Creation and Influence of Dunfermline Abbey
The Benedictine priory was raised to the rank of an abbey in 1128 by David II, with Prior Geoffrey in place as the first abbot. During the course of several decades, the abbey gained power and wealth in Dunfermline with the dedication of 26 altars being gifted by the individuals and guilds and the bishop of Dunfermline controlled a large piece of land from Moray to Berwickshire close to the English border which included four burghs and three courts of regality. The abbey was also given permission to dig the lands of Pittencrieff in 1291 for the extraction of coal for personal usage on a lease - the oldest record of not only coal mining but also Fife industry benefiting many people who would eventually depend on this livelihood as their source of work in West Fife. There were five individual developments to the abbey all occurring between 1128 and 1450 with the construction of a nave around 1140; the expansion of the choir of the mastried church complete with a shrine in 1240 which was followed by major restoration work of the recetory partially assisted by Robert the Bruce - who died shortly after and was buried in the graveyard - in 1329 and then later with a new West Gave by Bishop Richard de Bothwell in 1450. Further work centered around the north-west tower of the nave between 1594 and 1599 by William Shaw.
The abbey though did have some rough patches with the force of the troops of Edward I causing substantial damage in 1303 which he claimed beforehand: "not a church, but a den of thieves.....a thorn in the eye of the English throne" with another contribution by the reformation lords in 1560 causing the demolition of some parts - including the removal of shrine of St Margaret which has been labelled as maybe their worst act - deterorating the state of the abbey further.
Read more about this topic: History Of Dunfermline
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