A last farewell to 13th century friar
Excavated remains to be buried again
The remains of a 13th century friar who may have rubbed shoulders with William Wallace and Robert the Bruce will be reinterred in the shadow of Stirling Castle this weekend.
The bones, revealed during an archaeological dig on Goosecroft Road, Stirling, belong to a member of the Dominican Friars who founded a Stirling monastery around the year 1230.
This Saturday, February 29, a civic programme of events will be held to celebrate the life of the Goosecroft Friar and re-inter him within Old Town Cemetery in the shadow of Stirling Castle.
The monastery at Goosecroft lasted for more than 300 years and the monks were known as the Blackfriars.
Historical experts believe the remains could have a unique place in Scottish history, as the Dominican may have been alive during some of the key moments from Stirling and Scotland’s past, including the Battle of Stirling Bridge and the Battle of Bannockburn.
As well as the heroes of the Wars of
Independence, the Goosecroft Friar could have borne witness to the actions of the fearsome Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, and his successor Edward II, who was defeated at Bannockburn by Robert the Bruce.
Given the high standing of the monastery in Scottish society at the time, it is even possible that he could have seen both English Kings and William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, either within the walls of his priory or on the roaming countryside around his spiritual home.
Carbon dating has pinpointed that the friar, who was probably aged between 20 and 35, would have been alive between 1271 and 1320.
Stirling Council archaeologist Dr Murray Cook said: “The human remains from the excavation represent an individual who appears to have been formally buried within the precincts of the Dominican friary.
“The remains were found with a buckle which was positioned in front of the pelvic area and, as the Dominican Friars also wore a belt cincture with a buckle, this discovery suggests that he was a friar rather than a local individual.”
A Dominican Priory was founded in Stirling in 1233AD and the brothers of the Friary were strongly entwined with Stirling life, both preaching and tending to the needs of Stirling’s citizens.
Stirling Council Bailie Councillor Chris Kane said: “This friar was a witness to a defining time in Scottish history. Did he watch the beginnings of the Wars of Independence, or did he witness from his window as the Battle of Stirling Bridge unfolded?
“Did he tend to the wounds of Edward I, who lodged at the Friary in 1298 after falling from his horse?
“It is incredible to have discovered the remains of someone who might have bore witness to the acts that shaped Stirling and Scotland as we know it.”
On Saturday, a funeral mass will be delivered by Brothers of the Dominican Order at St Mary’s Church, Upper Bridge Street, Stirling.
This will be followed by the internment ceremony at noon at the Snowdon Cemetery (between the castle and the Church of the Holy Rude) where a memorial to the Goosecroft Friar will be unveiled.