A Corpus of Scottish Medieval
Parish Churches

Historical outline

Dedication: St Ninian?

Possibly dedicated to St Ninian,(1) the church of Strathdighty comes on record shortly after 1200 when Earl Gille Chriosd of Angus, within whose personal estates it lay, granted possession of it to the monks of Arbroath Abbey.(2)  That grant was confirmed in 1204 or 1205 by King William, the abbey’s founder.(3)  Confirmations by subsequent earls and countesses of Angus continued into the middle of the thirteenth century.(4)  Gille Chriosd’s gift was evidently of the patronage, which had lain in the hands of the earls of Angus, but shortly after his alienation of his rights of presentation the abbey received possession of the church in proprios usus from Bishop William Melveisin of St Andrews.(5)  Before 1211 this initial award was recast with the stipulation that a perpetual vicarage should be established to serve the cure, the actual vicarage settlement occurring in 1249.(6)  It is as a vicarage that the church was recorded in the mid-1270s in the rolls of the papal tax-collector in Scotland, its name mangled in the recording as ‘Strathegoin Comitis’ and ‘Trinchegem Comitis’.(7)  It was assessed in the rolls for the first year of taxation at 5s 4d, a very low rate for a perpetual vicarage which possibly indicates that it was either a relatively poor parish or that it was a portionary vicarage at that stage.  It is as a perpetual vicarage, however, that the church was recorded through the later Middle Ages and it continued as such at the time of the Reformation, when the parsonage fruits were noted as being in the hands of Arboath while the vicarage perpetual, held by one Patrick Graham, was valued at £20.

Possession of the vicarage by Patrick Graham at the Reformation points to the close relationship between the parish church and the Graham family, who possessed the adjoining lordship of Fintry and whose castle of Mains of Fintry stands on the opposite side of the deep ravine of the Mains Burn from the church site.  The Grahams of Fintry were significant patrons of the church and in May 1490 under the terms of the will of Robert Graham of Fintry, his widow, Matilda Scrimgeour, and son, Robert Graham, reached a settlement which delivered to the younger Robert various vestments, altar cloths, and mass equipment which had belonged to his late father.  A notarial instrument records that he received from sir Andrew Bachlare, chaplain, the keys of a chest that stood by the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the church of ‘Mains of Erllistrathaty comitis’, which contained a silver chalice, a silk vestment and one with orphreys of gold, various other altar ornaments of the altar for feast days, a vestment for ferial days, together with other altar goods, a missal, a breviary, psalter and tin chalice with vials.  There was also a tabernacle of the Vlessed Virgin and a silk vestment and other ornaments decorated with the arms of various local families including the Grahams, the Lovels of Ballumbie, and the Ogilvies.  Having received personal possession of these items, Robert then gave all of them to the altar of the Blessed Virgin in in honour of God Almighty, the Blessed Virgin and St Joseph, and vowed to found a perpetual chantry in their honour.(9)

Robert stood by his vow and on 7 January 1492 he granted a charter whereby, for the salvation of himself and his wife, and for the souls’ weal of his father, of Janet Lovel, Patrick Graham, first archbishop of St Andrews (a kinsman), David Graham and others, he gave to the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to his chaplain Andrew Bachelor and his successors in perpetuity, four acres of land and a manse, plus other rental income.  The grant was confirmed at mortmain by King James IV on 25 January 1493.(10)  It is possible that this chantry chapel is represented by the foundation that extends south from the site of the chancel of the church.

Notes

1. J M Mackinlay, Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland. Non-Scriptural Dedications (Edinburgh, 1914), 30.  Ninian, however, is not mentioned in the 1490 settlement (see note 9 below) which refers only to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph.

2. Liber S Thome de Aberbrothoc, i (Bannatyne Club, 1848), no.43 [hereafter Arbroath Liber].

3. Regesta Regum Scottorum, ii, The Acts of William I, ed G W S Barrow (Edinburgh, 1971), no.453; Arbroath Liber, i, no.45.

4. Arbroath Liber, i, nos 46-49.

5. Arbroath Liber, i, nos 162, 165.

6. Arbroath Liber, i, nos 167, 236.

7. A I Dunlop (ed), ‘Bagimond’s Roll: Statement of the Tenths of the Kingdom of Scotland’, Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, vi (1939), 36, 63.

8. Liber S Thome de Aberbrothoc, ii (Bannatyne Club, 1856), no.344; J Kirk (ed), The Books of Assumption of the Thirds of Benefices (Oxford, 1995), 361, 393.

9. HMC, Report on Manuscripts in Various Collections, v, The Manuscripts of Sir John James Graham, of Fintry (London, 1909), 199.

10. Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum, ii, 1424-1513, ed J B Paul (Edinburgh, 1883), no.2130.

Summary of relevant documentation

Medieval

Synopsis of Cowan’s Parishes: The church was granted to Arbroath by Gilchrist, earl of Angus (1201x04). A vicarage settlement took place in 1249, with a perpetual vicar and the parsonage remaining with the abbey.(1)

Mackinlay suggests that the church was ‘believed to be dedicated’ to St Ninian.(2)

1201x1205 Gift by Gilchrist, earl of Angus of the churches of Mains (Strathdighty) and Kirriemuir to Arbroath with chapels, lands, teinds etc. Confirmed by William I.(3)

1202x04 Possession of church by Arbroath confirmed  by William, bishop of St Andrews in two charters, the first specifically related to the church, the second including all the churches held by Arbroath in the diocese of St Andrews.(4)

1204x11 Church included in confirmation of gifts to abbey of his father by Duncan, earl of Angus and in 1214x26 by Malcolm, earl of Angus.(5)

1213 Church included in confirmation by William I of the possessions of Arbroath.(6)

1214x18 Church included in confirmation by Alexander II of all the lands and churches belonging to Arbroath.(7)

1219 Church included in papal bull by Honorius III of possessions of Arbroath given by earls of Angus.(8)

c.1233 Church included in a confirmation by David de Bernham, bishop of St Andrews, all the churches held by Arbroath in the diocese of St Andrews.

1249 Vicarage settlement by the bishop, parsonage with abbey, perpetual vicarage set up.(9)

1429 John de Tolous (of noble race) holds parish church (value £100 ster), but because of evil times the fruits are not little diminished so that he cannot fittingly maintain his sate and conveniently support burdens incumbent upon him (supplicates for further benefices).(10)

1493 Patrick Rossy presented to perpetual vicarage on resignation of Henry Barry. 1496 Patrick dead, Alexander Gardyne presented.(11)

1532 Alexander dead, Patrick Graham becomes perpetual vicar.(12)

1556 (5 June) Alexander Gardine, vicar of Mains, resigns to the choristers of the parish church of Dundee 12s annual rents from a Dundee tenement.(13)

Post-medieval

Books of assumption of thirds of benefices and Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices: The Parish church. Parsonage teinds in produce belong to Arbroath. Vicarage held by Patrick Graham, value £20.(14)

Account of Collectors of Thirds of Benefices (G. Donaldson): Third of £6 13s 4d.(15)

1613 (5 Sept) A visitation of the church finds the fabric in need of reparation; a taxation is to be raised, 2/3 from the parishioners and 1/3 from the parson [not specified exactly what repairs are required].(16)

1676 (11 July) The brethren of Presbytery of Dundee appointed to speak with the heritors of Mains anent the repairs of the fabric of the church and other orders in the parish. On 9 Aug during a visitation of the church the heritors were ordained to repair the church fabric…the church walls and point the roof of the church that was turning ruinous.(17)

#1779 [The kirk session and presbytery records contain no references to the new church]

Statistical Account of Scotland (Rev Alexander Strachan, 1792): ‘Church built in 1779’.(18)

New Statistical Account of Scotland (Rev David Cannan, 1833): ‘Union of parishes in 1799 (Strathmartine and Mains). The church is situated in the centre of the (new) parish. It was built in 1800’.(19)

[No reference in either account to earlier church buildings]

Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches (George Hay): 1800; beadle’s house and hearse house in detached building.(20)

Notes

1. Cowan, The parishes of medieval Scotland, 142.

2. Mackinlay, Non-Scriptural Dedications, p. 30.

3. Liber Aberbrothoc, i, nos. 43, 44 & 45, RRS, ii, no. 453, Liber Aberbrothoc, i, nos. 44 & 45.

4. Liber Aberbrothoc, i, nos. 162 & 165.

5. Liber Aberbrothoc, i, nos. 47 & 48.

6. RRS, ii, no. 513, Liber Aberbrothoc, i, no. 1.

7. Liber Aberbrothoc, i, no. 100.

8. Liber Aberbrothoc, i, no. 222.

9. Liber Aberbrothoc, i, nos  172 & 236.

10. CSSR, iii, 28-29.

11. Liber Aberbrothoc, ii, nos. 344 & 356.

12. Liber Aberbrothoc, ii, no. 771.

13. DDARC Dundee Burgh and Head Court Books, 1555-1558, fol. 49r.

14. Kirk, The books of assumption of the thirds of benefices, 361 & 393.

15. Donaldson, Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices, 10.

16. NRS Records of the Synod of Fife, 1610-1636, CH2/154/1, fols. 150-151.

17. NRS Presbytery of Dundee, Minutes, 1664-1689, CH2/103/1, fols. 153 & 154.

18. Statistical Account of Scotland, (1792), xiii, 98.

19. New Statistical Account of Scotland, (1833), 63.

20. Hay, The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches, pp. 239 & 246.

Bibliography

DDARC Dundee Burgh and Head Court Books, 1555-1558.

NRS Presbytery of Dundee, Minutes, 1664-1689, CH2/103/1.

NRS Records of the Synod of Fife, 1610-1636, CH2/154/1.

Calendar of Scottish Supplications to Rome 1428-32, 1970, ed. A.I. Dunlop; and I.B. Cowan, (Scottish History Society) Edinburgh.

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

Donaldson, G., 1949, Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices, (Scottish History Society), Edinburgh.

Hay, G., 1957, The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches, 1560-1843, Oxford.

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

Mackinlay, J.M, 1914, Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland. Non-Scriptural Dedications, Edinburgh.

Liber S Thome de Aberbrothoc, 1848-56, ed. C. Innes and P. Chalmers, (Bannatyne Club) Edinburgh, i.

New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, Edinburgh and London.

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

Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, ed. J. Sinclair, Edinburgh.

Architectural description

Gilchrist, earl of Angus granted the church to the Tironensian abbey of Arbroath at a date between 1201 and 1204, and it was confirmed to the uses of the abbey soon afterwards by Bishop William. A vicarage settlement was made in 1249.(1)

There are records of number of post-Reformation repairs. The author of the entry in the Statistical Account recorded:

The church seems originally to have been a Roman Catholic chapel as the fount is yet to be seen, and a small press in the wall, with an iron door, in which perhaps were deposited some of the sacred relics. It is very ancient, and, though it lately received some repairs, is still in a ruinous condition.(2)

Another account said that it had a tower and that it was a low mean building; that account also said that the press with the iron door was in the north wall, which raises the tantalising possibility that it could have been a Sacrament House with its original door.(3) 

In 1799 the parishes of Mains and Strathmartine were united, and a new church was built at the centre of the united parishes in 1801.(4)

Of the old church, which was located at NO 41103 33069, the only part to be retained was a south aisle thought to have been of late medieval date. This was walled off at its northern end and adapted as the burial vault of the Graham family, the occupants of the adjacent castle to the south, for whom it may originally have been built.(5)

The aisle had three lancet windows in its south gable, and set into the wall above the windows was a carving of the Annunciation, which was found in 1868; the latter had what appear to have been the arms of the Graham family below the lily pot between the two figures. A medieval grave slab from the church is preserved in Dundee Museum. The aisle itself has now been reduced to fragmentary footings with dimensions of about 4.2 metres from east to west and about 5.6 metres from north to south.

Notes

1. Ian B. Cowan, The Parishes of Medieval Scotland (Scottish Record Society), 1967, pp. 142.

2. Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, vol. 5, p. 221.

3. Gershom Cumming, Forfarshire Illustrated, Dundee, 1843, p. 32.

4. New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, vol. 11, p. 63.

5. Accounts of the aisle include those in David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross, The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, vol. 3, Edinburgh, 1897, pp. 455-56; Francis Mudie and David Walker, Mains Castle and the Grahams of Fintry (Abertay Historical Society), Dundee, 1964, p. 31-33.