by Rev. Aeneas McDonnell Dawson

COADJUTOR APPOINTED—RELIGIOUS SISTERS INTRODUCED—CHAPEL AT MURTHLY CASTLE—COUNTY OF FIFE—RIOT AT DUNFERMLINE—POWER OF THE LAW—LIBERALITY OF PRINCIPAL INHABITANTS—CONDUCT OF THE BISHOP—SCIENCE PATRONIZED—PRESENT TO GREGORY XVI.—SERMONS AT LAWRENCEKIRK TO A PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION—REMARKABLE RESULT—PROGRESS AT EDINBURGH—CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL INSTI­TUTIONS, INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS, ETC.—THE BISHOP A CLASSICAL SCHOLAR— ECCLESIASTICAL WRITERS—THE QUIGRICH—ITS RESTORATION TO SCOTLAND.

The Bishop now being advanced in years and less able to bear alone the burden of so great a charge resolved to apply for a coadjutor. The choice fell on the Rev. James Gillis, whose appointment was obtained from the Holy See in 1837. He was consecrated as Bishop of Limyra on the 22nd July, 1838. This appointment added new vigour to the administration of Bishop Carruthers. Through the exertions of the coadjutor a colony of religious Sisters was brought from the diocese of Lucon in France, and established at Edinburgh. This was the first time since the great religious revolution that any attempt was made to bring a religious community into Scotland. It was eminently successful. The French sisters, together with an addition to their number from Scotland, at once formed two houses; one, where the teaching of children of the more wealthy classes was undertaken, and another where the Sisters taught the poor and also visited and nursed the sick. They are still known by the name which they originally adopted, that of “Ursulines de Jesu.”

The pontificate of Bishop Carruthers was further illustrated by the erection of a beautiful private chapel in the park of Murthly Castle, the seat of the late Sir William Drummond Stewart, the well known American traveller. The Catholics of the neighbourhood were freely admitted to this chapel, and, thus, was founded a mission which still continues. On the accession to the estate of Murthly, of Sir William’s brother, who was a Protestant, the chapel could not be any longer used for Catholic purposes. Its furniture and decorations were removed, partly to Crief, and partly to Bankfoot in the neighbourhood where the mission still exists, wholly unconnected with the new baronet’s mansion.

The extensive county of Fife may be said to have been annexed, in a missionary sense, to the missions already existing, during the pontificate of Bishop Carruthers. Soon after this county was opened as a field for missionary labour, six stations were established at the most suitable places—at Dunfermline, the chief city of the Western Division of the county; Cupar, the chief town of the Eastern Division; Kirkcaldy; Lochgelly; Newburgh and Culross. The two last named have been discontinued as they were only opened for the benefit of railway people, contractors, clerks and labourers. Churches have since been erected at Dunfermline, Lochgelly, Kirkcaldy, and St. Andrews. At the commencement of these missions much favour was shown to the priest on duty by the Protestant inhabitants generally. The more intelligent even extended their favour to the Irish parishioners. A riot having occurred, the object of which was to expel all persons of Irish origin from Dunfermline, the clerk of the Lord Lieutenancy, there not being a sufficient police force in the place, caused the military to be called out. A troop of dragoons accordingly, fifty in number, arrived before night, at Inverkeithing, where the Irish people came to a stand, under the protection of the Provost of the old town. They were escorted by the mili­tary back to Dunfermline; and as it was late when they arrived, they were lodged for the night in the city hall, the principal citizens bringing for their comfort mattresses, blankets, rations, ale, etc., whilst the magistrates assured them that for the time to come they would have complete protection, the outraged law, although, for once, taken by surprise being more powerful than any force of rioters. The Bishop on the occasion gave proof of his solicitude. Having heard of the riot, he was seen next day in the midst of the agitated city, seated on a bench in front of the prin­cipal hotel. A rash scribe boasted, in writing, that the incumbent’s congregation was dispersed and that he would henceforth have to preach to empty benches. This was easily denied. There was no difference in the attendance at Mass on the Sunday following the riot. This fact the priest in charge communicated to the editor of a friendly paper who gladly published the statement. Not only on this occasion but at other times as well the incumbent of that day, who was the first resident priest in the county, could congratulate himself on the kind attention shown by the Provost and Magistrates of Dunfermline, the Procurator fiscal and the Sheriff substitute (County Judge) in particular.

The Bishop, now having a coadjutor who shared with him the burden of the Episcopate, was more at leisure to apply to scientific studies. Chemistry was still his delight. He possessed all the more recent works on the subject, and he frequently experimented with marvellous success. Not only this. He extended his patronage to such as interested themselves in chemical pursuits. Mr. Kemp, a working chemist of Edinburgh, had fallen upon a great improvement of the electro-galvanic battery. The Bishop visited him, made a trial of the improved battery, and ordered one for the College of Blairs and another for the Scotch College at Rome. Mr. Kemp then asked the Bishop whether he might presume, when sending to the Scotch College, to send a battery as a present to the Holy Father, Gregory XVI. The Bishop considered that such a present would be very acceptable. A battery, accordingly, was sent to the Pope. Gregory XVI. received it most graciously, and caused it to be operated by a learned professor in his presence. He was delighted; and in order to show his appreciation, sent two beautiful gold medals to Mr. Kemp. These medals were brought to Scotland by the Rev. John Gray, afterwards Bishop of Glasgow, and faithfully delivered to Mr. Kemp.

Meanwhile, missionary duties were not neglected by the Bishop or by the clergy. In this connec­tion it may be told that something entirely new in the history of missionary action occurred about this time. Hitherto it had been found expedient to conduct Catholic services and preach Catholic sermons as privately as possible, considering the prejudices that still lurked in the public mind. To attack those prejudices boldly and openly was looked on as an impossibility. The Protestants themselves were the first to overthrow this idea. When the writer of these sketches was temporarily in charge of the Forfarshire missions, the people of Lawrencekirk (a village celebrated as the birthplace of the philosopher and poet, Beattie,) and neighbourhood requested him to come to their village and deliver to them a “Catholic sermon.” This request was renewed, from time to time, for several months. At last the priest believing that the good people were perfectly in earnest, consented to preach to them. A very numerous congregation from the village and surrounding country came to hear the sermon. The misrepresentations of Protestant writers and preachers were dwelt upon and the true doctrine of the Church set forth. At the conclusion of the discourse, came thanks and congratulations, together with a pressing invitation to return and give them another sermon. This invitation was frequently repeated during the following two months. The priest taking with him quite a number of the books and pamphlets published by the Catholic Institute of London, repaired to Lawrencekirk and deliv­ered a sermon to a more numerous congregation. He distributed to the audience the Catholic works which he had brought with him; and not without a successful result. A minister of the Scotch Episcopal Church, who was a good deal in advance of his brethren, commenced lecturing against Catholics. The people remonstrated. His defence was that the priest was only deceiving them in order to gain their favour. This assertion they triumphantly repelled, stating that they had standard Catholic works in their hands which showed the same doctrine as the priest preached. The only answer to this was that the minister had taken an oath to oppose “Popery” where ever he met with it, and let them say what they liked he would oppose it. It was something to have a whole congregation of Presbyterian defenders. It is impossible to say what the results of all this might have been. The presence of the priest was required by the Bishops at Edinburgh, where he was appointed chaplain to the newly-established sisterhood, the Ursulines de Jesus, and preacher at St. Mary’s church.

The solemn service of Vespers had been for some time established at St. Mary’s church. But as yet the attendance was very inconsiderable. The Bishop, although he had given up the charge of Edinburgh to his coadjutor, concurred with him in his endeavour to increase the attendance at Vespers. He presided pontifically every Sunday; and when he could not be present, the coad­jutor took his place. He also gave all encouragement to the chaplain of the Ursulines, who undertook and announced a course of sermons on the doctrines of the Church to be delivered on Sunday afternoons at Vespers. There was also a very competent choir under the direction of Mr. Hargitt. In a few weeks the attendance was so much improved that the church was completely filled from the sanctuary rails to the door. This better state of things gave so much satisfaction to the Bishop that the coadjutor took occasion to compliment the congregation in a formal address from the altar.

Charitable and educational institutions were fostered by the Bishop and his colleague. Among these was a branch of the Ursuline community established in the heart of the “old town,” whose care it was to teach the poorer children and also to visit and tend the sick poor; the Society of St. Vincent of Paul in the guidance of which the Rev. James Stothert took a leading part; and the Guild of St. Joseph which owed its origin to Bishop Gillis. This last named institution, modelled according to the ancient Catholic guilds, was efficient in providing mutual aid and exercising charity. It did good service, moreover, on occasions of religious processions, by its imposing numbers and the picturesque costume of its members. The Bishops extended their encouragement to the Catholic schools generally; and greatly promoted education among the poor by their attention to the “united industrial schools.” These schools were first established at Edinburgh, under the name of “ragged schools,” by a distinguished Protestant preacher, the Rev. Dr. Guthrie, for the benefit of his poorer parishioners. Then followed the Catholic “ragged schools,” and, finally, both came to be united as “The United Industrial Schools” of Edinburgh. St. Margaret’s Society was chiefly instituted in order to aid the poorer schools of the district. To it, also, the Bishops lent their countenance in concurrence with its principal founder, the late Mr. Monteith of Carstairs. The College of Blairs shared the solicitude of the Bishops; and the senior Bishop resided there for a considerable time, his example inspiring the students with a love for scientific study.

The Bishop was endowed with great literary taste. His knowledge of the ancient and modern classics was more than ordinary. He wrote Latin with elegance and spoke French with remark­able fluency, although he had never visited France since the time of his studies. He was also a patron of letters as well as of science. He rejoiced in the literary acquirements and oratorical powers of his eloquent coadjutor; and he often expressed his satisfaction with the controversial writings of the Rev. Paul McLachlan, D.D., of Falkirk, who was a distinguished founder of missions and builder of churches, no less that with the writings of the Rev. Stephen Keenan, D.D., of Dundee, and those of the Rev. John Stewart McCorry, D. D., of Perth. With the Rev. Mr. Keenan and the Rev. John McPherson, D. D., the Bishop concurred in promoting the estab­lishment of an academy at Welburn, near Dundee.

Among the many things that tended to give lustre to the pontificate of Bishop Carruthers were the discovery and final restoration to Scotland of that invaluable relic, the quigrich or crozier of St. Fillan. This relic is certainly the most interesting that remains in connection with ancient Scottish history. The late Mr. Adam Dawson was the first who aroused attention in regard to it, and made known that it had found its way to Canada. When visiting in the township of Beckwith he was shown the venerable quigrich together with documents which proved its authenticity, at the house of its hereditary guardian, Alexander Dewar or Doir. He lost no time in communi­cating the information thus received to his brother the Rev. Aeneas McDonell Dawson, LL.D., F. R. S., who was at the time resident at Dunfermline. The latter imparted this knowledge of the quigrich to his good friend, Sir Daniel Wilson, L. L. D., and F. R. S., who was then secretary to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and engaged in preparing his learned work, “The Pre-historic Annals of Scotland.” It was received as a valuable contribution to that work and occu­pies one of its brightest pages. The quigrich is remarkable as; having been the crozier of St. Fillan, who, in the eighth century, continued the work of St. Columba among the Scots and  Picts. It was held in great veneration by King Robert Bruce, who had it in the tent in which he heard Mass and received the Holy Communion, before joining battle with Edward II. of England at Bannockburn. Immediately after the conflict the King returned to his tent in order to give thanks to Almighty God for the great victory which he had won. Anxious to make sure that the relics of St. Fillan were in the reliquary at the head of the crozier, destined to contain them, on examination, he found them not. He asked the Abbot of Inchaffray, their custodian, to account for their absence, and received for reply that it had been thought prudent to remove them before the battle to a place of safety. “What better place of safety,” said the King, indig­nantly, to the affrighted Abbot, “than the army of your King?” and, depriving him of the guard­ianship, confided it to Malise Doir, the ancestor of the Dewars. or Doirs of Canada, who had distinguished himself by good service in the great battle. The quigrich continued under the guardianship of the Dewars till our day, with only a temporary interruption, when it came into the possession of the Catholic family of Glengarry. Mr. Dewar denied that it was parted with for money, as a common matter of bargain and sale; but admitted that it had been given in pledge for a loan. The Dewars ceasing to prosper from the time that they gave up the quigrich, appealed to the generosity of Glengarry, who liberally surrendered the precious relic to its hereditary guardians. Prosperity, however, did not return with the restoration of the sacred crust; and the family emigrated to Canada. Sir Daniel Wilson had also come to Canada, and was for some time a Professor in the University of which he is now the Principal. It was a cherished object with him to have the quigrich restored to Scotland. His first negotiations with the Dewars proved fruitless. Some time later he returned to the charge and was more successful. Mr. Alex. Dewar himself had become anxious that the great relic should go back to Scotland. He was eighty-seven years of age; and rightly believed that his sons would not be guided by the same senti­ments as himself in regard to Scotland and its historical associations. In fact, he could imagine the holy and historic relic among the profane shows of a Barnum or consigned to the melting pot. Such a fate could only be averted by treating with Sir Daniel Wilson; and he did so on the most liberal terms. Seven hundred dollars were the ransom for it required by the family. Two hundred of these Mr. Dewar himself agreed to pay. The rest was provided through Dr. Wilson, by the Society of Antiquaries at Edinburgh. It now remained only to have the venerable relic conveyed to Scotland. This Sir Daniel Wilson accomplished with complete success. A full meeting of the Antiquaries was held,. the Marquess of Lothian presiding, on occasion of the reception of the quigrich which will ever remain as a sacred trust in the keeping of the venerable antiquaries, for the gratification, instruction and edification of Scotch people in all time to come. The most probable derivation of the name, quigrich, is from (“the king’s crook”) the crozier having been greatly venerated by King Robert Bruce. The deed, signed by Alex. Dewar and his son, Archibald, is dated December, 1876, and distinctly makes over, in trust, to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland the most interesting relic. (See “The proceedings of the Society of Anti­quaries of Scotland, 97th session, 1876-1877, vol. 12; part 1” Edinburgh, 1877.)

    


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