| Details |
Site of a manse of Mortlach. The manses surrounding the Cathedral were all named for different areas in the diocese of Aberdeen. 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 was directly west of the cathedral with Clatt manse on the south, the road to the Cathedral (Tillydrone Road) to the north and east and Kinkell manse to the west. Many of the manses in the Chanonry were built in the later medieval period. There was some evidence that this manse was built or founded in the 15th century when the prebend of Mortlach was established and presumably his manse was also established around the same time (Reg. Episc. Aberdeen, ii, 223). 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. There are few details of the later owners of this manse but in 1575, Alexander Hay received an annual portion of 10s from this property as other properties/manses in the Chanonry (RMS, iv, 2360). At the time, Hay was the secretary or chamberlain to the young king James I and his annual rents from the properties in the Chanonry was more than likely a reward for his faithful service. In the same year, George Leslie, rector of Mortlach, granted the manse and land to Thomas Gardin of Blairtoun and his wife Elizabeth Stewart. The building was listed as ruinous in 1720 and had disappeared by 1725 when Alexander Davidson of Newton was the owner. By 1725 the manse of the parson of Mortlach was a ruin, its site being made a 'corn-ground'.
|
Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Aberdeen City
HER -
NJ90NW0196 - MORTLACH MANSE, 12 CHANONRY, OLD ABERDEEN