Paisley Abbey came to be when Walter Fitzalan signed a charter at Fotheringay in 1163. He was a descended of the Norman conquerors and in 1141 was brought to Scotland by King David the first, the son of Malcolm Canmore and Saint Margaret. He was made High Steward of Scotland,a position that became hereditary. With many extensive lands in Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, he built his Castle in Renfrew. His charter gave the necessary land and revenue for the building and upkeep of the monastery. Thirteen monks came from Wenlock in Shropshire to set up a priory answerable to the Abbey Cluny but the priory became an abbey, answerable only to Rome, in 1245.There would have been several side chapels and a screen at the crossing at that time. The Abbey was dedicated to St Mary St James St Mirin and St Milburga.
In 1164 Walter Fitzalan defeated Somerled,Lord of the isles at Inchinnan. Alan second Steward helped Richard the Loin heart with the Third Crusade in 1189.Under Walter, the third Steward monks from Paisley set up the Abbey of Crossraguel in 1244 Alexander the fourth Steward played a distinguished part at the Battle of Largs in 1263.
By 1286 Paisley Abbey rich and powerful served all southwest Scotland. In that year King Alexander III died tragically and his successor a three-year-old granddaughter, the Maid of Norway died on her way across the North Sea in 1290.Now began a war that would last 300 years between the would-be rulers of Scotland and England. John Balliol the nearest of 13 or more claimants became King but was deposed by Edward 1st in 1296.William Wallace, the Knight of Elderslie educated possibly at the Paisley Abbey won a battle at Stirling Bridge but lost at Falkirk in 1298.In 1306 Robert the Bruce was crowned at Scone but failed to win in battle and fled for a while in time. The fifth high Steward Walter Stewart married Marjory Bruce daughter of Robert the Bruce in 1315.In the following year, she died in the Abbey infirmary following a riding accident in Renfrew a few miles or so from the Abbey in Paisley. At that time Marjory was pregnant and the child in her womb was saved. He became Robert II the first of the Royal Stewarts. From him, our present Queen Elizabeth is descended.
Buried in the Abbey are the six High Stewards, Marjory Bruce, Robert II`s wives and Robert III
In 1498 the Abbey was damaged in an accidental fire but was soon restored around 1553 the Tower collapsed destroying the roofs and upper walls of the North transept crossing the Choir. These lay open the sky for the next 350 years. The Nave was walled off and the Reformation was served as the Parish Church of Paisley. The St Mirin chapel became a totally separate chapel and was used by the Hamilton Family who acquired the old monastic buildings The place of paisley) The choir was used as Graveyard. In 1673 Lord Dundonald(of the Cochrane Family) bought the Place of Paisley and Jean married Graham of Claverhouse (Bonnie Dundee) in the Chapel in 1684. The Hamilton's brought back the Place in 1764,but around 1800 rented it out as shoddy houses, pubs, and pawn-shops. The Kirk Session bought it back in 1904 for restoration.
In 1858-62 the North porch of the Abbey and the walls of the North transept were restored. Between 1890 and 1907 the north transept and crossing were re-roofed, then rejoined to the nave. In the 1920`s the choir was rebuilt as we see it today and rededicated in 1928.In 1980-81 a new timber ceiling was erected in the nave to replace a "temporary" plaster ceiling that has been erected in 1788. Since 1989 an extensive restoration has been undertaken to both the Abbey and the Place.
Paisley Abbey is a great place to visit! We hope you enjoyed our video of this beautiful building.
30 ноя 2016
