Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 2

LEU
258
LEV
Kettle, in his first statistical account of the parish,
says he had been able to find no authority for this
statement. — These crofters have now been all for
many years removed, and the muir formed into some
extensive farms. A great portion of it, however, is
incapable of cultivation, and is employed in rearing
sheep ; the rabbits which at one time occupied a
considerable part of it having been nearly all extir-
pated. This parish is in the presbytery of St An-
drews, and synod of Fife. Patron, the Crown.
Stipend ,£238 lis. lOd. ; glebe £30. Unappro-
priated Crown teinds £527 lis. 8d. The church
formerly belonged to the priory of St. Andrews, the
monks of which drew the tithes and supplied the
cure. It is situated in the village of Leuchars; and
is an old building, which appears to have been
erected at four different periods,* but is comfortable
* The eastern portion of the building, which has formed the
original church, is obviously of threat antiquity, and is exceed-
ingly interesting' as exhibiting- a beautiful example of ancient
architecture. It is in the Norman style ; and is worthy of par-
ticular notice, as being th> only parish-church in Scotland now
remaining - in that early style. It consists of two part^, a rec-
tangular portion which had formed the chancel, and a semicir-
cular apsis at the east end, of less breadth and height, in which
the altar had been placed. Its extreme length within the walls,
from what had formed the western entrance to the east end of
the ap^is is 33 feet; the breadth of the chancel about IS feet,
and of the apsis 12 feet. The height of the walls of the chancel
is 22 feet, and of those of the apsis about 18 feet. The thick-
ness of the walls is about 3 feet. The walls of the chancel on
the outside, both on the south and north, present two stages or
stories. The lower stage is ornamented with four double col-
umns, and two single columns at each end, with ornamented
capitals, from which spring semicircular arches, which inter-
lace each other, forming pointed arches at their intersection.
Above these arches there is a band or fillet forming the base of
the second story, and supporting four double and two single
columns as on the lower stage. From these spring live semi-
circular arches, ornamented with a double moulding, the inner
being a zigzag or chevron moulding, such as is generally found
on buildings of this style, and the outer a billet moulding.
Above these arches is a range of corbels carved into grotesque
heads, supporting the upp*r part of the wall which slightly pro-
jects, and from which springs the roof. The wall of the chan-
cel is pierced in the second story with two windows on the
south side and one on the north : they are narrow and semicir-
cular ;tt top, and are ornamented on the inside with pillars, and
rich mouldings from the soflets of the arches. The apsis also
presents two stories. They are both decorated with pillars and
arches with chevron and billet mouldings, and surmounted by a
range of grotesque corbel heads, as on the chancel ; but the
arches of the lower stage do not interlace each other as in the
lower stage of the chancel. The upper stage of the apsis is also
pierced with three windows similar to the chancel, and simi-
larly ornamented in the inside ; one of these fronts the east, one
the south-east, and the other north-east. A lofty arch opened
from the apsis into the chancel, and another appears to have
formed the western entrance, both of which are ornamented
with three sleude'r pillars. The portion of the church imme-
diate. y west of this seems to have been erected at a subsequent
period, and to have formed a nave, whilst the chancel then
formed the choir of the church. A third portion appears to
have been added about the period of the Reformation, to in-
crease the accommodation, and a fourth portion, forming an
aisle on the north, some time in the last century, for the same
purpose. The three last erected portions form the present
place of worship, the communication with the older portion
except a small door being now closed up. The floor of the old
chancel is formed of grave-stones, and it is now little else than
a tomb. One of the grave-stones has the figure of a lady carved
upon it, and from the inscription, had been placed there in
memory of Dame Agnes Lindsay, the wife of William Bruce of
Earlshall, who appears to have erected a considerable portion
of that ancient mansion. The appearance of this unique
piece of Norman architecture has been considerably injured by
modern alteration. The windows on the south side of the chan-
cel, and one in the apsis, have been built up, and square win-
dows inserted, divided by a single stone mulliou. The roof of
the apsis, too, has been destroyed by the erection of an ugly
belfry over it, and the other two wiudows are partially blocked
up by a rude arch thrown across the building to support it. It
is highly to be wished that these modern barbarisms were re-
moved, and that this beautiful little chapel were restored, as
far as possible, to its original appearance j which might be done
at no great expense. Nothing is known us to the exact period
when this portion of the church was built; but from the style
of the architecture, it must have been in the 12th, or early in
the 13th century. Robert de Quinci obtained the lordship of
Leuchars by marriage with the daughter of Ness during the
reign of William the Lyon ; and his son Seyer de Quinci, Earl
of Winchester, succeeded him in 1190, and died in 1211). As he
resided at Leuchars-castle, and had bis principal court there, it
seems extremely probable that it was erected by hi in, some
time between these two periuds, as a place of worship for Iain-
self and his family.
and well-lighted, and seated for 850 sitters. — There
is only one dissenting chapel in the parish, which is
situated at the village of Balmullo. It is connected
with the Associate Synod of Original Seceders. The
parish school is in the village of Leuchars, and is
well-attended. Besides his fees, the teacher has a
dwelling-house and school-room, the maximum salary,
and the interest of 2,000 merks Scots, witn a glebe
of two acres of land bequeathed by the Rev. Alex-
ander Henderson. Besides the parish-school there
are three other schools in the parish. One of these
is supported by Mr. Lindsay of Balcarres, and in it
sewing and English reading are taught at a cheap rate.
The other two are supported by the fees alone, and
are well-attended. There is also a well-attended
Sabbath evening school. A parish-library has been
instituted by private subscription, which contains a
considerable number of volumes on general literature.
Where the schoolhouse now stands, there was once
a chapel dedicated to St. Bennet, of which Sir
Thomas Wemyss was chaplain at the Reformation.
No remains of it now exist, but stone coffins enclos-
ing human bones have been found near its site. It
is said that a chapel also stood near the house of
Ardit, where a small field was called the glebe ; and
at Easter Dron there was another chapel and bury-
ihg-ground, where a field also retained the name of
the glebe. On Craigie-hill an earthen vase was
found in 180S, which contained 100 silver coins in
excellent preservation. They were Roman, and
mostly of the emperors Severus, Antoninus, Faus-
tina, &c.
LEUTHER. See Luther.
LEVEN, a village in the parish of Scoonie, in
Fifeshire ; 9 miles east of Kirkcaldy, and 2 south of
Kennoway. It is situated at the mouth of the river
Leven, which here forms a safe harbour for small
vessels, admitting vessels of 300 tons burthen at
spring-tides. There is another harbour at the an-
cient and decayed town of Metlull, about a mile to
the west. Between Methill and the mouth of the
Leven there are some fine open links or downs. On
the inner side of these downs lies the neat vil-
lage of Dubbieside, belonging to the parish of Mark-
inch, which is connected hy a handsome suspension-
bridge with the town of Leven. This very useful
erection cost altogether about £530, which was
raised in shares by a joint-stock company. A half-
penny is charged for each person passing. The sta-
ple trade of Leven is the weaving of linen goods,
which employs a considerable number of hands. For
the preparation and spinning of flax there are exten-
sive works at Kirkland, on the right bank of the
Leven, about half-a-mile above the town. It con-
sists of two principal streets, which run parallel to
each other, with a variety of cross lanes branching
off from them; and contains about 2,000 inhabi-
tants, who are chiefly employed in the manufac-
ture of coarse linen. There are here a brick and a
tile-work, a bone-mill, a flax spinning-mill, and an
iron-found ery. It has seven annual fairs, viz., on
the 2d Wednesday in April, O.S. ; the 2d Wednes-
day in June, and the 1st and last Wednesday in July j
the 3d Wednesday in August; the 3d Wednesday in
September ; and 3d Wednesday in October. The
Commercial bank has a branch here. See Scoonie.
LEVEN-CASTLE. See Innerkip.
LEVEN (Loch), -J* a beautiful expanse of water,
f *' The name, Lochleven, finely discriminates its gentle im-
agery, L/wa, Brit., Loch, Gall., signify ' a lake," 'an inlet of
the sea,' 'a large diffusion of inland water.' Lh/vn, Llyvyn,
BtiiT., 'smooth,' 'even,' 'level;' Leamhain, Gael.', ink as v,
'smooth,' ' plain,' 'even ;' Llwc-LIyvn, Loch-Ledvain, ' the lake
of the tranquil or waveleas water. 1 Perhaps from Llioyven,
Brit., 'an elm," or Lfwyvin, ' belonging to, or abounding with
elm-trees,' Loch-Leven may have been denominated * the Lake
of Elms;* and, probably, of old, these trees may have been nu-
merous on its snores." — Kennedy's ' Gtcnuchel^ voL i. p. 1-lL