130-692: The Scottish Poetry Library is a public library specialising in Scottish poetry. Since 1999, the library has been based at 5 Crichton's Close, just off the Canongate in Edinburgh 's Old Town . The library was founded in 1984 by poet Tessa Ransford . Tom Hubbard was its first librarian. The present Director, Asif Khan, was appointed from June 2016. Khan is supported by a team of librarians and specialist staff with expertise in collections management, engagement, learning, events, publishing and communications. The SPL
260-535: A superintendent . This plan was complicated by the conversion of three bishops to Protestantism, who were allowed to remain in their posts. Few superintendents were appointed and temporary commissioners were nominated to fill the gaps. In 1576, when the General Assembly considered the structure of the Kirk, it recognised five offices: archbishops, bishops, superintendents, commissioners, and visitors. Beside these posts
390-509: A combination of kirk funds, contributions from local heritors or burgh councils and parents that could pay. They were inspected by kirk sessions, who checked for the quality of teaching and doctrinal purity. There were also large number of unregulated "adventure schools", which sometimes fulfilled a local need and sometimes took pupils away from the official schools. Outside of the established burgh schools, masters often combined their positions with other employment, particularly minor posts within
520-473: A laird's family, or kin group and social networks, who continued to attend the Catholic Church, Protestants began to develop a series of privy kirks (secret churches), whose members increasingly turned away from existing church structures. Their organisation was sufficient in 1555 for Knox to return to Scotland. He administered a Protestant communion and carried out a preaching tour of the privy kirks. He urged
650-574: A large gasworks. Archaeological excavations have shown that it was at this time many of the back gardens were turned into industrial sites. The Canongate was an important district during the Scottish Enlightenment partly because of the presence of the Canongate Theatre (1746-1786), of which one of the proprietors was Lord Monboddo . The philosopher David Hume performed in a play staged there. Writing in 1824, Robert Chambers said of
780-551: A medium. The anonymous The Maner of the Cyring of ane Play (before 1568) and Philotus (published in London in 1603), are isolated examples of surviving plays. The later is a vernacular Scots comedy of errors, probably designed for court performance for Mary, Queen of Scots or James VI. The same system of professional companies of players and theatres that developed in England in this period
910-511: A network of ministers, a parish-based school system, university education and poor relief. This proposal for the use of church wealth was rejected. Instead, an Act of Council kept two-thirds of the Church's assets in the hands of its existing holders, while the remaining third was divided between the Crown and the reformist measures. The educational programme, was abandoned, ministers remained poorly paid, and
1040-584: A parliament, although it was not to touch the issue of religion. The Parliament of Scotland met in Edinburgh 1 August 1560. Fourteen earls, six bishops, nineteen lords, twenty-one abbots, twenty-two burgh commissioners and over a hundred lairds, claimed the right to sit. Ignoring the provisions of the Treaty of Edinburgh, on 17 August, Parliament approved a Reformed Confession of Faith (the Scots Confession ), and on 24 August it passed three Acts that abolished
1170-515: A result, in 1536 the first provincial church council called since 1470 failed to achieve major reforms or a united front against heresy. After the execution of Patrick Hamilton , the Crown prosecuted some men and a small number of executions followed in the 1530s and 1540s, but there was no systematic persecution, as the king was not interested in wide-scale bloodletting. An increasing number of lairds and nobles began to favour reform, particularly in Angus ,
1300-457: A resurgence of the area's vitality with the Canongate becoming the centre of Scottish political life . Although modern development is arguably of high quality it fails to reflect the traditional character of the area. The Royal Mile Primary School, formerly known as Milton House Public School, is a non-denominational state school that provides primary education for 5- to 11-year-old children. It
1430-515: A revised version. The result of the delay was that the document, known as the First Book of Discipline , was considered not by the full Parliament, but only by a thinly-attended convention of nobles and about 30 lairds in January 1561 and then only approved individually and not collectively. The Book proposed a programme of parish-based reformation that would use the resources of the old Church to pay for
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#17328557465681560-583: A series of provincial councils (in 1549, 1552, probably in 1556 and in 1559), modelled on the contemporaneous Council of Trent . These blamed the advance of the Protestant heresies on "the corruption of morals and the profane lewdness of life in churchmen of all ranks, together with crass ignorance of literature and of the liberal arts". In 1548, attempts were made to eliminate concubinage , clerical pluralism , clerical trading, and non-residence, and to prohibit unqualified people from holding church offices. Further,
1690-650: A target of missionary work. Their effectiveness was limited by rivalries between different orders at Rome. The initiative was taken by a small group of Scots connected with the Crichton family , who had supplied the bishops of Dunkeld . They joined the Jesuit order and returned to attempt conversions. Their focus was mainly on the court, which led them into involvement in a series of complex political plots and entanglements. The majority of surviving Scottish lay followers were largely ignored. The humanist concern with widening education
1820-615: A third of nobles and gentry were still Catholic in inclination. In most of Scotland, except for the Outer Hebrides , Catholicism became an underground faith in private households, connected by ties of kinship. This reliance on the household meant that women often became important as the upholders and transmitters of the faith, such as in the case of Lady Fernihurst in the Borders. They transformed their households into centres of religious activity and offered places of safety for priests. Because
1950-708: A year while under siege , before they were defeated with the help of French forces. The survivors, including chaplain John Knox , were condemned to be galley slaves, helping to create resentment of the French and martyrs for the Protestant cause. In 1547, the English under Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset renewed their invasion and defeated the Scots at Pinkie , occupied south-east Scotland with forts at Lauder , Haddington and an outpost at Dundee . This occupation (1547–1549) encouraged
2080-597: Is a limited company with charitable status. From November 2023, its Board was co-Chaired by Claudia Daventry and Charlie Roy. The SPL has status as a Creative Scotland Regularly Funded Organisation (RFO) with a remit to support audience development, literacy through reader development and creative writing classes with diverse groups, schools and public libraries, and to promote opportunities for writers and performers for showcasing their talents at home and abroad. The SPL’s work on wellbeing themes has included reminiscence activity supporting people with dementia in care settings, and
2210-555: Is a street and associated district in central Edinburgh , the capital city of Scotland . The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile while the district is the main eastern section of Edinburgh's Old Town . David I of Scotland , by the Great Charter of Holyrood Abbey c. 1143 , authorised the Abbey to found a burgh separate from Edinburgh between the Abbey and
2340-610: Is also the location of Moray House , the Education department of the University of Edinburgh (formerly Moray House College of Education). It comprises a number of buildings centred on St. John Street, some of which are historic, whilst others are purpose built. A number of other university buildings including the Pleasance student union building and the Centre for Sport and Exercise are located in
2470-464: Is still used for Sunday services as well as weekday concerts. The Canongate owes its existence to the establishment of Holyrood Abbey in 1128. King David I, who established the Abbey, gave the surrounding area to the Augustinian canons then resident at Edinburgh Castle in the form of a regality . The King also gave leave to the canons to establish a burgh between the abbey and Edinburgh, and as it
2600-418: Is thought to run underneath and follow the route of Holyrood road. There appears to have been one created in the 12th century that was then filled in and a new one created in the 13th/14th century with palisade added to it. The archaeologists also found evidence of the 'city walls' that were built in 1513. Those walls were meant be boundaries but not defensive. Those attacking Edinburgh generally stormed through
2730-498: The Canongate by James Crommie in 1665. James Leblanc made mirrors, and argued with Sarah Dalrymple, who had a business painting furniture and mirrors in the Japan style , over a possible monopoly on glass for mirrors and lighting sconces. The union of the parliaments in 1707 also affected the area, as up until then Edinburgh had been the location of the Parliament of Scotland with
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#17328557465682860-697: The Earl of Bothwell , who was implicated in Darnley's murder. Opposition to Bothwell led to the formation of a coalition of nobles, who styled themselves as the Confederate Lords. Michael Lynch describes the events of 1567 as "second Reformation crisis". Mary and Bothwell confronted the Lords at Carberry Hill on 15 June 1567, but their forces melted away. He fled and she was imprisoned in Lochleven Castle . Ten days after
2990-704: The Lords of the Congregation gained control of government. Under their guidance, the Scottish Reformation Parliament passed legislation that established a Protestant creed , and rejected Papal supremacy , although these were only formally ratified by James VI and I in 1567. Directed by John Knox , the new Church of Scotland adopted a Presbyterian structure and largely Calvinist doctrine . The Reformation resulted in major changes in Scottish education, art and religious practice. The kirk itself became
3120-503: The Pickwick Papers by Dickens . Walter Scott named Chronicles of the Canongate (1820s) after the area. 55°57′05″N 3°10′48″W / 55.951519°N 3.179885°W / 55.951519; -3.179885 Scottish Reformation Electors of Saxony Holy Roman Emperors Building Literature Theater Liturgies Hymnals Monuments Calendrical commemoration The Scottish Reformation
3250-937: The missal used in St Nicholas church in Aberdeen . New cults of devotion related to Jesus and the Virgin Mary began to reach Scotland in the 15th century, including the Five Wounds , the Holy Blood , and the Holy Name of Jesus . New religious feasts arose, including celebrations of the Presentation , the Visitation , and Mary of the Snows . In the early 14th century, the Papacy managed to minimise
3380-406: The redevelopment of former industrial land to the north of the Canongate , once occupied by Victorian gasworks and a later bus garage, has proved controversial, partly due to the original proposal, now abandoned, to demolish some of the replacement buildings from the 1930s. Above all, the construction of the new Scottish Parliament Building on the site of the old Younger's Abbey Brewery has led to
3510-477: The "special daughter of the see of Rome". It was run by special councils made up of all the Scottish bishops, with the bishop of St Andrews emerging as the most important figure. The administration of parishes was often given to local monastic institutions in a process known as appropriation . By the time of the Reformation in the mid-16th century 80% of Scottish parishes were appropriated, leaving few resources for
3640-826: The 1480s. In most Scottish burghs there was usually only one parish church, in contrast to English towns where churches and parishes tended to proliferate. As the doctrine of Purgatory gained importance in the late Middle Ages, the number of chapelries, priests, and masses for the dead prayed within them, designed to speed the passage of souls to Heaven, grew rapidly. The number of altars dedicated to saints, who could intercede in this process, also increased dramatically. St. Mary's in Dundee had perhaps 48 such altars and St Giles' in Edinburgh more than 50. The number of saints celebrated in Scotland also proliferated, with about 90 being added to
3770-641: The 17th century, with parishioners in Aberdeen reproved for parading and dancing in the street with bells at weddings and Yule in 1605, Robin Hood and May plays at Kelso in 1611 and Yuletide guising at Perth in 1634. The Kirk also allowed some plays, particularly in schools, when they served their own ends for education, as in the comedy about the Prodigal Son permitted at St. Andrews in 1574. More formal plays included those of James Wedderburn , who wrote anti-Catholic tragedies and comedies in Scots around 1540, before he
3900-485: The 1930s and Sir Robert Hurd in the 1950s in traditional style replicating original facades. Another scheme, completed in 1969, by the Basil Spence practice was in modern style but in proportion to surrounding buildings. Due to the redevelopments of the 1950s/60s the overcrowded and impoverished area suffered from serious depopulation. From the 1960s onwards the Canongate area became notably less industrial, with all of
4030-450: The Baptist's at Perth on 11 May on Christ cleansing the temple . The congregation responded by stripping the shrines, images and altars of the church and then sacked the local friaries and Carthusian house. The regent responded by sending troops to restore order and Glencairn led a force to defend the town's new Protestant status. A royal delegation, including Argyll and James Stuart persuaded
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4160-546: The Canongate house of Cuthbert Ferguson in 1571. The house was protected from cannon shot with bags of wool and animal skins. There were several tennis courts in Edinburgh and the Canongate. One was close to the Palace, at the lodging of Henry Kinloch , and another was built nearby in 1623 by Alexander Peiris. Kinloch and Peiris also kept lodging houses, Kinloch hosted the French ambassador Rambouillet in February 1566. Rambouillet
4290-456: The Canongate providing a fashionable suburb for the dwellings of the political class. The North Bridge , finally opened in 1772, provided a new and more convenient route from Edinburgh to the port of Leith effectively bypassing the Canongate which had until then been the main route from Edinburgh to Leith via Easter Road causing even more neglect to the residential area which was gradually taken over by industrial premises including breweries and
4420-415: The Canongate, "As the main avenue from the palace into the city, it has borne upon its pavements the burden of all that was beautiful, all that was gallant, all that has become historically interesting in Scotland for the last six or seven hundred years". Sir Walter Scott writing in 1827 stated; " Sic itur ad Astra ; This is the path to heaven. Such is the ancient motto attached to the armorial bearings of
4550-456: The Canongate, and which is inscribed, with greater or less propriety, upon all the public buildings, from the church to the pillory, in the ancient quarter of Edinburgh which bears, or rather once bore, the same relation to the Good Town that Westminster does to London". The area has seen various attempts at improvements and slum clearance , including various schemes by Ebenezer James MacRae in
4680-477: The Church and rejected its doctrine on the Eucharist . Despite evidence of the burning of heretics and some popular support for its anti-sacramental elements, it probably remained a small movement. From the 15th century, Renaissance humanism encouraged critical theological reflection and calls for ecclesiastical renewal in Scotland. As early as 1495 some Scots were in contact with Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536),
4810-650: The Church was underfunded. The Scots Confession was produced by Knox and five colleagues in four days. Its structure parallels that of the Apostles' Creed , with 25 chapters based around themes of the Father, Son, Church and Consummation. It remained the standard of the Kirk until it was replaced by the Westminster Confession , negotiated with English Parliamentary allies during the English Civil War and adopted by
4940-486: The Continent were recruited to the new Scottish universities founded at St Andrews , Glasgow , and Aberdeen . These international contacts helped integrate Scotland into a wider European scholarly world and were one of the most important ways in which the new ideas of humanism entered Scottish intellectual life. By 1497 the humanist and historian Hector Boece , who was born in Dundee and studied at Paris, returned to become
5070-479: The English ambassador at Antwerp noted that Scottish merchants were taking William Tyndale 's New Testament to Edinburgh and St. Andrews. In 1528 the nobleman Patrick Hamilton , who had been influenced by Lutheran theology while at the universities of Wittenberg and Marburg , became the first Protestant martyr in Scotland. He was burned at the stake for heresy outside St Salvator's College at Saint Andrews . Hamilton's execution inspired more interest in
5200-465: The English gunners were killed. The English infantry attacked the gate and, according to the English narrative, pulled one of the Scottish artillery pieces through its gunloop. The Scots could not retaliate due to heavy small arms fire and archery, during which Morris placed a cannon close to the gate. After three or four rounds, the gate was breached and the English army stormed through killing 300 or 400 defenders. The Scottish heavy guns were withdrawn from
5330-577: The High Street into the Castle. According to a report sent to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor , the English troops were unused to urban warfare and fought amongst each other on the High Street, and William Howard , a brother of the Duke of Norfolk , was hurt in the cheek by an English arrow. In the 1560s, several servants of Mary, Queen of Scots , formed relationships with women in the Canongate. The church authority,
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5460-550: The Highlands there were shortages and very few spoke the Gaelic of the local population. The universities were unable supply sufficient trained ministers over a generation and many (over three-quarters in 1574) held the junior post of readers, rather than qualified ministers. The bulk of these were former Catholic clergy. The untidy system of thirteen medieval dioceses was to be replaced by ten more rational districts, each to be overseen by
5590-498: The King's Party fought a civil war on behalf of the regency against Mary's supporters. This ended, after English intervention, with the surrender of Edinburgh Castle in May 1573. In 1578, a Second Book of Discipline was adopted, which was much more clearly Presbyterian in outlook. In England, Mary became a focal point for Catholic conspirators and was eventually executed for treason in 1587 on
5720-464: The Kirk Session, disapproved of them as fornicators, as they mostly had no plans for marriage. Some of the women were made to stand at the burgh cross with bared heads for three hours. After Mary was forced to abdicate , there was civil war in Scotland . Her supporters in Scotland took control of Edinburgh Castle , and the king's party resided in the Canongate and at Leith. Regent Lennox lodged in
5850-493: The Kirk in 1647. The Confession was strongly Calvinist in tone. It emphasised the "inscrutable providence" of God, who had determined all things. It stressed the extreme depravity of mankind, who deserved eternal damnation and the mercy of God in selecting a portion of humanity for salvation through grace alone. It denied transubstantiation , but retained the real presence in the Eucharist . It largely avoided negative emotive condemnations of Catholicism, focusing on setting out
5980-546: The Kirk, such as clerk. At their best, the curriculum included catechism , Latin , French , Classical literature and sports. Scotland's universities underwent a series of reforms associated with Andrew Melville, who returned from Geneva to become principal of the University of Glasgow in 1574. A distinguished linguist, philosopher and poet, he had trained in Paris and studied law at Poitiers , before moving to Geneva and developing an interest in Protestant theology. Influenced by
6110-451: The Lords in July, and Mary moved her base to Dunbar . The arrival of French reinforcements of 1,800 men forced the Lords onto the defensive and they abandoned the capital. The Lords appealed for help from England and Mary from France. English agents managed the safe return of Earl of Arran , the eldest son and heir of Chatelherault, allowing him to accept the leadership of the Lords. In October
6240-549: The Mearns , Fife and within the University of St Andrews. Leading figures included Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn and John Erskine of Dun . In 1541 Parliament passed legislation to protect the honour of the Mass, prayer to the Virgin Mary , images of the saints, and the authority of the pope. James V died in 1542, leaving the infant Mary, Queen of Scots as his heir, with
6370-462: The Netherlands-born leading figure in the northern humanist movement. They were also in contact with Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples (c. 1455 – 1536), a French humanist and scholar who like Erasmus argued strongly for reform of the Catholic Church by the elimination of corruption and abuses. Scottish scholars often studied on the Continent and at English universities. Humanist scholars trained on
6500-576: The Reformation took over the existing structures and assets of the Church, any attempted recovery by the Catholic hierarchy was extremely difficult. After the collapse of Mary's cause in the civil wars in the 1570s, and any hope of a national restoration of the old faith, the hierarchy began to treat Scotland as a mission area. The leading order of the Counter-Reformation , the newly founded Jesuits , initially took relatively little interest in Scotland as
6630-709: The Satire Literary Awards. In 2021, the library sponsored the Best Poetry Book category in the Gaelic Book Awards. The library is represented on a number of advisory and advocacy groups, including Literature Alliance Scotland, the Scots Language Resources Network and the RIVAL network for librarians and information professionals. The library supports professional development initiatives, including
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#17328557465686760-604: The Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards scheme. In 2016, the SPL was recognised with a Creative Edinburgh Award for its diverse programming. In 2020, the SPL relaunched its Ambassadors programme to promote its presence in the regions, and work produced in Scottish Gaelic and Scots languages. The first cohort of Ambassadors were Aoife Lyall, Ceitidh Campbell, Hugh McMillan and Thomas Clark . Since 1999,
6890-578: The Tools of the Trade anthologies that are gifted to every graduating doctor, teacher, nurse & midwife in Scotland. In 2020, the SPL led on a mapping project of Scotland’s Creative Words for Wellbeing practitioners. This resulted in the SPL commissioning reader development and creative writing workshops with people experiencing long-COVID, along with classes for teachers, mothers and a partnership programme with Lapidus Scotland focusing on COVID-recovery and renewal. In
7020-473: The University of Glasgow. Another major figure was Archibald Whitelaw, who taught at St. Andrews and Cologne, becoming a tutor to the young James III and royal secretary in 1462–1493. Robert Reid , Abbot of Kinloss and later Bishop of Orkney , was responsible in the 1520s and 1530s for bringing the Italian humanist Giovanni Ferrario to teach at Kinloss Abbey . Ferrario established an impressive library and wrote works of Scottish history and biography. Reid
7150-409: The Water-Yett (Water Gate) and took possession of the Canongate. They then would attempt to assault Edinburgh through the Netherbow Port. In May 1544, during the Rough Wooing , the English army under Lord Hertford attacked and burnt Edinburgh . The English Master of Ordnance, Christopher Morris , brought artillery up the Canongate to assault Edinburgh's Netherbow Gate. During this operation some of
7280-403: The West Highlands, where there had been a hereditary caste of monumental sculptors, the uncertainty and loss of patronage caused by the rejection of monuments in the Reformation meant that they moved into other branches of the Gaelic learned orders or took up other occupations. The lack of transfer of carving skills is noticeable in the decline in quality when gravestones were next commissioned from
7410-454: The abolishment of the burgh of Canongate in 1856, can still be seen in many locations in and around the district, including on Edinburgh's mercat cross where they appear alongside the royal arms of Britain, Scotland, England and Ireland, the burgh arms of Edinburgh and Leith, and the arms of the University. The motto is Sic itur ad astra meaning 'thus you shall go to the stars', a quote from Virgil 's Aeneid . It appears in chapter 49 of
7540-419: The acts that Parliament had passed and the new kirk existed in a state of legal uncertainty. The Lords had intended Parliament to consider a Book of Reformation , which they had commissioned and was largely the work of Knox. They were unhappy with the document and established a committee of "six Johns", including Knox, John Winram , John Spottiswood , John Willock , John Douglas , and John Row , to produce
7670-418: The anti-Aristotelian Petrus Ramus , he placed an emphasis on simplified logic and elevated languages and sciences to the same status as philosophy, allowing accepted ideas in all areas to be challenged. He introduced new specialist teaching staff, replacing the system of "regenting", where one tutor took the students through the entire arts curriculum. Metaphysics were abandoned and Greek became compulsory in
7800-445: The area historically covered by the Canongate. There were three crosses on the Canongate section of the Royal Mile . The ancient Mercat Cross (Market Cross) or Burgh Cross is shown on Gordon of Rothiemay's 1647 plan as being in the middle of the road nearly opposite the tolbooth. Gordon shows it as being similar to the Edinburgh Mercat Cross with the shaft and cross mounted on a stone gallery. The much-altered cross now stands in
7930-450: The border to lay siege to the French in Leith . Mary of Guise fell ill and died in June. With no sign of reinforcements, the French opened negotiations. Under the Treaty of Edinburgh (5 July 1560) both the French and English removed their troops from Scotland, leaving the Protestant Lords in control of the country. The Lords accepted Mary Queen of Scots and her husband, now Francis II of France , as monarchs and were given permission to hold
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#17328557465688060-413: The breweries closing. Residential redevelopment began on former industrial sites in the 1990s and 2000s with flats, offices and other commercial operations being built south of the main road, reversing the decline in population. Whilst much of this development has a modern appearance, some attempt has been made in terms of layout to retain the "fishbone" pattern characteristic of the Royal Mile. As of 2006,
8190-437: The burgh to open its gates, but the heavy handed treatment by the regent's forces led to a breakdown in negotiations. Argyll and Stuart changed sides and the Lords of the Congregation now began raising their followers for an armed conflict. A series of local reformations followed, with Protestant minorities gaining control of various regions and burghs, often with the support of local lairds and using intimidation, while avoiding
8320-434: The city. The burgh of Canongate which developed was controlled by the Abbey until the Scottish Reformation , when it came under secular control. In 1636 the adjacent city of Edinburgh bought the feudal superiority of the Canongate but it remained a semi-autonomous burgh under its own administration of bailies chosen by Edinburgh magistrates, until its formal incorporation into the city in 1856. The burgh gained its name from
8450-404: The clergy were enjoined to scriptural reflection, and bishops and parsons instructed to preach at least four times a year. Monks were to be sent to university, and theologians appointed for each monastery, college, and cathedral. But in 1552, it was acknowledged that little had been accomplished. Attendance at Mass was still sparse and "the inferior clergy of this realm and the prelates have not, for
8580-407: The confrontation at Carberry Hill, the General Assembly met in Edinburgh with the aim of rooting out "superstition and idolatry". The Reformation settlement of 1567 was much more firmly Calvinist than that of 1560. The Assembly set out a programme of reform that included the ratification of the legislation of 1560, better provision of the ministry, new resources and manpower for the parishes, a purge of
8710-464: The corruption and unpopularity of the late Medieval Scottish church. Since the late 20th century, research has indicated the ways in which it met the spiritual needs of different social groups. Historians have discerned a decline of monastic life in this period, with many religious houses maintaining smaller numbers of monks. Those remaining often abandoned communal living for a more individual and secular lifestyle. The rate of new monastic endowments from
8840-413: The corruption of church and state, and which is the only complete play to survive from before the Reformation. George Buchanan (1506–1582) was major influence on Continental theatre with plays such as Jepheths and Baptistes , which influenced Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine and through them the neo-classical tradition in French drama, but his impact in Scotland was limited by his choice of Latin as
8970-465: The creation of Catholic martyrs, to carry out a "cleansing" of friaries and churches, followed by the appointment of Protestant preachers. Such reformations occurred in conservative Aberdeen and the ecclesiastical capital of St. Andrews together with other eastern ports. In June, Mary of Guise responded by dispatching a French army to St. Andrews to restore control, but it was halted by superior numbers at Cupar Muir and forced to retreat. Edinburgh fell to
9100-417: The cross in 1600 when the young and beautiful Jean Kincaid (Lady Warriston) was beheaded by the Maiden for conspiring in the murder of her abusive husband. The coat of arms of the Canongate features a white hart 's head and a golden cross, recalling the old legend in which King David I was saved from goring from a stag by the sudden appearance of a holy cross. The arms, though technically obsolete since
9230-399: The encouragement of Calvin, he had written his own Book of Common Order and it was this that was printed and approved by the General Assembly of 1562. Enlarged, it was reprinted with the Confession and the Psalms in metre in 1564 , and it remained the standard until replaced with the Westminster Directory in 1643. A Gaelic translation of the Book of Common Order was produced in 1563,
9360-599: The existing church helped keep the political nation unified. But the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to the dauphin in 1558 heightened fears that Scotland would become a French province. Reformers were given hope by the accession, in England, of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth in 1558, which created a confessional frontier in Great Britain. The Church responded to some of the criticisms being made against it. John Hamilton , Archbishop of St Andrews , instigated
9490-406: The existing regime. On 1 January 1559 the anonymous Beggars' Summons was posted on the doors of friaries, threatening friars with eviction on the grounds that their property belonged to the genuine poor. This was calculated to appeal to the passions of the populace of towns who appeared to have particular complaints against friars. Knox returned to Scotland and preached at the church of St. John
9620-407: The first book printed in Gaelic, but there would be no Gaelic Bible until the 18th century. The First Book of Discipline envisaged the establishment of reformed ministers in each of approximately 1,080 parishes. By the end of 1561, 240 of these places had been filled. By 1567 there were about 850 clergy and by 1574 there were just over 1,000. These were mainly concentrated in the south and east. In
9750-465: The first principal at the new university of Aberdeen. The continued movement of scholars to other universities resulted in a school of Scottish nominalists at Paris by the early 16th century, the most important of whom was John Mair , generally described as a scholastic . His Latin History of Greater Britain (1521) was sympathetic to the humanist social agenda. In 1518 he returned to become Principal of
9880-529: The first year, followed by Aramaic , Syriac and Hebrew , launching a new fashion for ancient and biblical languages. Glasgow had probably been declining as a university before his arrival, but students now began to arrive in large numbers. He assisted in the reconstruction of Marischal College , Aberdeen , and to do for St Andrews what he had done for Glasgow, he was appointed Principal of St Mary's College, St Andrews , in 1580. The University of Edinburgh developed out of public lectures that were established in
10010-682: The former's townsfolk. The Canongate contains several historic buildings including Queensberry House , now incorporated in the Scottish Parliament Building complex, Huntly House (now the Museum of Edinburgh ), the Canongate Tolbooth (now housing the People's Story Museum ) and the Canongate Kirk , opened in 1691 replacing Holyrood Abbey as the parish church of the Canongate. The church
10140-408: The independence of the Kirk. By 1600 he had appointed three parliamentary bishops. By the end of his reign there were 11 bishops and diocesan episcopacy had been restored, although there was still strong support for Presbyterianism within the Kirk. Although officially illegal, Roman Catholicism survived in parts of Scotland. The hierarchy of the Church played a relatively small role and the initiative
10270-739: The international arena the SPL has partnered with Literature Wales and Poetry Ireland, as well as the cultural programmes of the Scottish Government Hubs in Dublin, Brussels, Paris, Berlin and London. Further afield, the SPL was commissioned by the British Council to engage with cultural organisations and artists in Quebec. The SPL supports the Callum MacDonald Memorial Award for Scottish poetry pamphlets, presented in partnership with
10400-534: The king in key positions, including James IV 's (r. 1488–1513) illegitimate son Alexander Stewart , who was nominated as Archbishop of St. Andrews at the age of 11. This practice strengthened royal influence but it also made the Church vulnerable to criticisms of venality and nepotism . Relationships between the Scottish Crown and the Papacy were generally good, with James IV receiving tokens of papal favour. Traditional Protestant historiography tended to stress
10530-459: The late King James V, Lord James Stewart (later the Earl of Moray), and Lord John Erskine . In 1557 a "first bond" was signed by Argyll, Glencairn, Morton, Lorne, and Erskine, for mutual support against "Sathan and all wicked power that does intend tyranny and truble against the foresaid congregation." This group, which eventually became known as 'the Lords of the Congregation ', was a direct challenge to
10660-632: The library has been based at 5 Crichton's Close, just off the Canongate in Edinburgh 's Old Town . The library building was designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects , and was shortlisted for Channel 4 's "Building of the Year" in 2000. It has been described as "a poem in glass and stone", and was included in Prospect magazine's 2005 list of the 100 best modern Scottish buildings . 55°57′05″N 3°10′41″W / 55.9514°N 3.1781°W / 55.9514; -3.1781 Canongate The Canongate
10790-642: The long and slow decline of the Canongate. The loss of the royal court from the Holyrood Palace inevitably affected the wealth of the surrounding area. Some aristocrats continued to live and build substantial houses and gardens on the street, including Mary Sutton, Countess of Home , whose townhouse, Old Moray House still survives in part. Canongate remained a centre for the manufacture and retail of luxury goods and domestic furnishings . Carnation striped worsted wool wall hangings for Newbiggin House were woven in
10920-499: The lower ranks of the profession, leading to frequent complaints about their standards of education or abilities. Although there is little clear evidence that standards were declining, this was expressed as one of the major grievances of the Reformation. Heresy, in the form of Lollardry , began to reach Scotland from England and Bohemia in the early 15th century. Lollards were followers of John Wycliffe (c. 1330 –84) and later Jan Hus (c. 1369 –1415), who called for reform of
11050-477: The match, an action later known as the "rough wooing", which devastated south-east Scotland. In 1546, George Wishart , a preacher who had come under the influence of Swiss reformer Huldrych Zwingli , was arrested and burnt at the stake in St. Andrews on the orders of Cardinal Beaton. Wishart's supporters, who included a number of Fife lairds, assassinated Beaton soon after and seized St. Andrews Castle, which they held for
11180-421: The members to reject Nicodemism , by which they held Protestant convictions, but attended Catholic services. Despite being offered protection by the Earl of Argyll , he returned to Geneva in 1556. In the absence of a leading clerical figure, the leadership of the movement was taken by the few nobles who had embraced Protestantism and a new generation that included Argyll's son Lord Lorne , the illegitimate son of
11310-493: The most part, attained such proficiency in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures as to be able by their own efforts rightly to instruct the people in the Catholic faith and other things necessary to salvation or to convert the erring." Protestantism continued to expand in this period and became more distinct from those who wanted reform within the existing church. Originally organised as conventicles that consisted of members of
11440-437: The new faith in simple language. It saw the Kirk as a "catholik" community of, "the elect of all nations, realms, nations, tongues, Jews and Gentiles". In 1581, as part of a reaction to the perceived threat of Catholicism, the court signed a King's , or Negative Confession , probably commissioned by James VI, that much more harshly denounced Catholicism. The Reformation saw a complete transformation of religious observance. In
11570-415: The new ideas. The Archbishop of St Andrews was warned against any further such public executions as "the reek [smoke] of Maister Patrik Hammyltoun has infected as many as it blew upon". After entering his personal reign in 1528, James V avoided pursuing the major structural and theological changes to the church undertaken by his contemporary Henry VIII in England. In exchange for his loyalty to Rome, he
11700-582: The new kirk to local lairds, who were able to take on the dignity and authority of an elder . In the 1560s the majority of the population was probably still Catholic in persuasion, and the Kirk would find it difficult to penetrate the Highlands and Islands, but began a gradual process of conversion and consolidation that, compared with reformations elsewhere, was conducted with little persecution. The monasteries were not dissolved but allowed to die out with their monks, and before 1573 no holders of benefices were turned out, even for refusing to conform. The focus on
11830-483: The nobility also declined in the 15th century. In contrast, the burghs saw the flourishing of mendicant orders of friars in the later 15th century, who, unlike the older monastic orders, placed an emphasis on preaching and ministering to the population. The order of Observant Friars were organised as a Scottish province from 1467, and the older Franciscans and the Dominicans were recognised as separate provinces in
11960-463: The old faith in Scotland. Under these, all previous acts not in conformity with the Reformed Confession were annulled. The sacraments were reduced to two ( Baptism and Communion ) to be performed by reformed preachers alone. The celebration of the Mass was made punishable by a series of penalties (ultimately death) and Papal jurisdiction in Scotland was repudiated. The Queen declined to endorse
12090-468: The only person to partake legally in Catholic services and did not attempt to re-impose Catholicism on her subjects, thus angering the chief Catholic nobles. Her six-year personal reign was marred by a series of crises, largely caused by the intrigues and rivalries of the leading nobles. The murder of her secretary, David Riccio , was followed by that of her unpopular second husband Lord Darnley , father of her infant son, and her abduction by, and marriage to,
12220-634: The orders of her kinswoman Elizabeth I. James was Calvinist in doctrine, but strongly supported episcopacy and resisted the independence, or even right to interfere in government, of the Kirk, which became associated with the followers of Andrew Melville , known as the Melvillians. He used his powers to call the General Assembly where he wished, limiting the ability of more radical clergy to attend. He paid for moderate clergy to be present, negotiated with members, and manipulated its business in order to limit
12350-491: The parish church as the centre of worship meant the abandonment of much of the complex religious provision of chapelries, monasteries and cathedrals, many of which were allowed to decay or, like the Cathedral at St Andrews, were mined for dressed stone to be used in local houses. When her husband Francis II died in 1560, Mary, now 19, elected to return to Scotland to take up the government. She gained an agreement that she would be
12480-498: The parish clergy. In 1472 St Andrews became the first archbishopric in the Scottish church, to be followed by Glasgow in 1492. The collapse of papal authority in the Papal Schism (1378–1418) allowed the Scottish Crown to gain effective control of major ecclesiastical appointments within the kingdom. This de facto authority over appointments was formally recognised by the Papacy in 1487. The Crown placed clients and relatives of
12610-455: The place of the many holy days and festivals of the Catholic Church and the occasional observance of the Mass, the single surviving holy day was Sunday and regular attendance and participation was required of the laity. Latin was abandoned in favour of the vernacular. Congregational psalm singing replaced the elaborate polyphony of trained choirs. An emphasis was put on the Bible and the sermon, which
12740-487: The problem of clerical pluralism , by which clerics held two or more livings , which elsewhere resulted in parish churches being without priests, or served by poorly-trained and paid vicars and clerks. The number of poor clerical livings and a general shortage of clergy in Scotland, particularly after the Black Death , meant that in the 15th century the problem intensified. As a result, parish clergy were largely drawn from
12870-513: The prohibition against reading the Bible in the vernacular . A planned marriage between Mary and Edward , the son of Henry VIII of England, which had been agreed under the Treaty of Greenwich (1543), led to a backlash in Scotland and a coup led by Cardinal Beaton . He repudiated the reforming policies, and all consideration of an English marriage for the Queen, angering the English. They invaded to enforce
13000-450: The prospect of a long minority. At the beginning of Mary's reign, the Scottish political nation was divided between a pro-French faction, led by Cardinal Beaton and by the Queen's mother, Mary of Guise , and a pro-English faction, headed by Mary's prospective heir James Hamilton, Earl of Arran . Initially Arran became Regent, backed by the small "evangelical party" at court, who favoured religious reform. The act of Parliament of 1543 removed
13130-459: The reforming cause. The English supplied books and distributed Bibles and Protestant literature in the Lowlands . Several earls pledged themselves 'to cause the word of God to be taught and preached'. To counter the English, the Scots secured French help, the price of which was the betrothal of the infant Queen to the French dauphin , the future Francis II . She departed for France in 1548, where she
13260-511: The regent was declared "suspended" and replaced by a "great council of the realm". Mary of Guise's forces continued to advance, once again threatening St. Andrews. The situation was transformed by the arrival of the English fleet in the Firth of Forth in January 1560, and the French retreated to the stronghold of Leith near Edinburgh. The English and the Lords agreed further support by the Treaty of Berwick in February 1560 and an English army crossed
13390-592: The route that the canons of Holyrood Abbey took to Edinburgh—the canons' way or the canons' gait, from the Scots word gait meaning "way". In more modern times, the eastern end is sometimes referred to as part of the Holyrood area of the city. The burgh of Canongate had a sometimes turbulent relationship with its neighbour, Edinburgh. The main reason for this was the continual battle over their exact boundaries up until their unification in 1856, an event which proved unpopular with
13520-425: The south-east corner of Canongate Churchyard to the right hand side of the entrance to Canongate Kirk . The St John's Cross used to stand further up the Canongate to the west. The site is now marked by a maltese cross formed by coloured setts in the road surface near the top of St John's Street ( 55°57′04″N 3°10′54″W / 55.950975°N 3.181766°W / 55.950975; -3.181766 ). It
13650-525: The start of the 17th century. According to N. Prior, the nature of the Scottish Reformation may have had wider effects, limiting the creation of a culture of public display and meaning that art was channelled into more austere forms of expression with an emphasis on private and domestic restraint. The loss of ecclesiastical patronage that resulted from the Reformation, meant that native craftsmen and artists turned to secular patrons. One result of this
13780-421: The street, and in the 1590s there was a Flemish clockmaker, Abraham Wanweyneburgh. The mason Gilbert Cleuch had a house in the Canongate. When James VI returned to Edinburgh in 1579 after spending his childhood at Stirling Castle , some courtiers including the master of his wine cellar, Jerome Bowie , acquired houses in the Canongate. The accession of King James VI to the throne of England in 1603 began
13910-639: The subject of national pride, and many Scots saw their country as a new Israel. Christianity spread in Scotland from the 6th century, with evangelisation by Irish-Scots missionaries and, to a lesser extent, those from Rome and England. The church in Scotland attained clear independence from England after the Papal Bull of Celestine III ( Cum universi , 1192), by which all Scottish bishoprics except Galloway became formally independent of York and Canterbury . The whole Ecclesia Scoticana , with individual Scottish bishoprics (except Whithorn/Galloway), became
14040-545: The teachers in the universities and schools, and a closer relationship with parliament. A parliament was called in December, which allowed the acts passed by the Reformation Parliament to be ratified. The subsequent religious settlement would be worked out over the 1570s against a background of civil war and unstable regencies. In July 1567, Mary was forced to abdicate in favour of her 13-month-old son James VI . James
14170-584: The town in the 1540s on law, Greek, Latin and philosophy, under the patronage of Mary of Guise . The "Tounis College" become the University of Edinburgh in 1582. The results of these changes were a revitalisation of all Scottish universities, which were now producing a quality of education the equal of that offered anywhere in Europe. Medieval Scotland probably had its own Mystery plays , often performed by craft guilds , like one described as ludi de ly haliblude and staged at Aberdeen in 1440 and 1445 and which
14300-632: The treasury and the Great Seal , and the French ambassador Henri Cleutin sometimes attended the Privy Council . At first Mary of Guise cultivated a policy of limited toleration of Protestants, hoping to gain their support for her pro-French policies and against England, which from 1553 was under the rule of the Catholic Mary Tudor , who married the future Philip II of Spain in 1554. Hopes for reform of
14430-612: The way for the Castalian poets of James VI's adult reign. Scotland's ecclesiastical art paid a heavy toll as a result of Reformation iconoclasm , with the almost total loss of medieval stained glass and religious sculpture and paintings. The only significant surviving pre-Reformation stained glass in Scotland is a window of four roundels in the Magdalen Chapel of Cowgate , Edinburgh , completed in 1544. Wood carving can be seen at King's College, Aberdeen and Dunblane Cathedral . In
14560-512: The western limit of the Girth of Holyrood, "the greatest sanctuary in Scotland, and the last to disappear". It is shown on a map of the 1573 siege of Edinburgh, published in Holinshed's Chronicles in 1577, as an ornamental shaft elevated on a flight of steps and was not demolished until after 1767. In its shadow proclamations were read and executions were carried out. A notable execution took place next to
14690-460: Was a system of church courts of kirk sessions and presbyteries , which dealt with discipline and administration. Some local sessions had existed before 1560, moderators emerged in 1563, but the presbytery not until 1580. By the 1590s Scotland was organized into about 50 presbyteries with about 20 ministers in each. Above them stood a dozen or so synods and at the apex the general assembly. The system of kirk sessions gave considerable power within
14820-608: Was able to appoint his many illegitimate children and favourites to office in the Church, particularly David Beaton who became a Cardinal in 1538 and Archbishop of Saint Andrews in 1539. James increased crown revenues by heavily taxing the church, taking £72,000 in four years. The results of such appointments and taxation undermined both the status and finances of the Church. The Church was also divided by jurisdictional disputes between Gavin Dunbar , Archbishop of Glasgow and James Beaton , Archbishop of St. Andrews until his death in 1539. As
14950-649: Was absent in Scotland, but James VI signalled his interest in drama by arranging for a company of English players to erect a playhouse and perform in 1599. The Kirk also discouraged poetry that was not devotional in nature. Nevertheless, poets from this period included Richard Maitland of Lethington (1496–1586), who produced meditative and satirical verses; John Rolland (fl. 1530–1575), who wrote allegorical satires and courtier and minister Alexander Hume (c. 1556 –1609), whose corpus of work includes nature poetry and epistolary verse . Alexander Scott 's (?1520–82/3) use of short verse designed to be sung to music, opened
15080-485: Was designed in 1886 by Robert Wilson , architect for the Edinburgh Board of Education. Within the school, there is also a nursery which caters for 3- to 5-year-old children. As the school is so central to the Canongate community, its pupils are often involved in illustrious events at the Scottish parliament and Edinburgh Castle. It is used as a polling station for the constituents of Edinburgh Central. The Canongate
15210-418: Was developed from the 14th century onwards as successive monarchs made increasing use of the Abbey for political events such as parliaments and royal councils. The word "Pallais" appears in a reference to the royal lodgings in the reign of James IV , but they were first converted to palace buildings by James V in 1525. Archaeological excavations in 1999 and 2000 found part of the medieval boundary ditch. It
15340-482: Was entertained at the Palace by Mary, Queen of Scots in "maskrie and mumschance" during which her ladies were dressed in men's clothes. Anne Halkett , the religious writer, stayed with Peiris at the foot of the Canongate in 1650. She was told that it was a "civil house, and the best quality lay there that had not houses of their own". Goldsmiths including John Acheson , James Gray who sold pearls to Mary, Queen of Scots, and pistol-makers like John Kello had shops on
15470-635: Was forced to flee into exile. These included the Beheading of Johne the Baptist and the Historie of Dyonisius the Tyraonne , which were performed at Dundee. David Lyndsay (c. 1486 –1555), diplomat and the head of the Lyon Court , was a prolific poet and dramatist. He produced an interlude at Linlithgow Palace for the king and queen thought to be a version of his play The Thrie Estaitis in 1540, which satirised
15600-807: Was known as St. John's Cross because it stood on property thought to belong to the Knights of St. John in the Middle Ages, and it marked the ancient boundary of that part of the Royalty of Edinburgh which lay outwith the Netherbow Port and the city wall . Where the Girth Cross, which has also been called the "Abbey" or "South" Cross at various times, once stood is now marked by a radiating circle of setts. ( 55°57′09″N 3°10′30″W / 55.95260°N 3.17492°W / 55.95260; -3.17492 ). It marked
15730-482: Was left to lay leaders. Where nobles or local lairds offered protection it continued to thrive, as with Clanranald on South Uist , or in the north-east where the Earl of Huntly was the most important figure. In these areas Catholic sacraments and practices were maintained with relative openness. Members of the nobility were probably reluctant to pursue each other over matters of religion because of strong personal and social ties. An English report in 1600 suggested that
15860-456: Was often longer than an hour, although many parishes, which had no minister, would have had only a "readers service", of psalms, prayers and Bible readings. The Geneva Bible was widely adopted. Protestant preachers fleeing Marian persecutions in England had brought with them Edward VI 's second Book of Common Prayer (of 1552), which was commended by the Lords of the Congregation. Knox initially supported it, but before leaving Geneva, and with
15990-401: Was probably connected with the feast of Corpus Christi , but no texts are extant. Legislation was enacted against folk plays in 1555, and against liturgical plays ("clerk-plays or comedies based on the canonical scriptures") in 1575 by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Attempts to ban folk plays were more leniently applied and less successful that once assumed. They continued into
16120-425: Was shared by the Protestant reformers, with a desire for a godly people replacing the aim of having educated citizens. The First Book of Discipline set out a plan for a school in every parish, but this proved financially impossible. In the burghs the old schools were maintained, with the song schools and a number of new foundations becoming reformed grammar schools or ordinary parish schools. Schools were supported by
16250-513: Was the flourishing of Scottish Renaissance painted ceilings and walls, with large numbers of private houses of burgesses, lairds and lords gaining often highly detailed and coloured patterns and scenes, of which over 100 examples survive. These were undertaken by unnamed Scottish artists using continental pattern books that often led to the incorporation of humanist moral and philosophical symbolism, with elements that call on heraldry, piety, classical myths and allegory. The earliest surviving example
16380-485: Was the only burgh within the regality it was given the status of burgh of regality of Canongate. The area originally controlled by the abbey included the lands of Broughton , areas around the Pleasance and North Leith , giving the canons access to a port. In 1380, the Canogate, lying outwith the city walls of Edinburgh, was largely destroyed by fire at the hands of the English army under Richard II. Holyrood Palace
16510-629: Was the process whereby Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church , and established the Protestant Church of Scotland . It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation . From the first half of the 16th century, Scottish scholars and religious leaders were influenced by the teachings of the Protestant reformer, Martin Luther . In 1560, a group of Scottish nobles known as
16640-466: Was to be brought up a Protestant and the government was to be run by a series of regents, beginning with Moray, until James began to assert his independence in 1581. Mary eventually escaped and attempted to regain the throne by force. After her defeat at the Battle of Langside in May 1568, by forces loyal to the King's Party, led by Moray, she took refuge in England, leaving her son in their hands. In Scotland,
16770-485: Was to be raised and educated. At this point, "the policy of Henry VIII had failed completely". French ascendancy was made absolute over the next decade. In 1554, Arran was given the title Duke du Châtellerault and removed from the regency in favour of Mary of Guise (the Queen Mother). During her regency (1554–1560), the Queen's mother ensured the predominance of France in Scottish affairs. She put Frenchmen in charge of
16900-444: Was to leave sufficient endowment in his will, for the foundation of Edinburgh University. James McGoldrick suggests that there was a circle of "Erasmian-type scholar-reformers" at the royal court in the first decade of the sixteenth century. From the 1520s the ideas of Martin Luther began to have influence in Scotland, with Lutheran literature circulating in the east-coast burghs. In 1525 Parliament banned their importation. In 1527,
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