The Bruce Vault
Following reburial in 1819, the grave of what is believed to be Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, lay unmarked until 1889 when the magnificent memorial plaque was gifted by the Earl of Elgin, a descendant of “the Bruce”.
The brass plaque was manufactured in Sheffield, to a design by Mr W. R. Black, and embedded in a slab of red marble. The figure of the king is life size. He wears kingly robes over his suit of chain mail armour; his hands are clasped in an attitude of prayer and his feet rest upon the recumbent figure of a lion. His great two-handed sword lies by his side. The tip of the sword points down in an attitude of peace. On the left is his coat of arms as king of Scots and on his right his coat of arms as Earl of Carrick. In each corner can be seen a heart motif in reference to the removal of the King’s last wish.
The Latin inscription around the plaque can be translated as: ‘The tomb of Robert the Bruce King of Scots, fortunately discovered among the ruins in 1818, has been marked anew by this brass in the 560th year after his death.’
The brass if measured from the tip of the crown to the base of the figure measures five feet eleven inches, the same as the skeleton, and many a visitor has been seen lying on the floor beside the tomb to check it is.
The Discovery of the Bruce Vault
During preparations for the building of the Abbey Church, the architect William Burn, made a plan of the ancient church taken from the remains of the old walls. This plan can be seen in the video presentation in the chancel.
On the 17th February 1818, his workmen, came across a vault, in a line with the very centre of the ancient Abbey. Due to its prominence within the church and the way it had been constructed, it was believed that this had to be the burial place of someone of importance.
When the vault was opened a body was found lying in it so it was resealed and guarded and word was sent to the Exchequer. It was decided that a full excavation would take place once the walls and roof of the new church were completed.
On 5th November 1819, following appointment by the Exchequer, Sir Henry Jardine, who had the grand title of, The King’s Remembrancer, along with other dignitaries attended the opening. After examination and consideration of the evidence, it was decreed that the skeleton was that of King Robert I. Plaster casts of King Robert’s skull were taken by Mr William Scoular, an artist considered to be the best of the time. The bones of the skeleton were carefully laid out in their natural position, wrapped in a lead covering and put into a lead coffin which was then filled with bitumen. The coffin was reinterred in the vault along with the following articles:
- Barbour’s life of Bruce, edition 1714
- Lord Hailes’ Annals of Scotland
- Kerr’s History of the Reign of King Robert the Bruce
- The History of Dunfermline 1815
- The Edinburgh Almanack and Directory for 1819, and various newspapers.
- Gold and Silver coins from 1798 to 1819
Officials at the time directed Burn to consider how the church could be marked externally as the grave of the King. The result is the four words “King Robert the Bruce” in large letters on top of the church tower, which can be read at a considerable distance.
The Pulpit
As a result of the memorial being inserted in the floor of the Abbey the old pulpit was removed and a new pulpit erected on 7th September 1890. The base of the pulpit was designed by Dr. Rowand Anderson and carved from Scottish Oak by William Patterson of Edinburgh. It cost £250 which was met by subscription from members of the congregation and others.
The new pulpit was dedicated by Dr AK Boyd, Moderator of the General Assembly, who remarked that whilst the former pulpit was about the ugliest which could be seen, the new one was a most beautiful piece of workmanship.
One cannot please everyone, as a local Minister (Revd. Dr Jacob Primmer) declared that it was the most blasphemous and outrageous he had seen erected in any church worldwide and tried to have it removed. Since then the pulpit has been much admired by many people from far and wide.
The carvings depict;
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John standing at each corner with their attributes before them:
- Matthew – The Angel with the book
- Mark – The Lion
- Luke – The Ox of Sacrifice
- John – The Eagle of Vision
The remarkable thing about the figures of the evangelists is that normally, when figures are carved on one piece, they have a vague likeness to each other. In this instance each of the faces is completely different and exquisitely worked. Considering oak is very hard and extremely unforgiving if a mistake is made these had to be the work a very talented craftsman.
On three sides of the pulpit there are four small panels each carved in a different design to represent the twelve disciples.
In the centre panel of the three sides there are references to the passion of Jesus, the front panel shows the spear in His side and the spear with the sour wine. The side panel shows the Crown of Thorns and the Nails. The back panel shows the seamless robe and the dice, used by the Roman soldiers to play for Jesus’ clothing