early schools and monastery, and
exercised no small influence in Christianising both the surrounding
district and Northumbria, or what is now known as the northerly parts of
England. A bishopric of Whithorn was founded by the Angles in 727, was
held by five successive bishops, and came to an end about 796, when the
disorganisation of the Northumbrian kingdom enabled the native
population to eject the strangers and assert their own independence.
During the reign of David I. (1124-1153), Fergus, Lord of Galloway,
re-established the see of Galloway, and founded at Whithorn a
Premonstratensian priory, whose church became the cathedral, and
contained the shrine of St. Ninian. The see included the whole of
Wigtownshire and the greater part of Kirkcudbrightshire; the bishop
remained under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York till at least
the fourteenth century, and in 1472 became suffragan of St. Andrews. In
1491, when Glasgow became a metropolitan see, the Bishop of Galloway
became a Vicar-General of it during vacancies. The canons of Whithorn
Priory formed the chapter of the see of Galloway, and the prior ranked
next to the bishop; the diocese was divided into three rural deaneries.
The shrine of St. Ninian became a place of pilgrimage for people from
all parts of Scotland, and was visited by Scottish queens and
kings--James IV. visited it generally once and frequently twice a year
throughout his whole reign. The priory became wealthy, and the church
and other buildings were of great extent. Among its priors may be
mentioned Gavin Dunbar (1514), who was tutor to James V. and afterwards
Archbishop of Glasgow; and James Beaton, who was prior and afterwards
Bishop of Galloway, was advanced to the archbishopric of Glasgow in
1509, and of St. Andrews in 1522.

The buildings of the priory are now reduced to the nave--an aisleless
structure--and to some underground vaulted buildings, which no doubt
formerly supported the choir and other erections above.[183] The west
tower fell in the beginning of last century; the cloister lay to the
north of the nave; the chapter-house, slype, and site of domestic
buildings extended to the north of the transept. The north wall of the
nave interior contains two pointed recesses for monuments, which are of
excellent design. At the south-west angle of the nave is a doorway which
is undoubtedly Norman,[184] and the sculptures on the right and left of
the projecting wall point to a close affin