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E D IN B U R G H A R C H A E O L O G IC A L F IE L D S O C IE T Y
G eovhysical Investigations in C orstorphine
1 .
Sum m ary
A narea ground resistance survey w as carried out to the south of the parish church on
a roughly sem icircular area of ground that is now grassed and includes a w ar
m e m o ria l b u t w h ic h , u n til 1 9 2 9 , w a s b u ilt u p . A h r t h e r s u rv e y w a s m a d e w ith in S t .
M argaret's P ark on the east side of w hich lies the D ow er H ouse (otherw ise know n as
G ibson Lodge).
H ig h re s is ta n c e o n th e a re a s o u th e a s t o f th e c h u rc h c o u ld b e a s s o c ia te d w ith th e s ite

o f th e B e a d le 's H o u s e a n d o f th e s m ith y ; a d ja c e n t t o th e s m ith y is a lo w re s is ta n c e th a t s e e m s t o a lig n w ith th e p a s s a g e in to th e s m ith 's y a r d . It a p p e a r s th a t th e h ig h resistance on the south and w est sides of the printout represent only the rear of the

h o u s e s in th is a re a , th e f r o n ts h a v in g b e e n lo s t d u e to ro a d w id e n in g . It is p o s s ib le th a t
a pum p, m arked on the 1895 25 inch 0 ,s .m a p , w a s m o u n te d o v e r a w e ll a n d th a t th e

capping of the w ell appears as a sm all high resistance on the south side of the first square surveyed (G I). A bout 13m .from the w estern border of the survey four high re s is ta n c e p o in ts , o n a N -S lin e , lie a p p ro x im a te ly w h e re b u ttre s s e s o n th e re a r o f a building, are show n on a 1754 plan (R ef. 8 .6 ).

The survey in St. M argaret's Park w as lim ited on the S. side by the bow ling green and
te n n is c o u rt a n d a d ja c e n t to C o rs to rp h in e H ig h S t. by ta rm a c p a th s a n d d riv e s . In th e
.four squares surveyed to the S of the D ow er H ouse a high resistance aligns w ith a
p a th s h o w n o n th e 1 8 9 5 O . S . m a p w ith lo w re s is ta n c e to th eW
w here a large glass-
'
house stood at the tim e w hen the park w as a m arket garden.Three surveyed squares to
th eW
of the D ow er H ouse show a possible boundary w all that crosses one survey
square and a fbrther high resistance, 12m .from the H ouse, probably indicates
fo u n d a tio n s a n d d e m o litio n d e b ris o f a b u ild in g s h o w n o n th e 1 9 "' c . m a p .
2 .
I n tr o d u c tio n
T h e firs t re c o rd o f a c h a p e l a t C o rs to rp h in e w a s d u rin g th e re ig n o f D a v id I (1 0 8 4 -
1153);the nam ed ow ner being N orm an the Sheriff of B erw ick. C ow per (R ef. 8 .1 )
records that it later becam e part of the church of S t. C uthbert and both w ere bestow ed

on the Abbey of H olyrood by K ing D avid in 1128.The chapel becam e the parish church possibly at this date. A dam Forrester purchased the C orstorphine estate in 1376 and built a chantry chapel "contigua" to the parish church; C ow per suggests around 1400 w hereas Selw ay (R ef.8.2)states the chapel, dedicated to S t. John the

B a p tis t, w a s b u ilt in 1 3 8 0 . T h e p a ris h c h u rc h c o n tin u e d a s s u c h u n til th e re fo rm a tio n w hen the Forrester chapel becam e the parish church and the old parish church, after fa llin g in to d i s r e p a i r w a s d e m o lis h e d in 1 6 4 6 .

The chantry chapel w as com pleted and enlarged by Adam Forrester's son, Sir John
Forrester,in 1429 and became the Collegiatechurch.It was the wish ofAdam that
t h r e e c h a p l a i n s w o u l d s e r v e in t h e c h u r c h a n d t h e c h a r t e r f o r t h e s e w a s c o n f i r m e d b y
Jam es I to Sir John som etim e about 1429.M argaret F orrester (A dam 's w idow )
of 00

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