New posts

Greyfriars Monastery and Burial Ground
1000-1603 AD / Religious

Greyfriars Monastery and Burial Ground

The  Franciscan Monastery was founded in 1460 but destroyed in 1559 at the start of the Scottish Reformation. Franciscans are sometimes referred to as Greyfriars. The original Rule of Saint Francis did not allow ownership of property, requiring members of the order to beg for food while preaching. The austerity was meant to emulate the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Franciscans travelled and preached in the streets, while staying in church properties.      The gate post and lintel at the entrance to the grounds give information on the Spey Tower, the city walls and details the site of the deaths of martyrs. The portal inscription reads:Hic genitor genitrixque siti et1 numerosa utriusqueProgenies nati et natae charique2 nepotesEt neptes necnon pronepotes3 atque proneptesHaec quicunque legis morti nos nostraeque cunctaDeberi tanquam speculo referente videbisHaec etenim transit generatio nascitur illa Transcription, notes and translations by David Bowler, 06 October 20201  The inscription reads ‘sitiet’, which makes no sense here.   ‘siti et’ means ‘lying, and’, which is obviously correct.2   ‘charique’, a variant spelling for ‘carique’, meaning ‘and dear’.3   The inscription clearly reads ‘pronepotos’, which is not a latin word.  Pronepotes means ‘great grandsons’, which is obviously correct.  o for e is an   easy mistake for the sculptor…

0 Comments
18/11/2023
Carthusian Monastery
1000-1603 AD / Religious

Carthusian Monastery

Occupying extensive lands south of Hospital Street and west of King Street, the Carthusian Priory in Perth was the only one in Scotland, was founded in 1429 by James I (1406–1437). The  foundation of a Carthusian or Charterhouse Monastery is recorded on the obelisk in the rounds, on the corner of King Street and Hospital Street. Further details are on the information board 'The Vale of Virtue' on Hospital Street, panel 10 of the PKHT Medieval Trail. The Carthusian Order  is an enclosed order of both monks and nuns. The Carthusians are the most ascetic and austere of all the European monastic orders being regarded as the pinnacle of religious devotion to which monks from other orders were attracted when they felt in need for greater spiritual challenges. The name Carthusian is derived from the Chartreuse Mountains in the French Alps. The name was adapted to the English “Charterhouse”. Charterhouse Lane is nearby.    It is said James I was buried within the grounds of the monastery following his murder at Blackfriars. Also buried in the monastery grounds are Joan Beaufort Queen of James I and Margaret Tutor, sister  of Henry VIII and Queen of James IV. In 1750 the King James VI Hospital was built on…

1 Comment
18/11/2023
Blackfriars Monastery
1000-1603 AD / Religious

Blackfriars Monastery

This plaque at the corner of Charlotte Street and Blackfriars Street sets out three important dates in the history of Blackfriars Monastery. It was thought to have been founded King  Alexander II in 1231. The Church of the Friars Preachers of Blessed Virgin and Saint Dominic at Perth, commonly called “Blackfriars”, was a mendicant friary of the Dominican Order.  Mendicant were Christian religious orders who adopted a lifestyle of poverty, traveling, and living in urban areas for purposes of preaching, evangelization, and ministry, especially to the poor. At their foundation these orders rejected the previously established monastic model. The friary was frequently used for national church councils and as a residence for the King of the Scots. Perth was perhaps the most important royal centre in the Kingdom of Scotland until the reign of King James III of Scotland who died in 1488.  It was at Blackfriars on the night of 20th February 1437 that King James I of Scotland was murdered by followers of the Duke of Atholl. An information board on the King James public house in Kinnoull Street tells the story of the murder and more.

1 Comment
18/11/2023
St Leonard’s Priory
1000-1603 AD / Religious

St Leonard’s Priory

Also known as the Nunnery of St Leonard the Abbot, this nunnery first recorded in 1411 was occupied by both nuns and monks. When the Carthusian Monastery  was established in 1429, it suppressed the nunnery. The lands of the nunnery were conferred on the Carthusian Monastery who continued the chapel under its patronage. Following the dissolution of the monasteries the lands were acquired many years later by the Glover Corporation. The plaque showing the site of this nunnery is on the old Salmon Fisheries Building on St. Leonard’s Bank. The land is now much changed due to the construction of the railways. The nunnery is remembered in the local street names of St Leonard’s Bank, Priory Place and Glover Street.

0 Comments
18/11/2023
Sir James McKenzie
1901-present / Science

Sir James McKenzie

Sir James, who was born in this cottage at Pictstonhill Farm, became a famous cardiologist. While working in general practice in Burnley he developed theories relating to heart diseases. He devised surgical instruments to measure heart function and was responsible for the introduction of digitalis to control heart malfunction. Sir James was responsible for the establishment of the Military Heart Hospital where he acted as a consultant during the First World War. He was Knighted in 1915, aged 62.

0 Comments
31/10/2023
Sir Patrick Geddes Obelisk
1901-present / Science

Sir Patrick Geddes Obelisk

An obelisk, standing in the gardens of the Rodney Pavilion, was erected in memory of Sir Patrick (1854-1932) who spent his childhood in a cottage on Mount Tabor Road. Adjacent to the obelisk is a plaque which explains the symbolism on the obelisk, symbols which  encompass the range of Sir Patrick’s interests. Sir Patrick Geddes is principally renowned for his work as a pioneer of town planning. Due to his interest in the biological sciences he held a lectureship in botany at Aberdeen University and later, the chair of Botany at Queen’s College Dundee. He also held the chair of Sociology at Bombay University and founded The Scots College in Montpellier, France.

0 Comments
31/10/2023
David Douglas Memorial
1774-1901 AD / Science

David Douglas Memorial

David Douglas (1799-1834), the botanist, was born in Scone and attended Kinnoull School. Initially working as a gardener at Scone Palace, he became a plant hunter travelling extensively in Northwest America, Hawaii and Canada.  He is famous for the introduction to Great Britain of a variety of plant species particularly the Douglas fir. Lists of other species he introduced are to be found on the monument. He died on Hawaii aged 35 in 1834. He was when gored by a bull after he fell into a pit into which the bull had also stumbled.

0 Comments
31/10/2023
Perth Waterworks
1774-1901 AD / Science

Perth Waterworks

The Waterworks were designed and built (1829-1832) under the supervision of Adam Anderson, then Rector of Perth Academy (1811 to 1839). Adam Anderson also designed Perth Gas works. As an academic he was responsible for a considerable body of research dealing with atmospheric phenomena and the utilisation of gases and other fuels. Following his tenure at Perth Academy he moved to St Andrews University when appointed Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy. He died in St Andrews in 1846. His grave in Greyfriars Churchyard is marked by an obelisk. The building housed steam driven pumps which drew water through suction pipes from filter beds on Moncrieffe Island. The storage tank within the actual building could hold 146,00 gallons which was sufficient for Perth until the 1960s. The building was declared redundant in 1965. The rotunda opened as a tourist office, following a campaign led by Perth Civic Trust. It was later converted to the Fergusson Art Gallery in 1991. Currently it is closed as the Fergusson collection has been moved to the newly refurbished Perth Art Gallery in George Street. The gold inscription above the door reads “Aquam igne et aqua haurio” which translates as “I draw water by fire and…

2 Comments
26/10/2023
Bowerswell House – War Memorials
War Memorials

Bowerswell House – War Memorials

Bowerswell House Memorial Homes feature a number of war memorials. A memorial window is dedicated to the fallen of Perth from World War 2. An obelisk within the grounds celebrates 50 years of peace, remembering those who lost their lives. The refurbishment of the House and its surroundings in 1991 are remembered in further plaques and there is a framed award by Perth Civic Trust. See also Bowerswell House - Effie Gray.

1 Comment
23/10/2023
Close Menu