Details |
Site of a manse. 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 located west of the Cathedral having the Bishop's hospital on its eastern boundary, Westhall to the west, the river Don on the north and way to the cathedral (Tillydrone Road) on the south. 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 Monymusk was established and presumably his manse was also established around the same time (Reg. Episc. Aberdeen, ii, 302). 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 very little details of the later owners of this manse but the heritors of Cruive and Nether Don fishings purchased the land belonging to the manse and gave them to the Bishop's Hospital in the late 17th century. In 1720, the Town Council of Old Aberdeen acquired the property from the hospital for the purpose of making a pathway to the river for washing. The property was later sold to Col. Middleton who acquired the Bishop's Hospital, Tullynessle and Westhall manses and made them part of the Seaton House. The site now forms a natural walkway into Seaton Park.
|