Glasgow Cathedral, also called the High Kirk of Glasgow or St Kentigern's or St
Mungo's Cathedral, is today a gathering of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow.
The title cathedral is honorific and historic, dating from the period before
the Scottish Reformation and its former status as the Roman Catholic mother
church of the Archdiocese of Glasgow and the cathedra of the Archbishop of
Glasgow. The current congregation is part of the Church of Scotland's
Presbytery of Glasgow. Glasgow Cathedral is located north of High Street and east
of Cathedral Street, beside the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
History The history of the cathedral is linked
with that of the city, and is allegedly located where the patron saint of
Glasgow, Saint Mungo, built his church. The tomb of the saint is in the lower
crypt. Walter Scott's novel Rob Roy gives an account of the kirk.
Built before the Reformation from the late 12th century onwards and serving as
the seat of the Bishop and later the Archbishop of Glasgow, the building is a
superb example of Scottish Gothic architecture. It is also one of the few
Scottish medieval churches to have survived the Reformation not unroofed.
James IV ratified the treaty of Perpetual Peace with England at the high
altar on 10 December 1502. The cathedral and the nearby castle played a part in
the battles of Glasgow in 1544 and 1560. Twenty years after the Reformation, on
22 April 1581 James VI gifted the income from a number of lands to Glasgow town
for the kirk's upkeep. He traced the ownership of these lands to money left
by Archbishop Gavin Dunbar as a legacy for repairing the cathedral. The town
council agreed on 27 February 1583 to take responsibility for repairing the
kirk, while recording they had no obligation to do so. The church survives
because of this resolution. Inside, the rood screen is also a very rare survivor
in Scottish churches. Technically, the building is no longer a
cathedral, since it has not been the seat of a bishop since 1690. However,
like many other pre-Reformation cathedrals in Scotland, it is still a
place of active Christian worship, hosting a Church of Scotland
congregation. The current minister is the Rev Laurence A. B. Whitley, PhD, who
was previously minister at Montrose Old and St Andrew's Parish Church. The
previous minister was the Very Rev William Morris, who was minister from
1967 until retiring in November 2005. The building itself is in the ownership
of the Crown, is maintained by Historic Scotland, and is a popular destination
for tourists. = University of Glasgow=
The University of Glasgow originated in classes held within the precinct of the
Cathedral. William Turnbull, Bishop of Glasgow was primarily responsible for
the foundation of the University around the year 1451. The Bishops of Glasgow
served as Chancellors of the University for around two hundred years. In 1460,
the University moved out of the Cathedral to an adjacent site on the
east side of the High Street, and moved to its current home on Gilmorehill in
1870. Music
Glasgow Cathedral's professional choir is composed of 8 Choristers and 6 Choral
Scholars. The current Director of Music is Andrew Forbes and the Cathedral
Organist is Dr. Malcolm Sim. The four-manual Father Willis organ was
installed in 1879, and has been maintained by Harrison & Harrison since
they rebuilt the instrument in 1996. = Directors of Music=
1879 Alfred Peace 1897 Herbert Walton
1929 R H Clifford Smith 1936 Walter Emery
1965 John Turner 2012 Richard Pratt
Other cathedrals in Glasgow Other cathedrals in Glasgow are St.
Andrew's Cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral and St Luke's Cathedral.
List of ministers Archibald Inglis
Ralph Rodger James Brown
George Campbell John Hamilton
William Taylor Duncan Macfarlan
John Robertson George Stewart Burns
Pearson McAdam Muir James McGibbon
Lauchlan Maclean Watt Neville Davidson
William Morris Laurence A. B. Whitley
Other burials Robert Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow
James Law, Archbishop of Glasgow Peter Lowe, doctor and medical author
Charles Macintosh, inventor of the MacKintosh
External links Official site of Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral – site information from Historic Scotland
Glasgow Cathedral Precinct – History and original drawings of the Cathedral area.
Glasgow Cathedral – from Virtual Scotland
Glasgow Cathedral Photographs Footnotes