Old Saint Paul's, Edinburgh

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Old Saint Paul's, Edinburgh
Dedication St Paul the Apostle
Denomination Scottish Episcopal Church
Tradition Anglo-Catholic
Administration
Diocese Edinburgh
Province Scotland
Clergy
Rector The Rev. Canon Ian Paton
Other
Director of Music Dr John Kitchen
Churchwarden Dr Sheila Brock
Churchwarden Janet de Vigne
Parish Administrator Jean Keltie
Servers' Guild Nigel Cook
Website Old Saint Paul's

Old Saint Paul's Church is a historic Anglican church in the Catholic tradition located in Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh. It stands on the site of the original home of Scottish Episcopacy. Today, it is a living centre of worship and witness in the heart of Edinburgh.

Contents

[edit] History

Although the present building dates from the 19th century, Old Saint Paul's has a history going back 300 years to the beginning of the Scottish Episcopal Church. More than any other church in Scotland the history of Old Saint Paul's has been the history of the Scottish Episcopal Church itself; often embattled, at times romantic, on occasion triumphant.

[edit] The Scottish Reformation

The Reformation came to Scotland in 1560 under John Knox, the first Protestant minister of Saint Giles' Church. The Scottish Episcopal Church first came into being as a distinct denomination after the Catholic Stuart King James VII (II of England) was deposed during the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688. In the new anti-Catholic climate, the Church of Scotland abolished the rule of bishops, the last remaining element of the pre-Reformation Church.
The original congregation of Old Saint Paul's was a breakaway group from Saint Giles', which had become the Cathedral of Edinburgh in 1634. The last bishop at Saint Giles', Alexander Rose, left the Cathedral in 1689, accompanied by much of his flock, finding a new place of worship in an old wool store in Carrubber's Close; this stood approximately on the present site of Old Saint Paul's.

[edit] Jacobite Rebellion

Whilst the Presbyterian Church was loyal to the new Protestant monarchy, the Episcopalians remained staunchly Jacobite, loyal to James and his descendants. Members of Saint Paul's were in the front line of the Jacobite struggle, several having been in action in the Risings of 1715 and 1745. Many tales of heroism survive; one member of the congregation brought the news of Bonnie Prince Charlie's victory at Prestonpans to Edinburgh, shutting the town gates against the defeated Hanoverian army. Another printed the Prince's banknotes, and Jacobite ladies of the congregation wore the 'White Cockade' (the White Rose) and graced the Prince's ball at Holyroodhouse.

[edit] Persecution

As a result of the Risings, any Episcopal chapel was regarded as a potential bed of treason and repressive laws were passed. In 1719 priests were prohibited from ministering to more than eight people at a time; this seems to have been overcome at Saint Paul's by conducting worship on two storeys, each being divided into cubicles with one priest ministering in the centre. After the Jacobites' defeat at Culloden in 1746, Episcopal clergy ran the risk of imprisonment or deportation to America. It was only after the death of Prince Charlie in 1788 that the association of the Episcopalians with Jacobite treason was shaken off. Penal laws were gradually repealed, and in that year the Scottish Synod resolved that George III would be prayed for in all Episcopal Churches; the first prayers for a Hanoverian monarch said in Saint Paul's were drowned out by groans, sighs, coughing and nose-blowing.

[edit] A Bishop for America

Old Saint Paul's has played a part in the foundation of the American Episcopal Church. The young American Samuel Seabury first worshipped at Saint Paul's in 1752. In later years he was chosen to become the first Bishop of the United States and returned to Britain to be consecrated. As the prospective bishop of a fledgling republic, Seabury was faced with a choice: consecration in the Church of England required an oath of allegiance to the crown; however, this was not the case in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Remembering his days at Saint Paul's, he returned to Scotland and was consecrated in 1784 in Aberdeen. His consecration is remembered on a plaque in Marischal College, Aberdeen, and in Edinburgh the Lady Chapel in Old Saint Paul's is dedicated in Seabury's memory.

[edit] Decline and Revival

In the middle of the 19th century the liturgy at Saint Paul's was affected by a variety of influences, most notably by the first emergence of the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement. Conflict over liturgical matters led to a breakaway church being founded, Saint Columba's by the Castle. Structural problems also took their toll: in 1873, the dilapidated Saint Paul's was closed until the completion of the new building in 1883. The following year, to avoid confusion with another Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in York Place, the Carrubber's Close church was renamed Old Saint Paul's; also at this time the Anglo-Catholic movement began to have a more lasting influence on worship in this church.

[edit] The Twentieth Century

One figure looms large over the first half of the 20th century, that of Albert Ernest Laurie, who became Rector in 1898 and held this position until his death in 1937. Laurie's life reflected his intense devotion to the Blessed Sacrament -- he continued the gradual shift to a more Catholic form of worship and he was a caring and faithful pastor to his flock. He received the Military Cross for his bravery in caring for the wounded at the battle of the Somme, and there are numerous tales of his relentless acts of charity to his flock in the Canongate.
In 1989 Old Saint Paul's celebrated its tercentenary. A joint service with Saint Giles' included a procession up the Royal Mile, retracing the path of Bishop Rose, and High Mass was celebrated in the old Cathedral for the first time in 300 years.

[edit] Building

The present building was designed by Hay and Henderson in their Early English style at a cost of £3500 and completed in 1883. William Hay had been a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott (architect of Saint Mary's Cathedral in the West End). The new Saint Paul's was built at a time of unprecedented prosperity for the Scottish Episcopal Church, and was partly funded by the Walker Trust, which had already financed the building of Saint Mary's Cathedral.
Two subsequent nave extensions have trebled the building's original length, and the chancel floor has been raised and laid with marble. There is scarcely a single ornament, window or vestment in Old Saint Paul's that was not paid for by donations or fund-raising efforts.

[edit] The Chancel

[edit] The Nave

[edit] The Lady Chapel (1905)

Situated alongside the nave, this chapel is dedicated to the memory of Samuel Seabury. It contains some beautiful examples of early 20th century stained glass windows:

The Altar has a carved gilt oak reredos surmounted with a Virgin and Child, and triptych panels depicting the Annunciation, copied from Fra Angelico. The consecrated Sacrament is reserved here.

[edit] The Memorial Chapel (1926)

Built as a memorial to the lives lost in World War I, it also contains rolls of honour to mark the sacrifices of both World Wars, the names of the fallen from the congregation being recorded in brass letters on the wall. This Chapel also contains the Martyrs' Cross, a small iron cross that originally hung in the Grassmarket opposite the gallows and was the last object seen by condemned criminals before execution. It is thought that past members of this congregation may have been among those hanged in the Grassmarket. The last Grassmarket execution was in 1784.

[edit] The Organ

The present organ is thought to be the fifth instrument in use in Old Saint Paul's. It was built by "Father" Henry Willis and installed in 1888. It was then presumably typical of Willis's small instruments of this period: strong and forthright in tone with a robust mechanical action. Slight modifications were made to this instrument in 1936; it was electrified and enlarged in 1960 when a new console with tab stops was provided. Further tonal modifications and additions were made in 1968.
By the mid 1970s the organ was in need of complete cleaning and the 1960 console was causing problems. In addition, inconsistencies in the tonal scheme had developed over the years. Nicholson's of Worcester were chosen to rebuild the organ, to replan the specification and to provide a new console. This was done in conjunction with the then organist, Alistair Pow, and with advice from Roy Massey of Hereford Cathedral. Revoicing in the church was undertaken by Dennis Thurlow of Nicholson's. Father Willis's pipework was left untouched; new mixtures were provided on both manuals; and the great trumpet/pedal trombone rank received considerable attention and revoicing. The great dulciana was extended down to 16' pitch, and several other changes and additions were made. Some repair work was carried out in 2000.
The organ as it now stands is a fine, flexible instrument which accompanies services particularly well and which is also a fine vehicle for much of the solo organ repertoire. Like many chancel organs, it suffers slightly from its position, speaking across the chancel rather than directly into the nave. Nevertheless, it sounds well throughout the building and fulfils its duties admirably.

[edit] Services at Old Saint Paul's

Services on Sunday use a modified version of the traditional language 1970 Scottish Liturgy. Said Masses on weekdays use the modern language 1982 Scottish Liturgy.

The Mar Thoma congregation in central Scotland celebrate their Liturgy in Old Saint Paul's once per month on a Sunday afternoon.

Mar Thoma Congregation Scotland, Edinburgh

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 55°57′04.32″N, 03°11′13.56″W