(no subject)

I'm going back to St Bride's Church in Douglas, now, and since a few of you have asked about the interior, your wish is my command.  This may be a very small structure, but it packs a lot into a small area, so I'm going to have to give you a series of posts which detail various aspects of the interior, and the larger-than-life characters who have left their mark there.

To James the Gross first.  He lived during the late 14th/early 15th century, and is perhaps best remembered for his role in the 'Black Dinner',  This calamitous affair, which took place in the presence of King James II at Stirling Castle, ended in the murder of the 6th Earl of Douglas and his younger brother, paving the way for James to inherit the title of 7th Earl of Douglas.  He married Beatrice Sinclair, who was a daughter of the Sinclair family (of Rosslyn Chapel fame).  Here's their tomb, an ornate structure located inside the church:-

 

James the Gross was reputedly a very large man - obviously this sculpture was commissioned when he was younger and more svelte. 

His tomb's a beautiful piece of medieval sculpture, though it's suffered from erosion (proving that the church must have been unroofed for a considerable period before its 19th century restoration).  And when you look at it closely, its beauty is even more apparent.  Here's the central armorial panel, which clearly shows the Douglas arms (the heart ) in the top left corner:-

The figures along the bottom are mourning the dead couple.  Those on the left are are thought to be their sons.  Most are dressed in suitable martial attire (well, they are Douglas boys.  What do you expect?) with the robed figure on the far left representing the obligatory cleric:-

And on the right hand side, are gathered the daughters, dressed in the proper costume for the time:-

Now imagine what this tomb would have looked like, before the ravages of time took their toll.  The figures would have been brightly painted and perhaps even gilded: the resulting spectacle would have been amazing, and a worthy tribute to the mighty Black Douglas family.

Who, in 1460, totally blotted their copybook with the Scots monarchy, and got slapped down as a result.  But that's another story...

 

(no subject)

I'm going back to St Bride's Church in Douglas, now, and since a few of you have asked about the interior, your wish is my command.  This may be a very small structure, but it packs a lot into a small area, so I'm going to have to give you a series of posts which detail various aspects of the interior, and the larger-than-life characters who have left their mark there.

To James the Gross first.  He lived during the late 14th/early 15th century, and is perhaps best remembered for his role in the 'Black Dinner',  This calamitous affair, which took place in the presence of King James II at Stirling Castle, ended in the murder of the 6th Earl of Douglas and his younger brother, paving the way for James to inherit the title of 7th Earl of Douglas.  He married Beatrice Sinclair, who was a daughter of the Sinclair family (of Rosslyn Chapel fame).  Here's their tomb, an ornate structure located inside the church:-

 

James the Gross was reputedly a very large man - obviously this sculpture was commissioned when he was younger and more svelte. 

His tomb's a beautiful piece of medieval sculpture, though it's suffered from erosion (proving that the church must have been unroofed for a considerable period before its 19th century restoration).  And when you look at it closely, its beauty is even more apparent.  Here's the central armorial panel, which clearly shows the Douglas arms (the heart ) in the top left corner:-

The figures along the bottom are mourning the dead couple.  Those on the left are are thought to be their sons.  Most are dressed in suitable martial attire (well, they are Douglas boys.  What do you expect?) with the robed figure on the far left representing the obligatory cleric:-

And on the right hand side, are gathered the daughters, dressed in the proper costume for the time:-

Now imagine what this tomb would have looked like, before the ravages of time took their toll.  The figures would have been brightly painted and perhaps even gilded: the resulting spectacle would have been amazing, and a worthy tribute to the mighty Black Douglas family.

Who, in 1460, totally blotted their copybook with the Scots monarchy, and got slapped down as a result.  But that's another story...