Archiepiscopal palace.  ( or Archbishops Castle) Glasgow

This venerable relic of the “ olden time,” was the town residence of the Archbishops of Glasgow,for many centuries the proud scene of their feudal grandeur and magnificence. It stood immediately to the west of the Cathedral, which is situated in an elevated part of the Town. The castle stood where the royal infirmary stands today. During the turbulent period of the feudal ages, when 'power'was the only law, and the mandates of governments were but little attended to, because they seldom could be enforced; when every feudal lord sought the preservation of his own rights, and, so far as he could, the redressing of his own supposed wrongs, the great objects to be attained in domestic architecture, were strength, and the power of resistance.

The clergy, during these ages, notwithstanding their professions of piety and humility, were as ambitious, and fond of power as the most rude and warlike of the iron-clad barons; and nothing is more common, when we look back to these times, than to find what we would have wished to consider the dwelling of a peaceful churchman, the scene of fierce strife.

The Castle or Palace of the Archbishops of Glasgow, was a place of considerable strength, surrounded by a strong wall on the east, south, and west, having bastions, towers, and battlements and both from its construction and its situation, capable of making resistance to any assault which the rude tactics of these times were likely to bring against it. We therefore accordingly find, that from an early period, until the completion of the Reformation, and the final abolition of Episcopacy removed its ambitious lords, it was alternately an object of attack and defence to the several parties who agitated the kingdom with their quarrels.

About the year 1300, during that most disastrous and eventful period of Scottish history, when the tyranny and ambition of Edward I of England spread desolation and misery throughout the country, and when almost all her places of strength or grandeur were in the possession of that powerful monarch, we find, that in aid of his unprincipled and rapacious views upon the Scottish crown, he had appointed one Anthony Beik, a creature of his own, to the See of Glasgow. This prelate with Earl Percy, who had at the same time usurped the military government of the west of Scotland, took possession of the Bishop’s Palace.

The patriot Wallace, then residing in the town of Ayr, learning this, determined to free his country of them both; and, accompanied by his uncle, Adam Wallace of Riccarton, his trusty friend James Cleland, the Laird of Auchenleck and several others, with a squadron of three hundred horse, left Ayr during the night, and arrived in the neighbourhood of Glasgow early next morning. He drew up his forces near the Old Bridge, forming them into two divisions; and retaining one under his own immediate command, he assigned the other to the Laird of Auchenleck. Wallace, with the party under his command, marched directly up the High-Street towards the Castle and met the English force under Earl Percy, consisting of one thousand men, nearly opposite to where the College now stands. Here an engagement took place, which, from the superiority of the English in numbers, seemed for a time to be of doubtful issue; but Auchenleck, who, with the division under his charge, had taken a circuitous route eastward, by the ground now occupied by the Calton Barracks and Drygate, appearing at length in the rear of the English, succeeded in dividing their column, and throwing them into confusion. On seeing this, Wallace rushed towards the spot where Earl Percy was, and with one blow of his broad sword cleft his head in two.

 The rout now became general and the English Bishop deemed it most prudent, likewise, to depart, and leave both the Palace and the See, of which he had so improperly obtained possession.Not withstanding this victory, Wallace, it seems, did not think it advisable to remain at Glasgow, but set out for Bothwell, where he obtained a second victory over a party of Northumbrians, at that time esteemed the best among the English soldiers.

After the death of James V. and during the minority of his daughter, the unfortunate Mary Stuart, various disputes arose as to the Regency of the kingdom, in the course of which the Bishop’s Palace Glasgow, underwent a regular siege. On the death of the king, Cardinal Beaton, who had previously been Archbishop of Glasgow, whence he had been removed to the See of St. Andrews, was appointed Regent but he was afterwards obliged to resign the office in favour of James Hamilton, Earl of Arran, afterwards Duke of Chatelherault, the nearest heir to the throne after Mary.

 The new Regent, however, was not popular, and the Queen Dowager having joined Cardinal Beaton, in order to oppose him, they sent over to France to crave aid, and also invited Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox, then in that kingdom, to come over to their assistance. When the Earl of Arran understood that Lennox had accepted their invitation, and had set out for Scotland, he immediately entered into an arrangement with the Queen Dowager and the Cardinal, by which the latter obtained a considerable share in the government. The Earl of Lennox finding that Beaton had thus no farther use for his services, determined to use every exertion to check the ambition of this arrogant prelate.

 The French king, ignorant, of what had happened, sent a supply of 30,000 crowns to Lennox, then at Dumbarton Castle, in aid of the Queen Dowager’s party; but that nobleman, from the manner he had been treated, hesitated little in applying this money to a very different purpose from what was intended. The Regent, at the instigation of the enraged and disappointed Cardinal, levied an army with the intention of marching to Glasgow, and obtaining possession of the money. Lennox, however, aware of their design, marched from Glasgow to Leith, at the head of 10,000 men, and offered battle to his opponents. But the intriguing priest, unprepared to meet so formidable a force, artfully succeeded in obtaining a temporary truce. The Earl of Lennox, believing that this was only meant to ensnare him, set out for Glasgow, and having garrisoned the Bishop’s Palace, marched thence to Dumbarton. In the mean time, the Regent having raised a large army at Stirling, came direct to Glasgow; and laying siege to the Palace, proceeded to storm it with brass cannon. The castle held out for ten days, when a truce having been proposed, the garrison agreed to surrender, on condition of receiving quarter and indemnity. A shocking instance of the barbarous and cruel policy of the times was now exhibited ; for no sooner had the gates been opened, and the garrison had delivered up their arms, than they were indiscriminately massacred, two persons only effecting their escape.

After this disaster, Lennox, aided by the Earl of Glencairn, as a last effort, hazarded a battle with the Regent, which was fought in the neighbourhood of the city, at a place called the Butts, where the Barracks now stand. At first, Lennox seemed likely to prove victorious  but he was in the end completely defeated. On obtaining this new success, the Regent, who was much exasperated with the inhabitants of Glasgow for the assistance they afforded his opponent, gave up the city to the soldiers to plunder, which they did most effectually, carrying away or destroying every thing moveable, and even pulling down the very doors and windows of the houses.

In the year 1570, after the retreat of Queen Mary to England, the Hamiltons and their partisans laid siege to the Palace. The governor at this time was absent, and the garrison consisted of only twenty-four soldiers, yet the besieged behaved so gallantly, that the assailants were obliged, ultimately to retire with considerable loss.

Prior to the year 1517, the Mures of Caldwell in Renfrewshire, took and considerably injured, the Palace, as appears from the records of the Lords of Council, vol. 30, folio 217, which contain a decree at the instance of James, Archbishop of Glasgow, against John Mure of Caldwell, for damages on account of “ his said ancestors taking the Castill of Glasgow, and breaking down the samyn with artalzary.''

Throughout the whole course of the Reformation, the Palace of the Archbishop, as well as the Cathedral, were repeatedly assaulted by bodies of the reformers; and it is unquestionable that the near neighbourhood of the former was of great importance in preserving the church during that period. 

Scenes of strife and bloodshed, such as those I have been describing, were too often exhibited in the dwellings of the Catholic Clergy; but it would be wrong to suppose that these buildings were formed for war alone. They were, so far as was consistent with safety, also fitted for the display of all the rude luxury and splendour of those times.

Indeed, the magnitude of the Palace at Glasgow, the gardens which were attached to it, the magnificent character of many of the prelates, who at different periods possessed it, and the great wealth and extent of the diocese from which they drew their revenues, lead us to believe that the Archbishops of Glasgow maintained their feudal dignity within their Palace, with as much pomp, and as great a display of

'' Barbaric pearl and gold ''

as they were accustomed to exhibit in their public worship in the Cathedral.This pomp and worldly show were carried to a great height by Bishop Cameron. He was of the family of Lochiel, and was elected to the See of Glasgow in 1426. This great prelate not only increased the number of prebends within his diocese, by erecting new ones; but after extending and increasing the size of his own Palace, he obliged the whole of his prebends, thirty-nine in number, to reside in Glasgow, that they might attend to the business of the Cathedral. These clergymen had various offices and dignities assigned to them; the Rector of Cambuslang was made Chancellor of the church; the Rector of Carnwath, Treasurer; the Rector of Kilbride, Chanter. The Chancellor had the government of the schools, the care of the books of the Cathedral, and the keeping of the seal to the Treasurer was com¬ mitted the care of the ornaments and treasures of the church, the wax, and the lights, and he provided bread, wine, water, and candles for the different altars ; the Dean observed and corrected the manners of the other churchmen, and assigned them their proper stalls and places in the church; and the Chanter regulated the sacred music, and made choice of the boys who should sing in the choir.

The parsonages erected by these numerous churchmen, were mostly situated at the upper end of the High-Street, near the ancient Cross, the Drygate, Rottenrow, and Deanside Brae. To show the extent of these dwellings, it may be mentioned, that after the Reformation, the large suite of buildings situated at the east end of the Drygate, which had formerly been the residence of the Rector of Eaglesham, came into possession of the ancient and noble family of Montrose, and was used by them as a town residence for a number of years. The kitchen of these buildings is so large, a family of four persons could live within its chimney!

The grandeur produced by the residence of so many dignified clergymen in the neighbourhood of the Cathedral, caused an increased resort of other ecclesiastics, and noblemen of high rank and the court of Bishop Cameron may be said to have vied even with that of royalty itself. His processions and grand entries into the Cathedral were conducted with a corresponding magnificence, which was calculated to strike the beholders with awe and reverence. At the celebration of great festivals of the church, he entered the Cathedral by the great west door, followed by the thirty-nine members of his chapter, and preceded by twelve officers, one of whom carried his silver crosier, or pastoral staff, the others bearing each a silver mace, and thus they walked down the nave of the church towards the choir, accompanied by the swelling music of the organ, and the voices of the numerous choristers.