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Hassendean, Roxburghshire

Location
(55°27′19″N, 2°43′21″W)
Hassendean
NT 544 182
pre-1975 traditional (Scotland) Roxburghshire
now Scottish Borders
medieval Glasgow
now n/a
medieval St Kentigern
  • James King
28 June 2016

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Feature Sets
Description

There was a Romanesque church at Hassendean dedicated to St Kentigern, the vestiges of which were drawn by Archibald Rutherford in 1776. The church was suppressed in 1690 and part of the church pulled down following this. Rutherford’s drawing showed it as primarily Romanesque in construction, with two chancel arches. These ruins, along with the churchyard were, however, destroyed by a major flood in 1796. The site of the church is thought now to be about the middle of the river or near the opposite bank. Built into the river bank wall are stones believed to have been reused from the church.

History

The land of Hassendean seems to have been granted to the bishop of Glasgow by David I. Following a controversy between William the Lion and Jocelin, bishop of Glasgow, the pope confirmed in 1170 that that the patronage of the church was still that of the bishop of Glasgow. But in 1193 the bishop, with the consent of the king, gave the patronage to Melrose Abbey for the purpose of building and maintaining a house at Hassendean for the reception and entertainment of pilgrims and the poor. This was confirmed by Pope Celestine III (1191-98). Later, Alexander II (1214-1249) re-confirmed the church at Hassendean to the monks of Melrose and Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) did the same. In 1356, Edward III conferred the land of Hassendean on Percy, but in 1376, King Robert Bruce granted the territory to James Cunningham.

Features

Loose Sculpture

Comments/Opinions

The roll moulding appears to have a slight curve, which suggests it may have been originally a voussoir of an arch. Rutherford's drawing shows chevron on the W chancel arch. Although there is some question as to the accuracy of certain detailing, there is a strong suggestion that the church was of 12thc construction.

Bibliography

The Bannatyne Club, Chronica de Mailros: e codice unico in Bibliotheca Cottoniana servato, Edinburgh 1835,100 anno m.c.xciii.

The Bannatyne Club, Liber Sancte Marie de Melros: munimenta vetustiora Monasterii Cisterciensis de Melros, Vol. 1, Edinburgh 1837, 112-18 nos 121-126, 239-41 nos 270, 271, 272 and 273.

The Bannatyne Club, Origines Parochiales Scotiae, Vol. 1, Edinburgh 1851, 316-21, 326-7, 526.

G. Chalmers, Caledonia; or, An Account, Historical and Topographic, of North Britain, from the most ancient to the present times, Vol. 2, London 1810, 169-171.

I. Cowan, The Parishes of Medieval Scotland, Edinburgh 1967, 81.

R. Douglas, The Peerage of Scotland, Edinburgh 1764, 290.

A. Jeffrey, The History and Antiquities of Roxburghshire and Adjacent Districts, Vol. 2 London 1857, 21, 22, 156, 374.

D. MacGibbon and T. Ross, The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Scotland, Vol. 1, Edinburgh 1896, 378.

J. MacKinlay, Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland, Non-Scriptural Dedications, Edinburgh 1914, 181.

H. Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, Vol. 8, Edinburgh 1950, 140.