; you have spoken like a friend, and it is good to take sound advice from you ; but some complain that you are not an over just man yourself."
The Earl replied : " I must be responsible for my own acts, but I spoke as it occurred to- me."
Swein answered : " Your intention is no doubt good, my lord ; and it shall be so that I will discontinue my marauding expeditions, for I am getting old and my strength is wasting' away in the wet work and the fighting. I am now going to make an autumn expedition, and I wish it to be not less glorious than the spring one. Then I shall leave off war-going."
Said the Earl : " It is difficult to know, comrade, which comes first, death or lasting fame."^
Then their conversation ceased. When Earl Harald left the feast, honourable gifts were presented to him, and he and Swein parted very good friends.
Swein did not " drive home a whole wagon." He attacked Dublin and took it. After imposing conditions which the Dublin men swore to observe, the invaders returned to their ships for the night.
The Irishmen made good use of the darkness. They dug pits inside the gates and in the places where Swein and his lieutenants would be likely to lead their crews. These they covered with light material, strewing straw all over.
" Swein and his men, not being on their guard, fell into them. Some of the townsmea ran immediately to the gates, and others to the pits, and attacked Swein's men with weapons* It was difficult for them to defend themselves, and Swein perished there in the pit with all those who entered the town. It was said that he spoke these words before his fall : * Know all men, whether I die today or not, that I am the holy Earl Rognwald's henchman, and my confidence is where he is, with God.* Here is the end of Swein's history ; and it has been said that he was the greatest man in the western lands, either in old times or at the present day, of those who had not a higher title than he had."
Harald Maddadson became earl of half of Orkney in 1139. After the death of Earl Rognwald, in 1158, he was sole ruler till he died in 1206, a remarkable length of reign in such troublous times.
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12 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Two sons, David and John, now occupied Kirlcwall Castle, these i)oth died without male issue, but a daughter of the latter, or perhnps a sister, had married Oilbride, Earl of Angus, and their son, Magnus, became Earl of Orkney, 1231.
There were seven earls of the Angus line, the last of whom, Magnus V., was the greatest.
As Caithness was included in his earldom, he owed allegiance equally to Norway and to Scotland, and at both Courts he was held in high esteem.
" It was in his time, and perhaps in his favour, that the King of Norway prohibited any within his kingdom to bear the title of earl except the King's sons and the Earls of Orkney."*
David, Bishop of Norway, a partisan of the Bruce, was excommunicated by the Papal • Legate in England, Canlinul St. Sabinus, for condoning the sacrilegious slaughter of Comyn in the church of Dumfries. He found a refuge in Orkney, and Edward I. addressed a letter to King Haco of Norway calling for his arrest. The negotiations were proceeding when Edward died, 1307, and David returned to his See. The probability is, that had Haco yielded to Edward's desire, Magnus would have resisted the Bishop's extradition.
In 1312, Earl Magnus was at Inverness when King Robert the Bruce and Hakon V. of Norway renewed between their countries the treaty which had been concluded at Perth, 1266, between Alexander III. of Scotland and Magnus IV. of Norway. By this treaty the Hebrides and Man were ceded to Scotland, while Orkney and Shetland were retained by Norway. A very important term in that treaty was that Scotland should pay four thousand inerks within four years, aud one hundred mei-ks annually in perpetuity. This yearly tribute, known as the Annual of Norway, was to be paid over in St. Magnus Cathedral into the hands of the Bishop of Orkney.
In 1314, Magnus, as liegeman of the Bruce, was one of " the warriors of the hardy North" who fought at Bannockburn.
To the men of Orkney this battle had no national interest, and those of them who were present were there as the Norse followers of this earl, a reinforcement of his Caithness con- tingent.
In 1320, Magnus was one of the eight earls who, along with thirty-one barons and others representing the whole community of Scotland, subscribed and sent the famous letter to the Pope, in which, while respectfully asserting the independeiice of their country, which the Pontiff had hitherto refused to acknowledge, they earnestly requested to be reconciled to the Romish See.t Before this time the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Carlisle had standing orders from Rome to excommunicate Bruce and his accomplices on every Sabbath and festival day throughout the year.J
The hostility of the Pope was no doubt purchased by England, but the excuse for it lay, not in the war of independence, but in the killing of Comyn in the Greyfriars' Church in Dumfries, February 1306.
• Barry. + Rymer, quoted by Tytler, i. 369.
X This famous letter was adopted by the Scottish Parliament sitting in Arbroath Abbey, 6th April 1320. It is a most powerful protest agaiust th6 Pope's reco^ition of England's chdm of .supremacy. It acknowledges the great services which their beloved King had rendered in securing the independence of his country, but adds — " If this prince shall leave tjiese principles he hath so nobly pursued, and consent that we or our kingdom be subjected to the king or people of England, we will immediately endeavour to expel him as our enemy." " For it is not glory, it is not riches, neither is it honour, but it is liberty alone that we fight for, which no honest man will lose but with his life." It pleads to the Pope, with air hu'mility, **from bended knees and hearts." There is, however, no servility. " But if your Holiness shall be too credulous of the English misrepresenta- tions, we must believe that the Most Hi^h will lay to your charge all the blood,- loss bf souls, and other calamities that shall follow." This memorial had a strong effect at Rome. The duplicate, which was retained, is still preserved in the Register House in Edinburgh. * * -
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INTRODUCTaRY. l8
Magnus left no son to succeed him, and the Angus line of earls became extinct ; but a "daughter, Isabella,- had married Malise, Earl of Striatherne, and her son,- Maltse, wa» tlie first of the Stratherne line. In point of fact, he was the only one of his race that ruled Orkney. ile was twice married, aiid had five daug;hters, but no son came to perpetuate his name.
On the death of Malise, Earl of Stratherne, the husband of his third daughter, Agnetta, a Swedish noble, Emgils Sunoson, got the title of Earl of Orkney from Magnus III. of Norway, 1353. In 1357 he was deposed by the same monarch and his estates confiscated.
In 1364, Thomas St. Clair occupied Kirkwall Castle as representative of the King of Norway.
In 1379, Henry St. Clair, son of Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Malise of Stratherne, was preferred to the earldom, the first of an illustrious dynasty which lasted for ninety years.
" The St. Clairs are of Norman extraction, being descended from Williem de St. Clair, second son of Walderne Compte de St. Clair, and Margaret, daughter to Richard, Duke of Normandy. He was called for his fair deportment the Seemly St. Clair, and, settling in Scotland during the reign of Malcolm Caenmore, obtained large grants of land in Mid- Lothian."
" These domains were increased by the liberality of succeeding monarchs to the descend- ants of the family, and comprehended the baronies of Rosline, Pentland, Cowsland, Cardaine, and several others. It is said that a large addition was obtained from Robert Bruce on the following occasion. The, King, in following the chase upon Pentland Hills, had often started a white faunch deer, which had always escaped from his hounds ; and he asked the nobles, who were assembled around him, whether any of them had dogs which they thought would be more successful. No courtier would affirm that his hounds were fleeter than those of the King, until Sir William St. Clair of Rosline unceremoniously said he would wager his head that his two favourite dogs, Help and Hold, would kill the deer before she would cross the march burn. The King instantly caught at his unwary offer, and betted the forest of Pentland Moor against the life of Sir William St. Clair. All the hounds were tied up, except a few ratches or slow hounds to put up the deer ; while Sir William St. Clair, posting himself in the best situation for slipping his dogs, prayed devoutly to Christ, the blessed Virgin, and St Katherine. The deer was shortly after roused and the hounds slipped, Sir William following on a gallant steed to cheer his dogs. The hind, however, reached the middle of the brook, upon which the hunter threw himself from his horse in despair. At this critical moment, however, Hold stopped her in the brook, and Help coming up, turned her back and killed her on Sir William's side. The King descended from the hill, embraced Sir William, and bestowed on him the lands of Kirk ton, Logan House, Earncraig, &c., in free forestrie,"*
This adventurous huntsman married Elizabeth, daughter of Malise, Earl of Orkney and Stratherne, in whose right their son, Henry, was created Earl of Orkney.
" Although the EarLs of Orkney had precedence of all the titled nobility of Norway, and their signatures to the national documents stand always after the Archbishops and before the Bishops and nobles, though the title was the only one permitted in Norway to a subject not of the blood royal, yet it was now declared to be subject to the royal option of inve8titure."t
Haco VI. of Norway, in investing Henry St. Clair in the earldom of Orkney, fully recog- nised the fact that the earls of Orkney were now liegemen of the Kings of Scotland, and that they had shown a disposition to be independent of both their suzerains.
Accordingly, this investiture was granted under very stringent conditions, ainong others, that the Earl should take no part with the Bishop of Orkney to the King's prejudice, or enter
* Father Hay. t Dr Anderson, Saga, Int., p. 64.
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14
KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
into any contract with him without the Ring's permission ; and that he should build no fort or castle within the precincts of the earldom without the Royal assent. In face of these conditions, Henry St. Clair, circa 1380, cleared away the old Hall of the Norse earls and built a stronghold suited to the military requirements of the time, and of a style fitting the occupa- tion of one of the most important feudal barons of his day.
Seal of Burgh of Kirkwall, 1675.
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CHAPTER II.
The Castle.
fF the Castle was built without permission of the Ring of Norway, Earl Henry had a ready excuse, that, as he could not make a league with the bishops, he required a place of residence, at least equal in strength to their palace, which had accommodation for a large garrison.
Evidently the King and the Bishop had not been on good terms, and possibly the church- man transferred his grudge from the King to the Earl. If he did so he was worsted, for in 1382, without any detail of circumstances, " there came the mournful tidings that Bishop William was slain in the Orkneys."
When St. Clair came to his earldom he found that the islands had suffered much, and were then suffering from the depredations of Scottish rovers; Accordingly, he used his influence at Court in favour of his new subjects, and obtained from the King a proclamation prohibiting, under heavy penalties, any Scotsman resorting to Orkney except for lawful trade, and this mandate, with the EarFs vigilance, had the desired effect
During the rule of this earl the three Scandinavian kingdoms — Denmark, Norway, and Sweden — were joined under one crown.
Margaret, daughter of Waldemar of Denmark, a brave, clever, energetic woman, married Haco y. of Norway. Haco and Margaret had one son, Olaf, who succeeded his grandfather, Waldemar, on the throne of Denmark. Shortly afterwards Haco of Norway died, and Olaf would have become king, but the Norwegians, who did not want a boy ten years of age on the throne, placed the crown on Margaret's head. Shortly afterwards Olaf died, and in the absence of a male heir, Margaret became Queen of Denmark also. Then the Swedes, dis- satisfied with their King, Albert of Mecklenburg, invited Margaret to depose him and take the throne. This she did, doubtless with much pleasure, and became Queen of the North. The union of the three kingdoms was sealed at Calmar, 1397, and Copenhagen became the capital. From this historic accident, Orkney and Shetland, which had hitherto belonged to Norway, came now to be regarded as pertaining to Denmark.
That such a union was possible, apart from conquest, was undoubtedly owing to the amount of popular literature common to the three countries.
Laing says—" It would be a curious subject for the political philosopher to examine what have been the effects of the literature of a people upon their social conditions. The literature of the Northmen kept alive the common feeling and mind— the common sense in matters of common interest which grow up into national institutions. They had a literature of their own, however barbarous, had laws, institutions, and social arrangements of their own, and all these, through a common language, influenced and formed a common mind in all.'' *
• Sea Kings of Norway, i. 66.
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16 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Henry, the castle builder, was succeeded in the earldom by his son, Henry IL, a most accomplished nobleman. His 'Mittle Court of Orkney was the most elegant and refined in Europe, and adorned with the official services of many proud Scottish nobles. Half a century before Columbus commenced his baffling search for a patron among the sovereigns of Europe, the Venetian navigator, Zenoni, had been commissioned by Earl Henry to retrace the footsteps of the early Scandinavian discoverers of the western world." *
The Earl's neighbours, the Bishop of Orkney and the dignitaries of the Cathedral, represented the scholarship of the age, which, combined with the feudal splendour of the St. Clairs, made Kirkwall at the beginning of the fifteenth century the most brilliant capital in northern Europe.
To Earl Henry, Robert III. of Scotland committed the charge of his second son, Prince James, after the more than suspicious death at Falkland of the Crown Prince, David, Duke of Rothesay. Eearing lest the ambitious Albany should secure the crown for himself by the ^removal of his remaining son, the old King sent the youth off to France under the charge of the Earl of Orkney. But the voyage proved disastrous. Through the intrigues of Albany, Henry IV. of England was induced to send a vessel to intercept them, arid their, ship waa captured off Flamborough Head by an armed merchantman belonging to the port of Wye. f The Prince and his retinue were carried prisoners to London. In security, if in captivity, the royal youth was for nineteen years detained in England, receiving meanwhile such a training as befitted the heir to Scotland's throne.
Earl Henry was allowed his freedom, on leaving his brother John a hostage for his return, and thus, in a manner bound to both courts, he made repeated journeys from one to the other. in his frequent absences from Kirkwall his grandmother held the castle and ruled the. earldom.
He married Egidia, daughter of Lord William Douglas, grand -daughter of Robert II. of Scotland, and was succeeded by his son, William, the first of the family to give his name the* form of Sinclair. Earl William found employment enough at the Scottish Court to make him careless of seeking infeftment at the hands of the King of Denmark. He visited Prince James in his captivity in England, and, when the young King returned to Scotland, was one of the splendid train that met him at Durham.
But King Eric became impatient, and felt himself bound to resent Earl William's carelessness in the matter of homage. He did so by raising a doubt as to the validity of the St. Clair title, and he only granted investiture when, in 1434, Bishop Tulloch and his clergy, after careful genealogical research, produced a " Diploma " showing the title to be unassail- able.!
In 1448, Christian I. ascended the Danish throne.
In 145.5, Bishop Thomas died and was succeeded by his cousin, William Tulloch.
"Tulloch, Bishop of Orkney, a Scotsman and a prelate of high accomplishments and great suavity of manners, enjoyed the friendship and esteem of Christian, King of Denmark and Norway, and api>ears to have been entrusted by this northern potentate with a consider- able share in the government of these islands." §
If Eric had been doubtful of the loyalty of the St. Clairs, Christian had no less reason to be dissatisfied. After this king had been thirteen years on the throne, Bishop William was' good enough to apologise for the negligent earl on the ground that, having been appointed one of the regents of the kingdom during the minority of James III., his presence was required at'
• Balfour Mem. for Ork., p. 27." t Tytler quoting Walsingbam aod Winton, iii. 154. J Barry. § Tytler, iv. 216.
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XHK CASTLE. 17
the Scottish Court, and, therefore, he could not go to Coi^enhagen to take the oath of allegiance.
His attendance at Court necessarily prevented the EarFs residence in Orkney, but, after years of neglect, he at length sent his son to occupy Kirkwall Castle.
This young man, known in the family records as William the Waster, found a churchman exercising secular rule over hLs father's lands, and at once proceeded to make history, not merely for Orkney, but for Scotland and for Europe. Great must have been the excitement in Kirkwall when the reckless "Waster" carried the suave Bishop from the Palace to the Castle. Great also must have been the wrath of King Christian when the tidings reached Coi)enhagen that " the prelate had been seized and shut up in prison by a son of the Earl of Orkney, who showed no dis[>osition to interfere for his liberation." *
A dignitary of the Scandinavian Church, the royal representative in the province, and an esteemed personal friend, incarcerated by a Scottish lordling, was a national and a personal insult which King Christian could not brook. He directed letters to the Scottish Court remonstrating against the treatment of the Bishop, demanding his immediate liberation, and intimating that he would not tolerate the oppression of his lieges in Orkney by any of the subjects of the King of Scotland. To add weight to his ])rotest, he demanded payment of all arrears of the " Annual of Norway."
This tax, though only a hundred merks yearly, had remained unpaid for nearly a couple of centuries, so that the amount now due, principal and interest, formed a very embarrassing claim \i\)on the never overflowing Scottish exchetiuer. In sending in his account, the royal creditor expressed the hoi)e that the friendly relations of the two kingdoms might not be disturbed, but the very utterance of such a hoi)e showed that Denmark contemplated a possible rupture.
In this complication both parties agreed to settle their differences by arbitration, and placed the case in the hands of Charles VII. of France. This monarch, valuing the alliance of Denmark and of Scotland, gave the weighty question his earnest consideration. Hi* finding was that, as the young King of Scotland was of an age f to marry, and as the King of Denmark had a daughter of suitable years, international differences should be forgotten in the rejoicings of a royal wedding. Tlie award was accei)ted, and James III. married Margaret of Denmark.
In the drawing of the marriage settlement, the Scottish ambassadors secured remarkably liberal terms for the bridegroom. Scotland's heavy debt to Denmark was cancelled, while the Princess brought with her a dowry of sixty thousand florins. Of this sum ten thousand were to be paid at once, and the Orkney Islands were to be held in imwn by Scotland till the remaining fifty thousand florins should be forthcoming.
But when it came to the payment of the ten thousand florins. Christian found that he could only disburse two thousand, and he gave Shetland in pledge for the balance. Thus Orkney and Shetland, which had been lost to Scotland in the ninth century by a process of Scandinavian immigration, were in 1468 restored by this impignoration ; for the question of their redemption has long since passed beyond the range of practical diplomacy. And it should not be forgotten that this restoration, and the wedding which brought it about, resulted from the rough play between Bishop Tulloch and young Sinclair on the streets of Kirkwall.
In 1471, William St. Clair exchanged his earldom of Orkney for a grant of the lands and castle of Ravenscraig in Fife, and an Act was passed annexing the islands to the Scottish
• Tytler. iv. 215. t James had barely completed his eighteenth year, and Margaret was just sixteen.
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18 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Crown, " nocht to be given away in time to com to na jHjrsain or i)ersaini8 excep alenarily to ane of the king's sonnia of lauchful lied." The exchange of Orkney for Ravenscraig was so une<iual as to be really a confiscation, and as such it wa« regarded by the St. Clairs. In 1715, when John, Master of St. Clair, wa« |)assing into exile for his share in the rebellion, he made some stay in Kirkwall, and remarks : — " I had occasion to entertain myself at Kirkwall with the melancholy prosjKJct of the ruins of an old castle, the seat of the old earls of Orkney, my ancestors ; and of a more melancholy reflection of so great and noble an estate a>s the Orkney and Shetland Isles being taken from one of them by James the Third for faultrie, after his brother Alexander, Duke of Albany, had married a daughter of my family, and for protecting and defending the said Alexander against the King, who wished to kill him as he had done his youngest brother, the Earl of Mar, and for w^hich, after the forfaultrie, he gratefully divorced my forfaulted ancestor's sister ; though I cannot persuade myself that he had any misalliance to plead against a familie in whose veins the blood of Robert Bruce ran as fresh as in his own."
This not only ])roves the confiscation, but gives the cause.
William St. Clair, as Earl of Orkney, was sufficiently jxiwerful to interfere in the private aflfairs of the royal family, and could uphold a meml)er of that family whom the King had resolved to cast down ; but William St. Clair, as the Laird of Ravenscraig, was weak and as another man. Of the style this Earl maintained in E<linburgh "we have a description : —
''In the Blackfriars Wynd the semi-royal house of Sinclair had a mansion.
" They were Princes and Earls of Orkney, Lords of Roslin, Dukes of Oldenburg, and had a list of titles that has been noted for its almost Spanish tediousness. In his magnificence Earl William — who built Roslin Chapel, was High Chancellor in 1453, and ambassador to England in the same year— far surpassed what has often sufficed for the Kings of Scotland.
" His Princess, Margaret Douglas, daughter of Archibald, Duke of Touraine, according to Father Hay in his * Genealogie of the Sainte Claires of Rosslyn,' was waited uix)n by seventy- five gentlewomen, whereof fifty-three were daughters of noblemen, all clothed in velvets and silks with their chains of gold and other pertinents, together wnth two hundred riding gentlemen who accompanied her in all her journeys. She had carried before her when she went to Edinburgh eighty lighted torches, so that, in a word, none matched her in all the country save the Queen's Majesty." *
Father Hay tells us too that " Earl William kept a great court, and w^as royally served at his own table in vessels of gold and silver. Lord Dirleton being his master of the household, Lord Borthwick his cup bearer, and Lord Fleming his carver, in whose absence they had deputies, viz. : — Stewart, Laird of Drumlanrig ; Tweedie, Laird of Drumelzier ; and Sandi- lands. Laird of Calder. He had his halls and other apartments richly adorned with embroidered hangings."
That this magnificence was not exhibited to the full in Kirkwall Castle must be admitted ; but even on a deputy, and esi»ecially if that deputy were a son, there would be from the I)aternal centre a strong reflected s])lendour.
William Sinclair was the last of the hereditary earls of Orkney. Back through the Stratherne family, through the house of Angus, and through centuries of Norse ancestors, he could trace his descent from Sigurd the First, the liegeman of Harold Haarfager. He was also the last to hold the fief from a Scandinavian suzerain.
After the confiscation, the earldom lands were leased to Bishop Tulloch, and on his translation to the See of Moray the lease was continued to Andrew, the first prelate of Scottish appointment, and with the lands was given the keeping of the Castle of Kirkwall. • " Edinburgh in the Olden Time," Wilson. '
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Barry refers to a stone in front of the building carved with arms and a mitre.* If such a stone existed it probably dated from the rule of one of these two churchmen.
In the absence, or rather in the non-existence, of an earl, Bishop Andrew secured for the bishopric a royal charter erecting it into a regality, thus making himself and hLs successors, in their civil jiu-isdiction, independent of the earldom courts, t
In thus procuring a separate right of " pit and gallows," he was doubtless simply restoring the bishopric to the position it had held under Scandinavian sway. This charter was confirmed by another eleven years later. Tudor says that the two bishops, during their leases, increased the estate of the bishopric at the exi)ense of the earldom, and this is fully borne out by the rentals. The Bishop took to himself the scat which in many cases should have been paid to the King.
" I knaw nocht quha aw the land male hierof, bot the scats suld be the kingis, and thai ar withhaldin be the bischop in my time, xxij. yeiris bigane." J
" Langscale (Rousay) was evir to the Kingis scattis quhilk is haldin be the bischop (Andrew) in all my tyme bigane, and Bischop William, quhen he had our Soverane Lordis lands in tak, was the first that evier began to tak ony of the kingis scattis contenit in this buik." §
Many similar entries prove that these two pious churchmen added largely to their incomes by systematic frauds on the royal exchetiuer.
It is somewhat remarkable that, during the episcopate of a man of Andrew's influence, the King should, in the burgh charter, 1486, hand over to the newly-constituted corporation the care of the Cathedral building, and the api)ointment of parish schoolmaster, two matters which were certainly prerogatives of the Church, and which for a couple of centuries after the granting of the charter remained in the hands of the clergy unquestioned by the Town Council.
The charter marks the initiation of a new jwwer in the town, the power of the |)eople. Hitherto the Castle and the Palace, conjointly or separately, had ruled Kirkwall, but from this time the Town House loomed in the future as an institution of greater public importance than either. It is well to keep in mind what the burgh w^as when this charter was granted- It was still the triangular village situated between the Burn of Pabdale and the bay. What importance it had was gathered from its relations with the aristocratic suburban community, the Earl and his Court, the Bishop and his retinue, and the other dignitaries of the Church, with their necessary establishments. Many of these were immigrants, who brought with them from the outer world tastes which could only be gratified through a maritime trade with British and Continental i)orts. And the demand called forth the supply, bringing to the front quite a number of merchant sailors, many of whom, by commercial enterprise, acquired wealth ; and when, long after the granting of the charter, the corjKjration assumed the conduct of burghal affairs, these were the kind of men who, as magistrates and councillors, came to the front and managed the affairs of the little town.
In 1488, James III. was killed at Sauchie Burn, and his successor entrusted the Crown lands in Orkney, with the keeping of the Castle of Kirkwall, to Lord Henry St. Clair, a son of the semi-royal William, late Earl of Orkney. By him the Castle was held and occupied till the fatal year, 1513, when he followed his king to England and fell with him at Flodden. "In the second year of Lady Sinclair's widowhood, 1515, the Orcadians elected James Sinclair, natural son of Sir William Sinclair of Wassater, Sanday, as their leader and virtual governor, the possessor, though illegitimate, of most of the wealth of the family, and the inheritor, as a born and bred Orkneyman, of all its popularity. On the plea of a general devas- ♦ p. 236. t 1490. t Pet. Rent., p. 56. § p. 78.
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tation of the islands by the English fleet, in Orkney they withheld Lady Margaret's rents for three years, 1523 to 1525, and forced her son. Lord William, to surrender the Castle. They slew thirty of Lord William's adherents who had taken sanctuary in St. Magnus Cathedral." * To recover possession of Orkney, Lord William raised a i)arty, and, accom{)anied by his cousin, John, p]arl of Caithness, crossed the Pentland Firth the following year. The Caith- ness men were defeated at Summerdale, in Stenness, and slaughtered almost to a nian.t
Tradition is somewhat circumstantial in its memory of the first death in this invasion and the \^t at the close of the battle. The Caithness leaders held to the belief, " which spills the foremost foeman's life, that party concjuers in the strife." Accordingly, soon after landing in Orphir, they came u\x)r\ a lad herding cattle, and ruthlessly slew him. The victim, however, was not a foeman, but one of their own countrymen who had found employment on the north side of the Pentland.
The last to fall was an Orcadian, whose cottage was at Tusker])ister, (juite near the battle- field. He had strii)i)ed one of the fallen, and had arrayed himself in gay apparel. He expected to surprise his mother, but the old lady surprised him. To protect her life and honour, she had, by way of weapon, put a stone in the foot of a long stocking, and as soon as the seeming stranger entered, she felled him to the ground and killed him.
Sir James Sinclair now remained governor of the Castle, and proceeded to acquire property. By representing that Sanday and Eday were holms used only for pasturing cattle, he received a grant of these islands. Sinclair died by his own hand at Stirling in 1539.t
In the following year, James V. came to Orkney with a fleet of twelve ships. § He was surprised to find the islands in such a state of civilization. Indeed, the town, with its Cathedral, its Palace, its Castle, and the handsome houses of the dignitaries of the Church, their gardens sloping to the Oyce, was well calculated to impress southern visitors ; for, in architectural elegance, Kirkwall in the sixteenth century could have been surpassed by very few Scottish towns.
The King had with him a small army, and he " placed garrisons in two castles, the king's castle and the bishop's." ||
He evidently regarded Kirkwall Castle as a safe and commodious dwelling fit to be a royal residence, for he settled it on his Queen, Mary of Guise, should she survive him.
During the short time James remained in Orkney, his pilot, Lindsay, made good use of his opportunities in taking soundings and drawing a chart of the islands.
The lease of the earldom was now granted to Oliver Sinclair, the Court favourite for the time, and when, after the death of her husband, the Queen dowager desired to have jiossession of her castle, she was forced to have recourse to law, and after a somewhat tedious action, it was ordained by the Lords of Secret Council that Sinclair should give up the place within six days after receiving an order from the royal widow to that effect.
This unfortunate Oliver was the last Sinclair to bear rule in Orkney. In the wider
history of Scotland his name is associated with the greatest national disgrace in the annals of
our country's wars. At Solway Moss, an army, nominally under his command, but actually in
a state of mutiny, was scattered to the winds by the dashing charge of a handful of English
horse. The story of his life well illustrates the instability of Court favour. He had held the
foremost place in the household of James V., yet he was personally unknown to James VI.
and his Court. When the Earl of Arran had sole possession of this King's ear, we are told
* St. Clairs of the Isles, t It wiis not till 1538, eleven years after the battle, that the King granted amnesty to those who had taken part in slaying the Earl, and in the Act of Oblivion he specially names Magnus Cromarte, Johne Croniarte, Magnus Garoch, and Edward Bumess.
4: Barry, p. 246, note. § Tytler, v. 276, II Buchanan.
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that " one day the favourite was bustling into the Court, when an old man, meanly dressed, chanced to stand in his way. As Arran pushed rudely past him, the man stopped him, and said—* Look at me, my lord, I am Oliver Sinclair.' In a short time, Arran, too, was living in obscurity and fear, and he died a violent death." *
Mary of Guise having ousted Sinclair, was, as Regent of Scotland, too much occupied with State affairs even to visit Kirkwall, and she gave the keeping of the Castle to one Bonot, a Frenchman, a choice which was far from popular.f
The Queen dowager died, 1560, and in 1564, Lord Robert Stewart, half-brother of Queen Mary, got a written title to " all and whole the lands of Orkney and Zetland, with all and sundry the isles pertaining thereto, with all and each of the castles, towers, fortalices, woods, mills, multures, fishings, tenents, service of free tenents, with the whole superiority of free tenents, advocation, donation of churches, and with the office of Sheriff of the Fouldrie of Zetland." t The feu was fixed at £2006 13s 4d ; Oliver Sinclair had paid £2000.
In 1567 this lease was cancelled, and the islands were given to James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, who was at the same time created Duke of Orkney. But the duke had a more restricted title than the earl had held. He did not get " all and whole the lands of Orkney and Zetland," but only " all and haill the earldom lands and isles," «fec., " all erectit in ane haill and free dukry to be callit the dukry of Orknay for ever."
Here it would seem that the crown authority recognised the illegality of granting a title to the bishopric lands, which had been secured for the church and erected into a regality by the charter granted to Bishop Andiew. Mary, perhaps foreseeing the troubles that were sure to follow her ill-omened wedding with the Duke of Orkney, had given the keeping of the Castle of Kirkwall to one whom she had reason to regard as a friend. Gilbert Balfour had been Master of the Household to the Queen and her husband, Henry, Lord Darnley, and he was now Sheriff of Orkney and Governor of all its strongholds.
Mary's troubles came perhaps sooner than she anticijiated. In exactly a month after this miserable marriage, Bothwell fled from the bloodless field of Carberry, and, seeking refuge in his island duchy, he hoped to find security in Kirkwall Castle. But the politic Balfour, refusing to treat with a broken man, turned the guns of the fortress upon him, and the fugitive hurried off to Shetland, hotly pursued by a squadron under command of Kirkaldy of Grange.
And now Lord Robert Stewart succeeded in recovering his former title, securing the bishopric as well as the earldom revenues. As to this. Bishop Graham says—" Robert, Erie of Orknay, sone to King James the Fyft, obteyned a few of Orknay and Shetland, and yair- upon intendit to stress the udillandis, and augment a rental on these their landis. He ceased fra it, and found out ane uther way to doe the turne. He was Abbot of Hallyrudehouse, and Adame Bothwell, then bishope of Orknay, they maid ane excambione,, and Erie Robert became in these dayes bischope in omnibus, and set his rentall of teynds upon these udillands above the availe, yea, triple above the availe. This rentall stands to this day." §
On the other hand, Bishop Bothwell " denied that ever he dimitted to my Lord Robert his office or anie part thereof, but that the said Lord Robert violentlie intruded himself on his whole living."
Hitherto, the power of the Castle had been to a certain extent limited by the authority of the Palace ; but under Robert Stewart, the power of the earls and the authority of the bishops were the prerogative of one unscrupulous man.
The story of the tyrannous rule of the Stewart earls has often been told. Under them the
♦ Scott, Tales. t Peterkin, Notes, 100. t Pet., Notes, 101. § Pet., Reot, iii. 20.
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22 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
islanders became familiar with enforced labour of all kinds — field work, i)eat cutting, ferrying, quarrying, and building, receiving no return either in food or wages.
Rents being \md in kind, were left nominally untouched, but in reality, through altered standards, were increased all over the islands by one-fourth. Every thing thro^^n up by the sea or found floating off the shore liecame the proj^erty of the Earl. For venial crimes small proprietors were deprived of their lands, and where a pleasant bit of proi>erty tempted the eye, charges of witchcraft and sorcery were trumi)ed up against the owner, to l)e immediately followed by confiscation.
The church was largely drawn uiK>n to augment the revenue of the Earl. The teinds, as Bishop Graham showed, were set at triple their value. Benefices were allowed to remain vacant, and the stii)ends were appropriated by the Earl. Earl Robert supjn'essed the Burgh Council and destroyed what records had accumulated.
He built for himself a i)alace at Birsay, after the ])lan of the beautiful royal rewidence at Falkland. His vassals — a convenient and comprehensive designation including all ranks and conditions of the [)eople — were forced to supply the lal>our.
To i)revent as far as jwssible his high-handed rule becoming known l>eyond his earldom, no one was allowed to enter or de()art without his permission.
In spite, however, of his precautions complaints reached the Court, and Earl Robert was summoned to Edinburgh. He was imprisoned in Linlithgow for a time, but on bail being found for him by two friends to the amount of £10,000, he was lil)erated, and returned to Orkney, where he died in 1591. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Patrick.
Of this earl's character and government, Scottish historians take different views. An almost contemi>orary writer says : — "The real crime of the unfortunate Earl was most probably his extensive possessions, the secular jwrtion having attracted the avidity of the Royal favourite,* and the Episco|)al revenues being as keenly eyed by the prelates. f
Peterkin calls his execution a judicial murder. But local tradition both in Orkney and in Shetland, the complaints of the Balfours, Ballendens, and others of his neighl)ours, and finally his indictment and trial, leave no doubt whatever of the iiyustice and t>Tanny of his rule.
He plundered those of his subjects whose wealth made it worth the trouble, and where resistance was offered he resi)onded with imprisonment and torture.
Bellendcn of Evie refused to part with some lands to the Earl, whereui)on his eldest son was put in the " boots," another son was imprisoned, and the bedridden old laird himself was carried off to Kirkwall.
Besides the torture of the " boot," we hear of the " cashie laws," an iron stocking heated up by a moveable furnace ; of the penny winkies, the thumbscrew, and of the simple scourge applied with such hearty goodwill as to leave " neither skin nor hide " ui)on the unfortunate Bcourgee.
From these it may readily be believed that in his own domains the Earl had few friends.
With his neighbour of Caithness he was at constant feud. The rout at Summerdale was unforgotten and unforgiven on the other side of the Pentland Firth, and though the Stewarts had no finger in that pie, the Sinclairs seemed to regard the Orcadian earls as hereditary enemies. "The year of God 1608 there was some ai)iK?arance of trouble between the Earls of Caithness and Orkney, by reason that upon some preceding discontent the Earl of Caithness had now caused apprehend some of the Earl of Orkney's servants who were forced to land in Caithness by a contrary wind and vehement storm of weather. First, the Earl of Caithness made them drunk, then, in a mocking jest, he caused shave the one side of their beards and * Kerr, Earl of Somerset. t Aikman's Buchanan, iii., p. 336.
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THE CASTLE. 23
the one side of their heads, last of all he constrained them to take their vessel and go to sea in that stormy tempest." *
Earl Patrick complained to the King of this gratuitous indignity put upon his people, and . both noblemen repaired to Edinburgh. There, however, "they agreed all their private quarrels by the mediation of friends lest they should reveal too much ot each other's doings."
On the other hand, perhaps as a matter of policy, the Earl cultivated the friendship of the Sutherland family. ** In the month of August 1602, John, Earl of Sutherland, accompanied by his brother. Sir Robert Gordon, Hutcheon MacKay, the Laird of Assynt, and other gentle- men went into Orkney to visit Earl Patrick. They shipped at Cromarty, in the Earl of Orkney's warship the Dunkirk, and landed at Kirkwall, where they were honourably received and heartily entertained by Patrick, Earl of Orkney." On such occa.sions his palace witnessed profuse display and prodigal expenditure. " His pomp was so great that he never went from his Castle to the Kirk without the convoy of fifty musketeers and other gentlemen of convoy and guard. And, before dinner and supper, there were three trumpeters that sounded till the meat of the first service was set at table, and sic like at the second service, and consequently after grace." f
Inheriting a strong love for architecture, he built for himself a residence on the bishopric lands. He selected a site close by the Place of the Yards, and erected what was called the New Wark in the Yards.
The Earl's Palace, when finished, must have been one of the finest examples of Scottish baronial architecture then existing, and the magnificent banqueting hall, the commodious withdrawing room, and the immense kitchen, with its capacious fire-place, go to show that the builder proposed to maintain the princely style becoming the grandson of a king and the ruler of a virtually independent province.
But in the erecti(m of this lordly mansion the oppressions of the islanders culminated. It is charged against the Earl that he compelled the gentlemen tenants of Orkney and Zetland to work for him all manner of work by sea and land, in rowing and sailing his ships and boats, loading them with stones and lime and discharging the same, quarrying and carrying stones, building his walls and other sorts of servile and painful labour, without meat, drink, or hire. The islands were still under their old Norse laws, and in the Things justice should have been attainable even against an earl, but Patrick, adopting a course introduced by his father, packed the courts with creatures of his own, and thus could always secure a decision in his favour against any recalcitrant subject.
5th August 1602—" James Barnetson and Adam Cromartie baith proven in the Foldis bulks to have disobeyit to gang to my Lord's wark in Scalloway as they were decernit, thairfore ilk ane of them are decernit to pay 40 sh." J
This refers to the building of Scalloway Castle. In Kirkwall the Earl presided as provost in the burgh and as sheriff in the county courts, and carried matters his own way.
The building of the palace, together with his other extravagances, plunged Earl Patrick so hopelessly into debt that his principal creditor. Sir John Arnot, by way of security, was " infeft in the earldom," and Sir John had this infeftment subsequently ratified by Parliament, 9th July 1606.
With the candour of a creditor, he writes to the Earl, 9th April 1605 :— " It grieves me very meikle and piercis my hairt to hear your L. name bladdit out at the market croice as it is, for even when I was in wryting this letter your L. is chargit at the Gudeman of Ethay's instance to compair before the Counsel the 7th day of Junii or thereabout to answer to his complaints. There is as many complaints made upon your L, (and yet habile without cans) * Peterkin, Notes, App. 55. t Macfarlane MSS. t Pet., Notes, App. 32.
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24 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
that your L. name is made odious to all the people of this country, haith great and small, every one ready to hem to their own evil word as occasion serves. Thomas Swiuton,* Jsvmes Annand, + and Jame-s Crawford can shew your L. enough heirof gif they please. I am feirit that it sail move his Majesty to extreme anger against your L., for his Highness is of another kind of disposition nor he has been in Scotland quhen he was hier." X
But a time was at hand when Earl Patrick should discover that in his own Orkney there was present a greater than himself.
In August 1606, the Parliament which met at Perth pas.sed an Act *' to restore the state of bishops to their ancient and accustomed honours, dignities, prerogatives, livings, lands, tithes^ rents, and estates.''
Jamas Law, minister of Kirkliston, was installed Bishop of Orkney, and of all the Scottish prelates he was the fittest to cope with Patrick Stewart.
The Bishop, very soon after coming to Kirkwall, determined to get rid of the Earl. By pressing at Court the wrongs of the people he hoped to attain his end. He had ready access to the King's ear, and found it very willing to listen where the possible confiscation of an important fief was concerned. He wrought patiently and systematically. For three years ho recorded the grievances of the people, arranging the cases for production when necessary, and in 1609 he had the Earl summoned before the Scottish Privy Council. An indictment under fourteen heads was drawn up, and the trial commenced 4th June 1610. §
Though the Lords of the Council were anxious to save the life of the peer, it was obvious that he could not be acquitted, so months and years passed away without sentence, Earl Patrick all the while a state prisoner. The King earnestly desired a compromise, and offered him a royal residence, with ample income, if he would give up Orkney and Zetland ; but, with the unreasoning ob.stinacy of his race, he refused all terms.
Lest his influence with the nobility should lead to plots in his favour, he was removed from Edinburgh to Dumbarton Castle. His income was now cut off, the merest pittance being allowed for his support—" 22 June 1613, Four Pounds " (6/8 stg.) " daily allowed the Earl of Orkney, prisoner in the castle."
Meanwhile his natural son Robert,|| perhaps inspired by filial affection, perhaps moved by the paternal reproaches, resolved to make a demonstration in favour of his father. On the plea of gathering arrears of rents he proceeded to Orkney, seized the Palace of Birsay, and there collected men. A lingering hope of release from Scottish rule, and a desire on the part of the bulk of the people to return to the old Norse laws and customs, gave what strength it had to this little rebellion. The Scottish friends and dependents of Earl Patrick gathered round his son, who, passing to Kirkwall, secured the castle, the palace, and the girnel house, the Cathedral tower being already in possession of Patrick Halcro, the most prominent of his supporters.
In ail munitions of war the castle was well found, and was capable of standing a prolonged siege. We are told that Earl Patrick " had his ships directed to the sea to intercept pirates and collect tribute of uncouth fishers that came yearly to these seas, whereby he made
* Minister of Kirkwall, 1583 ; Member of the Secret Council, 1689 ; Commissioner for Orkney and Zetland for six years ending 1591.
t Minister of VVestray, 1567 ; Commissioner of Orkney, 1580.
t Pet. Notes, App. 58. § See Appendix to this chapter.
II Robert Halcro of Cava, acting for Marjorie Sinclair, mother of Earl Patrick's natural son, Robert, prosecutes and obtains decree aeainst Jasper Flett of Howbister for rents due to Earl Patrick to the amount of £686 2s 9d cash, 11 lasts, 11 meils, 1 setting, 14 merks flesh, 40 pair of cunnings, and 15 score of cunning skinnos for lands in Sanday, years 1601-2. — Sheriff Court Books, 6th Jan. 1625.
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such collection of great guns and other weapons for war as no house, palace, nor castle, yea in. all Scotland, was not furnished with the like." *
When news of this insurrection reached the Court there was a keen competition for the- command of the expedition which should be dispatched to restore order.
Sir James Stewart, afterwards Lord Ochiltree, was at that time Sheriff of Orkney, and he offered to go personally and suppress the rising, if the Privy Council would grant him a. commission to levy 500 men. Lord Lovat promised him "from 200 to 300 Hielandmen/*" Some gentlemen of Orkney, then in Edinburgh, dreading the consequences of such a Celtic invasion, prevailed on Robert Monteith of Egilshay to put in a proposal. He accordingly undertook to "appease the country" if he got sixty soldiers, a hemld trumpeter, and one ship- to transport them. He gave George, Earl of Caithness, as one of his cautioners. But the cautioner circumvented the principal and secured the command for himself.
Burning to wipe off the disgrace of Summerdale, Caithness appointed his own retainers to- meet him in Orkney, and he himself embarked at Leith with sixty soldiers. For the destruction of the fortress and the Cathedral he had from Edinburgh Castle "ane great cannon callit Thrawn Mouthe, markit with the porcupine, and ane battering piece, markit with the salamander." His ammunition consisted of " three score bullets for each of the two battering pieces, four score and two stones of gunpowder, and two barrellis with cuttit iron for hail-shot,"
He landed at Carness on the 23rd August 1614. With much labour he got a battering^ piece ashore, which then, " by great force of men and some difficulties through the depth of the soil, was with all possible diligence drawn near two miles towards the town, and the same day, about thrie afternoon, planted at Weyland, within ane half quarter of mile to the Castle."
" I commanded the cannoneers to shute at the Castle, who did their part so well that by the second shot one of the turrets upon the head of the House was pierced and almost beaten down, to the great terror of the traitors, and other three being shot, did all hit but not hurt so- much."
The march to Kirkwall met with some show of resistance. It was charged against Robert Stewart at his trial that, " upon knowledge of the said Lieutenant's coming, ye maist treason- ably convenit and musterit your hail forces, and for augmenting of your number drew in divers of the country people who were pressit and forceit by your tyranny to take part with you in your rebellion, making up in number an army of five hundred men for your guard and defence in so dampnable ane cause. With the quhilk number of armit soldiers ye marchit- forth in battle array out of the town of Kirkwall towards the Car ness divers days of the month of August last, of purpose there to have withstood and resisted the said Lieutenant and his ship's landing. Likeas, after the said Lieutenant and his company war landed, ye, accompanied with the number above written, all bodin in feir of weir, with hagbuttis^ muscattis, poulder, leid, ensignes displayid and sounding of drums, rankit yourselves in battle array at the Baw-field,t ane little frae the toun of Kirkwall, where ye, by the shutting of your muscattis, maist treasonably made resistance to the said Lieutenant being cled with His Majesty's authority."
Robert Stewart's five hundred men retreated somewhat ignominiously from the Balea, but in the Castle they gave the Earl of Caithness more trouble than he had anticipated. The EarUs opinion of Henry St. Clair's fortress is interesting : — " It is one of the strongest houses in Britain, for I will bring with me to your Lordship cannon bullets broken like golf balls upon the Castle, and clovin in twa haffis."
f Macfarlane MSS. t The Ba'lea of Kirkwall at that time must have included the ** Carters' Park.*
£
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26 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
He 8ays again that, but for his securing the services of Patrick Halcro, " it would have been ane langsome siege ; for I protest to God the house has never been biggit without the ■consent of the Divil, for it is one of the strongest houses in Britain — without fellow."
The townspeoi)le, though not actually in rebellion, showed that they considered blood thicker than water. Caithness complains to the Secretary of State — " I cannot nor may not stop the inhabitants of this town from 8i)eaking with the traitors, giving thfem meat and drink, And making daily and nichtly advertisements of what I am doing. I will entreat your Lordship to mak me advertisit with diligence of the Council's mind what 1 sail do to them, baith men and women."
Though it had not been "ane langsome siege," the Earl found himself in somewhat straitened circumstances. " There is here no bread, nor drink, nor other victuals to be had for price, prayer, or command, so that I must seek present relief of some victuals from Caithness, or suffer the soldiers to starve for want. The hail iwwder, except ane half-barrel, is sfKint, and all the bullets for the cannon except nine. The soldiers want their jwiy for this month, and we cannot have the half or any pairt thereof advancit. The rebells are resolvit obstinately to indure and hold out ; and this day, because the cannon played not on them {having intelligence of all our wants), they jested from the Castle in the morning, asking why our cannons did sleep so long."
Not many lives were lost during this siege. In thanking the Secretary of State for sending supplies, Caithness says — " I and all who are here >^ith me have hot service with this most bluidie and barbarous rebels and traitors. They have killed four, and the last one is William Irvine,* ane Orkney gentleman, who, since his death, I have heard was ane great friend to the traitor. God is just in all his judgments, for amongst us all standing by him he is shot dead upon the nineteenth day of this nionth,t at two hours in the afternoon."
Marjorie Sinclair, Robert Stewart's mother, was with her son in the Castle, and got a musket bullet through her hand.
At length the Earl was able to report—" All is come to His Majesty's honour, praLsit he God. I have six slain to me, many hurt. I shall not be slow to punish severely, to make example to others to play the lyk. Presently I am going to drink His Majesty's good health upon the Castle heid."
But for Halcro's treachery that toast would have been long deferred. " After four hours' conference, he and I hand in hand, I made him to yield that he would give it over and make the house to be in my hands ujKDn condition that I should promise him his life, which I did." That promise Caithness hoped the Privy Council would disregard, and he writes — " I think my word and proraeis given to Patrick Halcro shall not be fulfilled, before it wer I rather be in my grave."
To screen Halcro and make it appear that the desire for surrender came from within, a minister was sent into the Castle to admonish the garrison, and disunion was the result.
" After the Castell had been a whyle beseiged, and that many hundred shot of cannon had bein delashed at it in vain, without any effect, they which were within the fort fell at variance among themselves. Robert Stuart was resolved to hold out and not to render the house to the Earl of Cathynes. Patrick Hacro, the author of this rebellion, persuaded him to the contrary ; whereupon Robert Stuart yielded at last, having discovered Patrick Hacro his treasone by means whereof he cud hold it no longer nor yet save himself ; which when Robert Stuai't i)erceived, though too late, he issued out the next morning with such as wold follow him, choosing rather to render himself than to be delivered up by Patrick Hacro. "J
^ Of Sebay, whose tombstone is still in St. Magnus, t September 1614. J Peterkin, Notes, App. 67.
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THK CASTLE. - 27
But for the authority of Bishop Law, the victor would have wreaked his vengeance upon the vanquished by the destruction of the venerable Cathedral. Caithness fed fat his ancient grudge, however, by hanging twelve Orkneymen " at the Castle yett," and by carrying south with him in triumph the young commander and five of his comrades.
The news of the capture of Kirkwall Castle was received in Edinburgh with a joy that showed a very exaggerated idea of the importance of Robert Stewart's demonstration on his father's behalf. On the 23rd of November 1614, "the two cannons were brought up the street of Edinburgh, and the keys of the Castle of Kirkwall about their mouths, with drums, trumpets, and shotts of ordinance of the Castle, and layde in their own places within the castle. The Castle of Kirkwall was demolished at the king's command."*
The same authority states that, in the beginning of December, " sundry brasen pieces from the castle of Kirkwall were brought to the castle of Edinburgh," but omits to state that the brass guns carried away amounted in value to more than 20,000 merks, so well had the Stewarts fortified their stronghold.
Robert Stewart was hanged 6th Jan. 1615, along with his five companions — "the gentleman, not exceeding twenty-two yeirs of age, was pitied of the i)eople for his tall stature and comlie countenance." t
Exactly a month lat^r Earl Patrick, for his share in this rebellion, was beheaded at the Cross of Edinburgh, his execution having been i)ostix)ned for a few days at the recjuest of the ministers, who found him, and indeed left him, " so ignorant that he could scarce rehearse the Lord's prayer."
We get an idea of the weight of shot belched forth by " Thrawn Mouth " : — " David Seater, belman in Kirkwall, searched the east syde of the Castle, there about the greatest breach thereof, and picked out a cannon ball, to the bigness of thirty pounds weight or thereby, shot thereat 74 yeires at the in taking of the said Castle. This was done upon a wage of 12/- scots betwixt the said David and Alexr. Sclaitter, officer in the said Brugh." 1
An order for the demolition of Kirkwall Castle was issued 22nd Oct. 1614, but it was not at once carried into execution, for on Sth May 1615 a Sheriff Court was held " a pud Castram de Kirhvall" The final order, promulgated 18th April 1615, drove the Sheriff out, and 27th Oct. 1615 he sat " wt Nova Domo, prope palatium de Yardis" § Thus the destruction of the Castle was carried out between May and October 1615.
The last remnant of " fair Kirkwall's pride and sorrow " was cleared away thirty years ago under circumstances recorded on the front of the Castle Hotel : — " Near this si)ot, facing Broad Street, stood in the year 1865 the last remaining fragments of the ruins of the Castle of Kirkwall, a royal fortress of great anticjuity and originally of vast strength, but of which, from the ravages of war and time, nearly every vestige had long previously disapjDeared. Its remains, consisting of a wall 55 feet long by 11 feet thick, and of irregular height, were, removed by i)ermLssion of the Earl of Zetland, on application of the Trustees acting in execution of the Kirkwall Harbour Act, 1859, in order to improve the access to the Harbour ; and this stone was erected to mark the site, mdccclxvi."
The well from which the Castle had its water supply still exists, though covered over. It is lined with dressed freestone, and is under the road, about midway between the opixjsite houses at the head of Castle Street.
The history of the earldom, after the execution of Patrick Stewart, may be very briefly told.
♦ Calrlerwood. vii. 192. t Calderwood. $ T. B., 16th Feb. 1688.
§ Sh. Ct. Rojz. quoted by Peterkin in a MS. memorial to the Crown craving the restoration of t1 Earl's Palace. This memorial in now in copy in the office of Mr Gold, Chamberlain of the Earldom,
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28 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Sir John Arnot, for a very large loan to that earl, had received infeftment in the earldom lands of Orkney and Zetland.
In 1612, James VI. bought up Sir John's right and annexed the whole to the Crown.
In 1614, a lease of the earldom was granted to Sir James Stewart of Kilsyth, afterwards Lord Ochiltree, as Farmer- General. For his oppressions, and for tampering with the weights, he was deprived and cooidemned to a long imprisonment.*
Ochiltree's lease was transferred to Napier of Merchiston and William Dick, merchant, Edinburgh.
In 1622, Sir John Buchanan got a lease, and in 1624 Sir George Hay of Kinfauns.t
Charles I., in 1633, gave a grant to the Earl of Morton, redeemable on payment of a fictitious debt of £30,000. Morton having been deprived under the Commonwealth, a lease was granted by Charles II., in 1662, to George, Viscount Grandison.
This lease was withdrawn, under Decree of Reduction, at the instance of Sir John Nisbet of Dirleton, Lord Advocate, and the earldom was again annexed to the Crown, 1669.
It was restored by Queen Anne to the Morton family in 1707 under redemption of £30,000 as formerly.
In 1742 it was vested in Morton irredeemably by Act of Parliament, and a charter passed on which the Earl was infef t.
In 1766, Sir Lawrence Dundas purchased from James, Earl of Morton, the earldom of Orkney and lordship of Zetland for £60,000, and obtained a charter from the Crown on which he was infeft. He was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas, afterwards Lord Dundas, and he by his son Lawrence, who was created Earl of Zetland in 1838. Thomas, the second earl, was succeeded by his nephew, Lawrence, third Earl and first Marquis of Zetland, the latter dignity having been conferred upon him in 1892.
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER IL
In an " Act abrogating some Unlawful Acts within Orkney and Shetland," seven of the Earl's systematic modes of oppression are given. They are : —
1. The confiscation of the laudis and goods of all such persons, who after they are sworn in the courtis whilks are yeirly holden through the parochies, shall happin to conceal any thing wbilk may import either a personal or pecunial punishment.
2. The prohibition given to relieve ony shippis distres.st be stormis or unseasonable wedder.
3. The prohibition to pursue ony action before ony judge outwith the bounds of Orknay and Zetland.
4. The prohibition and discharge of passage at the ferries without a passport, when as there is no necessair cans to seik the same.
5. The exacting of far greater taxations of the people nor the country is fouretened with.
6. The confiscation of goods and gear of such personis who happins to meddle with wrake or weith casten up be the sea.
7. And the confiscation of the goods and gear of such personis who mark not their bestial and goods within the time prefixed.
• Pund. Proc., ii. 7. t At this time the Cathedral was undersoing repairs rendered necessary by the damage done in Bobert Stewart's rebellion, and Sir George Hay's interest in the work is shown by his arms above the west doorway.
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CHAPTER IIL
The Cathedral.
^RKNEY had been erected into a bishopric in 1136, and William the Old was already spiritual overseer of the islands. Birsay was the diocesan church, but the Bishop resided more frequently in Egilshay, where he had an older and statelier minster. But there was need for a better and more central church for the Bishop, and this gave point to Rognwald's vow that he would '* build a stone minster at Kirkwall more magnificent than any other in these lands."
This is the church which Buchanan described as situated between the two castles.
The vow had been suggested to Roguwald by his father, Kol, husband of Gunhild, sister of Magnus the Martyr, and to Kol was entrusted the carrying out of the work.
In the choice of a site Kol was singularly happy, for, though the foundation is only a few feet above sea level, the church can be seen from a great distance over the sea, both north and south. From the southern side of the Pentland Firth St. Magnus' spire is visible any clear day.
" Kol ordered the materials and all other necessaries. He also planned out the dimensions of the church to the architects, and prescribed their task to every person ; but when the building took up a long time, the Earl began to come short of money to finish the work, where- upon he consulted with his father, who advised him to repeal that law by which it was enacted that the earls of Orkney should succeed to the feus of all their vassals, which was a very hard case. Wherefore Earl Rognwald summoned a court and concurred in repealing that old law. Every man gladly embraced the benefit of the new kw, and bought every plough-gang of land in all the country for a mark each plough-gang. By these means there was enough to finish the church very elegantly and with much magnificence." ♦
From this it would seem that a slight approach to feudal tenure had been made in Orkney, and in the above arrangement Rognwald restored udal holding. The main idea in udaller is the first cultivator of vhmU and hitherto unappropriated land. The tenure is very simple. Original possession is its essence, independent of title or superior. The udallers paid scat to the king in proportion to the extent of their lands, but only as a voluntary assessment towards the necessary expenses of a central government.t
" It is probable that, within three or four ye^r? of the foundation of the Cathedral, enough was built to allow of its consecration." % Then Bishop William had the relics of St. Magnus brought from Birsay and deposited beneath the high altar. The Bishop's See was removed to Kirkwall, and Rognwald's vow was fulfilled in its entirety.
In 1154, Cardinal Nicolas came from Rome to Norway, sent by the Pope, and he con3e- crated John Bergisson first Archbishop of Trondheim, placing Orkney in his province. §
• Torfoens. t See Appendix to this chapter. % Dryden, p. 17.
§ This Cardinal was Nicolas Breakspeare, afterwards Pope Adrian iV., the only EngUshman who has occupied the papal chair.
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30 KIHKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Though Kol ** planned out the dimensions of the church to the architects," his plan has been widely departed from. The internal length of the Cathedral is 217i feet, while the original plan gave about 130 feet, exclusive of the apse which terminated the choir. Architects read on its walls records of the works of different centuries, and are also able to tell of long intervals when all work was suspended.
Wallace, writing about 1688, says :— " Bishop Stewart, Bishop of Orkney, enlarged the Cathedral Kirk to the east all above the grees."* Again, with regard to Bishop Reid, he says :— " He greatly enlarged the Cathedral Kirk, adding three pillars to the former Fabrick, and decorating the entry with a magnificent porch."
Writing as he did, when the work of the latter prelate was almost within the memory of living men, it would be hard to believe that Wallace could be wrong ; yet some architects refuse to allow Stewart any share whatever in the work, and give Held only a bit of outside wall and the doorway in the south aisle. But, whoever made the extensions, an uneducated eye can easily detect them both inside and outside the Cathedral.
The two transept chapels are said to belong to the latter half of the twelfth century. A narrow space was left between the chapels and the mcain building, and on the south side thiff space was walled up and roofed over. A window in the choir aisle, which looked into the apartment thus formed, was closed with masonry. Thus the place was shut off from external light. But from a room on the triforium level a communication was opened with the vaulted chamber below. This was a slit like the slide of a letter box, forming a shoot through which a human body could be projected. And the convenience of this arrangement is obvious. The clerical tribunal sat in the upper room, so when an unfortunate offender was sentenced to imprisonment he glided gently from the hall of justice directly into his cell. Once in, escape was impossible, and when the aperture was closed the unhappy occupant was in total darkness.
This would be quoted as another sample of Romish tyranny, but that the Protestant clergy regarded the structure with much approbation. They, however, overlooked the neatness, secrecy, and despatch of the ingenious contrivance, and did their work with what might be called characteristic clumsiness. They blocked the easy shoot, opened a door in the built-up window, and from the south transept chapel, where they sat, sent their prisoners round into the church and up a ladder to their cell. Many a time has the Cathedral echoed with the screams and imprecations of reluctant women and men on their way, short as it was, to the dreaded " Marwick's Hole." Who the Marwick was whose name has attached itself to this miniature " Bottle Dungeon " is not known. He may have been the builder, or the gaoler, or the first occupant of the uncanny place, but that " Marwick's Hole " was a name of terror to the most hardened transgressors we have abundant proof.
Sir Henry Dryden says it is not known when this chamber was formed. A recent writer on the Cathedral gives the date as 1540-1 558. f If this be correct, the beneficent Bishop Reid has the credit of designing this ideal " Black Hole."
Though Kirkwall Cathedral is one of the smallest in Britain, it gives at first sight an impression of immense size. This arises partly from the comparatively puny surroundings, but largely from studied art. The length and height have been magnified and the width reduced to the narrowest possible limit. In the nave the height to the vaulting is seventy-one feet, while the width between the pillars is less than seventeen. One feature of St. Magnus, peculiarly its own, is the handling of different kinds of stone to produce colour effects. Unfortunately, however, the introduction of yellow necessitated the use of a stone which: succumbed too readily to the influences of weather. Sir Henry Dryden says ** the doorway in
• Altar steps. t Builder, Oct. 7, 1893.
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THE CATHEDRAL. 31
the south transept and the three doorways in the west end are probably the finest examples in Great Britain of the use of stones in two different colours."
Of the much admired rose window in the east end of the choir, the same author says :— " There are many examples of wheel windows, but this use of a wheel extending from side ta side over four lights in a pointed window is probably unique." Under this window are four carved stotie ornaments. The outer two correspond in pattern, though the stone in the north spandrel is new, the old one having been worn away. The carvings on the other two are different arrangements of Jleurs-de-lis, in each instance forming a cross within a circle.
'^The capital of the central mullion has on it a figure with a cross in its right hand, sitting on a hideous beast and scourging it with his left hand, probably representing religion conquering sin." *
The whole floor is now paved with slates, but there is evidence to show that a part at least had been laid with tiles, some of which are still preserved.
On a work of such magnitude, artisans of different degrees of skill were employed, and it was necessary that each man should be responsible for his own work. In the case of the actual builders, careful supervision was all that was required, but with regard to the hewers it was a very different matter. These, for convenience and better choice of material, sometimes wrought at the quarry, away from the eye of architect and overseer, and some system was required by which a careless chisel could be traced to its owner's hand. For this purpose, from very early times, certainly in the great cathedral building period, hewers used certain "marks," equivalent to signatures, by which each man's work could be identified. Every stone cut by- every individual sculptor had his mark incised on it, so that an error in curve or angle was at once brought home to its author, and, as such an error might not be noticeable till the stone was laid, the mark was put upon the outer surface.
Dryden counted thirty-four of these "masons' marks," and has preserved them, but time's effacing finger and the industrious tool of the renovator have obliterated most of them.t
The stones used in building Kirkwall Cathedral were brought from quarries widely distant from each other. They were boated up the Oyce, and were hewn opposite the west door, where some of the Broad Street houses now stand. In digging for foundations in that neighbourhood, builders still come upon the " redd " of Earl Eognwald's hewers.
In the case of St. Magnus, the " masons' marks" could have no disfiguring effect, the internal work having been finished by the laying on of a thin coating of plaster. This laid the ground for the brilliant fresco painting which made the old Cathedral so gorgeous to the Scandinavian eye. Some of the ancient colouring is still to be seen, and is easily noticed among the groinings in the roofs of the aisles.
These roofs, arched within, were designed to be externally flat, and four built-up arches where nave and choir join the transept show that their present sloping roofs were not in the architect's plan.
The Cathedral was completed by a lofty spire. What the original spire was like, un-' fortunately we can never know, but, from frequent references to it as a " steeple," we may conclude that it tapered up in slender symmetry to a height proportionate to the size of the building which it surmounted. Unfortunately, however, the spire was not a structure of stone and lime, but of wood, perhaps covered with lead.
i , * Dryden.
t In 1848, when some repairs were being executed by Grovemment, one of the workmen, a native;, of Kirkliston, died, and was buried in the churchyard. The architect superintending the works' designed a neat monument, which was executed by the comrades of the deceased, and their marksi eight 4n number, are still to be seen on the stone.
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32 KIRKWALL IN THE OBKNEYS.
" The minister and elders aggried with John Auchinleck to mend the faults of the steiple and to put in a new jest ; and to pay him 20s in the day on his owen charges ; and likewayes they aggried with David Sinclair, 12s in the day for attending the work and serving him ; likewayes it is ordered that ane elder day about oversie the work." *
In 1671, the spire was struck by lightning, and the "fire brunt downwards until the steeple heid, three loftings, and all the timber work connected with the bells and knock house were consumed to ashes." On this occasion the people of the town were very active in their endeavours to save the old Cathedral and its belongings. They spread salted hides upon ** the highest lofting of the steeple and the bells," and that the bells, if they did come down, might fall as softly as possible, they carried great quantities of earth into the centre of the transept. The bells did fall, but so effectual had been the precautions that only one, but that the largest, was cracked. Some idea of the quantity of stuff thus heaped on the floor may be formed by seeing the difficulty experienced in getting it removed. At a meeting of Session, present the Bishop, the minister, and twelve elders, " The magistrates are desired to tak ane speedie course that all the earth which was carried into the church for saving the bells wch fell downe to the church flobre when the stepple was brunt by lightning upon the nynt of Januar last, and lykwise the redd which was thrown down from the steeple since, may be carried out of the church by the townse people by turns until the church be cleansed." t
The repairing of the church and the closing in of the tower were matters of necessity, but the rebuilding of the spire was beyond the means of the people of Kirkwall. So it was resolved that, since they could not compass a steeple, they would replace it by a pyramid.
The Kirk Session and Town Council, on the one part, contracted with Robert Pottinger and his cautioner, John Kennedie of Karminichie, on the other part, that among other repairs Pottinger should *' sufficientlie mend the stone work of the said steeple under the platform, that it may be strong and able to support any sort of Pyramid that may be built upon it." 1 When this was completed, St. Magnus stood as we see it to-day. The external dimensions of the Cathedral are :— Length, 234 feet 6j inches ; transept, 101 feet 4 inches ; and height from the floor to the top of the present weather-cock, 1«33 feet 4 inches.
In the tower there are two chambers. " The Thesuarer gave in the accompts of what money Arthut Baikie had debursed for the mason work at the rose above the south kirk doore, and the vaults for men's safe passage, and likewayes to the men who cleansed the steeple and hoysed up the bells to the Cowper hall, and hanging up of the skellet bell, whilk corapts were accepted after revising and allowed." The chamber to which the bells were hoisted, and which is still known by the old people as Cowper's Ha', is the apartment below that in which the bells are hung, and the floor of which, pierced for the passage of a bell rope, may be seen high above the centre of the transept.
Cowper of the " Hall," like Mar wick of the " Hole," has left his name in the Cathedral, but no memory of what he was. He may have been an ancient bell-ringer who passed much of his time in this room, for under the old regime the bells had constant work.
From the Cowper's Ha' the bells were soon hoisted to their chamber above, and on Friday, 18th April 1679, " Ye bells of S. Magnus Kirk in Kirkwall, being 3 qch was fallen by burning of ye steeple head on Monday the 9th Jan. 1671, was houng and roung in ye kirk." §
These were the two smaller bells and the skellat. But the great bell was not hung till three years later. " Augt. 23 (1682), being Wednesday, Alexr. Geddes arrived at Kirkwall from Holland with his vessel or ship qrin was ye great bell of Kirkwall, returned after ye pasting thereof at Rotterdam." ||
' ♦ S. R., 2l8t July 1657. t S. R., 15th March 1671. t S. R., 25th March 1679. . § T. B. U T. B. ,
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THE CATHEDRAL. 33
Sir Henry Dryden gives a very full description of the bells, and the three still in use relate their own history. The skellat bell, 1 ft. 8 in. diameter, and 1 ft. 4 in. high, exclusive of canons, is plain.
In the olden time the skellat did all the duties which a single church bell could be called upon to perform. It tolled for the welfare of a parting soul ; it ckttered cheerily on occasions of rejoicing ; and it boomed in slow solemnity over the mourners in the grave yard below. It was rung on any occasion of alarm, and, as the " Fire Bell," it summoned the townsfolk to render neighbourly help. Its hateful clang called many generations of unwilling school boys to their morning tasks. The skellat still hangs in the tower, but is cracked and silent. *
But Bishop Maxwell, who had already adorned the church by the erection of stalls, was not content with the clatter of the shrill little skellat, and he procured for his Cathedral its peal of three bells. These were cast in Edinburgh Castle by Robert Borthwick. Of this man it is known that he was master gunner— chief cannon founder— to James IV., that he was present at the battle of Flodden, and that he was one of the survivors of that bloody field is shown by the date of the casting of the bells, 1528, in the reign of James Y.
The first bell, 2 ft. 9 in. diameter and 2 ft. 5 in. high, has in three lines of raised black letters : — " Maid be maister robert maxvel, byschop of Orknay, ye secund yier of his consecracion, in the year of god Im Vc XXVIII. yieris, ye XV. yier of Kyng James ye V., be lobert borthvyk, maid al thre in ye castel of Edynbrugh."
The second bell has in two lines :— " Maid be maister robert maxvel, bischop of Orknay, in ye secund yeir of his consecration, in the yeir of god Im Vc XXVIII. yeiris, ye XV. yeir of ye reign of King James V."
The inscription on the third bell, belonging to a century and a half later than the others, is somewhat modernized, but it blunders in leaving out the year of the King's reign. It is in two lines:— "Made by master Robbert Maxvell, Bischop of Orkney, the yaer of Gk)d MDXXVIir., the year of the reign of King James the V., Robert Borthwik made me in the castle of Edinbrugh."
When this bell was sent to Holland to be recast, the instructions were " that there be ane special and diligent care had that the letters already about the bell be again reformed as the samin is conform to ane note thereof sent with it, together with the several arms already thereupon, viz., the arms of Scotland, being ane Lyon within the Shield, with the portrait of Sainct Magnus and the Maxwell's arms ; and that the samin be placed upon the said bell as the samin is at present. That there be added thereto underneath the said letters and arms, this line, viz. :— * This bell recastin at for Kirkwall in anno 1682, and to mark the weight
thereof upon the bell.' "
Accordingly, in an oval medallion in seven lines is the following :>— " Taken et brought againe heir by Alexander Geddus, Merchant in Kirkwa, and recasten at Amsterdam, JuUy, 1682 years, by Claudius Fremy, city bell castor. It weighs 1450P."
The " portrait of Sainct Magnus and the Maxwell's arms " were also reproduced, the whole work costing 1303 merks. The weight of the bell and tongue is 1574 pounds avoirdupois.
*' The second bell is used for the clock, and is struck by the clock hammer on the outside, giving when so struck a note lower than that given when struck by the tongue." f
The first cathedral clock was rude in construction, it had only one hand, and required daily winding. The chapters were inscribed on the wall of the tower. As far back as 1669 there are entries in the Session Records regarding the clock, and from the instructions given regarding it, the probability is that its history dates from that year. As no statement is made
* The name is probably derived from the Norse skyaUa, to clash or clatter. t Sir H. Dryden.
r
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S4 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
of the original cost, it may be inferred that the Town Couacil put up the timepiece and laid the care of it upon the Session.
After invocation of the name of God, the Session appointed Harrie Grott *' to wait upon ihe Knock and look diligently thereto." * In 1673 Harry died, and his place was taken by James Laughton. The diligence of these two men is proved by the fact that in May 168^ David Forbes, Town Clerk and Church Trfeasurer, had ** several pairts of the old knock in his possession." These parts were given to David Seatter, church officer, at his own request, that he might do the necessary repairs, a job that apparently any person of ordinary intelligence might undertake. Seatter's business capacity was not of the highest order, for he bound himself to have the work completed before a day fixed by the Session, " under pain of tinsel of what shall be expended by him there upon." Seatter's work was completed in June of the following year, and a dial was procured. ** The horologe broad for ye clock of Kirkwall was placed upon ye west side of ye steeple, which broad was painted by James I^icolson, chapman." t
So fallacious was it, however, as a timekeeper, that the Session in 1693, for the sake of accuracy, gave an order to Patrick Adamson, with a dollar in advance, for ^* the squaring of two stones for dials," and these dials were also painted by James Nicolson.
The old clock seems to have wagged along somehow till 1720, when Andrew Kilgoui^ watchmaker, Inverness, being in Kirkwall, contracted with the Session for £13 stg. to repair the clock, give it a larger dial, and make it go eight days. The Session agreed to furnish the necessary iron and wood and to pay the wright, Kilgour paying the smith. This was done, but within three years we learn that " the kirk clock is wholly useless as it presently stands.^ JThen George Leith, watchmaker, undertook to put "her" right, and to ask no pay for a quarter of a year. The Session had lost by their bargain with Mr Kilgour, and now Mr Leith loses by the Session. The work occupied him six weeks, during which time he received one pound sterling for maintenance, and when the repairs were completed he got 20s as half of his pay, the other half being retained till it should be seen " how she would go."
Dec. 9th : — " Compeared before the Sess. George Leith, and acquainted the Sess. that he had righted the clock, and that he had put her up and that she was now going right, and craved that the Sess. might now order James Seater, bellman, to draw her seasonablie."
Thus renovated, the old clock was able to go till 1751, when the civic and ecclesiastical julers agreed to have a new one. This was constructed by James Gordon, Aberdeen, and, .besides the date and maker's name, bears the inscription, " Emptum per urbem et sessionem XirkwaU."
Among its few valuable belongings the Cathedral has two communion cups and two collection plates which demand notice.
In 1698, the Rev. Mr Wallace left one hundred merks for the use of the church, and "the Session appoint and ordain that two cups for the Sacrament should be bought, and Mr .Wallace's name engraved on them."
The brazen collection plates are about two and a half feet in diameter, and are each adorned with figures of Adam and Eve, while one has an inscription, " Had adam gedaen Gods woort wys, soo vaer hy gebleven int paradys. Anno 1636." t A facsimile of the inscribed plate has recently been presented by George Hunter Thorns, Esq., Sheriff of Orkney, to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. Those plates were not made for the Cathedral, but were picked up in Rotterdam in 1692.§
Under Romish rule the bishops were really the upholders of the fabric of the Cathedral,
♦ S. R., 20th Oct. 1669. t T. B.'8 Diary.
• X Had Adam done God's word, so had we then lived in paradise. § S. R., 19th Ap. 1692.
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THE CATHEDRAL.
35
and, as has been seen, some of them contributed generously towards its enlargement and adornihent. Under Protestant Episcopacy, Bishop Graham says :— " For ye fabrick off the kirk the Bishop upheld the quier and the Bishop's dwelling plaice, and there is ane Act of Parliament in anno 1633 for upholding off the bodie off ye kirk, and the Bishop himself has Bundrie tymes demanded means from ye excheker." These demands could have been made only during the five years be- tween the passing of the Act referred to and Bishop Graham's demission, 1638. - When the city of Edinburgh leased the bishopric lands the Corporation dealt kindly with the Cathedral :— " In presence of the ministers and elders of the kirk of Kirkwall convened for the ty me, Compeared Patrick Smith of Braco, and, in name and behalfe of the town of Edin- burgh, delivered the sowme of two hundred pounds money into the Session of Kirkwall, to be employed for repairing of the fabrick of the quire of the said EArky together with the sowme of £20 for communion elements, and desired an act of Session upon the deliverie of the fore- said sum for his exoneration ; whilk was most willinglie grant- ed, with many thanks, unto the said town of Edinburgh for their special care of the said kirk, hoping that they would con- tinue the same in tyme com-
ing.
»*
Communion Cup in the Cathedral.
In February 1658, the mini- ster and elders memorialised the Justices of Peace on the sub- ject : — ** Whereas it is not unknown to the most part of this honorable meiting that in tymes past, speciallie in the late Bishope's tyme, it was provided That the great fabrick of our kirk suld be mentained and supported, partlie by the Bishop out of his revenues, and partlie by the fynes of all adulteries as occasion offred throughout the whole countrie, both main-land and yles : Likas, conforme to his order, it is of verity that the late Bishope did carefullie, upon his awen charges, men tain and uphold the most considerable part of the said fabrick commonlie called the quier, or the place where divine ordinances ar administered, and withal the foresaid fynes wer carefullie uplift and employed as said is ; but, since the reducing of Episcopacy, we have had no supplie, neither on way nor uther, for upholding the fabrick of our
* SL R., 7th Nov. 1647.
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36 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
kirk, and being unable to manage the work of ourselves, off necessitie it must ruine unless some seisonable supplie be provided. May it therefor plese your Honors tak the premisses to serious consideration, and out of your spare fynes help to relieve our crying necessitie, both relating to the fabricke of our kirk and our numberous poore."
In 1717, the Session petitioned King George I. for an annual grant of £8 6s 8d sterling (£100 Scots) '^ to help and support the magnificent and antient fabrick of St. Magnus Church in Kirkwall, in use and wont to be payed out of the rents of the Bishopric in former tymes of the Presbyterian Government."
In July 1770, the Rev. John Yule reported that he, with the Provost, had drawn up two memorials, one to the Barons of Exchequer and the other to Sir Lawrence Dundas, supplicat- ing aid towards the upkeep of the church. These memorials were accompanied by ** perspective views'' of the Cathedral, and were presented by Patrick Graham of Graemeshall. They state '* that the said cathedral is a very large fabrick, built by Rognwald, Count of Orkney." They give the dimensions, number of pillars ; number of couples, 151 ; half couples on the lower roofs, 238 ; slater-work, 68 roods ; number of windows presently open, 28 ; shut up, 72. **That it has been supported for above these 70 years past by burials, mort-cloths, bells, marriages, and other small perquisites, not exceeding £10 a year communibus annis or thereby. That this fabric is very old, but is now like to become ruinous for want of a proper fund to support it."
But no permanent fund was obtained till 1805, when a private citizen gave what the Crown refused :— " I, Gilbert Meason of Moredun, hereby legate and bequeath the sum of £1000 sterling to Robert Yule and Hugh Stalker, the two present ministers of the town and parish of Kirkwall and St. 011a, and to the Kirk Treasurer of the said town and parish, and to Thomas Traill of Frotoft, Esq., provost, and Thomas Jameson, eldest baillie of the burgh of Kirkwall, and to Malcolm Laing of Strynzie, Esq., the Convener of the County of Orkney, during their continuance in office ; and to the two ministers and kirk-treasurer of said town and parish of Kirkwall and St. OUa for the time, the provost and eldest bailie for the time of the said Burgh of Kirkwall, the convener of the county of Orkney for the time, and to a residing freeholder of the county of Orkney to be t^osen annually by the heritors, freeholders, and commissioners of supply upon the 30th of April of each year ; or if no meeting shall take place on that day, at the first meeting which shall be held during the following Kirkwall or Lammas market : But that in trust only in order that the two ministers, kirk-treasurer, provost, and eldest bailie, convener of the county, and residing freeholder, to be chosen in manner before mentioned, may lend out the aforesaid sum of £1000 sterling upon a first heritable security over a land and estate yielding a free yearly rent equal to 7i per cent, of the said sum of £1000, and call up the same when necessary and relend it upon a similar heritable security ; and that they may regularly uplift and each year apply the interest of the said sum of £1000 in keeping in repair the cathedral church of St. Magnus in the aforesaid burgh of Kirkwall, and in order that they may apply any annual surplus, above what is necessary for the said repairs, in opening up the windows of the said cathedral church that are now shut up, and in beautifying and restoring the fabric to its original state. And I hereby declare that the interest of the said one thousand pounds shall never be applied to any other purpose whatsoever than upholding and beautifying the said fabric ; and in case of the said interest or any part thereof being applied to any other purpose, I hereby give full power and authority to any heritor of the county of Orkney, or burgess of the burgh of Kirkwall, to raise an action against any of my trustees for the recovery of the sum so misapplied, and that at any time within six years of the misapplication ; and I direct the sum so recovered to be applied in the first place for payment of the expenses of the aforesaid prosecution, and the balance thereof that shall remain after payment of the said
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THE CATHEDRAL.
37
expenses shall be applied, along with the following year's interest of the sum hereby mortified, for the preservation and restoration of the aforesaid cathedral charch," &e.
The^original trustees and their successors have very carefully carried out the testator^s desire, and, besides keeping the old building weathertight, they have been able, on his suggestion, to open some of the built-up windows.*
Collection Plate in the Cathedral.
The Session was as reckless in knocking holes in the walls for the admission of lights as in closing up lights put in by the architects. Apparently any one who wished and would pay for it might have a window. The Session ordered a window ** to be broken out of the north side for light to Patrick Traill and William Mudie's seat, 13th September 1686."
21st Oct. 1691, Patrick Adaroson was instructed to open a window near the Stewarts' loft.
8th May 1693, Adamson was again instructed ^ to strike out a window at the back of Margaret Elphinston's seat for the better lighting of that place of the church."
It is a significant fact that in its direst distress, St. Magnus received no help from the Town Council. James the Third's charter, upon which the Burgh Corporation founds a claim of proprietorship in the Cathedral, grants with many other things, " particularly all and
* To Mr Meason's legacy there is now added a further sum of £1000, bequeathed in 1894 by Mr Francis Taylor, farmer and land surveyor. Mr Taylor belonged to an old Kirkwall family which for centuries held property in the Laverock. Many of his foreb^rs lie buried in the Cathedral, and he himself had always a strong love for the grand old building.
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38
KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
Jiaill the prebendary of St John, and all and sundry lands, houses, farms, tiends, and tiend sheaves thereof, with full power to the said provost, baillies, and Council of the said burgh. And their successors, to intromit, uplift, and receive the same the duties of the said lands, and to sell and raise the same in all tyme coming, and that for to be always employed and bestowed upon repairing and upholding of the said kirk, called St. Magnus Kirk.^
James, in right kingly fashion, gave away freely what did not belong to him ; but, while the Magistrates cheerfully accepted this gift of lands, not till nearly two hundred years later had they a say in Cathedral matters.
In May 1672, Bishop Houyman proposed to appoint his brother, George, minister of Kirkwall. The election was not popular, and Provost Patrick Craigie, along with Arthur Baikie, David Moncrieff, and John Spence, three of the bailies, *' produced before the reverend father and remanent brethren convened for the tyme, their gift of Katificatione and Corroboratione granted be our Sovraigne Lord the King's Matie to and in favours of the said brughe, in which was contained the right of Patronage.''
Mr Honyman was set aside, and Mr Wallace, having accepted a joint call from the Bishop and Magistrates, was appointed. But the civic rulers, while asserting their joint right of patronage, conveniently forgot that the charter on which they founded this claim made them responsible '* for the repairing and upholding " of the Cathedral for all time coming.
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER III.
It was in the middle of the seventeenth century, between 1648 and 1667, that most of the lands in Orkney passed from udal to feudal tenure, when Douglas of Spynie was Commissioner for Lord Morton.
The list of proprietors who paid feu duty at that time is a long one : —
Buchanan of Sandside, for lands in Deemess. Smith of Rapness — Deemess and Westray. Baikie of Tankemess — Deemess, St. Ancfrews, St.
Ola. Young of Gastleyards — St. Ola. William Sclaiter— Firth. Halcro of Crook — Rendall. Moir, Flett, Sinclair — Harray. John Nisbet — Birsay. Geo. Liddell and Joiin Johnston — ^Birsay. Creorge Ritchie — Harray and Firth. Thomas Sinclair — Camstone and lands in Ronsay, Thomas Craigie of S^viskaHl — Rousay.
George Balfour of Pharay — Westray. Thomas Traill — Westray and Papa. Mitchell Rendall— Westray. John and Alexander Read — Westray. John Groat of Elsness — Sauiday. Nicol Rendall — Westray. John Elphingston — Sanday. James Traill — Sanday and Rousay. David Moncrieff— Sanday and Birsay. William Douglas — Stronsay. Robert ScoUay — Stronsay. Magnus Boag— Deemess. *
^ Ork. and Zet. Chron., July 1825.
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CHAPTER IV.
The Church.
gRIOR to the Reformation, St. Olaf s was the parish church of Kirkwall, but the people were evidently negligent in attendance, and allowed the building to get into a state of decay. Bishop Reid marked his desire to keep the Cathedral services distinct from those of the parish kirk by repairing St. Olaf s. But two places of worship for members of one communion were more than Kirkwall required, and St. Olaf s again went to ruin.
For the requirements of worship under the old rule, St. Magnus was open from the west end of the nave to the east end of the choir. Dryden says :— " It appears there were never more than five altars." Probably this would mean there was architectural accommodation for five only, but old rentals and the burgh records of sasine prove that there were endowments for more than five. Possibly — and with all respect the suggestion is offered— several saints, or rather their officiating priests, might share a common altar. A mere superficial search brings out a list of fourteen prebends, chaplainries, and altars dedicated to so many separate saints, 3ome of them handsomely endowed. *
To Saint Duthac, the wealthiest of them, was dedicated one of the chapels in the Cathedral.
The popularity of this obscure saint is not easUy accounted for. The fact of his being a Scottish prelate and a friend of Alexander III. should not be expected to have weight with a Scandinavian people, but as he was Bishop of Ross, the record of his virtues had not far to travel from Dornoch to the Pentland Firth. Certain it is, however, that his shrine held property all over the Mainland.
St. Katherine's altar was supported by the rents of more than a score of farms, chiefly in St. Ola, Holm, and Shapinsay.
r At the time of the Reformation, Malcolm Sinclair, afterwards of Quendale, Shetland, was chaplain to St. Ninian's altar in the CathedraLf ( To St. Barbara's altar belonged at least one house in Kirkwall.
St. Christopher had an altar endowed with land and a house in the Laverock ; while, of pourse, St. Magnus' altar was richly endowed. X
These six altars are specially referred to as such, but besides these we have dedications of lands to Saints Mary, Columba, John the Evangelist, Lawrence, Peter, Augustine, Salvator^ ^ames, and possibly others.
The prebendaries of St. Peter and St. Augustine were respectively masters of the {Grammar School and the " Sang'* School, so that their work lay outside the Church ; but all the other prebends, altarages, and chaplainries went to the support of the intramural worship. Jhus there must have been under the rule of Rome a very lai^e officiating staff to conduct the daily services. . )
* Pet., Rent., 35., t Baikie*s parchments. % R^nit., ii. 152, i. 24, ii. 6.
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40 KIRKWALL ly THE OBKNJiiyS.
Whether there were any paintings in the Cathedral cannot now be ascertained, as all that was beautiful or valuable was stolen at the time of the Reformation. There were, however, statues of saints, and two of these, being neither beautiful nor intrinsically valuable, are still preserved, and are easily recognised by hagiologists as representing Saints Olaf and Magnus.
Under Protestantism the sermon soon came to be regarded as the most important part ot the service, and, for the convenience of speaker and audience, new arrangements had to be made. The whole congregation gathered themselves into the choir, which was shut off from the transept by a wooden screen. The first screen " was broken downe for feir of fyring when fyre fell downe there upon from the steeple head," 9th Jan. 1671.
On the fifteenth of March of the same year, George Mowat, wright, was ordered to put up ** ane new partition, with deals having doores at the entering in of the quire as formerlie." In the new screen there were three doors, and over each an inscription. Above the central door was inscribed, " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The north aisle door had, *' Enter into his courts with praise " ; and the south aisle entrance, " My house shall be called ane house of prayer." *
This screen was removed in 184^ by workmen employed by the Government, and when the congregation returned to the Cathedral the present partition was put up.
The first gallery erected was the Graham's *' Loft," in the south-east corner of the choir. It was, no doubt, comfortably furnished by the old Bishop, but the " Englishes " cleared out the seats, leaving nothing of it but the carved oak front and the floor.
It was again ''compendiously fitted" for Bishop Honynian. But though this galleiy continued to be occupied by the Bishops, the Grahams claimed it as family property. There was a meeting of Session, 20th Nov. 1721, '* Whilk day Magnus Mason represented to the Session that Patrick Graham of Grahamshall desyred him to crave of the Session a liberty to rectify the Graham's Loft, which is altogether out of order. Whereupon the Session replied they were willing the said Loft should be rectified, and, for that effect, Stenhouse, Grahams- ball, and Breckness had bein spoken to that they would repair the said Loft, they having all interest in the same, and the Session readily allows the same to be done, provyding always that the same be done without any alterations or incroachments on the Church PiUarg or Walls, and that they pay to the treasurer nyne pounds Scotts due upon the said Loft for a privilege formerly granted, and ordains the treasurer to be present when that Loft begins to be repaired, that no incroachments be made."
Bat as Grahamshall, Breckness, and Ballenden respectively attended the churches of Holm, Stromness, and Evie, this gallery was set apart for the ui»e of visitors. In September 1671, the key was handed over to the beadle, with strict injunctions that no idle boys were to be allowed in the fore seat, which was to be " reserved for gentlemen and strangers."
Next to his own loft, and between the two pillars on the south side of the choir, Bishop Graham granted permission, May 1630, to John Dick, Sheriff of Orkney, to erect a loft for himself " directly above that part where Bishop Tullo's tombe now stands." Andrew Dick^ brother of the Sheriff, next got this loft, the Session ordaining him " to put ane lock and key thereupon for his better accommodation to hear God's Word."
In the bay next to the Dicks' loft, and "facing the pulpit, is a seat for the Provost and Magistrates, Town Council, <fec. This seat is highly finished with paintings, carvings, &c."t
The Provost and Bailies insisted on being attended to church by the Councillors under
penalty of a fine for absence. They all assembled in the Tolbooth before service, and were
marshalled to church by the town officers carrying halberds. Thjis att^ndf^n^e of the town
officers was considered an extra duty requiring a special fee, but, as the money was always
♦ J. W. Cureiter*8 papers. t Fea, 1787.
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THE CHURCH.
41
spent on ale, it was decided, 23rd Dec. 1689, to pay on Monday, to prevent the burgh func- tionaries from drinking on Sunday.
The attendance of the halberdiers on church-going Provosts was continued to within the memory of living men, Provost Traill of Woodwick being the last to adhere to it. In the present days of dissent, the deserted magisterial pew, exactly opposite to what was Sheriff Dick's in the olden time, is recognisable by its facing of crimson cloth, but two hundred years ago a different taste prevailed. The Treasurer of the Burgh, 1719, was commissioned to bring from Edinburgh " ane ell and three-quarters of the best six-quarter broad green bloath, fitt for ane cloath to the magistrates' loft, the present cloth being moth-eaten ; as also to by ane large, good printed Bible, to make up fyve Bibles to the Provost and Baillies, and to put ane hand- some cover of rid yron." *
Along the south pier of the choir, back to the western pillar, stretched the Sailors' Loft, sup- ported in front on wooden posts. From this gallery was suspended the picture of a ship as emble- matic of the calling of the occu- pants, t
In the care of wooden struc- tures, sailors are a practical people, and we find that the ancient mariners of Kirkwall saw to the security of their gallery. In Jan. 1722, Thomas Louttit, James Newgair, and Thomas Spence, skippers, ob- tained permission, at their own expense, to.su pport this loft with a new " stoup."
At right angles to the Sailors', and on a somewhat higher level, the* Scholars' Loft strelched right across the screen.
It was part of the duty of the master of the Grammar
School to attend church with his young folks on Sunday, making himself responsible for their good behaviour ; and while we have frequent reference to idle and mischievous boys in other parts of the church behaving during service after the instincts of their species, we have not a single case of misconduct reported against the occupants of the Scholars' Loft.
Opposite the Sailors' Loft was the Strangers' Gallery, and opposite the Magistrates' Loft was that of the St. Glairs. " James Sinclair being cited for keeping the key of the Sinclair's loft in his owen custodie, and being desired to give up the same to the Session, that the church beddal might have the keeping thereof with other keyes, refused to deliver it until he had spoke with the gentlemen of the name whose predecessors caus^ build the sd loft. Recomends to the minister to speak my lord bishop what course shall be taken yranent." t
|
i |
t' |
||
|
i 1 <^ 1 ^ |
K ■'■-"iH |
ii |
|
|
t |
I; .^..-..-..:* |
||
|
iM- |
if' |
1 |
From Sailors' Loft, St. Magnus Cathedral.
* Bnrgh Records. t In J. W. Cursiter's possession.
S. R., 3l8t May 1675.
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42 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
My Lord Bishop probably managed the business qaietly, for the key does not again appear in the minutes.
In the bay east of the Sinclairs' Loft, where- the Miigistrates' pew now is, was the Stewarts' Loft.
The pulpit was reared against the western of the two pillars, on the north side of the choir.
How long a pulpit should last, depends perhaps to some extent upon the powers of the preachers occuping it, but by April 1689 the Cathedral required a new one. For the making of it William Tait was to have fifty pounds Scots, but, if it gave satisfaction, " he was to be considered by and attour the paction." It exceeded expectation, and he received one hundred marks, with half a dollar to his man. *
The old pulpit had been very handsome, and was probably the gift of one of the earls. ^' In this Cathedral I found thrown aside a piece of carved wood, which attracted my notice. It is a board of a foot and five inches long. On this board are carved the hands and feet of our Saviour, in the form nf a St. Andrew's cross. The upper part of the cross is composed of the hands, the lower of the feet, a foot being opposed to each hand. In the center, where the hands and feet meet, there is a crown of thorns ; in the center of the crown, a heart pierced on the left side. In the vacant space on one side are three nails and three dice ; on the other, a scourge. The whole was overtopped by an earPs coronet, but it is now broken off from the board, and the board itself is rent through the middle vertically. I was informed that this piece of carving stood formerly on the fore part of the old pulpit, which, falling to decay, a new one was erected in its place in 1689. How this- remnant of the Roman Catholic religion escaped the zealous eyes of the first reformers is to me a mystery." f
On the south side of the choir, opposite the pulpit, was a handsome canopied throne. This, which in pre-Reformation times was probably the throne of the bishop, became under the Stewarts the seat of the earl.
When Lord Morton accused the Magistrates of having destroyed his seat in the church, they " denyed any breaking down of the same ; and if any pairt thereof was wronged it was by the Englishes, as the pulpit and the rest of the seats in the church was broken down and brunt"
Plainly only a part of the earl's seat was injured — possibly the soft wood fittings — ^and so with the pulpit, for it is a very remarkable fact that Cromwell's so-called fanatical saints spared all the old carved work of the Cathedral.
Private persons, for a consideration, were allowed to erect jiews for the accommodation of their families, and at first these seem to have been planted without regard to system. This want of order resulted in frequent bickerings among neighbours and appeals to the Session for arbitration.
When once a pew had been erected, it was regarded as heritable property, and the right of the next-of-kin was generally acknowledged by the authorities, and this the more promptly if a donation accompanied the claim. On special occasions it was necessary that some of the pews should be moveable, as, for example, 11th March 1678, the Session *' Ordains ane table to be sett upon the gries, and all the elders to be admitted next Lord's day are to sitt publicklie in decencie and order, wher they are to hear ane exhortation concerning ther duetie. And ordains Pennyland's seat to be removed pro tempore for the better accom- modation."
The stalls erected by Bishop Maxwell at the east end of the choir were occupied by the Magistrates, with consent of the Session, when they laid aside official pomp and attended * S. R., 2l8t Oct 1689. t Principal Oordon.
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THE CHUBGH.
43
church with their families. David Moncrieff, 19th May 1673, petitions for a seat in the stalk for " himselfe, bedfellow, their airs and successors," for which he will pay £20 Scots. Thia was granted, though David Covingtrie produced a heritable right to the seat, " which the
Choir, St. Magnus Cathedral, showing the Graham's Loft and Earrs Seat. The carved stone shown in pier to the right is in situ under the east window.
Session did repell in respect that the disponer possessed himself merely as one of the Bailies of Kirkwall."
On 8th July 1678, George Traill and his son-in-law, David Covingtrie, apply for seats in
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44 KIKKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
the church for themselves and. bedfellows, and get, at "the upper part of the stalls on the south side, two chair rowme, with power to them to reforme and repair the samen in the best forme they shall think expedient without prejudice of the comon passage, lights, or ordinar hearing of the people, with this special provision that, if it shall happen the stalls to be modellized and reformed into pewis together with ther seat, then and in that case the saids George and David and ther servands ar first to be preferred to ther owen seats -or pewis to be erected in their rowme." This shows that the church court was paying special attention to the stalls at this time, and the Session at its meeting the week following " Ordains Robert Murray to permit no idle boys or prentises to sitt in the lower part of the stalls, but onlie to be possest be honest men in the parochin."
The elders on duty for the day also sat in the stalls.
The Corporation of Taylors got "five chairs' room," with power to put up a middle division with two leaning boards, " without altering, defacing, or demolishing any of the old work."*
James Baikie of Tankerness, evidently with the consent of the authorities, put up a pew for himself in the Stewarts' aisle under the Stewarts' loft.
Finding it too small for his family, he obtained permission to put up another in front of the first, if it could be "conveniently done without offence or stop to the service of the communion, to stay the entrie or passage to the table or pulpit." t But here Edward Stewart of Br ugh interposed, alleging that he was commissioned by his brother, the Earl of Carrick, to see " that the Stewarts' yle might be made void for the said noble Earl and others of their name to build theirin what may be pleasing." Baikie would not stir, and the Session could take no steps, as the Bishop was from home.
Bishop Graham returned and went south again without venturing to deal with the troublesome pew. At length, when he could defer the case no longer, he assumed wrath and rated Baikie for not being " more carefull and foreseeing to prevent the danger in tyme, and not to incur the indignation of such noblemen as the Earl of Carrick and others of the worthie name of Stewart pretending right and title to that yle ; for it would come to his Majestie's eares how such persone did sit there and trample upon his hieness graund-uncle's bellie,t being his burrall place, as the said noble Erie had written to my Lord Bishop himself in a particular letter."
Baikie remaining stubborn, the Bishop removed the woodwork "out of his owne authoritie," leaving the owner to " employ it to what he pleased."
The fact of Baikie having a seat in the Stewarts' aisle was probably the result of an edict of the Bishop and Session two years previously§ : — " Ordains intimation to be made to .the Laird of GraBmsay and to the name of Sinclair, that if their two seates be not completly builded betwix this and pasche day nixt to cum, the Session heirafter will dispose upon them, and outred them upon their charges as they shall find to be expedient both for easing of their awne congregation and likewise for strangers."
The same year Sir James Stewart and the Laird of Grsemsay had another seat removed from the same aisle, leaving apparently only the pew of the Laird of Halcro. The Earl of Carrick's seat, if he chose to occupy it,. was, as has been shown, the gallery above, the front :fleat of which is now set apart for the use of the Magistrates.
When Edward Stewart, who had begun the disturbance with Baikie, asked leave a few months later " to big a seat for his wife or a friend, with a foot gang before the same to his daughters to sit upon," in the space that had been cleared, it was refused till he should get written permission from the Earl of Carrick.
♦ S. R., April 1676. t 13th March 1631. t Lord Robert. § 11th Jan. 1629.
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THE CHURCH. 45
By and by, however, we find the Session dealing with the spaces in this aisle as freely as if " the worthie name of Stewart " had become extinct.
They put up three new pews on the site from which Baikie's seat had been removed, and gave to David Sutherland of Windbreck the " midmost of the three."
This was for his* services in procuring from the Treasury £200 for the repairing of the church.
Nearly one hundred years later this aisle was again the subject of disputes. Alexander Muat, " nearest heir in lyf e " to Hugh Halcro of that ilk, gave up his right to the Halcro's seat, " Lyand in the mid ysland on the east side of the pulpit, to his cusine, James McKenzie, Toune Clerk of Kirkwall." On this David Craigie of Gairsay wrote to Mr Baikie, minister : — " Reverend Sir, in answer t.o yours of the tenth instant. My Fredicessors and I have bein in possession of that seat, which bears Halcro's name andarmes and the Craigies and the Crightons, and I am resolved to maintain my pocession, yet I am well pleased that James McKenzie and his family have liberty therein, Provyding that I and my family have access thereto when in town. I salute you kindly and your spouse and family, and am. Sir, Your Humble Servant, David Craigie. Kirkl., 17th July 1721."
Seats, being regarded as heritable property, were turned iiito cash as freely as any other chattels, and persons having no right to sittings but what use and wont gave them, sold their claims without the least compunction. Accordingly, we have the Session and Bishop ** taking to their consideration the greit abuse of severall persons in this congregation who tak upon them to sell, alienate, and dispone seats in the church as if they were their awen proper heritage," and x)assing an Act making such dispositions of no effect.*
This practice made them more careful in the disposal of seats. "When David Moncrieff, bailie and elder, got for " hiraselfe, bedfellow, their airs and successors," a seat in the staUs, it was expressly stated that they should have no right to sell, but, as son succeeded father, " every new possessor shall pay a gratuitie to the satisfaction of the Session."
In 1721, Provost Covingtrie had the third seat back from the altar steps, while the fourth belonged to Baikie of Tankerness. Covingtrie got permission from the Session, with Baikie's consent, to turn both pews into one square seat with a table. Tankerness had removed from the middle of the church to a pew with a canopy in the east bay of the north aisle.
On a pew becoming vacant in a desirable part of the church, it was very quickly picked up by the person who could bring most influence to bear upon the Session.
Captain Peter Winchester had a very snug seat under the stair leading to the Dick's Loft, and he " disponed" it. May 1684, to the Rev. James Wallace, minister of Kirkwall. At such transfers the church, as superior, claimed a feu duty.
For lone women the Session put up pews, and let them to as many of that class as would take them.
'* David Scatter, kirk officer, was ordained to intimate to the women who sits in the Women's Isle that their new pews (were) to be built under the Magistrates' Loft, and to know if they incline to farm any of them."
" After prayer, it was appointed that those who sitts in the women's pews, which were lately erected before the Earle's seat and the Latron of the pulpit, should be charged to exhibit their acts and rights why they sitt yr." t
The lectern was attached to the pillar opposite to that which supported the pulpit.
When there was in Kirkwall no earl to occupy the canopied seat of the Stewarts, the irriepressible boy took possession of it, so that the Session had it " nailed up and locked."
When Bishop Qraham erected his loft in the south aisle of the choir, he kept th« ♦ Oct. 19, 1670. t 4th April 1698.
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46 KIRKWALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
corresponding space in the north aisle vacant ; but on the floor of that bay Monteith of f^ilshay put up a large pew with a canopy.
In 1767, the sitting accommodation in the church being found too limited, the Session proceeded to erect a gallery in the north-east bay. This called forth the following protest : — '* At Kirkwall, and upon the High Street thereof, betwixt the hours of Twelve at mid day and one of the afternoon of the fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and sixty seven, and of his Majesty's Reign the seventh year, in presence of me, Nottary Publick, and witnesses after named and subscribing, and in presence of Mr Hugh Sutherland, one of the ministers of the Qospel at Kirkwall, and conjunct Moderator of the Kirk Sessions thereof, and of Andrew Liddle, Treasurer to the said Kirk of Kirkwall and acting Manager and Doer for the said Kirk Sessions ; Compeared John Riddock, Esq., Provost of the Burgh of Kirkwall, as Pror. for and having commission from Robert Baikie, £i^. of Tankerness, heritable proprietor of that seat within the church of Kirkwall commonly called the seat of the Family of Egilshay ; With the consent and concurrence of the said Robert Baikie's curators for their interests (whose power of Prory. was clearly known to me, Nottary Publick), and represented to the said Mr Hugh Sutherland and Andrew Liddle, That, Whereas They and the said Kirk Session were Erecting, and in the course of Building, a new Loft or seat within the said Kirk of Kirkwall, above the Burial place there belonging to the Earldom of Orkney, and which now belongs in property to the Honnble. Sir Lawrence Dundas, Bart., which new loft or seat they and the said Kirk Session have made to Project so far into the area of said church as to Darken and Eclipse the light and View of other seats therein, and particularly of the fore mentioned seat of Egilshay, now the property of his said constituent, a Minor ; By which illegal and unwarrantable Invasion and Encroachment of Property, they and the said Kirk Session had also Debarred and Excluded his said Constituent from the use of his property in the ordinary Burial place of the said Family of Egilshay, Below or underneath his said seat, by rendering it Impracticable to shift or Remove said seat when he might have necessary occasion to Digg a Grave therein, without Greatly Dammaging the same. The said John Riddock, as Provost of the said Burgh of Kirkwall, and in name of the Ramanent Magistrates and community thereof, as also in name of his said Constituent, a principal and considerable heretor within the Parish of St. OUay, within which the said Church stands, did also farther Represent to them and the said Kirk Session that the whole area of said Church belongs by Law to the Inhabitants of said Burgh, who are heretors of the said Parish, and That, tho' the heretors have permitted the Kirk Session to sett off and otherwise dispose of the seats within the Area for the better support of the fabrick. Yet any such Tacit permission or Tolerance can never Establish a Right of Property therein to the Kirk Session, far less can it authorize or justify them in the Arbitrary Disposal of said seats contrary to Law, which they have so long and so unwarrantably assumed to themselves, and still less can they be permitted or authorized to make any inconvenient encroachment on the property of others' seats as has been above Represented."
To this Mr Sutherland answered that from time immemorial the Kirk Session had let seats, and had by this means been able ** in a surprising manner to keep up the large Fabrick of the Kirk allways in good Repair, as well as to supply the poor of Town and Parish, and no heretor or Inhabitant of Kirkwall or St. Ollay had ever paid or indeed been charged with a single farthing for that purpose."
He said that as complaints were constantly being " made to them for want of seats in the Kirk, and many were every Sunday kept at home in their houses upon that account, the Session thought it a duty highly incumbent on them to allow no part of the Kirk to remain unoccupied."
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THE CHURCH. 47
As to darkening the seat, lie asserted " that the seat is as much and more darkened by the cover that is over it than it possibly can be by the loft. As affecting burials, the loft was not in any way attached to the seat, and, as to its projecting, it simply corresponded with the Graemes' Loft opposite, which it was intended to match." 'Die protest was of no avail
Many persons could not pay for sittings, and some of these would take possession of the highest seats in the synagogue : — * "Qlk day the minister and elders of the Session, having considered the great incivilitie and rudeness of the baser sort among the people of this congregation, who, being set downe in the chiefest seatis of the kirk, would not rise up to give place to their betters and superiors. Ordains that whosoever heirafter (due intimation being made out of the pulpit) shall sitt within the seatts commonly called the stals above the doores new made, except gentlemen, strangers, or elders of the Session, being elders at the tyme, shall pay to the boxe size shillings toties quoties/'
The present use of the choir as a presbyterian place of worship does not give universal satisfaction.
"The choir, which is used as the parish church, has been rendered hideous by pews, gallaries, whitewashed, pinkwashed, or yellow-ochred pillars, and a tawdry deal screen which shuts off the choir from the nave.** f
This arrangement is generally attributed to presbyterian taste, so utterly unappreciative of the beauties of the Cathedral But the first screen, which there is no reason to suppose was any better than the last, was erected in the vain hope of protecting an episcopal congregation from discomforting western draughts ; the first gallery was hung between piUar and gable by an episcopal bishop " for his better hearing the word of Qod," and all the others were sanctioned by the same prelate. Even the white-wash is in its inception episcopal, dating from the days of good old Bishop MacKenzie. " Tuesday !t — David Seatter, Belman, entered his work in whitening S. Magnus Kirk, within the choir thereof, with lime and other necessaries for that effect.''
From the Reformation to the present day there have been sixteen ministers in the first charge, nine episcopal and seven presbyterian.
Gilbert Foulzie, the Romish Archdeacon under Bishop Bothwell, was the first protestant priest of Kirkwall. He was followed by Thomas Suenton, 1685; Patrick Inglis, 161—; James Heind, 163 — ; George Johnstowne, 1642 ; James Douglas, 1647, deposed 1659 and a presbyterian put in his place, re-instated 1662 ; James Wallace, 1672 ; John Wilson, 1689, deprived 1694.
The first presbyterian minister was Alexander Lennox, inserted for four years, 1659-1662, into the middle of Mr Douglas' ministry. The next was Thomas Balkie of Bumess, 1697, followed by Edward Irving, 1741 ; John Yule, 1747 ; Robert Yule, 1789 ; William Logie, 1824 ; Wm. Spark, 1866 ; John Rutherford, 1883.
Before the second charge was recognised, the priest was assisted by a reader, who was vicar of St. Ola. David Watson, "reidar at the Kirk of Kirkwall," witnesses a deed, 18th Aug. 1624. This was in the incimibency of Mr Patrick Inglis^ and possibly Watson was the first protestant vicar of St. Ola. The emoluments of this office were so small that the appointment would only be accepted in the hope of a speedy preferment to a better, yet Watson's successor, George Mudie, held the position for thirty-three years, during part of which time he acted as master of the Grammar School without any additional remuneration. *' George Mudie, reidare at Kirkwall," sold, 2nd May 1626, " all and haill (his) haill viccarage buttire off the parochin of St. Allawis, extending to fyffe barrellis Orknay buttire." Bailie Thomas Lentron was the purchaser.
♦ 1629, April 29. f Tudor. t T. B., 22nd Feb. 1687.
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48 KIRK\YALL IN THE ORKNEYS.
James Reid got the appointment in 1660, and, after holding it for three years, the Presbytery appealed to the congregation for an augmentation of his salary. But at a meeting of the Synod, 9th July 1663, the inhabitants of Kirkwall " declare that they are neither willing nor able to contribute anything towards the stipend of Mr Beid, and as to ane qualified reader for morning and evening prayers, they declair that the constant stipend and mortification belonging to the reader is now possest and lifted up by Mr James Reid, and they think, since he takes up the benefite and stipend dew to the reader,, he sould serve the service of the leader. Or, if Mr James Reid will quyt that provision, they sail be content yt the Bp. provyd for ane qualifyed reader yt will doe the service. Oyr ansr they have none."
Mr Reid, no doubt to his great satisfaction, was translated to North Leith the same year. He was the last reader in the Cathedral, his successors to the present day being ministers of the second charge.
But while the title and status of the incumbents had been raised, the stipend remained small. In 1703 Alexander Nisbet was ordained, but within a year he accepted a call to Shapinsay, being, as he said, " obliged to leave for want of sustenance."
His successor, Mr Andrew Ker, a clerical Ishmael, succeeded in moving the General Assembly of 1705 to take action in the matter of stipend. The case was represented to Her Majesty, Queen Anne, and a sum of five hundred merks per annum out of the bishopric rents was set apart for the minister of the second charge.
Mr Ker, having secured a stipend, next began to agitate for a manse, but his translation to Rathven, in 17^, left this desirable object unattained. Mr Ker had, however, left the second charge a more confortable office than he had found it, and looking back over the list of incumbents, one effect of the improvement becomes apparent. In the forty-four years, 1660 to 1704, when " fyffe barrelUs Orknay buttire " formed the bulk of the income, eleven ministers held the charge, giving an average pastorate of four years ; while, during the hundred and ninety odd years which have elapsed since Queen Anne's grant, Mr Walker, the present incumbent, is only the thirteenth, an average of about fifteen years.
When the choir was shut in and set apart for worship, the nave soon came to be sadly desecrated : — 1620, Dec. 3, " Qlk day my Lord Bishop wt the rest of the Sessione, having considerit the gryt abuse that hes bene usit in the kirk be working and sawing of tymber be anie Particklar man that dwellis within the towne of Kirkwall, hes, with ane consent, ordainit that quhatsomever person or persons presumis in the contrarie shall pay 20s. to his quoties aa weil thaine that sawis as thame that awis the tymber."
But the greatest scandal was the " more than barbarous practice of the town-guard of BLirkwall, at the time of the Lammas fair, their keeping guard within the church, shutting of guns, burning great fyres on the graves of the dead, drinking, fidling, pipeing, swearing and cursing night and day within the church." *
This desecration was only removed by the erection of a guard-house in 1702.
• S. R., 23rd Dec. 1690— James Laugh ton is to have two shillings Scots weekly ** for cleaning out the ashes while the guard is in the Cathedral. "
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CHAPTER V.
Cathedral as Burial-Place.
fT has been seen that when Earl Magnus wais murdered, 1115, his body was conveyed to Birsay and buried in Christ Church. It was afterwards disinterred, and with im|)osing ^^ ceremonial conveyed to Kirkwall. A series of stiinding stones, some of which are still to be seen, marked the spots where the sacred coffin rested.
In the relic-hunting rage of the Middle Ages, the absurdity of an obscure hamlet in a remote island possessing a whole saintly skeleton became widely apparent, and numerous claims were made upon Kirkwall. So many portions were taken abroad and deposited among the treasures of continental shrines that, in his own church, little was left of the mortal remains of St. Magnus. Prague and Rome have been named as possessing some of these relics.*
In a cavity in the west end of the north pier of the choir are some bones which have been concealed with pious care. These have been regarded as part of the body of St. Magnus^ hidden away at the time of the Reformation to secure them from Protestant desecration. They were examined in 1867 by Lord Bute, Doctors Logie an I Kirkpatrick, Mr Iverach^ chemist, and Mr Greorge Petrie ; and the last-named gentleman has recorded the fact that the jawbone did not belong to the skull beside which it lay.
This would only go to show that beside the relics of St. Magnus was deposited a fragment of some other saint. It certainly was religious zeal that placed these bones in their remark- able hiding-place. Their discovery came about through the careless stroke of a workman's hammer indicating a hollow in what appeared to be solid mason ly.
Of Rognwald's contemporaries. Earl Erlend, who was slain at Damsay, 1155, was the first to be buried here.
In 1168, Bishop William the Old, who consecrated the Cathedral, was interred near the grave of St. Magnus. During the repairs by the Government in 1848, a chest, made of separate slabs, of stone, was discovered between the two pillars of the Stewarts* aisle. " It was about 2 ft. 6 in. long, 1 ft. 3 in. wide, and 1 ft. 3 in. deep, put together with mortar. In it was a skeleton doubled up carefully, with the upper part of the body in the projier position. With it was an article of ivory, like the cross handle of a walking stick, with an iron pin fixed in it. On the breast, close to the chin, was a piece of lead, 7 J x 2.1 inches, inscribed, * Hie requiescit Wilialmus felicis memoriae,' and on the back, * Pmus. Epb.' It is evident that thia was a reinterment, and probably the bones were removed to their last position from the choir of the first church when the addition was made to the east part of it." t
In 1856, chest and bones were cleared out, and the dust of the venerable Bishop wa* mingled with the common clay of the churchyard.
* The Marquis of Bute has ascertained that at all events the Bohemian City has no relic of the Orcadian saint. t Dryden.
H
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•50 KIRKWALL IN THE OKKNEVS.
When Earl Rognwald was slain in Caithness, 1158, " Earl Harald brought the body, with A splendid following, to the Orkneys, and it was buried at the Magnus Kirk ; and there it rested until God manifested Rognwald^s merits by many and great miracles. Then Bishop Bjarni had his holy remains exhumed with the permission of the Pope." *
The Saga rather crowds events together. Had Rognwald been buried by Harald in the Cathedral, the disinterment referred to would have been unnecessary, but his companions Iburied him in the first church they came to, Lady Kirk, in South Ronaldshay ; hence this act of Bishoj) Bjarni.
A skeleton, supposed to be his, lies entombed in the wall of the south choir aisle, under the opening into Marwick's Hole.
Earl Rognwald was canonised, 1192.
During the winter of 1263, the body of the brave but hapless Haco of Norway lay under Cathedral consecration, but in the spring of the following year it was taken to Norway to be laid beside the remains of the old Norwegian kings.
Margaret, the Maid of Norway, grand-daughter of Alexander III. of Scotland, is often spoken of as being buried in the Cathedral, and her grave, according to tradition, was under a slab of gi-ey marble near the south-east pier of the choir ; but, dead or living, the poor princess was never in Kirkwall. She died at sea, 1290, and her body was taken back to Bergen under the charge, in addition to her Norwegian suite, of Bishop Dolgfinnr.t
A letter from the Bishop of Bergen, written twenty years after the event, relates the circumstances of the return voyage.
The tomb of Bishop Thomas Tulloch was between the two pillars on the south side of the choir. Sir Henry Dryden says : — " It had elaborate buttresses at the angles and seven niches on the face, and must have been a rich work of art, cut in gi'eenish freestone not of the country." As late as 1848 the base of the north side was in situ. " From fragments it ai)pears to have had a canopy. Under-ground was an arched tomb, in which the bishop lay, with a chalice and paten of beeswax and i>astoral staiF of oak." " These articles are now in the Museum at Edinburgh, and ix)rtions of this tomb are in the room over the south chai)el."
This must have been the handsomest piece of monumental work within the Cathedral ; but instead of its receiving any repair, the fragments, as they became detached, were carried away and utilised for other purposes. When the wall round the Town Hall was taken down, in 1890, large i)ortions of this tomb were found embedded in the masonry.
Principal Gordon says that the tomb was covered to its full length with a plate of copper, and adds : — " A i)arty of soldiers sent by Cromwell to Kirkwall, in order to be a check upon the inhabitants, robbed the tomb of the copper, as a shred of the whore of Babylon."
At this tomb it was customary to rejmy borrowed money and to cancel bonds. William Sinclair of Warsetter is held bound to pay Harie Aitken, Commissary, and Hugh Sinclair of Garth, 5000 merks " upon ane day betwixt the sun rysing and down going thairof, within the Cathedral Kirk of Orkney, callit St. Magnus Kirk, in Kirkwall, at the buriall place of umql. Bischop Thomas Tulloch."?
The whole floor of the choir having been, at the reseating of the. church, raised to the evel of the top of the altar stei)s, many ancient monuments are lost to view. Perhaps one of the most interesting of these is on the east side of the north-east pillar of the choir. It is inscribed : — " Here Lyes Captain Patricio, of the Spanish Armada, who was wrecked on the Fair Isle, 1588." "Captain Patricio Antolinez commanded 243 soldiers on board El Gran Grifon, one of the ships of the Spanish Armada. This vessel, chartered from Rostock, waa commanded by Juan Gomez de Medina, and was wrecked on the Fair Isle." §
* Saga. t Br Anderson. :!: Reg., 18th Aug. 1624. § Tudor, p. 434.
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CATHEDRAL AS BURIAL-PLACK. 51
The wreck of auch a large vessel, with so many men aboard, was a sore trial to the people of the Fair Isle and little pleasure to the poor Spaniards.
The story of their escape, as told by the commander, is recorded by Melville, minister of Anstruther, in his diary. He says that as many as escaped the cruel rocks and seas had for six or seven weeks suffered great hunger and cold, till, procuring a vessel from Oikuey, they were able to get away. That they called at Kirkwall on their way south, this siuij^le inscrip- tion records, and it furnishes a reason for their putting in, but undoubtedly there was a more pressing cause. They required to lay in provisions to take them to Calais, which then belonged to Spain. From their condition when they reached Anstruther, our townspeople had been either unable or unwilling to give them much assistance. Compelled to land in Fife, the Laird of Anstruther and some others of the county gentlemen entertained them for a day or two, while the commander rei)aired to Edinburgh and paid his respects to the King.
Melville gives the names of the principal officers as " Joan Gomez de Medina, Generalle of twentie houlkes, Capitan Patricio, Capitan de Logoretto, Capitan de Luffera, Capitan Mauritio, and Seignom* Serrano."
Of soldiers and sailors, there were two hundred and sixty, chiefly " young beardless men.*'
It is touching to notice that, while these poor fellows bore their own misfortune bravely enough, believing theirs the only wreck of the fleet, when they learned the fate of their com- ndes all round the coasts of Scotland, Ireland, and England, they broke down entirely^ Medina himself giving way to a passionate outburst of sobbing.
The Spaniards proved themselves not ungrateful to the men of Fife, for, some time afterwards, Don Gomez showed great kindness to an Anstruther crew whose ship was arrested at Calais. He took the men to his house, enquired for the Laird of Anstruther and the minister, and ** sent home many commendations."
The remarkable style of knitting, peculiar to the Fair Isle, and some dark Spanish, countenances, contrasting with the fair Scandinavian complexion of the bulk of the islanders,, are regarded as memorials of this shipwreck.
Of the tombstones still open