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Site of a manse. The different areas provided the prebend, or payment, for the canons who worked in St Machar's Cathedral. The location of the manses of the canons of the cathedral gave the name to this part of Old Aberdeen, the Canonry or Chanonry. The manse is opposite the main entrance to the Cathedral and churchyard with Forbes manse to the south and Daviot to the east. Many of the manses in the Chanonry were built in the later medieval period but no documentary evidence for this manse has been found to suggest a foundation in this period. However, if many of the Chanonry manses were established in the 14th or 15th century, Belhelvie may have been as well. It was said to have been built by George Seaton, parson of Belhelvie sometime in the 15th century, when his coat of arms was built into the wall. Sometime in the 15th century there were complaints that the manses were run-down and boundary walls needed to be repaired. The canons who resided in the manses were instructed to fix the walls or be penalised (Morgan, Old Aberdeen, 36). The household items in the medieval manses were to be handed down by each canon to his successor and may have included simple bed linen, kitchen utensils, and necessary furniture for the public room and items needed for the brewing of ale. In 1573 the manse was described as ruinous when James Srithquhyn, rector of Belhelvie, gave the manse to Thomas Gardin and his wife, Elizabeth Stewart. The Marquis of Huntly later acquired the three lodgings of Belhelvie, Daviot and Forbes and enclosed them to make a large garden with Belhelvie manse as the dwelling house. The wall along the Chanonry on the west side of the garden was built by the Duke of Gordon in 1715 and the bricks on the inner side of the wall were said to number 47, 500. The site of this manse and garden are now included within the grounds of Chanonry Lodge (NJ90NW1352).
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