A Religious Powerhouse

A Religious Powerhouse. St Andrews Cathedral. . St Andrews Cathedral's chapter house was a magnificent building - a splendid place from which to run the cathedral. . . A Busy Place . The canons met here daily to read a chapter of the rule by which they lived, and to confess their faults and receive correction. Moreover, it was where they discussed the administration and business affairs of the cathedral. . . Provisioning for Prayer . . The prior was a powerful political figure, but his main duty was to run all the religious services. His officials (obedientiaries) supplied the canons' vestments, candles and incense and ensured the wafers and wines were baked and brewed. . . Obedientiaries and their assistants also saw to the day-to-day running of the priory. They made sure the lay workmen were paid and the mills, bakehouses and brewhouses ran smoothly. . . (Red sidebar) . He restored the monastery's domestic buildings with alterations and new buildings, along with granaries, mills, malt-kilns, piggeries, barns and byres. . Walter Bower on James Biser, prior 1394-1416. . . The first and most famous monastic house in Scotland. . King James V, 1533. . . Above: The chapter house was entered through a vestibule within the east range. The house itself was set back so that it could rise to the greater height appropriate for such an important building. . . (sidebar) . Laid to Rest... . Priors favoured the chapter house for burial. Several of their graves have been revealed by excavations. . . (bottom-bar) . Right: Bishop William de Lamberton was recorded as leaving his canons with a valuable red vestment adorned with embroidered pictures. It is likely to have been similar to his medieval cope kept a the Victoria and Albert Museum. . . Right: A silver chrismatory, for holding holy oil, from the 1400s. Much of the chapter's money came from land rents and taxes on parish churches. They synod (meeting of the clergy) was held after Easter. Clergy from all over the diocese would come to pay their parochial dues. They travelled together for protection as they had large amounts of money and valuable objects - like this chrismatory. . . Above: The chapter house in the late 1300s.