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STIRLING

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Originally appearing in Volume V25, Page 927 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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STIRLING , a royal, municipal and See also:

police See also:burgh, See also:river See also:port 90 ft. high. The See also:nave (the See also:West See also:church), divided from the and See also:county See also:town of See also:Stirlingshire, See also:Scotland. Pop. (1901), aisles by a See also:double See also:row of massive See also:round pillars, is a transition 18,697. It is finely situated on the right See also:bank of the Forth, between Romanesque and See also:Gothic, with pointed windows. 391 M. N.W. of See also:Edinburgh and 291 M. N.E. of See also:Glasgow, being The See also:crow-stepped Gothic gable of the See also:south See also:transept affords served by the See also:North See also:British and the Caledonian See also:railways. the See also:main entrance to both churches. The See also:choir is in the The old town occupies the slopes of a basaltic See also:hill (420 ft. above I Decorated and Perpendicular styles and is higher than the nave. the See also:sea) terminating on the north and west in a sheer precipice. The See also:parish church is 200 ft. See also:long, 55 ft. broad and 5o ft. high. The See also:modern quarters have been laid out on the level ground at Within its walls See also:Mary See also:Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543, the See also:base, especially towards the south. Originally the town when nine months old, and in the same See also:year the See also:earl of See also:Arran, was protected on its vulnerable sides by a See also:wall, of which remains i See also:regent of Scotland, abjured Protestantism; in 1544 an See also:assembly still exist at the south end of the See also:Black Walk.

Formerly there were two main entrances—the South Port, See also:

loo yds. to the west of the See also:present See also:line of Port See also:Street, and the " auld brig " over the Forth to the north, a See also:quaint high-pitched structure of four See also:arches, now closed to See also:traffic. It See also:dates from the end of the 14th See also:century and was once literally "the See also:key to the See also:Highlands." It still retains the gateway towers at both ends. Just below it is the new See also:bridge erected in 1829 from designs by See also:Robert See also:Stevenson, and below this again the railway viaduct. According to See also:local tradition, a bridge stood at Kildean, 1 m. up the river, not far from the See also:field of the See also:battle of Stirling Bridge (1297). The See also:castle crowning the See also:eminence is of unknown See also:age; but from the See also:time that See also:Alexander I. died within its walls in 1124 till the See also:union of the crowns in 1603 it was intimately associated with the fortunes of the Scottish monarchs. It is one of the for-tresses appointed by the See also:Act of Union to be kept in a See also:state of repair, and is approached from the esplanade, on which stands the See also:colossal statue of Robert See also:Bruce, erected in 1877. The main gateway, built by See also:James III., gives See also:access to the See also:lower and then to the upper square, on the south See also:side of which stands the See also:palace, begun by James V. (1540) and completed by Mary of See also:Guise. The See also:east side of the quadrangle is occupied by the See also:parliament See also:house, a Gothic See also:building of the time of James III., now used as a barrack-See also:room and stores. On the north side of the square is the See also:chapel royal, founded by Alexander I., rebuilt in the 15th century and again in 1594 by James VI. (who was christened in it), and afterwards converted into an armoury and finally a See also:store-room. Beyond the upper square is the small castle See also:garden, partly destroyed by See also:fire in 1856 but restored, in which See also:William, 8th earl of See also:Douglas, was murdered by James II.

(1452). Just below the castle on the north-east is the path of Ballangeich, which is said to have given private access to the fortress, and from which James V. took his See also:

title of "Guidman of Ballangeich " when he roved incognito. Below it is Gowan Hill, and beyond this the Mote or Heading Hill, on which Murdoch See also:Stuart, 2nd See also:duke of See also:Albany, his two sons, and his,fatherin-See also:law the earl of See also:Lennox, were beheaded in 1425. In the See also:plain to the south-west were the See also:King's Gardens, now under grass, with an octagonal See also:turf-covered See also:mound called the King's See also:Knot in the centre. Farther south lies the King's See also:Park, chiefly devoted to See also:golf, See also:cricket, See also:football and See also:curling, and containing also a See also:race-course. On a hill of lower See also:elevation than the castle and separated from the esplanade by a depression styled the Valley—the tilting-ground of former times—a See also:cemetery has been laid out. Among its See also:chief features are the Virgin Martyrs' Memorial, representing in See also:white See also:marble a See also:guardian See also:angel and the figures of See also:Margaret M'Lauchlan and Margaret See also:Wilson, who were drowned by the rising See also:tide in See also:Wigtown See also:Bay for their fidelity to the See also:Covenant (1685); the large See also:pyramid to the memory of the See also:Covenanters, and the Ladies' See also:Rock, from which of nobles appointed Mary of Guise queen-regent; on the 29th of See also:July 1567 James VI. was crowned, See also:John See also:Knox See also:preaching the See also:sermon, and in See also:August 1571 and See also:June 1578 the See also:general assembly of the Church of Scotland met. James See also:Guthrie (1612-1661), the See also:martyr, and Ebenezer See also:Erskine (1680-1794), founder of the Scottish See also:Secession Church, were two of the most distinguished ministers. To the south-west of the church is Cowane's See also:Hospital, founded in 1639 by John Cowane, See also:dean of gild, for twelve poor members of the gildry; but the deposition of the charity has been modified and the See also:hall serves the purpose of a gildhall. Adjoining it is the military See also:prison. Near the See also:principal entrance to the esplanade stands See also:Argyll's Lodging, erected about 1630 by the 1st earl of Stirling. On his See also:death in 1640 it passed to the 1st See also:marquess of Argyll and is now a military hospital.

Broad Street contains the ruins of See also:

Mar's See also:Work, the palace built by John Erskine, 1st (or 6th) earl of Mar, about 1570, according to tradition, out of the stones of Cambuskenneth See also:Abbey; the old town house, erected in 1701 instead of that in which John See also:Hamilton, the last See also:Roman See also:Catholic See also:archbishop of St See also:Andrews, was hanged for alleged complicity in the murders of See also:Darnley and the regent See also:Moray; the town See also:cross, restored in 1891, and the house which was, as a mural tablet says, the " nursery of James VI. and his son See also:Prince See also:Henry." The important buildings include: the high school; the trades hall, founded by Robert Spittal, James IV.'s tailor, in the Back Walk; the burgh buildings, with a statue of See also:Sir William See also:Wallace over the See also:porch; the See also:National Bank, occupying the site of the Dominican monastery, founded in 1223 by Alexander II. and demolished at the See also:Reformation; the See also:Smith See also:Institute, founded in 1873 by See also:Thomas See also:Stewart Smith, an artist, containing a picture-See also:gallery, museum and See also:reading-room; the public halls; the Royal Infirmary and various charitable institutions. Woollen manufactures (carpets, tartans, shawls) are the See also:staple See also:industry, and tanning, See also:iron-See also:founding, See also:carriage-building and agricultural See also:implement-making are also carried on, in addition to See also:furniture factories, See also:cooperage and See also:rubber See also:works. The See also:harbour being accessible only at high See also:water, and then merely to vessels of small See also:tonnage, the See also:shipping See also:trade is inconsiderable. Stirling is under the See also:jurisdiction of a See also:council with See also:provost and bailies, and, along with See also:Culross, See also:Dunfermline, See also:Inverkeithing and See also:Queensferry (the Stirling burghs) returns a member to Parliament. The Abbey See also:Craig, an outlying See also:spur of the Ochils, 11 m. north-east of Stirling, is a thickly-wooded hill (362 ft. high), on the See also:top of which stands the Wallace See also:monument (1869), a baronial See also:tower, 220 ft. high, surmounted with an open-work See also:crown. The See also:Valhalla, or Hall of Heroes, contains busts of eminent Scotsmen. Cambuskenneth Abbey is situated on the See also:left bank of the Forth, about 1 m. east-north-east of Stirling by See also:ferry across the river. The name is derived from the Gaelic and means the Crook of See also:Kenneth," or Cairenachus. a friend of St See also:Columba and See also:patron of See also:Kilkenny in See also:Ireland. The abbey, which was in the See also:Early Pointed See also:style, was founded by See also:David I. in 1147 for monks of the See also:order of St See also:Augustine. Several Scots parliaments met within its walls, notably that of 1326, the first attended by burgesses from the towns. At the Reformation Mary Queen of Scots bestowed it on the 1st earl of Mar (1562), who is said to have used the stones for his palace in Stirling. In 1709 the town council of Stirling See also:purchased the See also:land and ruins.

All that remains of the abbey is the massive, four-storeyed tower—which is 70 ft. high, and 35 ft. square, and was painted and repaired in 1864—the graceful west See also:

doorway and the See also:foundations of some of the walls. The bones of James III. and his queen, Margaret of See also:Denmark, who were buried within the precincts, were discovered in 1864 and re-interred next year under a See also:tomb erected by Queen See also:Victoria at the high See also:altar. Earlier forms of the name of Stirling are Strivilen, Estriuelen, Striviling and See also:Sterling, besides the Gaelic Struithla. It was known also as Snowdoun, which became the See also:official title of the Scots heralds. The See also:Romans had a station here (Benobara). In 1119 it was a royal burgh and under Alexander I. was one of the See also:Court of Four Burghs (superseded under James III. by the See also:Convention of Royal Burghs). In 1174 it was handed over to the See also:English in See also:security for the treaty of See also:Falaise, being restored to the Scots by See also:Richard I. The earliest known See also:charter was that granted in 1226 by Alexander II., who made the castle a royal See also:residence. The fortress was repeatedly besieged during the See also:wars of the Scottish See also:Independence. In 1304 it See also:fell with the town to See also:Edward I. The English held it for ten years, and it was in order to raise the Scottish See also:siege in 1314 that Edward II. risked the battle at See also:Bannockburn. Edward See also:Baliol surrendered it in 1334 in terms of his compact with Edward III., but the Scots regained it in 1339.

From this time till the collapse of Queen Mary's fortunes in 1568, Stirling almost shared with Edinburgh the See also:

rank and privileges of See also:capital of the See also:kingdom. It was the birthplace of James II. in 1430 and probably of James III. and James IV. In 1571 an See also:attempt was made to surprise the castle by Mary's adherents, the regent Lennox being slain in the fray, and seven years later it was captured by James Douglas, 4th earl of See also:Morton, after which a reconciliation took See also:place between the Protestants and Roman Catholics. It was occupied in 1584 by the earls of See also:Angus and Mar, the See also:Protestant leaders, who, however, fled to See also:England on the approach of the king. Next year they returned with a strong force and compelled James VI, to open the See also:gates, his See also:personal safety having been guaranteed. In 1504 Prince Henry was baptized in the chapel royal, which had been rebuilt on a larger See also:scale. After the union of the crowns (1603) Stirling ceased to See also:play a prominent See also:part on the national See also:stage. The privy council and court of session met in the town in 1637 on See also:account of the disturbed state of Edinburgh. In 1641 See also:Charles I. gave it its last governing charter, and four years afterwards parliament was held in Stirling on account of the See also:plague in the capital, but the outbreak of the pest in Stirling caused the legislators to remove to See also:Perth. During the See also:Civil See also:War the Covenanters held the town, to which the committees of church and state adjourned after See also:Cromwell's victory at See also:Dunbar (165o), but in August next year the castle was taken by General See also:Monk. In 1715 the 3rd duke of Argyll held it to prevent the passage of the Forth by the See also:Jacobites, and in 1746 it was ineffectually besieged by Prince Charles Edward. In 1773, in consequence of an intrigue on the part of three members of the council to retain themselves in See also:office, the town was deprived of its corporate privileges, which were not restored until 1781.

See See also:

History of the Chapel Royal, Stirling (Grampian See also:Club, 1882) ; Charters of Stirling (1884); John See also:Jamieson, See also:Bell the See also:Cat (Stirling, 19o2); The Battle of Stirling Bridge—the Kildean Myth (Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1905). STIRLING-See also:MAXWELL, SIR WILLIAM, See also:BART. (1818-1878), Scottish See also:man of letters and virtuoso, the only son of See also:Archibald Stirling of Keir, See also:Perthshire, and of See also:Elizabeth, third daughter of Sir John Maxwell, seventh See also:baronet of See also:Pollok, See also:Renfrewshire, was See also:born at See also:Kenmure, near Glasgow, on the 8th of See also:March,1818. William Stirling was educated privately and at Trinity See also:College, See also:Cambridge, where he graduated in 1839. On leaving Cambridge he spent some years abroad, chiefly in See also:Spain and See also:Syria. Having succeeded his See also:father as proprietor of Keir in 1847, when he was made See also:vice-See also:lieutenant of Perthshire, he in 1852 entered parliament as member for that county; and he was several times re-elected. On the death of his See also:uncle in 1865 he succeeded to the baronetcy and estates of Pollok, assuming the additional name of Maxwell. In the same year he became See also:deputy-lieutenant of See also:Lanarkshire, and a like office was conferred on him in Renfrewshire in 187o. He married in 1865 See also:Anna Maria, daughter of the loth earl of See also:Leven and See also:Melville. She died in 1874, and in 1876 Sir William married See also:Caroline See also:Norton. In 1862 he was chosen See also:lord See also:rector of St Andrews, in 1872 the same See also:honour was. conferred by Edinburgh, and in 1876 he became See also:chancellor of Glasgow. He was a trustee of the British Museum, of the National Gallery, and member of the See also:senate of See also:London University.

In 1876 he was created a See also:

Knight of the See also:Thistle, being the only commoner of the order. He died at See also:Venice on the 15th of See also:January 1878. Sir W. Stirling-Maxwell's works, which are invariably characterized by thorough workmanship and excellent See also:taste, were in some cases issued for private circplation only, and almost all of them are now exceedingly rare. They. include an early See also:volume of See also:verse (Songs of the See also:Holy Land, .1848.), and several volumes containing costly reproductions of old engravings, along with valuable explanatory See also:matter. His best-known publications are See also:Annals of the Artists of Spain (1848), The See also:Cloister See also:Life of Charles V. (1852). Part of the Annals was revised and published as Velasquez and his Works (1855). The Cloister Life was at once recognized as a valuable contribution to history, but its importance was lessened by the See also:appearance a year or two later of See also:Mignet's Charles-Quint and L. P. See also:Gachard's Retraite et mart de Charles-Quint. A life of See also:Don John of See also:Austria, from his See also:posthumous papers, edited by Sir G.

W. See also:

Cox, appeared in 1883. A collected edition of his works, with a See also:short memoir. appeared in 1891.

End of Article: STIRLING

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STIRLING, JAMES (1692-1770)