Dryburgh

Title

Dryburgh

Also Known As

Driburc, Drieburg, Drybart, Novum Castrum

Dates

Founded 1150; dissolved 1581

Dedication

John the Evangelist, Mary, Modanus

Affiliation

Alnwick

Medieval Diocese

St. Andrews

Circary

Scotland

History

Dryburgh was formally founded in 1150 with the support of Hugh de Morville, constable of Scotland, but the first brothers did not arrive on the site until late 1152. The monastic complex burned twice in the 14th century. It became a commendatory abbey in 1509.

At the Reformation, Dryburgh Abbey was resolved and the site was given to the earl of Mar. It is the burial place of Walter Scott and Douglas Haig.

Heads of Community

Abbots

Roger, 1152-1177
Gerard, 1177-1184
Adam, 1184-1188
Richard, 1188-1193
Alan, 1193-1196
Geoffrey, 1203-1209
William, 1209-1210
Thomas
Hugh, 1221-1229
Henry, fl. 1230?
Walter, 1236-1240
John, 1240-ca. 1250
Oliver, 1262-ca. 1273
William, fl. 1296
Roger, fl. 1308
William, 1316-1324
David, ca. ca. 1324-1342
Andrew, 1350-ca. 1369
John, 1381-1406
William de Dryburgh, fl. 1408
John de Aberdeen, 1408-1414
Thomas de Merton, fl. 1434
James Crawford, 1444-1445
Walter de Var, 1461-ca. 1476
John Crawford, 1478-1482
David Finlayson, fl. 1509

Status

Abbey

Archival Sources

Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland

Adv. 34.4.7. (15th c.; cartulary)

Edinburgh, National Records of Scotland

GD124/17/676 (ca. 1540-1580)

GD224/930/1, 930/43/1 (1486-1553)

Kew, The National Archives

SC 13/F23 (16th c.; seal)

Bibliography

Bulloch, J.P.B. “The Third Abbot of Dryburgh.” Records of the Scottish Church History Society 11, no. 1 (1951): 1–17. https://archive.org/details/rschsv011p1bulloch.

Campbell, D.J.F. Scotland’s Four Ruined Abbeys: Melrose, Kelso, Dryburgh, Jedburgh. Hamilton: Hamilton Advertiser, 1909.

Deans, William. Melrose and Its Vicinity: Being an Account of Such Objects of Historical and Classical Interest as Are to Be Found in Its Neighbourhood, with a History and Description of the Abbeys of Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso and Jedburgh, with a Particular Account of Abbotsford. Edinburgh: J.B. Mould, 1841. https://books.google.ie/books?id=OxgFAAAAYAAJ.

Dryburgh Abbey: Its Monks and Its Lords. Seventh Edition. Galashiels: Printed for the Proprietor by Craighead Bros., 1888. https://books.google.com/books?id=uuSdAQAACAAJ.

“Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish).” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, New Series, 4 (2003): 9–10. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/2000/2003.pdf.

Ewart, G., A. Radley, and D. Murray. “Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish): Excavation.” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, New Series, 3 (2002): 103. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/2000/2002.pdf.

Ferguson, J. “Notes on Dryburgh Abbey and Some of Its Associations.” History of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club 24 (1922): 413–22. https://archive.org/details/historyofberwick24berw/page/412/mode/2up.

Hollinrake, A. “Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish): Watching Brief.” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, New Series, 5 (2004): 115. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/2000/2004.pdf.

Hunter, James Y. “Dryburgh Abbey and Its Connection with the East Neuk of Fife.” Transactions of the Hawick Archaeological Society, 1937, 16–18.

Manuel, David Gilmour. Dryburgh Abbey, in the Light of Its Historical and Ecclesiastical Setting. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1922. https://archive.org/details/dryburghabbeyinl00manuuoft/.

Morton, James. The Monastic Annals of Teviotdale, Or, the History and Antiquities of the Abbeys of Jedburgh, Kelso, Melros and Dryburgh. Edinburgh: W.H. Lizars, 1832. https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Monastic_Annals_of_Teviotdale_Or_The.html?id=o_AHAAAAQAAJ.

Murray, David. “Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish).” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland: A’ Lorg Agus a’ Cladhach an Albainn, New Series, 10 (2009): 164. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/2000/2009_high.pdf.

Murray, David, and Alan Radley. “Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish): Watching Brief/Excavation/Standing Building Recording.” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland: A’ Lorg Agus a’ Cladhach an Albainn, New Series, 10 (2009): 159. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/2000/2008.pdf.

Richardson, J.S., and Marguerite Wood. The Abbey of Dryburgh, Berwickshire. Second Edition. Edinburgh: H. M. Stationery Office, 1948.

Sharman, P. “Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish): Watching Brief.” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, 1998, 82. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/1990/1998_perth-westernisles.pdf.

Spottiswood, John. Liber S. Marie de Dryburgh, Registrum Cartarum Abbacie Premonstratensis de Dryburgh. Bannatyne Club Publications 83. Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club, 1847. https://archive.org/details/libersmariededry00drybuoft.

Stewart, D. “Dryburgh Abbey (Mertoun Parish): Watching Brief.” Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, New Series, 1 (2000): 78. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-753-1/dissemination/pdf/2000/2000.pdf.

Steyn, C. “Two Unknown Music Fragments in the Grey Collection of the South African Library Cape Town.” South African Journal of Cultural History 26, no. 1 (2012). https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Two-unknown-music-fragments-in-the-Grey-Collection-Steyn/44249202398b95f01b1d7dfb021505fdee7fd43b.

Stringer, Keith J. “Dryburgh Abbey and Bozeat, Northants.” The Innes Review 24, no. 2 (December 1973): 133–47. https://doi.org/10.3366/inr.1973.24.2.133.

———. “The Early Lords of Lauderdale, Dryburgh Abbey and St. Andrew’s Priory at Northampton.” In Essays on the Nobility of Medieval Scotland, 44–71. Edinburgh: John Donald, 1985.

Image Credit

Ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, 2004. Wikimedia.

Files

Collection

Scotland

Citation

“Dryburgh,” A Premonstratensian Atlas, accessed October 16, 2026, https://yvonneseale.org/atlas/items/show/163.

Geolocation

Item Relations

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