A Corpus of Scottish Medieval
Parish Churches

Historical outline

Dedication: unknown

In 1165x1178 the church and land of Logie-Dundee were given to the Scone Abbey by Richard, bishop of St Andrews, who quitclaimed all episcopal right held there. The canons owed episcopal dues and half a merk per annum for the lands.(1)  Between probably 1178 and 1188, King William confirmed the bishop’s grant, as did Richard’s successor, Bishop Hugh, between 1178 and 1184.(2)  Bishop William Malveisin confirmed the canons’ possession in two charters between 1203 and 1209, the first confirming the church with its chapels exempt from presentation and all other episcopal rights, the second a general confirmation of all the churches belonging to Scone in the diocese of St Andrews.(3) The second of these confirmations effectively constituted a full appropriation of the parsonage and vicarage teinds to the abbey, giving the canons permission to serve the church with a suitable chaplain removeable at will.  A further papal confirmation followed from Pope Honorius III in 1226.(4) 

The dedication of the church by Bishop David de Bernham is recorded on 11 September 1243.(5)  The full appropriation of the teinds of the church to the abbey appears to be confirmed in 1275 in the records of the papal tax-collector in Scotland as neither the church of Logie-Dundee nor its vicarage is listed in the accounts.  Its taxation would have been accounted for within the global figure for Scone Abbey.  It is not until 1395, however, that an annexation survives using the in proprios usus formula in respect of the church.  On 12 September 1395 Pope Clement VII granted a confirmation at the request of the abbey, of a grant in proprios usus of seven parish churches held by the canons made by Walter Traill, bishop of St Andrews, dated 30 June 1395.  The grant had been made to help the abbey meet the expenses incurred by granting hospitality and was of churches which were already in the patronage of the abbot.  Walter had also granted to the abbot the right to appoint suitable priests removable at will, effectively restating William Malveisin’s grant some 190 years earlier.(6)

A supplication made to the pope on 2 January 1451 by John Smart, described as priest and perpetual vicar of Auldbar, reveals that the canons of Scone had made efforts to maximise their financial return from the three parishes that it held around the north-western limits of Dundee, Logie-Dundee, Liff and Invergowrie.  Smart’s supplication shows that Logie-Dundee itself was served by a perpetual vicar pensioner and Liff and Invergowrie, described only as chapels, were claimed to be united to it.(7)  The annexation of the parsonage and vicarage to Scone continued at the Reformation, when it was valued at £20, while the perpetual vicarage pensionary also continued, held by William Hepburn and valued at six merks.(8)

Notes

1. Liber Ecclesie de Scon (Bannatyne Club, 1843), no.40 [hereafter Scone Liber].

2. Regesta Regum Scottorum, ii, The Acts of William I, ed G W S Barrow (Edinburgh, 1971), no.276; Holyrood Liber, no.41.

3. Scone Liber, nos 53, 54.

4. Scone Liber, no.103.

5. A O Anderson (ed), Early Sources of Scottish History, ii (Edinburgh, 1922), 524 [Pontifical Offices of St Andrews].

6. Calendar of Papal Letters to Scotland of Benedict XIII of Avignon 1394-1419, ed F McGurk (Scottish History Society, 1976), 48; Scone Liber, no.193.

7. Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome,v, 1447-1471, eds J Kirk, R J Tanner and A I Dunlop (Glasgow, 1997), no.388.

8. J Kirk (ed), The Books of Assumption of the Thirds of Benefices (Oxford, 1995), 334, 399.

Summary of relevant documentation

Medieval

Synopsis of Cowan’s Parishes: Confirmed to Scone by bishop Richard of St Andrews in 1165x78. Both parsonage and vicarage were annexed to the church, plus the pendicles of Invergowrie and Liff. The cure was served by a canon, curate or vicar-pensioner.(1)

1165x78 Church and land of Lochee given to the abbey by Richard, bishop of St Andrews, who quitclaimed all episcopal right held there. The canons owed episcopal dues and half a mark pa for the lands.(2)

1178x84 Gift confirmed by William I in same terms.(3)

1178x84 Gift confirmed by Hugh, bishop of St Andrews, in same terms.(4)

1203x09 Possession of the church confirmed by William, bishop of St Andrews, in two charters, the first confirming to the abbey the church with its chapels exempt from presentation and all other episcopal rights, the second a general confirmation of all the churches belonging to Scone in the diocese of St Andrews.(5)

1226 Church included in a papal bull of Honorius III confirming the possessions of the abbey the church of Scone.(6)

1395 Church included in confirmation by Walter Trail, bishop of St Andrews, of possessions of Scone in diocese of St Andrews.(7)

1451 John Smart provided as vicar pensioner of Logie-Dundee. (Liff and Invergowrie mentioned as pertaining to church).(8)

Post-medieval

Books of assumption of thirds of benefices and Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices: The Parish church parsonage and vicarage with Scone, vicarage value £20. Vicar pensioner William Hepburn, paid 6 marks.(9)

1637 (6 Jan) The Bishop of Brechin and Laird of Dun convened at the parish church of Lethnot to consider the true estate of church of Lethnot and consider whether that church and the church of Lochlee can be conjoined to Navar. The text notes that the kirk of Lethnot stands distant from the kirk of Lochee by 7 miles. These churches have been served by one minister for some time. The parish lies about a mile from the kirk by the river Esk. Lethnot has 140 communicants, Lochlee has 240 communicants. The kirk of Navar stands about a mile from the kirk of Lethnot (to the west) across the water over which there is no bridge or boat the water being impassable in winter. The kirk itself being the southernmost house in the parish. There are 140 communicants in Navar. The bishop and Laird recommend that Lochee and Lethnot be joined to Navar.(10)

[United to Liff and Invergowrie in 1613? Nothing in the Statistical Accounts]

Notes

1. Cowan, The parishes of medieval Scotland, 137.

2. Scone Liber, no. 40.

3. RRS, ii, no. 276.

4. Scone Liber, no. 41.

5. Scone Liber, no.53 & 54.

6. Scone Liber, no. 103.

7. Scone Liber, no. 193.

8. CSSR, v, no.388.

9. Kirk, The books of assumption of the thirds of benefices, 334 & 399.

10. NRS Navar: Copies (2) of report of visitation of the parishes of Navar, Lethnot and Loghlie by commissioners appointed by the Commissioners for Surrenders and Teinds, GD45/13/181.

Bibliography

NRS Navar: Copies (2) of report of visitation of the parishes of Navar, Lethnot and Loghlie by commissioners appointed by the Commissioners for Surrenders and Teinds, GD45/13/181.

Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome 1447-71, 1997, ed. J. Kirk, R.J. Tanner and A.I. Dunlop, Edinburgh.

Cowan, I.B., 1967, The parishes of medieval Scotland, (Scottish Record Society), Edinburgh.

Kirk, J., 1995, The books of assumption of the thirds of benefices, (British Academy) Oxford.

Liber ecclesie de Scon, 1843, (Bannatyne Club) Edinburgh.

Regesta Regum Scottorum, Acts of William I (1165-1214), 1971, Edinburgh.

Architectural description

The church of Logie Dundee had been granted to the Augustinian Abbey of Scone at some date before that grant was confirmed by Bishop Richard (1163-78), when provision was made for the cure to be served by a chaplain. In fact the needs of the parish were normally met by a vicar pensioner or curate, though on occasion by one of Scone’s canons.(1) Bishop David de Bernham carried out one of his dedications on 11 September 1243.(2)

On 6 January 1637 the bishop and the laird of Dun recommended that the parishes of Lochee and Lethnot should be joined to that of Navar,(3) and worship subsequently appears to have been concentrated at Lethnot. Nothing now remains of the church at Lochee, though it presumably stood within the rather desolate graveyard at NO 3857 3103. The likely site for the church is a platform at the highest point of the sloping site, and it may be wondered if a burial enclosure was on the site of the chancel.

Notes

1. Ian B. Cowan, The Parishes of Medieval Scotland (Scottish Record Society), 1967, p. 137.

2. Alan Orr Anderson, Early Sources of Scottish History, Edinburgh, 1922, vol. 2, p. 524.

3. National Records of Scotland, GD45/13/181.