(Information taken from guide for visitors, and information by Ian G Lindsay 1953.)
Now a grade A listed building, the Priory Church is the only Carmelite foundation in the British Isles still in use for regular worship, out of the 12 founded in Scotland and the 39 in England.
The order of the Carmelite, or White Friars takes its name from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, where its members first had a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. After the failure of the Crusades, they were scattered throughout Europe, settling where they could, and always dedicating their churches to St Mary of the Mount Carmel.
The order of the Carmelite, or White Friars takes its name from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, where its members first had a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. After the failure of the Crusades, they were scattered throughout Europe, settling where they could, and always dedicating their churches to St Mary of the Mount Carmel.
Mount Carmel -(shalomisraeltours.com)
George, the Laird of Dundas, invited the Carmelite Friars to come and settle in Queensferry around 1330. They were in temporary buildings until a century later.
The rocks to the North of the Church show traces of a cutting to form a landing stage for the ferry boats and other vessels. It is probable that, in addition to their daily round of worship and their farming and teaching activities, the friars maintained a hostel for travellers delayed by bad weather.
The rocks to the North of the Church show traces of a cutting to form a landing stage for the ferry boats and other vessels. It is probable that, in addition to their daily round of worship and their farming and teaching activities, the friars maintained a hostel for travellers delayed by bad weather.
In 1441 James Dundas gifted a piece of land, lying in and around the town of Queensferry for the Church of St Mary the Virgin and for the construction of certain buildings to be erected there in the form of a monastery. Possibly their security of tenure led the brethren to rebuild their church, for from its style of architecture, it can hardly have been erected before their charter in 1457. The land granted them was roughly in the area where Echline, Springfield and Clufflats estates are today, to be held in free alms with pasture for 6 cows 2 horses and 20 sheep.They were also given permission to grind their corn in the Mill at Dundas and to gather fuel on Dundas moor with coal mines for their support.
At the reformation in 1560, the community was doubtless dispersed, though, as often happened, some of its members may have continued to live in the buildings until they died. The last Prior, Thomas Young returned the land and buildings to the Dundas family, in a charter confirmed by Queen Mary on 8th April 1564. The building was used for worship by the towns people from 1610-1635 when they erected their own Parish Kirk, in the Vennel. The church lay empty for 250 years and the Choir area was used as a burial place and memorial chapel for the Dundas family and the rest of the building put to various secular uses in the support of local industry, the drying of fishing nets, storing potatoes and coal, selling groceries and stabling horses.
Bell information by Dr Mason 1963
In the year 1694 a bell was purchased in Holland by the seamen of the Burgh. It was engraved."The seamen of Queensferrie did gift this bell to the towne anno 1694. Adrian Dop fecit"
It lay neglected in the outhouse of deceased Bailie John Syme, Shipmaster until 1750 when the members of the Town Council said it should be hung somewhere, so it was erected in the tower of the Council Buildings, now 'Roseberry Hall'
The bell became known as "The Seamen's Bell", a cherished possession which served the town for many years.
In later days when the steeple of the tower was reconstructed for the 'Jubilee Clock' It was removed and lay on the floor three stories up, for many years until it was decided to loan the bell to the Scottish Episcopal Church to grace the East Gable of the Carmelite Church, and to this day it still hangs there but no longer responds to the bell rope.
It lay neglected in the outhouse of deceased Bailie John Syme, Shipmaster until 1750 when the members of the Town Council said it should be hung somewhere, so it was erected in the tower of the Council Buildings, now 'Roseberry Hall'
The bell became known as "The Seamen's Bell", a cherished possession which served the town for many years.
In later days when the steeple of the tower was reconstructed for the 'Jubilee Clock' It was removed and lay on the floor three stories up, for many years until it was decided to loan the bell to the Scottish Episcopal Church to grace the East Gable of the Carmelite Church, and to this day it still hangs there but no longer responds to the bell rope.
By the later 19th century the domestic buildings Cloisters and Nave had disappeared but in 1890 the remains were restored for the use of the Episcopal Church in Scotland, mainly through the efforts of Bishop Dowden of Edinburgh. The original public entrance was on the South of the Nave, today on the site of the Eastern end of the Nave is a modern porch with a vestry at its Northern end with the doorway still at the south.
Outside, on the right hand side of the easternmost window in the south wall is what is known as a "mass clock" in fact a sort of sundial with 24 radiating lines and a socket for a gnomon which has vanished, this was used to regulate the times of services before the invention of clocks.
Outside, on the right hand side of the easternmost window in the south wall is what is known as a "mass clock" in fact a sort of sundial with 24 radiating lines and a socket for a gnomon which has vanished, this was used to regulate the times of services before the invention of clocks.
Can you spot the 'Mass Clock'?
There remain today the chancel with its impressive high pitched vault, the tower and the south transept originally a Chapel but now a Baptistry. The Nave, which was smaller than the chancel, stood on the site of the lawn at the entrance to the church, the place where it joined the West face of the tower is clearly visible. On the outside North wall of the Church is a thin line of masonry believed to be where the Cloister roof was attached, but an excavation of the site in 1971 failed to reveal any trace of foundations – only a few fragments of medieval pottery were unearthed. The ground has since been laid out as a public garden.
The church contains some interesting Dundas memorials including a carved coat of arms on the east wall and a tomb slab of 1608 in the baptistery. At the restoration, the font and stained glass windows were given in memory of various members of the family.
Dundas Coat of Arms
A second major work of restoration took place in 1999/2000 at a cost of £380,000.
From Priory Church Website, link below.
© Queensferry History Group 2015
