OLD ROH, GR CATHEDRAL, AGLADLEN, ABERDEENSHIAF. The bishoprick of Aberdeen was Gazi, cated to St. Marchar. In 1956 the to 1 d the foundation of one more suat work was much advanced, Le was s an embassy, and dying son after t.. ing remained unfreshed, till the Henry Leighton, in 1924, who add on work, and gave large sons of his beh perfection. This Cathedral suffered much at the refore.. but more at the revolution; so violent was the rapthe covenanters, during that period, aganist all manas of idolatry, that perhaps the sun and moon, vers cient objects of worship, owed their safety ty distance. As there was notlegg about the སྨཱཎོ OLD TOWN CHURCH, OR CATHEDRAL, ABERDEEN, ABERDEENSHIRE. THE bishoprick of Aberdeen was originally founded at Murthlack, in the county of Banff: the see was translated to Aberdeen in the year 1137, by king David I. The Cathedral was began about the year 1165, and dedicated to St. Marchar. In 1356 the then bishop, Alexander Kennimouth, not thinking the Cathedral sufficiently magnificent, caused it to be pulled down, and laid the foundation of one more superb; but before the work was much advanced, he was sent, by the king, on an embassy, and dying soon after his return, the building remained unfinished, till the accession of bishop Henry Leighton, in 1424, who added greatly to the work, and gave large sums of his own towards its perfection. This Cathedral suffered much at the reformation, but more at the revolution; so violent was the rage of the covenanters, during that period, against all manner of idolatry, that perhaps the sun and moon, very ancient objects of worship, owed their safety to their distance. As there was nothing about the Cathedral OLD TOWN CHURCH, OR CATHEDRAL, ABERDEEN, upon the stones and timber. The high altar-piece, of the finest workmanship of the kind in Europe, which had hitherto escaped every violence, was hewed to pieces, by order, and with the aid, of the parish minister. The carpenter, awed by the sanctity of the place, and struck with the noble workmanship, refused to raise his hand against it, till the more than Gothic priest took the hatchet from his hand, and struck the first blow. The wainscoting was richly carved and ornamented with different kinds of crowns at the top, admirably cut. The Cathedral had a grand cross aisle and a fine tower, which fell down in the year 1688, having been undermined by the soldiers of Cromwell, for stones, to build a fort. By the fall of the tower, the rest of the Church was much damaged. The present remains consist of two spires, 112 feet high, and the nave 135 feet by 64, inside measurement. It has a handsome window at the west end, and on the ceiling are painted, in three columns, forty-eight armorial bearings. |