On an Altar Stone found at Coldingharn, by J. Hardy. 541 



" removeable, precious, and often very costly coverings of marble 

 or metal upon a frame of wood, which were placed on altars for 

 purposes of magnificence and devotion." These are the principal 

 particulars supplied by the Inventories about the Coldingharn 

 altars. 



The Priory of Coldingharn having been dedicated to the Virgin 

 Mary, we might expect that one of the altars would be set apart 

 to the patroness. Accordingly this was the case. A Eetour of 

 April 6, 1620, in favour of Jean Home, wife of Mr Alexander 

 Home, minister of the word of God at Ayton, heiress of her 

 father, Alexander Home, in Coldingharn, discloses the particulars 

 of the endowment for sustaining the services at this altar. It 

 consisted of the cultivable lands in Coldingharn, underwritten, 

 viz., an acre called Langlands-aiker ; three perches commonly 

 called Ladyrig ; two portions of the same called Milnesyid ; an 

 acre called Fluirdensyde ; three perches of land called Steill ; an 

 acre of land in Eyemouth named Mylneland ; two portions of the 

 same with a dwelling called Ladiehous, and a garden in the town 

 of Coldinghame ; another dwelling in that town ; all situated in 

 the town, territory, and barony of Coldinghame, the tithes being 

 included ; which lands, &c, had once belonged to the Chaplain 

 of the altar of the Blessed Mary, the Virgin ; the value on the 

 tax roll being 13 shillings. (Retours, Berwick, No. 118). On 

 February 19, 1624, Alexander Home de Hound wood is retoured 

 heir of Mr (or Revd.) Alexander Home de Houndwood, his 

 father, who was perhaps the same as the minister of Ayton (Ibid, 

 No. 133). The lands of St. Mary, however, are not mentioned, 

 as forming a share of his heritage. — According to Walcott, the 

 altar of St. Mary in a large church was usually in a chapel east- 

 ward of the presbytery. 



The date of this relic of the old religion cannot be readily 

 ascertained. The design may date from the ninth century. " In 

 the Alte Dom Chapel of the Cloisters, Eatisbon, an altar of the 

 ninth century has crosses within circles " ( Walcott' s Sacred 

 Archaeology, p. 20). But it may more properly have belonged 

 to a later stage in ecclesiastical history, when emblems assumed 

 an exaggerated importance. In Aske's Yorkshire rebellion, in 

 1536, against Henry VIII., entitled the " Pilgrimage of Grace," 

 the five wounds were represented on the banners, to inflame the 

 zeal of the multitude. " For giving it reputation, certain priests 



