Fig. 733.—Pencaitland Church. View from North-East.
Fig. 734. Pencaitland
Church.
Moulding of
Windows.
than the existing gable ([Fig. 735]), showing that there has been some change made here, the existing skew puts of gables not being original. The north wall is bent outwards considerably. It is not unlikely that the chapel was originally vaulted in stone, and, with the view of strengthening it, the shallow buttresses have been enlarged as indicated. The wide opening into the church shown on the Plan was afterwards made, and the vault, thus losing its support on that side, would be taken down. As a confirmation of the opinion that this chapel was vaulted we find[119] that the roof was at one time covered with flagstones. These, owing to their weight, are generally found only on vaulted buildings, as at Borthwick and numerous other churches. From the appearance of the flat arch of this opening it seems to be of later work than the chapel, and on the east side of the ingoing there are the remains of what appear to have been the jambs of a doorway. The chapel would thus originally be separated from the church by a solid wall with a door of communication, and what we have called a chapel may have been the sacristy. This separating wall, it will be observed from the Plan, is much thicker than the buttressed north wall, and, doubtless, was so made for the purpose of resisting the thrust of the vault.
Fig. 735.
Pencaitland Church.
Skew Stone.
Although the church adjoining appears to be mainly a building of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it undoubtedly occupies the site of an earlier church, known to have existed at Pencaitland in the twelfth century. Possibly portions of this earlier church are incorporated in the existing walls, and it is not unlikely from the narrowing of the east end on the north side (see Plan) that a chancel arch may have existed. Over the tower doorway there is the date 1631, with the initials of the incumbent, John Oswald, who probably built the tower. About the same time the north-west aisle was built. It contains some details resembling those to be seen at Wyntoun House, in the immediate neighbourhood. In the Caledonia, Vol. II. p. 527, Chalmers mentions that Pencaitland was possessed by Everard de Pencaithlan, and that he probably obtained the lands from William the Lion (1165-1214), as he granted the church of his manor of Pencaithlan to Kelso, with its tithes and other rights, in pure alms for the salvation of his lord, King William. After 1309 it is not mentioned among the churches belonging to Kelso. The manor was forfeited during the War of Succession, and was granted by King Robert the Bruce to Robert de Lawder; but soon after it appears in the hands of Sir John Maxwell, younger brother of Sir Eustace Maxwell of Caerlaverock, who granted to Dryburgh the advowson of the church with an annuity from his lands of Pencaitland. This was confirmed by William (Landal), the Bishop of St. Andrews, in 1343, and by David II. two years later. A view of the tower and west end of the church, with some details, will be found in The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland.[120]