LEONARD'S-ST, a parish, in the district of St-Andrew's,
county of Fife; containing 554 inhabitants.
This parish derives its name from the dedication of its
ancient church, and appears to have had its origin in
the frequent pilgrimages made by large numbers of
devotees to visit the relics of St. Andrew, said to
have been deposited by Regulus, a Grecian monk, in
the church of St. Andrew in the city of that name. The
conventual buildings there were inadequate for the accommodation
of these pilgrims; and to remedy this
deficiency, a house was erected for their entertainment,
with a church and other requisite appendages, forming
together the hospital of St. Leonard, under the patronage
of the prior and brethren of the Augustine monastery
at St. Andrew's, by whom it was endowed, and within
whose jurisdiction it was situated. After the practice of
visiting the relics of departed saints had begun to subside,
the hospital was converted into a college, iu connexion
with the university of St. Andrew's; and its
original endowment was appropriated to the maintenance
of a principal, four chaplains, and twenty-six
scholars, of whom six, under the direction of the principal,
were to devote themselves exclusively to the study
of theology. This college was afterwards united to that
of St. Salvator, an act of parliament for the purpose of
ertecting the union being passed in 1747. The buildings,
with the exception of the chapel, were then sold, and all
the classes of the United College have since been taught
at St. Salvator's, in the parish of St. Andrew's.
The chapel is situated at the east part of South- street,
a little removed from the street j and though it has long
been roofless and in ruins, it is still a fine specimen of
pointed architecture. It measures seventy-eight feet in
length and eighteen feet in width, in the interior; and
both the wall and pavement contain remains of monuments,
some of which are worthy of notice. The largest
monumentisthatof Robert Stuart, Earl of March, Bishopelect
of Caithness, and after the Reformation coramendator
of the Augustine priory of St. Andrew's: it is in the Grecian
style, and about fifteen feet in height. A monument
in memory of the famous Wynram, sub-prior of St. Andrew's,
and after the Reformation superintendent of Fife,
records that he died at the advanced age of ninety years, in
loS'^i. Another commemorates Robert Wilkie, who was
principal of the college from 1579 to l6ll, having succeeded
his uncle James Wilkie in the office: he was a
great benefactor to the institution, and is styled in the
inscription on the monument " a very famous man."
About forty feet to the south of the chapel still remains
entire, and in good condition, the official residence of
George Buchanan, the celebrated principal of the college,
and promoter of the Reformation: it is now occupied
by Sir David Breivster, principal of the United College.
The old library and hall are also entire, and are the
property of Major Hugh Lyon Playfair, of St. Leonard's,
to whom the city of St. Andrew's owes so much as its
chief magistrate and distinguished improver.
The PARISH is principally within the limits of the city
of St. Andrew's, to which it forms an appendage, and
with which in all civil matters it is intimately connected.
That part of it not surrounded by the city is bounded
on the north by the parish of St. Andrew's, on the east
by the parish of Kingsbarns, on the south by Crail,
and on the west by Dunino. The surface of the rural
district is pleasingly diversified, and the soil generally
fertile; the whole number of acres is 981, of which about
650 are arable and in a state of profitable cultivation,
and 300 in pasture and waste land. There is very little
natural wood; and the parish contains few plantations of
any extent. The system of agriculture is in an improved
condition, and the crops are oats, barley, wheat, potatoes,
and turnips; the lands are partially inclosed, and the
farm houses and offices in general substantially built
and commodious. In this parish the substrata are chiefly
freestone and sandstone; the former, though soft, is of
good quality, and very durable, and both are quarried
for building and other purposes. The principal landed
proprietors are, the principal and masters of the United
College of St. Salvator and St. Leonard, and the corporation
of the city of Glasgow. The annual value of real
property in the parish is £797.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposcs the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of St. Andrew's and synod of
Fife: patron, the Crown. The stipend of the incumbent
was formerly five chalders arising from the revenues of
the priory of St. Andrew's, and the rent of half an acre
of land bequeathed about "200 years since for the support
of the minister. By act of parliament for the augmentation
of small livings, passed in ISIO, the income has
been raised to £150 per annum, of which £88 are received
from the exchequer. There was neither manse
nor glebe; but within the last few years a glebe of four
acres, with half an acre additional for the site of a manse,
has been aiipmpriatcd, and is at present let for £18 per
annum. The church, once belonging to the college of
St. Lc(niard, and for more than two centuries the parish
church, having fallen into a state of dilapidation, the
cha|)el of St. Salvator's College has been ever since apL
propriated as the church of St. Leonard's parish, though
situated in the parish of St. Andrew's. This chapel,
erected by Bishop Kennedy in the fifteenth century, was,
previously to its being mutilated at the time of the Reformation,
an elegant and spacious structure in the decorated
English style of architecture; and it still retains
much of its original character, though greatly curtailed
in its dimensions, and stripped of many of its ornaments.
It is well adapted for a congregation of nearly 500 persons,
and besides the splendid tomb of the founder,
contains monuments to the memory of Dr. Hugh Spens,
principal of St. Salvator's from 1505 to 1534; Dr.
Alexander Pitcairn, principal from 1693 to I69B; and
Lieut. W. D. Playfair, eldest son of Provost Playfair,
who fell at the battle of Soobraon, in India, in 1846:
this last was erected by the brother officers of the deceased.
There is no school of any kind; the children
receive instruction in the schools of the city of St.
Andrew's. See Andrew's, St.