An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess . Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns .
183-563: Kilwinning Abbey is a ruined abbey located in the centre of the town of Kilwinning , North Ayrshire . Kilwinning was a Tironensian Benedictine monastic community, named after Tiron in the diocese of Chartres . The abbey was dedicated to Saint Winning and the Virgin Mary, and founded sometime between 1162 and 1188 with monks coming from Kelso . The patron is not known for certain, but it may have been Richard de Morville , Lord of Cunninghame and Great Constable of Scotland, perhaps with
366-469: A building to receive visiting monks. These " hospitia " had a large common room or refectory surrounded by bed rooms. Each hospitium had its own brewhouse and bakehouse, and the building for more prestigious travellers had a kitchen and storeroom, with bedrooms for the guests' servants and stables for their horses. The monks of the Abbey lived in a house built against the north wall of the church. The whole of
549-473: A challenge sent to James IV by his herald, Thomas Hawley , the Rouge Croix Pursuivant . Surrey complained that James had sent his Islay Herald , agreeing that they would join in battle on Friday between 12 noon and 3 pm, and asked that James would face him on the plain at Milfield as appointed. James had no intention of leaving his carefully prepared position, perhaps recalling the fate of
732-600: A common life together. The monks were not permitted to retire to the cells of a laurae before they had undergone a lengthy period of training. In time, this form of common life superseded that of the older laurae. In the late 300s AD, Palladius visited the Egyptian monasteries. He described three hundred members of the coenobium of Panopolis . There were fifteen tailors, seven smiths, four carpenters, twelve camel-drivers and fifteen tanners. These people were divided into subgroups, each with its own " oeconomus ". A chief steward
915-538: A council or parliament at Twiselhaugh and made a proclamation for the benefit of the heirs of anyone killed during this invasion. By 29 August after a siege of six days, Bishop Thomas Ruthall 's Norham Castle was taken and partly demolished after the Scottish heavy artillery had breached the recently refurbished outer walls. The Scots then moved south, capturing the castles of Etal and Ford . A later Scottish chronicle writer, Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie , tells
1098-413: A curse on the river, preventing it from ever having fish in its waters; according to legend, the river responded by changing course and thereby avoiding the curse. It is clear that the river has substantially changed its course in recorded history, previously having entered the sea at Stevenston, Ardeer therefore being an island at that time. Blaeu's map printed in 1654 shows this. The area of Kilwinning on
1281-526: A curse on the river, preventing it from ever having fish in its waters; the river responded by changing course and thereby avoiding the curse. It is clear that the river has substantially changed its course in recorded history, previously having entered the sea at Stevenston. The author John Service relates a story of the murder of the Earl of Eglinton 's wife on Ardeer by Nigellus, the Abbott of Kilwinning Abbey in
1464-464: A first abbey was established at Monte Cassino (529 AD). Between 520 and 700 AD, monasteries were built which were spacious and splendid. All the city states of Italy hosted a Benedictine convent as did the cities of England , France and Spain . By 1415 AD, the time of the Council of Constance , 15,070 Benedictine monasteries had been established. The early Benedictine monasteries, including
1647-425: A fortnight earlier. Abbey The concept of the abbey has developed over many centuries from the early monastic ways of religious men and women where they would live isolated from the lay community about them. Religious life in an abbey may be monastic. An abbey may be the home of an enclosed religious order or may be open to visitors. The layout of the church and associated buildings of an abbey often follows
1830-513: A grandson of James II of Scotland as Regent to rule Scotland instead of Margaret and her son. Albany, who lived in France, came to Scotland on 26 May 1515. By that date Margaret had given birth to James's posthumous son Alexander and married the Earl of Angus . A later sixteenth-century Scottish attitude to the futility of the battle was given by Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie, in words that he attributed to Patrick Lord Lindsay at council before
2013-405: A large schoolroom divided in the middle by a screen or partition, and surrounded by fourteen little rooms, the "dwellings of the scholars". The abbot's home was near the school. To the north of the church and to the right of the main entrance to the Abbey, was a residence for distinguished guests. To the left of the main entrance was a building to house poor travellers and pilgrims . There was also
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#17327803214952196-457: A move was not an option because his 20,000-26,000 strong army desperately needed resupply, the convoy of wagons bringing food and beer for the troops from Newcastle having been ambushed and looted by local Englishmen. During a council of war on Wednesday evening, an ingenious alternative plan was devised, advised by "the Bastard" Heron, who had intimate local knowledge and had recently arrived at
2379-438: A passageway may have been built during the 1180s. Richard de Morville may have been responsible in around 1190-1200 for the great processional arch between the gable and the wall; dying in 1189 this may also have been a bequest or gift. Uniquely this arch has a Norman style capital bearing two carved figures, said to be Adam & Eve. A major development or reconstruction phase took place in the 1230s, possibly completed by one of
2562-468: A powder flask belonging to James IV and gave it to Henry VIII. A cross with rubies and sapphires with a gold chain worn by James and a hexagonal table salt with the figure of St Andrews on the lid were given to Henry by James Stanley , Bishop of Ely . Lord Dacre discovered the body of James IV on the battlefield. He later wrote that the Scots "love me worst of any Englishman living, by reason that I fande
2745-472: A publication that was never published. It is significant that Kilwinning Abbey was not founded by a monarch and its beginnings were accordingly less grand than would have otherwise been the case. An early legend tells of Saint Winning sending his monks to fish in the River Garnock , however no matter how hard they tried or how long they persevered they could catch nothing. The saint in response placed
2928-458: A range of 2,000 yards (1,800 m). However, the heaviest of these required a team of 36 oxen to move each one and were only able to fire once every twenty minutes at the most. They were commanded by the king's secretary, Patrick Paniter , an able diplomat, but who had no artillery experience. Upon Surrey's arrival, he deployed his troops on the forward slope of Piper Hill to match the Scottish dispositions. On his right, facing Hume and Huntly,
3111-416: A relatively early date, an inherent weakness being present, probably hastened by reformist action. The archaeology suggests that the abbey was built around an earlier church that may have been built during the time of Hugh de Morville, circa 1157. A long stretch of walling is suggestive of being the south side of the nave of this earlier foundation. The remnants of the chapter house bordering the cloisters and
3294-575: A room at the top of a tower is called 'Queen Margaret's bower'. Ten days after the Battle of Flodden, the Lords of Council met at Stirling on 19 September, and set up a General Council of the Realm "to sit upon the daily council for all matters occurring in the realm" of thirty-five lords including clergymen, lords of parliament, and two of the minor barons, the lairds of The Bass and Inverrugy. This committee
3477-413: A ruined bothy, below which was a stone lined cellar; she was imprisoned here and starved to death. The earl was never able to find her, although her drowned servant was discovered on the beach and tales of the screams of a woman's voice hidden in the crashing of the waves at Ardeer and of a distressed woman who vanished when approached began to spread. After the earl had died the last monk of Kilwinning Abbey
3660-421: A separate Parish in 1567. The monks held Granges, such as the one at Beith , given to the abbey by Sir William de Cunninghame and those of Craignaught. This ownership involved the monks in extensive agricultural activities. Details of the rents from farms show a considerable annual production of cheese in particular, 268 in one year alone. The monks may also have been involved in the mining of coal, especially for
3843-526: A set plan determined by the founding religious order. Abbeys are often self-sufficient while using any abundance of produce or skill to provide care to the poor and needy, refuge to the persecuted, or education to the young. Some abbeys offer accommodation to people who are seeking spiritual retreat . There are many famous abbeys across the Mediterranean Basin and Europe . The earliest known Christian monasteries were groups of huts built near
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#17327803214954026-628: A skirmish between the parties supporting the Queen and the opposing Protestant faction under the Earl of Morton. Although he supported the Reformation, he was also a supporter of Mary Queen of Scots. Alexander Cunninghame, the third son of the Earl of Glencairn, became the Commendator of Kilwinning Abbey. He refused to pay the stipend of the parish ministers in 1581 from the old abbey's revenues and
4209-439: A square building with an apse of the cruciform domical Byzantine type, approached by a domed narthex . In front of the church stands a marble fountain (F), covered by a dome supported on columns. Opening from the western side of the cloister, but actually standing in the outer court, is the refectory (G), a large cruciform (cross shaped) building, about 100 feet (30 m) square, decorated within with frescoes of saints. At
4392-482: A three-sided apse. The church is remarkable for its extreme narrowness in proportion to its length. While the building is 257 ft (78 m) long, it is not more than 25 ft (7.6 m) wide. Premonstratensian canons did not care to have congregations nor possessions. Therefore, they built their churches in the shape of a long room. The Cistercians , a Benedictine reform group, were established at Cîteaux in 1098 AD by Robert of Molesme , Abbot of Molesme, for
4575-596: A town house in Irvine known as Lople on the High Street and another adjacent property. In 1566 the last Roman Catholic vicar of Dunlop, John Houston, with the permission of Gavin Hamilton, commendator of Kilwinning Abbey, granted the church lands of Dunlop to William Cunninghame of Aiket . He kept an acre of land at the manse for his use and for the use of his successors. The Earls of Glencairn and Angus had plundered
4758-500: A variety of sources, including the Parishes and churches of Irvine, Kilmarnock, Loudoun Kirk , Dalry, Ardrossan, Kilbirnie, West Kilbride, Dunlop, Stevenston, Beith, Dreghorn, Dumbarton, South and North Knapdale, Kilmory and Kilbride. In the 1540s the abbey had seventeen monks. In the case of Loudoun Kirk, James, son of Lambinus, established the church before 1189. James, a member of a Flemish family, at or soon after its foundation, gave
4941-447: A very different appearance when the brethren first chose them as their place of retreat. Wide swamps, deep morasses, tangled thickets, and wild, impassable forests were their prevailing features. Clara Vallis of St Bernard, now the "bright valley" was originally, the "Valley of Wormwood". It was an infamous den of robbers. Battle of Flodden The Battle of Flodden , Flodden Field , or occasionally Branxton or Brainston Moor
5124-511: A wealthy establishment was a great attraction to the aristocracy and it is recorded that the Earls of Glencairn and Angus joined forces as early as 1512, entered the abbey precincts, and tried to physically force Abbot William Bunche (Bunsh) to resign in favour of the preceptor of Glasgow, John Forman. The revenues of the abbey were calculated in the 1860s as being then equivalent to £20,000, or well over 2 million in modern terms (2008), being derived
5307-532: Is built into the church wall above the staircase that leads up to the Eglinton Loft. They may have been placed there to commemorate the building of the first the construction of the first church of the reformist faith. Seagate Castle was developed as a town house for the 3rd Earl of Eglinton between 1565 and 1582 and the entrance doorway may have been built from the ruins of Kilwinning Abbey. Until about two hundred years ago various ranges of vaults beneath
5490-464: Is not credible, since the bridge is some 6 miles (9.7 km) distant from Flodden, but James's scouts must have reported their approach. James quickly saw the threat and ordered his army to break camp and move to Branxton Hill, a commanding position which would deny the feature to the English and still give his pike formations the advantage of a downhill attack if the opportunity arose. The disadvantage
5673-623: Is said to have confessed to his part in this awful crime and thereby revealed the truth behind the unexplained disappearance of the Countess of Eglinton. After the destruction of the main buildings at Kilwinning Abbey the Garden or Easter Chambers within the boundary walls of the old abbey, previously the dwelling of the Abbot were used by the new owners, the Earls of Eglinton, as a dower house and family dwelling. Lady Mary Montgomerie lived here after
Kilwinning Abbey - Misplaced Pages Continue
5856-582: Is the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Centuries of intermittent warfare between England and Scotland had been formally brought to an end by the Treaty of Perpetual Peace which was signed in 1502. However, relations were soon soured by repeated cross-border raids, rivalry at sea leading to the death of the Scottish privateer Andrew Barton and the capture of his ships in 1511, and increasingly bellicose rhetoric by King Henry VIII of England in claiming to be
6039-402: Is the larger by far, contains the granaries and storehouses (K), the kitchen (H) and other offices connected with the refectory (G). Immediately adjacent to the gateway is a two-storied guest-house, entered from a cloister (C). The inner court is surrounded by a cloister (EE) from which one enters the monks' cells (II). In the centre of this court stands the katholikon or conventual church,
6222-566: Is unknown. On 18 August, five cannons brought down from Edinburgh Castle to the Netherbow Port at St Mary's Wynd for the invasion set off towards England dragged by borrowed oxen. On 19 August two gross culverins , four culverins pickmoyance and six (mid-sized) culverins moyane followed with the gunner Robert Borthwick and master carpenter John Drummond . The king himself set off that night with two hastily prepared standards of St Margaret and St Andrew. Catherine of Aragon
6405-726: The Abbot of Cluny . All the Cluniac houses in England and Scotland were French colonies, governed by French priors who travelled to the Abbey of Cluny to consult or be consulted (unless the abbot of Cluny chose to come to Britain, which happened rarely). The priory at Paisley was an exception. In 1245 AD it was raised to the status of an abbey, answerable only to the Pope. The Augustinian (or "Austin") canons were an order of regular clergy within
6588-442: The Battle of Flodden ; John Foreman, 1512–13; James Beaton, 1513–26; Alexander Hamilton, 1527–45; Henry Sinclair, 1545–50; Gavin Hamilton, 1550-71. The commendators in theory held the lands and properties in the usually temporary absence of abbots, however the reality of the Reformation effectively terminated such arrangements and the aristocracy 'fought over' the opportunity to acquire revenues, lands and properties. The 'roasting of
6771-484: The British Isles . Home, Huntly and his troops were the only formation to escape intact; others escaped in small groups, closely pursued by the English. Soon after the battle, the council of Scotland decided to send for help from Christian II of Denmark . The Scottish ambassador, Andrew Brounhill, was given instructions to explain "how this cais is hapnit." Brounhill's instructions blame James IV for moving down
6954-581: The College of Arms with a sword, a dagger and a turquoise ring in 1681. The family tradition was either that these items belonged to James IV or were arms carried by Thomas Howard at Flodden. The sword blade is signed by the maker Maestre Domingo of Toledo . There is some doubt whether the weapons are of the correct period. The Earl of Arundel was painted by Philip Fruytiers , following Anthony van Dyck 's 1639 composition, with his ancestor's sword, gauntlet and helm from Flodden. Thomas Lord Darcy retrieved
7137-524: The Italian Wars . Pope Leo X , already a signatory to the anti-French Treaty of Mechlin , sent a letter to James threatening him with ecclesiastical censure for breaking his peace treaties with England on 28 June 1513, and subsequently James was excommunicated by Cardinal Christopher Bainbridge . James also summoned sailors and sent the Scottish navy, including the Great Michael , to join
7320-565: The Lyon King on 11 August at his tent at the siege was recorded. The Herald declared that Henry should abandon his efforts against the town and go home. Angered, Henry said that James had no right to summon him, and ought to be England's ally, as James was married to his (Henry's) sister, Margaret . He declared: And now, for a conclusion, recommend me to your master and tell him if he be so hardy to invade my realm or cause to enter one foot of my ground I shall make him as weary of his part as ever
7503-476: The monks slept and performed some of their manual tasks. There were nearby large halls such as the church, refectory, kitchen, infirmary, and guest house for the monk's common needs. An enclosure protecting all these buildings gave the settlement the appearance of a walled village. This layout, known as the laurae (lanes), became popular throughout Israel . As well as the "laurae", communities known as "caenobia" developed. These were monasteries where monks lived
Kilwinning Abbey - Misplaced Pages Continue
7686-408: The " necessarium " (latrines). On the south side of the cloister was the refectory. The kitchen, at the west end of the refectory was accessed via an anteroom and a long passage. Nearby were the bake house, brew house and the sleeping-rooms of the servants. The upper story of the refectory was called the "vestiarium" (a room where the ordinary clothes of the monks were stored). On the western side of
7869-419: The 'Monk's Garden' and survives in a much modified form. Stones from the abbey buildings were used in the construction of the 'Railway Cottage' at South Millburn near Benslie . Robert Heron in 1799 recorded that " We crossed the river by a commodious bridge (new in 1765). The walls which surrounded the orchard of the monks, are still partly standing. Various stately fruit-trees yet appear within. Some parts of
8052-405: The 1250s. The Black Book of the abbey, gold candlesticks and crosses, silver cups and bells were never found and legend has it that they were secreted away in a vault beneath the abbey buildings where they lie to this day. A local tradition also asserts that were secreted away on one of the crannogs on the nearby Ashgrove or Stevenston Loch which conveniently lay just off the old Kings Road from
8235-406: The 16th century. Pilgrims came to Kilwinning Abbey partly because of the miracles that were performed there and the Earl of Eglinton, a follower of John Knox , strongly voiced his disbelief and also stated that he would stop paying tithes to the monks. In revenge the abbott arranged for the Countess of Eglinton to be waylaid on her customary journey to Ardrossan by way of Ardeer. The monks took her to
8418-536: The Commendator' of Crossraguel Abbey at Dunure Castle in 1570 by Gilbert Kennedy, 4th Earl of Cassilis is a case in point. Metcalfe records that in 1552, Hugh, third Earl of Eglinton, was made Commendator of the monastery, and had the office of chamberlain, justiciary, and bailie of all the lands belonging to that monastery. Dobie's list starts with Alexander Cunninghame, 1571–91; William Melville, 1591–1615; John Spottiswood, 1615-1639; Andrew, Bishop of Argyll, 1621. After these times of unsettled religious conditions
8601-592: The Dukes of Norfolk still carry an augmentation of honour awarded on account of their ancestor's victory at Flodden, a modified version of the Royal coat of arms of Scotland with the lower half of the lion removed and an arrow through the lion's mouth. At Framlingham Castle the Duke kept two silver-gilt cups engraved with the arms of James IV, which he bequeathed to Cardinal Wolsey in 1524. The Duke's descendants presented
8784-578: The Earl burst into tears and left, leaving his two sons, the Master of Angus and Glenbervie , with most of the Douglas kindred to fight. In the meantime, Surrey was reluctant to commit his army too early, since once in the field they had to be paid and fed at enormous expense. From his encampment at Pontefract , he issued an order for forces raised in the northern counties to assemble at Newcastle on Tyne on 1 September. Surrey had 500 soldiers with him and
8967-920: The Earls of Cassillis, Rothes and Caithness. On the right, the Earls of Argyll and Lennox commanded a force drawn from the Highlands and Islands . Some sources state that there was a fifth battle acting as a reserve, perhaps commanded by the Earl of Bothwell . The Scottish infantry had been equipped with 18 feet (5.5 m) long pikes by their French allies; a new weapon which had proved devastating in continental Europe, but required training, discipline and suitable terrain to use effectively. The Scottish artillery, consisting mainly of heavy siege guns , included five great curtals and two great culverins (known as "the Seven Sisters"), together with four sakers , and six great serpentines. These modern weapons fired an iron ball weighing up to 66 pounds (30 kg) to
9150-495: The East bank of the River Garnock is still known as Corsehill in memory of the cross that used to be placed there to welcome pilgrims visiting Saint Winning's shrine and as a place for prayer. The historian John Smith records that Corsehillmuir was the site of the ecclesiastical execution by burning of witches in the 17th century, and the hanging of other types of condemned criminals from the barony. Corsehillmuir have also have been
9333-561: The English at 5,000. Brian Tuke, the English Clerk of the Signet, sent a newsletter stating 10,000 Scots killed and 10,000 escaped the field. Tuke reckoned the total Scottish invasion force to have been 60,000 and the English army at 40,000. George Buchanan wrote in his History of Scotland (published in 1582) that, according to the lists that were compiled throughout the counties of Scotland, there were about 5,000 killed. A plaque on
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#17327803214959516-520: The English camp. On Thursday, 8 September, Surrey moved his army from Wooler Haugh and instead of heading northwest towards Flodden, he turned east across the River Till . From there, the English picked up the old Roman road known as the Devil's Causeway and headed north, making camp at Barmoor, near Lowick . James may have assumed that Surrey was heading for Berwick-upon-Tweed for resupply, but he
9699-510: The English force by 8,000. The Scottish army was organised into four divisions or battles . That on the left wing was commanded by the Lord Home and the Earl of Huntly and consisted of a combination of Borderers and Highlanders . Next in the line was the battle commanded by the Earls of Erroll , Crawford and Montrose composed of men from the northeast of Scotland. The third was commanded by James himself together with his son Alexander and
9882-419: The English forces. Raphael Holinshed 's story is that a part of the Scottish army returned to Scotland, and the rest stayed at Ford waiting for Norham to surrender and debating their next move. James IV wanted to fight and considered moving to assault Berwick-upon-Tweed , but the Earl of Angus spoke against this and said that Scotland had done enough for France. James sent Angus home, and according to Holinshed,
10065-461: The English may have mistaken Elphinstone's body for the king. A legend arose that James had been warned against invading England by supernatural powers. While he was praying in St Michael's Kirk at Linlithgow , a man strangely dressed in blue had approached his desk saying his mother had told him to say James should not go to war or take the advice of women. Then before the king could reply,
10248-518: The English, one month in advance, of his intent to invade. This gave the English time to gather an army. After a muster on the Burgh Muir of Edinburgh, the Scottish host moved to Ellemford, to the north of Duns, Scottish Borders , and camped to wait for Angus and Home . The Scottish army, numbering some 42,000 men, crossed the River Tweed into England near Coldstream ; the exact date of
10431-615: The Forest of Coucy in the diocese of Laon , the order spread widely. Even in Norbert's lifetime, the order had built abbeys in Aleppo , Syria , and in the Kingdom of Jerusalem . Of the Abbey of Saint Samuel, Denys Pringle wrote, "The Premonstatensian abbey of Saint Samuel was a daughter house of Prémontré itself. Its abbot had the status of a suffragan of the patriarch of Jerusalem , with
10614-469: The Ill Raid on the same plain; he replied to Surrey that it was "not fitting for an Earl to seek to command a King". This put Surrey in a difficult position; the choice was to make a frontal attack on Flodden Edge, uphill in the face of the Scottish guns in their prepared position and in all probability be defeated, or to refuse battle, earning disgrace and the anger of King Henry. Waiting for James to make
10797-514: The King, but was not made Regent of Scotland . The French soldier Antoine d'Arces arrived at Dumbarton Castle in November with a shipload of armaments which were transported to Stirling. The English already knew the details of this planned shipment from a paper found in a bag at Flodden field. Now that James IV was dead, Antoine d'Arces promoted the appointment of John Stewart, Duke of Albany ,
10980-524: The Lion (1165–1214). The abbey, located far away in the west at a distance from the core of Lowland Scotland, is not very well recorded, and few of its records have come down to posterity as the chartulary has been destroyed or lost. In 1571 the records are said to have been carried away by "a furious horseman", following an attack upon the abbey. In 1591 William Melville took legal action against Jean Blair or Cunninghame, widow of Alexander Cunninghame to force
11163-475: The Reformation. This rather suggests that the abbey was demolished in several phases, now partly driven by the practical need for building materials. Once the abbey started to crumble, it became the local quarry, especially for the Montgomeries of Eglinton. Substantial amounts of stone are believed to have been removed between 1561 and 1591. Hay and corn, recently brought in from the fields, were used to stoke
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#173278032149511346-564: The River Till, the English army split into two; one force under Surrey crossed several fords near Heaton Castle , while a larger vanguard numbering some 15,000 commanded by the Lord Admiral and including the artillery train, crossed at Twizell Bridge downstream. Pitscottie says the vanguard crossed the bridge at 11 am and that James would not allow the Scots artillery to fire on the vulnerable English during this manoeuvre. This
11529-496: The Royal Postmaster of England, in the immediate aftermath of the battle, states that about 10,000 Scots were killed, a claim repeated by Henry VIII on 16 September while he was still uncertain of the death of James IV. William Knight sent the news from Lille to Rome on 20 September, claiming 12,000 Scots had died, with fewer than 500 English casualties. Italian newsletters put the Scottish losses at 18,000 or 20,000 and
11712-517: The Scots with a sudden volley of arrows, the English killed as many as 600 of the Scots before they were able to escape, leaving their booty and the Home family banner behind them. Although the "Ill Raid" had little effect on the forthcoming campaign, it may have influenced James's decision not to fight an open battle against Surrey on the same ground. Whether the raid was undertaken solely on Lord Home's initiative, or whether it had been authorised by James
11895-503: The Scots. The pike was an effective weapon only in a battle of movement, especially to withstand a cavalry charge. The Scottish pikes were described by the author of the Trewe Encounter as "keen and sharp spears 5 yards long". Although the pike had become a Swiss weapon of choice and represented modern warfare, the hilly terrain of Northumberland, the nature of the combat, and the slippery footing did not allow it to be employed to
12078-668: The Scottish border had been sent to France. A northern army was maintained with artillery and its expense account started on 21 July. The first captains were recruited in Lambeth. Many of these soldiers wore green and white Tudor colours. Surrey marched to Doncaster in July and then Pontefract, where he assembled more troops from northern England. On 5 August, a force estimated at up to 7,000 Scottish border reivers commanded by Lord Home , crossed into Northumberland and began to pillage farms and villages, taking anything of value before burning
12261-399: The Scottish camp. The Scots countered that by abandoning their camp and occupying the adjacent Branxton Hill and denying it to the English. The battle began with an artillery duel followed by a downhill advance by Scottish infantry armed with pikes. Unknown to the Scots, an area of marshy land lay in their path, which had the effect of breaking up their formations. That gave the English troops
12444-414: The Scottish guns were destroyed by return fire, when in fact they were captured undamaged after the battle. The apparent silence of the Scottish artillery allowed the light English guns to turn a rapid fire on the massed ranks of infantry, although the effectiveness of this bombardment is difficult to assess. The next phase started when Home and Huntly's battle on the Scottish left advanced downhill towards
12627-413: The Scottish naval officer Sir Andrew Barton . A version of Howard's declaration to James IV that he would lead the vanguard and take no prisoners was included in later English chronicle accounts of the battle. Howard claimed his presence in "proper person" at the front was his trial by combat for Barton's death. Flodden was essentially a victory of the bill used by the English over the pike used by
12810-671: The Scottish nobility, taken from Kilwinning Abbey. In 1439 the Abbot of Kilwinning Abbey petitioned the Vatican for permission to build a bridge over the Garnock Water. Abbot Adam's Bridge was sadly demolished in 1765 as recorded in the Glasgow Journal of 18-4-1765 to make way for the present bridge. This replacement bridge was reported in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Heraald of 18-4-1857 as to be widened and strengthened,
12993-567: The Swiss pikemen at the Battle of Marignano , using a combination of heavy cavalry and artillery, ushering in a new era in the history of war. An official English diplomatic report issued by Brian Tuke noted the Scots' iron spears and their initial "very good order after the German fashion", but concluded that "the English halberdiers decided the whole affair, so that in the battle the bows and ordnance were of little use." Despite Tuke's comment (he
13176-468: The abbey in 1513 and George Wishart 's supporters did some damage in the 1540s. However still more determined action was in 1559, when the Earl of Glencairn led a raid on the abbey during which pictures, statues, books, vestments, and all other images were said to have been taken to the Abbey Green and burned. In 1562, Alexander, Earl of Glencairn is believed to have assaulted the abbey, supposedly at
13359-458: The abbey ruins were still partly accessible, but with the rebuilding and extension of the Kilwinning old Parish Church , no access is now possible. A font, possibly from the abbey is situated within the old village of Dalgarven . Kerelaw Castle was rebuilt, having been burnt down by the Montgomeries, sometime after 1488 and is reported to have contained a number of carved coats of arms of
13542-460: The abbey to Portencross . The Earl had used the old tower as a prison and the bells were rung to gather together the local people for the 'King's service' or in times of war. Bessie Graham was imprisoned in the Tower in 1649 on a charge of witchcraft. During a disagreement with her neighbour, comments were made by Bessie that onlookers interpreted as a curse. Mrs Rankin died a few weeks later and this
13725-536: The abbey. The stables were built from stones taken from the Easter Chambers of Kilwinning Abbey; being the Abbots lodgings and later that of the Earls of Eglinton. In 1784, over a period of four months, the building was demolished and the stones were taken to Eglinton. Some of the dressed stone blocks from which the old stables and offices are constructed have masons marks cut into them, showing their origin to be
13908-484: The actions of the Reformers. Those that had not already been destroyed by English armies fell into ruin simply because they no longer had the revenues and rents to support them from their wider lands. The required buildings were now only parish churches and small parishes, like Kilwinning, could not afford to maintain such large properties. Wind and weather did most of the damage thereafter, though much of Kilwinning Abbey
14091-487: The archers. After suffering heavy casualties the Highlanders scattered. The fierce fighting continued, centred on the contest between Surrey and James. As other English formations overcame the Scottish forces they had initially engaged, they moved to reinforce their leader. An instruction to English troops that no prisoners were to be taken explains the exceptional mortality amongst the Scottish nobility. James himself
14274-522: The architect Robert Willis (architect) (1800–1875) the Abbey's lay out is that of a town of individual houses with streets running between them. The abbey was planned in compliance with the Benedictine rule that, if possible, a monastery should be self-contained. For instance, there was a mill, a bakehouse , stables , and cattle stalls. In all, there were thirty-three separate structures; mostly one level wooden buildings. The Abbey church occupied
14457-425: The armoured front line was mostly unaffected; this is confirmed by the ballads which note that some few Scots were wounded in the scalp and, wrote Hall, James IV sustained a significant arrow wound. Many of the archers were recruited from Lancashire and Cheshire . Sir Richard Assheton raised one such company from Middleton , near Manchester . He rebuilt his parish church St. Leonard's, Middleton , which contains
14640-695: The ascetic's ways and or persecution of them would drive them further away from their community and further into solitude. For instance, the cells and huts of anchorites (religious recluses) have been found in the deserts of Egypt . In 312 AD, Anthony the Great retired to the Thebaid region of Egypt to escape the persecution of the Emperor Maximian . Anthony was the best known of the anchorites of his time due to his degree of austerity, sanctity and his powers of exorcism . The deeper he withdrew into
14823-444: The backing and assistance of King William of Scotland . A story developed that another Sir Richard de Morville who was involved in the murder of Thomas Becket was the founder of the abbey, however despite the likelihood of the families being the same, the dates of the events make this connection impossible. A connection that does exist is the founding of Arbroath Abbey in 1178, also a Tironensian abbey, in memory of Becket by William
15006-797: The baronies held by the abbey and this gave the rights of 'pit and gallows' , the right to hold baronial courts and other duties. The 'Court Hill' at Gateside, North Ayrshire was the 'caput' for the Barony of Beith held by the abbots. A site at Bridgend near the Segdon Inn may have been the location of the 'Court Hill' of Kilwinning. The list of the Kilwinning abbots starts with Rainer, 1190; Nigellus, 1201–10; John, 1214–26; William, 1280; Bernard, 1296-1307; William Daunant, 1335; William de Deyn, 1344; John of Dalgarno, 1344–67; Robert, 1361–70; John, 1383–84; Roger, 1400-1408; Adam Spark, 1407–39; William Boyd, 1443–74; William Bunsh or Bunche, 1474–1513, killed at
15189-425: The battle with an artillery duel, but his big guns did not perform as well as he had hoped. Contemporary accounts put this down to the difficulty for the Scots of shooting downhill, but another factor must have been that their guns had been poorly sited instead of being carefully emplaced, which was usually required for such heavy weapons, further slowing their ponderous rate of fire. This may explain English claims that
15372-471: The battle, there were legends that James IV had survived. A Scottish merchant at Tournai in October claimed to have spoken with him, and Lindsay of Pitscottie records two myths: "thair cam four great men upon hors, and every ane of thame had ane wisp upoun thair spear headis, quhairby they might know one another and brought the king furth of the feild, upoun ane dun hackney," and also that the king escaped from
15555-401: The battle. When James was in council at the camp at Flodden Edge, a hare ran out of his tent and escaped the weapons of his knights; it was found that mice had gnawed away the strings and buckle of the king's helmet; and in the morning his tent was spreckled with a bloody dew. The wife of James IV, Queen Margaret Tudor, is said to have awaited news of her husband at Linlithgow Palace , where
15738-520: The best effect. Bishop Ruthall reported to Thomas Wolsey , 'the bills disappointed the Scots of their long spears, on which they relied.' The infantrymen at Flodden, both Scots and English, had fought essentially like their ancestors, and Flodden has been described as the last great medieval battle in the British Isles. This was the last time that bill and pike would come together as equals in battle. Two years later Francis I of France defeated
15921-402: The body of the King of Scots." The chronicle writer John Stow gave a location for the king's death; "Pipard's Hill," now unknown, which may have been the small hill on Branxton Ridge overlooking Branxton church. Dacre took the body to Berwick-upon-Tweed, where according to Hall's Chronicle , it was viewed by the captured Scottish courtiers William Scott and John Forman who acknowledged it was
16104-590: The body too, as Henry had sent her the Duke of Longueville , his prisoner from Thérouanne, but "Englishmen's hearts would not suffer it." In addition to these relics, the gold crucifix worn by James IV on the field of battle, set with three balas rubies and three sapphires and containing a fragment of the True Cross, was listed in the jewel book inventory of Henry VIII in the chapel of the Tower of London . Soon after
16287-478: The buildings which those clergy inhabited, are also standing. The situation was well-chosen. " The nave and transept were 100 ft across, broader than those of Paisley, Glasgow or St Andrews. The building wasn't especially long and was unique in Scotland in that it had two western towers, not arising from the building, but standing separately, either side, on massive supporting piers. One of these towers fell at
16470-410: The centre of a quadrangular area, about 430 feet (130 m) square. On the eastern side of the north transept of the church was the " scriptorium " or writing-room, with a library above. The church and nearby buildings ranged about the cloister , a court about which there was a covered arcade which allowed sheltered movement between the buildings. The nave of the church was on the north boundary of
16653-478: The chance to bring about a close-quarter battle for which they were better equipped. James IV was killed in the fighting and became the last monarch from Great Britain to die in battle. That and the loss of a large proportion of the nobility led to a political crisis in Scotland. British historians sometimes use the Battle of Flodden to mark the end of the Middle Ages in the British Isles ; another candidate
16836-415: The choir was closed from the aisles. At other abbeys of the order, such as Bolton Abbey or Kirkham Priory , there were no aisles. The nave in the northern houses of the order often had only a north aisle (this is the case at Bolton, Brinkburn Priory and Lanercost Priory ). The arrangement of the monastic buildings followed the ordinary plan. The prior's lodge was usually attached to the southwest angle of
17019-526: The church's property and land as possible, something that had in fact been happening before the Reformation, as indicated by the plundering of 1513. Knox may have referred to the 'casting down' of abbeys etc, but this did not mean that they were physically destroyed, merely overthrown, as the reformers needed some of them as parish churches, though some of them were certainly vandalised as Kilwinning may well have been. However Kilwinning Abbey, like other pre-Reformation religious houses did not fall into ruin due to
17202-407: The church, the refectory, the dormitory and so on. A detached building belonging to each contained a bathroom and a kitchen. One of the miniature complexes was called the "oblati". These were the buildings for the novices. The other complex was a hospital or infirmary for the care of sick monks. This infirmary complex included a physician's residence, a physic garden , a drug store, and a chamber for
17385-401: The cloister was another two-story building with a cellar on the ground floor and the larder and store-room on the upper floor. Between this building and the church was a parlour for receiving visitors. One door of the parlour led to the cloisters and the other led to the outer part of the Abbey. Against the outer wall of the church was a school and headmaster's house. The school consisted of
17568-405: The cloister. On the east side of the cloister, on the ground floor, was the " pisalis " or " calefactory ". This was a common room, warmed by flues beneath the floor. Above the common room was the dormitory . The dormitory opened onto the cloister and also onto the south transept of the church. This enabled the monks to attend nocturnal services. A passage at the other end of the dormitory lead to
17751-499: The close-quarter fighting that developed. It is unclear whether James had seen the difficulty encountered by the battle of the three earls, but he followed them down the slope regardless, making for Surrey's formation. James has been criticised for placing himself in the front line, thereby putting himself in personal danger and losing his overview of the field. He was, however, well-known for taking risks in battle and it would have been out of character for him to stay back. Encountering
17934-562: The completion of St Peter's Basilica at Rome. The church consisted of five naves, a narthex (ante-church) which was added in 1220 AD, and several towers. Together with the conventual buildings, it covered an area of twenty-five acres. In the Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution in 1790 AD, the Abbey church was bought by the town and almost entirely destroyed. As of 2025, however, fragments of
18117-451: The completion of the muster and the arrival of the Lord Admiral whose ships had been delayed by storms. On Sunday 4 September, James and the Scottish army had taken up a position at Flodden Edge, a hill to the south of Branxton. This was an immensely strong natural feature since the flanks were protected by marshes on one side and steep slopes on the other, leaving only a direct approach. The amount of fortification which James constructed on
18300-474: The country residence of the abbots. In the reign of Robert III , Sir William Cunninghame of Kilmaurs gave the lands of Grange in Kilmarnock to the monks. John de Menteth, Lord of Annan and Knapdale gave the monks the right of patronage to the churches of Saint Mary and Saint Bridget on Arran in 1337. The chapel of Saint Bridget also covered the lands at Portencross and West Kilbride, which was established as
18483-405: The critically ill. There was also a room for bloodletting and purging. The physic garden occupied the north east corner of the Abbey. In the southernmost area of the abbey was the workshop containing utilities for shoemakers , saddlers (or shoemakers, sellarii), cutlers and grinders, trencher -makers, tanners , curriers, fullers, smiths and goldsmiths . The tradesmen's living quarters were at
18666-478: The crossing is not recorded, but is generally accepted to have been 22 August. The Scottish troops were unpaid and were only required by feudal obligation to serve for forty days. Once across the border, a detachment turned south to attack Wark on Tweed Castle , while the bulk of the army followed the course of the Tweed downstream to the northeast to invest the remaining border castles. On 24 August, James IV held
18849-485: The de Morville daughters as the male line had died out. Pont states that Dorethea de Morville, daughter of Richard de Morville and wife of Philip de Horssey, 'accomplished' the fabric of the monastery. De Morvilles mound at Dreghorn was supposed to have commemorated a daughter of the family, drowned at the Holm ford; any possible link to the abbey is unrecorded. The two towers and the west transept seem to have been added on in
19032-475: The death of her husband in the 17th century and her son may have remained here until he succeeded to the Earldom. Garden and orchards still existed within the old abbey walls. Considerable quantities of abbey stonework were used in the construction of buildings at Eglinton Castle and the deer park wall at Eglinton Castle . The dovecot at Eglinton may have come from the abbey and certainly contains carvings from
19215-494: The design of the order's churches and buildings. The defining architectural characteristic of the Cistercian abbeys was extreme simplicity and plainness. Only a single, central tower was permitted, and that was usually very low. Unnecessary pinnacles and turrets were prohibited. The triforium was omitted. The windows were usually plain and undivided, and it was forbidden to decorate them with stained glass. All needless ornament
19398-496: The engagement. Lord Lindsay advised the King to withdraw, comparing their situation to an honest merchant playing dice with a trickster, and wagering a gold rose-noble against a bent halfpenny. Their King was the gold piece, England the trickster, and Thomas Howard the halfpenny. Surrey's army lost 1,500 men killed in battle. There were various conflicting accounts of the Scottish loss. A contemporary account produced in French for
19581-456: The field but was killed between Duns and Kelso. Similarly, John Lesley adds that the body taken to England was "my lord Bonhard" and James was seen in Kelso after the battle and then went secretly on pilgrimage in far nations. George Buchanan reported a rumour that James IV had escaped the field, leaving his Squire of Attendance, Alexander Elphinstone, 1st Lord Elphinstone to fight on, and that
19764-480: The fire which may have destroyed parts of the abbey. According to legend, one monk is said to have cursed the men who were despoiling the abbey and calling upon Saint Winnin to save his abbey the saint's statue toppled over and killed three of the Earl's men. In the 16th century the abbey had been gradually secularised and protestantised; the last abbot, Archbishop Gavin Hamilton of Roplock, died at Restalrig, outside Edinburgh on 'Black Saturday, 15 June 1571, following
19947-606: The first at Monte Cassino, were constructed on the plan of the Roman villa . The layout of the Roman villa was quite consistent throughout the Roman Empire and where possible, the monks reused available villas in sound repair. This was done at Monte Cassino. However, over time, changes to the common villa lay out occurred. The monks required buildings which suited their religious and day-to-day activities. No overriding specification
20130-575: The fleet was so badly delayed that it played no part in the war; unfortunately, James had sent most of his experienced artillerymen with the expedition, a decision which was to have unforeseen consequences for his land campaign. Henry was in France with the Emperor Maximilian at the siege of Thérouanne . The Scottish Lyon King of Arms brought James IV's letter of 26 July to him. James asked him to desist from attacking France in breach of their treaty. Henry's exchange with Islay Herald or
20313-555: The gate was the hospitium (guest hall). The buildings are completely ruined, but the walls of the nave and the cloisters are still visible on the grounds of the Yorkshire Museum . The Abbey was surrounded by fortified walls on three sides. The River Ouse bordered the fourth side. The stone walls remain as an excellent example of English abbey walls. The Abbey of Cluny was founded by William I, Duke of Aquitaine in 910 AD at Cluny , Saône-et-Loire , France . The Abbey
20496-483: The gravity of his situation. In the meantime, he positioned his troops on the dead ground from where he hoped that the Scots could not assess the size of his force. James declined to attack the vulnerable vanguard, reportedly saying that he was "determined to have them all in front of me on one plain field and see what all of them can do against me". James' army, somewhat reduced from the original 42,000 by sickness and desertion, still amounted to about 34,000, outnumbering
20679-504: The hierarchy of the Catholic church . They held a position between monks and secular canons. They were known as "Black canons" because of the colour of their habits . In 1105 AD, the first house of the order was established at St Botolph's Priory , Colchester , Essex . The canons built very long naves to accommodate large congregations. The choirs were also long. Sometimes, as at Llanthony Priory and Christchurch, Dorset (Twynham),
20862-399: The hill is disputed; several antiquaries had mapped supposed ramparts and bastions there over the centuries, but excavations conducted between 2009 and 2015 found no trace of 16th century work and concluded that James may have reused some features of an Iron Age hill fort . The Earl of Surrey, writing at Wooler Haugh on Wednesday 7 September, compared this position to a fortress in
21045-436: The hill to attack the English on marshy ground from a favourable position, and credits the victory to Scottish inexperience rather than English valour. The letter also mentions that the Scots placed their officers in the front line in medieval style, where they were vulnerable, contrasting this loss of the nobility with the English great men who took their stand with the reserves and at the rear. The English generals stayed behind
21228-404: The houses. Surrey had taken the precaution of sending Sir William Bulmer north with 200 mounted archers, which Bulmer augmented with locally levied men to create a force approaching 1,000 in strength. On 13 August, they prepared an ambush for the Scots as they returned north laden with the spoils of their looting, by hiding in the broom bushes that grew shoulder-high on Milfield Plain . Surprising
21411-511: The instigation of John Knox and the Scottish Protestant Reformation; Knox's 'battle cry' being Pull down the nests and the rooks will fly away. It is said that ornamental tombs were broken up and some graves dug up; stained glass windows were broken up, especially those bearing the images of the Virgin Mary or saints. In Kilwinning as elsewhere, the local aristocracy no doubt exploited the situation to grab as much of
21594-497: The intervention of Dacre's light horsemen, who were able to approach unobserved in the dead ground that had been exploited earlier by the vanguard. The eventual result was a stalemate in which both sides stood off from each other and played no further part in the battle. According to later accounts, when Huntly suggested that they rejoin the fighting, Home replied: "the man does well this day who saves himself: we fought those who were opposed to us and beat them; let our other companies do
21777-520: The king's. (Forman, the king's sergeant-porter, had been captured by Richard Assheton of Middleton. ) The body was then embalmed and taken to Newcastle upon Tyne . From York , a city that James had promised to capture before Michaelmas , the body was brought to Sheen Priory near London. A payment of £12-9s-10d was made for the "sertying ledying and sawdryng of the ded course of the King of Scottes" and carrying it York and to Windsor. James's banner, sword and his cuisses (thigh-armour), were taken to
21960-917: The lands passed back to the Earls of Eglinton following his purchase of the lands, offices, and rights. In about 1470 James III granted the right to the Abbots of Kilwinning to hold Chamberlain Courts on one privileged acre of land between the Corsehill Burn and Bridgend. The Abbots of Kilwinning held a townhouse in Glasgow in the Drygate. In addition to churches within Kilwinning, the abbey had revenues from thirteen other parish churches in Cunninghame, giving sixteen in all. The abbey also held lands at Monkcastle and Monkredding . Monkcastle served as
22143-484: The lines in the Renaissance style. The loss of so many Scottish officers meant there was no one to coordinate a retreat. However, according to contemporary English reports, Thomas Howard marched on foot leading the English vanguard to the foot of the hill. Howard was moved to dismount and do this by taunts of cowardice sent by James IV's heralds, apparently based on his role at sea and the death two years earlier of
22326-516: The man vanished. David Lindsay of the Mount and John Inglis could find no trace of him. The historian R. L. Mackie wondered if the incident really happened as a masquerade orchestrated by an anti-war party: Norman Macdougall doubts if there was a significant anti-war faction. Three other portents of disaster were described by Paolo Giovio in 1549 and repeated in John Polemon's 1578 account of
22509-732: The monastery. Some were small monasteries accommodating five or ten monks. Others were no more than a single building serving as residence or a farm offices. The outlying farming establishments belonging to the monastic foundations were known as "villae" or "granges". They were usually staffed by lay-brothers , sometimes under the supervision of a monk. Many of today's cathedrals in England were originally Benedictine monasteries. These included Canterbury , Chester , Durham , Ely , Gloucester , Norwich , Peterborough , Rochester , Winchester , and Worcester . Shrewsbury Abbey in Shropshire
22692-430: The monument to the 2nd Duke of Norfolk (as the Earl of Surrey became in 1514) at Thetford put the figure at 17,000. Edward Hall, thirty years after, wrote in his Chronicle that "12,000 at the least of the best gentlemen and flower of Scotland" were slain. As the nineteenth-century antiquarian John Riddell supposed, nearly every noble family in Scotland would have lost a member at Flodden. The dead are remembered by
22875-425: The nave, on the south side of the cloister, was a refectory, with a lavatory at the door. On the eastern side, there was a dormitory, raised on a vaulted substructure and communicating with the south transept and a chapter house (meeting room). A small cloister lay to the south-east of the large cloister. Beyond that was an infirmary with a table hall and a refectory for those who were able to leave their chambers. At
23058-468: The nave. The Austin canons' house at Thornton, Lincolnshire had a large and magnificent gatehouse . The upper floors of the gatehouse formed the guest-house. The chapter-house was octagonal in shape. The Premonstratensian regular canons, or "White canons", were of an order founded in 1119 AD by Norbert of Xanten . The order was a reformed branch of the Augustinian canons . From a marshy area in
23241-512: The north of England to counter the expected invasion. Some of the guns had been returned to use against the Scots by Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy . A year earlier, Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey , had been appointed Lieutenant-General of the army of the north and was issued with banners of the Cross of St George and the Red Dragon of Wales . Only a small number of the light horsemen of
23424-509: The old abbey. Part of the old abbey chancel was at first used as the parish church, however this was later demolished in 1775 and the Earl of Eglinton built a new Abbey church using the stones of the old abbey on the same site. An oddity caused by this re-use is the uneven surface of the external walls. A coat of arms of the conjoined arms of the Eglinton and Campbells of Loudoun, in the persons of Robert Montgomerie and his wife Jean Campbell,
23607-477: The opposite troops commanded by Edmund Howard. They advanced, according to the English, "in good order, after the Alamayns [i.e. German] manner, without speaking a word". The Scots had placed their most heavily armoured men in the front rank so that the English archers had little impact. The outnumbered English battle was forced back and elements of it began to run off. Surrey saved his son from disaster by ordering
23790-555: The original Abbey still stand and archaeological excavations have intermittently been conducted over the past century, yielding a massively important and rich source of information. The first English house of the Cluniac order was built at Lewes , Sussex . It was founded by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey in about 1077 AD. All but one of the Cluniac houses in Britain were known as priories , symbolizing their subordination to
23973-616: The overlord of Scotland. Conflict began when James IV, King of Scots , declared war on England to honour the Auld Alliance with France by diverting Henry's English troops from their campaign against the French king, Louis XII . At this time, England was involved as a member of the " Catholic League " in the War of the League of Cambrai , defending Italy and the Pope from the French, a part of
24156-413: The production of sea salt from saltpans at places such as Saltcoats . The Barony of Beith had been given to the Kilwinning monks by Richard de Morville's wife towards the end of the 12th century. The monks court hill as ecclesiastical barons, is still in existence and the abbey's farm or Grange was at Grangehill. Local legend has it that Kerelaw Castle was a palace of the abbots of Kilwinning. Such
24339-504: The purpose of restoring, as far as possible, the literal observance of the Rule of Saint Benedict . La Ferté, Pontigny , Clairvaux , and Morimond were the first four abbeys to follow Cîteaux's example and others followed. The monks of Cîteaux created the well known vineyards of Clos-Vougeot and Romanée in Burgundy . The Cistercian principle of rigid self-abnegation carried over to
24522-431: The rear of the workshop. Here, there were also farm buildings, a large granary and threshing-floor, mills, and malthouse. At the south-east corner of the Abbey were hen and duck houses, a poultry-yard, and the dwelling of the keeper. Nearby was the kitchen garden which complemented the physic garden and a cemetery orchard . Every large monastery had priories . A priory was a smaller structure or entities which depended on
24705-539: The rear. The English infantry was equipped with traditional polearms , mostly bills which were their favoured weapon. There was also a large contingent of well-trained archers armed with the English longbow . The English artillery consisted of light field guns of rather old-fashioned design, typically firing a ball of only about 1 pound (0.45 kg), but they were easily handled and capable of rapid fire. At about 4 pm on Friday in wet and windy weather, James began
24888-404: The residence of a famous ascetic or other holy person. Disciples wished to be close to their holy man or woman in order to study their doctrine or imitate their way of life. In the earliest times of Christian monasticism, ascetics would live in social isolation but near a village church. They would subsist whilst donating any excess produce to the poor. However, increasing religious fervor about
25071-484: The return of the records, but they were not forthcoming. Timothy Pont in the 17th century claimed to have studied the abbey's chartulary, possibly at Eglinton Castle ; certainly the seal of the monastery was preserved at the castle. At the beginning of the 17th century they had been seen in the possession of the Earl of Eglinton until they were loaned to the Ayrshire and Galloway Archaeological Society who were preparing
25254-472: The revenues of Loudoun Kirk, to support the monks of the then newly founded Kilwinning Abbey, and in return a priest (curate) was provided to attend to the spiritual needs of the parishioners. The practice at one time of assigning the revenues of parishes to middlemen, who paid a fixed sum to the abbot, was the cause of much disagreement and dissatisfaction. These middle or tacksmen were free to obtain what monies they could for their own benefit. The abbots held
25437-581: The right to a cross, but not to a mitre nor a ring." It long maintained its rigid austerity, though in later years the abbey grew wealthier, and its members indulged in more frequent luxuries. Just after 1140 AD, the Premonstratensians were brought to England. Their first settlement was at Newhouse Abbey , Lincolnshire , near the Humber tidal estuary. There were as many as thirty-five Premonstratensian abbeys in England. The head abbey in England
25620-526: The same difficulties as the previous attack, James's men nevertheless fought their way to Surrey's bodyguard but no further. The final uncommitted Scottish formation, Argyll and Lennox's Highlanders held back, perhaps awaiting orders. The last English formation to engage was Stanley's force which, after following a circuitous route from Barmoor, finally arrived on the right of the Scottish line. They loosed volleys of arrows into Argyll and Lennox's battle, whose men lacked armour or any other effective defence against
25803-405: The same!". In the meantime, James had observed Home and Huntly's initial success and ordered the advance of the next battle in line, commanded by Errol, Crawford and Montrose. At the foot of Branxton Hill, they encountered an unforeseen obstacle, an area of marshy ground, identified by modern hydrologists as a groundwater seepage zone, made worse by days of heavy rain. As they struggled to cross
25986-648: The ships of Louis XII of France. The fleet of twenty-two vessels commanded by James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran , departed from the Firth of Forth on 25 July accompanied by James as far as the Isle of May , intending to pass around the north of Scotland and create a diversion in Ireland before joining the French at Brest , from where it might cut the English line of communication across the English Channel . However,
26169-505: The shrine of Saint Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral. Much of the armour of the Scottish casualties was sold on the field, and 350 suits of armour were taken to Nottingham Castle . A list of horses taken at the field runs to 24 pages. Thomas Hawley, the Rouge Croix pursuivant, was first with news of the victory. He brought the "rent surcoat of the King of Scots stained with blood" to Catherine of Aragon at Woburn Abbey . She sent news of
26352-409: The site of the old churchyard of Segdoune or Kilwinning. King Robert II granted the abbey a charter, erecting all the lands of the Barony of Kilwinning into a free regality, with full jurisdiction. They received ratifications of this charter from Robert III and James IV . King James IV visited the abbey in 1507, making an offering of 14s. to its relics. The abbot was the ecclesiastical baron of
26535-621: The song (and pipe tune) " Flowers of the Forest ": Contemporary English ballads also recalled the significance of the Scottish losses: A legend grew that while the artillery was being prepared in Edinburgh before the battle, a demon called Plotcock had read out the names of those who would be killed at the Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile . According to Pitscottie, a former Provost of Edinburgh , Richard Lawson, who lived nearby, threw
26718-422: The southern and western areas of the Abbey were devoted to workshops, stables and farm-buildings including stables, ox-sheds, goatstables, piggeries, and sheep-folds, as well as the servants' and labourers' quarters. In the eastern part of the Abbey there was a group of buildings representing in layout, two complete miniature monasteries. That is, each had a covered cloister surrounded by the usual buildings such as
26901-589: The story that James wasted valuable time at Ford enjoying the company of Elizabeth, Lady Heron and her daughter. Edward Hall says that Lady Heron was a prisoner (in Scotland), and negotiated with James IV and the Earl of Surrey her own release and that Ford Castle would not be demolished for an exchange of prisoners. The English herald, Rouge Croix , came to Ford to appoint a place for battle on 4 September, with extra instructions that any Scottish heralds who were sent to Surrey were to be met where they could not view
27084-464: The surrounding buildings are positioned in an awkward fashion. The church follows the plan adopted by the Austin canons in their northern abbeys, and has only one aisle to the north of the nave, while the choir is long, narrow and without an aisle. Each transept has an aisle to the east, forming three chapels. The church at Bayham Old Abbey had no aisles in the nave or the choir. The latter terminated in
27267-466: The twelfth century, the Abbey of Cluny was the head of an order consisting of 314 monasteries. The church at the Abbey was commenced in 1089 AD by Hugh of Cluny , the sixth abbot. It was finished and consecrated by Pope Innocent II around 1132 AD. The church was regarded as one of the wonders of the Middle Ages . At 555 feet (169 m) in length, it was the largest church in Christendom until
27450-585: The unique "Flodden Window." It depicts and names the archers and their priest in stained glass. The window has been called the oldest known war memorial in the UK. The success of the Cheshire yeomanry, under the command of Richard Cholmeley , led to his later appointment as Lieutenant of the Tower of London . As a reward for his victory, Thomas Howard was subsequently restored to the title of Duke of Norfolk , lost by his father's support for Richard III . The arms of
27633-633: The upper end is a semicircular recess, similar to the triclinium of the Lateran Palace in Rome , in which is placed the seat of the hegumenos or abbot. This apartment is chiefly used as a meeting place, with the monks usually taking their meals in their separate cells. Monasticism in the West began with the activities of Benedict of Nursia (born 480 AD). Near Nursia , a town in Perugia , Italy ,
27816-412: The victory to Henry VIII at Tournai with Hawley, and then sent John Glyn on 16 September with James's coat (and iron gauntlets ) and a detailed account of the battle written by Lord Howard. Brian Tuke mentioned in his letter to Cardinal Bainbridge that the coat was lacerated and chequered with blood. Catherine suggested Henry should use the coat as his battle-banner, and wrote she had thought to send him
27999-592: The wall is between three and four acres (12,000 and 16,000 m ). The longer side is about 500 feet (150 m) in length. There is only one entrance, which is located on the north side (A), defended by three iron doors. Near the entrance is a large tower (M), a constant feature in the monasteries of the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean area). There is a small postern gate at L. The enceinte comprises two large open courts, surrounded with buildings connected with cloister galleries of wood or stone. The outer court, which
28182-412: The waterlogged ground, the Scots lost the cohesion and momentum on which pike formations depended for success. Once the line was disrupted, the long pikes became an unwieldy encumbrance, and the Scots began to drop them "so that it seemed as if a wood were falling down" according to a later English poem. Reaching for their side-arms of swords and axes, they found themselves outreached by the English bills in
28365-452: The west entrance to the Abbey, there was a house and a small courtyard for the abbot. In 1055, St Mary's Abbey, York was built in England's north by the Order of Saint Benedict . It followed the common plan. The entrance to the abbey was through a strong gate on the northern side. Close to the entrance was a chapel. This was for visitors arriving at the Abbey to make their devotions . Near
28548-691: The wilderness, the more numerous his disciples became. They refused to be separated from him and built their cells close to him. This became a first true monastic community. According to August Neander , Anthony inadvertently became the founder of a new mode of living in common, Coenobitism . At Tabennae on the Nile , in Upper Egypt , Saint Pachomius laid the foundations for the coenobitical life by arranging everything in an organized manner. He built several monasteries, each with about 1,600 separate cells laid out in lines. These cells formed an encampment where
28731-414: The work being completed in 1858. Some parts of the abbey have survived as ruins; later vernacular buildings within the site have been removed and now the ruins serve as a tourist attractions in Kilwinning. The rebuilt tower holds a museum and opens regularly for public access. Monkcastle near Dalry was the abbot's country retreat and survives as a ruin. Monkredding House was the brother's rest house,
28914-527: The workings of a coenobia in the vicinity of Antioch in Syria. The monks lived in separate huts ("kalbbia") which formed a religious hamlet on the mountainside. They were subject to an abbot, and observed a common rule. The layout of the monastic coenobium was influenced by a number of factors. These included a need for defence, economy of space, and convenience of access. The layout of buildings became compact and orderly. Larger buildings were erected and defence
29097-456: Was a battle composed of men from Cheshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire, commanded by Surrey's third son, Lord Edmund Howard . Of the central battles, one was commanded by the Lord Admiral and the other by Surrey himself. Sir Edward Stanley 's force of cavalry and archers had been the last to leave Barmoor and would not arrive on the left flank until later in the day. A reserve of mounted Borderers commanded by Thomas, Baron Dacre were positioned to
29280-426: Was actually intending to outflank the Scots and either attack or blockade them from the rear. At 5 am on the morning of Friday, 9 September, after a damp night on short rations and having to drink water from streams because the beer had run out, Surrey's men set off westwards to complete their manoeuvre. Their objective was Branxton Hill, lying less than 2 miles (3.2 km) north of James's camp at Flodden. To re-cross
29463-536: Was at Welbeck Abbey but the best preserved are Easby Abbey in Yorkshire , and Bayham Old Abbey in Kent . The layout of Easby Abbey is irregular due to its position on the edge of a steep river bank. The cloister is duly placed on the south side of the church, and the chief buildings occupy their usual positions around it. However, the cloister garth (quadrangle), as at Chichester , is not rectangular, and thus, all
29646-445: Was at the head of the monastery. The produce of the monastery was brought to Alexandria for sale. The moneys raised were used to purchase stores for the monastery or were given away as charity. Twice in the year, the superiors of several coenobia met at the chief monastery, under the presidency of an " archimandrite " (the "chief of the fold" from the word, "miandra" (a sheepfold)) in order to make their reports. Chrysostom recorded
29829-475: Was built in the Romanesque style. The Abbey was noted for its strict observance of the Rule of Saint Benedict . However, reforms resulted in many departures from this precedent. The Cluniac Reforms brought focus to the traditions of monastic life, encouraging art and the caring of the poor. The reforms quickly spread by the founding of new abbey complexes and by adoption of the reforms by existing abbeys. By
30012-482: Was confirmed when the earl obtained, on 5 January, a Charter under the Great Seal which invested him with these lands and titles of Kilwinning Abbey and its 16 associated parish churches. A legend tells of Saint Winning sending his monks to fish in the River Garnock , however no matter how hard they tried or how long they persevered they could catch nothing. Saint Winning in response to the river's perversity placed
30195-538: Was declared an outlaw for his refusal to recognise his obligations. He had also passed the valuable lands of Montgreenan to his son, also Alexander. Alexander, the elder, was shot and killed at his 'palace' gate of Montgreenan by Sir Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie on 1 August 1586, as a direct result of the assassination of the Fourth Earl of Eglinton at Lainshaw , Stewarton , in April of that year, an act that he
30378-425: Was deemed unsafe and demolished with gunpowder, just when strengthening works were about to begin; one wall had just collapsed with a mighty crash that shook everything as if there had been an earthquake . The tower had been struck by lightning on 2 August 1809, the considerable damage caused hastening its demise. The bells, the original Kilwinning Bell and a smaller bell donated by the Eglinton family, had been removed
30561-427: Was demanded of the monks but the similarity of their needs resulted in uniformity of design of abbeys across Europe. Eventually, the buildings of a Benedictine abbey were built in a uniform lay out, modified where necessary, to accommodate local circumstances. The plan of the Abbey of Saint Gall (719 AD) in what is now Switzerland indicates the general arrangement of a Benedictine monastery of its day. According to
30744-405: Was fought on 9 September 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland and resulted in an English victory. The battle was fought near Branxton , in the county of Northumberland , in northern England, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey . In terms of troop numbers, it
30927-529: Was founded as a Benedictine monastery by the Normans in 1083. Westminster Abbey was founded in the tenth century by Saint Dunstan who established a community of Benedictine monks. The only traces of St Dunstan's monastery remaining are round arches and massive supporting columns of the undercroft and the Pyx Chamber. The cloister and buildings lie directly to the south of the church. Parallel to
31110-531: Was intended to rule in the name of Margaret Tudor and her son James V of Scotland . The full Parliament of Scotland met at Stirling Castle on 21 October, where the 17-month-old King was crowned in the Chapel Royal. The General Council of Lords made special provisions for the heirs of those killed at Flodden, following a declaration made by James IV at Twiselhaugh, and protection for their widows and daughters. Margaret Tudor remained guardian or 'tutrix' of
31293-586: Was killed in the final stage of the battle; his body was found surrounded by the corpses of his bodyguard of the Archers' Guard, recruited from the Forest of Ettrick and known as "the Flowers of the Forest". Despite having the finest armour available, the king's corpse was found to have two arrow wounds, one in the jaw, and wounds from bladed weapons to the neck and wrist. He was the last monarch to die in battle in
31476-570: Was man that began any such business. And one thing I ensure him by the faith that I have to the Crown of England and by the word of a King, there shall never King nor Prince make peace with me that ever his part shall be in it. Moreover, fellow, I care for nothing but for misentreating of my sister, that would God she were in England on a condition she cost the Schottes King not a penny. Henry also replied by letter on 12 August, writing that James
31659-418: Was mistaken and that any of his attempts on England would be resisted. Using the pretext of revenge for the murder of Robert Kerr, a Warden of the Scottish East March who had been killed by John "The Bastard" Heron in 1508, James invaded England with an army of about 30,000 men. However, both sides had been making lengthy preparations for this conflict. Henry VIII had already organised an army and artillery in
31842-459: Was not present), this battle was one of the first major engagements in the British Isles where artillery was significantly deployed. John Lesley , writing sixty years later, noted that the Scottish bullets flew over the English heads while the English cannon was effective: the one army placed so high and the other so low. The Scots' advance down the hill was resisted by a hail of arrows, an incident celebrated in later English ballads. Hall says that
32025-450: Was proscribed. The crosses were made of wood and the candlesticks of iron. The same principle governed the choice of site for Cistercian abbeys in that a most dismal site might be improved by the building of an abbey. The Cistercian monasteries were founded in deep, well-watered valleys, always standing at a stream's edge. The building might extend over the water as is the case at Fountains Abbey . These valleys, now rich and productive, had
32208-428: Was provided by strong outside walls. Within the walls, the buildings were arranged around one or more open courts surrounded by cloisters . The usual arrangement for monasteries of the Eastern world is exemplified in the plan of the convent of the Great Lavra at Mount Athos . With reference to the diagram, right, the convent of the Great Lavra is enclosed within a strong and lofty blank stone wall. The area within
32391-426: Was regent in England. On 27 August, she issued warrants for the property of all Scotsmen in England to be seized. On hearing of the invasion on 3 September, she ordered Thomas Lovell to raise an army in the Midland counties . She prepared banners for an army, including her heraldry, in case she herself was called north. In keeping with his understanding of the medieval code of chivalry , King James sent notice to
32574-402: Was still standing by the time Timothy Pont visited Scotland in the early 17th century. The structure of this monastery," says Pont, "was solid and grate, all of freestone cutte, the church fair and staitly after ye modell of yat of Glasgow, with a fair steiple of 7 score foote of height, yet standing quhen I myselve did see it." Pont gives the date of major destruction as 1591, thirty years after
32757-464: Was taken as sufficient proof to formally accuse Bessie of being a witch. Alexander Bogs, a Witch Finder, was called in to examine Bessie and his verdict was that she was a witch, in league with the devil. Bessie was taken to Corsehill Moor and burned at the stake. The earl spent a considerable sum of money repairing the tower in 1789, however it developed large rents and fissures the sides in 1809. The one remaining northern tower stood until 1814 when it
32940-415: Was that the Scots were moving onto ground that had not been reconnoitred. The Lord Admiral, arriving with his vanguard at Branxton village, was unaware of the new Scottish position which was obscured by smoke from burning rubbish; when he finally caught sight of the Scottish army arrayed on Branxton Hill, he sent a messenger to his father urging him to hurry and also sending his Agnus Dei pendant to underline
33123-407: Was the largest battle ever fought between the two kingdoms. After besieging and capturing several English border castles, James encamped his invading army on a commanding hilltop position at Flodden, awaited the English force that had been sent against him and declined a challenge to fight in an open field. Surrey's army, therefore, carried out a circuitous march to position themselves in the rear of
33306-448: Was thought to have had a hand in. His post as commendator, was taken that same day by William Melville of Raith. This was disputed, but confirmed in 1592 by Parliament and finally Melville resigned all of the lands and properties to the Crown. In 1592 the commendary had been transformed into a free barony for William Melville, brother of Andrew Melville. In 1603 Melville sold the lands and rights of office to Hugh, 5th Earl of Eglinton. This
33489-499: Was to be joined at Newcastle by 1,000 experienced soldiers and sailors with their artillery, who would arrive by sea under the command of Surrey's son, also called Thomas Howard , the Lord High Admiral of England . By 28 August, Surrey had arrived at Durham Cathedral where he was presented with the banner of Saint Cuthbert , which had been carried by the English in victories against the Scots in 1138 and 1346. On 3 September, Surrey moved his advanced guard to Alnwick while he awaited
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