Identifier: baronialecclesia00bill (find matches)
Title: The baronial and ecclesiastical antiquities of Scotland
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Billings, R. W. (Robert William), 1813-1874 Wiston-Glyn, A. W
Subjects: Architecture Church architecture
Publisher: Edinburg T.N. Foulis
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
west of Edinburgh, in the lowestlevel of the valley lying between the Pentland and the Corstorphine Hills.It is a plain edifice, of mixed date, the period of the decorated gothicpredominating. It is in the form of a cross, with an additional transept onone of the sides, but some irregularities in the height and character of thedifferent parts make them seem as if they were irregularly clustered togetherwithout design. A portion of the roof is still covered with old grey flagstone.A small belfry tower at the west end is surmounted by a short octagonal spire.The interior is kept in decent order as the parish Church. It isconspicuous as containing the monuments of the Forresters of Corstorphine,whose connection with the endowment of this Church will have to be noticedfarther on. One of these monuments and apparently the most ancient, is ina niche under the window of the southern transept, and is a recumbent armedmale figure, with a dog at his feet. On the north side of the chancel there
Text Appearing After Image:
ANTIQUITIES OF SCOTLAND 85 are two other niches. The author of the Statistical Account, says Thefigures in the recess nearest to the body of the Church, represent Sir JohnForrester, the founder of the collegiate Church, and one of his ladies.Fronting this arch are five shields armorial, viz., ist, Forrester, three huntinghorns, stringed ; 2nd, Forrester impaling St. Clair of Orkney—quarterly, firstand fourth a ship, second and third a cross ; 3rd, Forrester ; 4th, Forresterimpaling a fesse cheque Stewart ; 5th, Forrester.* The niche is plain andflat, but the figures are boldly cut, and in good condition. The lady, whosecostume is so minutely sculptured as to admit of being compared with thefashions of the present day, has a book clasped in her hands. The other nichein the chancel is represented in the accompanying illustration. The recumbentfigures are supposed to represent Sir John Forrester, the son of the founder,and his wife. The cutting of the figures is sharp, and the drapery

Note About Images