Morenish Chapel Churchyard, Gatepiers And Boundary Wall, Morenish, Highland, Perth and Kinross

Description

A memorial chapel in the Arts and Crafts style, built in 1902. The single storey, 3-bay, rectangular-plan stone chapel has two bronze sarcophagi to the east of the chapel and is situated in an isolated rural setting. It is constructed of dressed and coursed granite with buff sandstone dressings, with prominent crowstepped gables with keystoned arches. The exaggerated battered profile incorporates engaged buttresses to all angles and the entrance. There is a floral cross relief to the east gable, inscribed 'In Memoriam MCMI' and flanked by fleur-de-lys.

The principal (south) elevation has a keystoned and deeply recessed arched doorway to the far left with a boarded and glazed timber door. There is a pair of stone-mullioned tripartite windows to the right with corniced cills. The north (rear) elevation has a stone projecting lean-to, with a tall slender and corniced stone chimney stack. There are leaded pane timber windows throughout with stone cills. The pitched roof is slated with timber purlins, a stone ridge course, metal gutters and downpipes.

The interior was seen in 2015 and has a good Arts and Crafts decorative scheme dating to 1902. The coloured glass window (also of 1902) by Tiffany Studios of New York was removed in June 2015. The ashlar vestibule and vestry has two small windows. There is an arched keystone two-leaf timber door leading into the main worship space which has a ribbed tunnel vaulted ceiling. There is a fireplace with an oak overmantel to the north wall, with splayed ingoes and decorative tiling. The fixtures and fittings dating to 1902 are mostly intact, with Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau style ironwork, including the Todd family monogram set in the decorative font.

There is a carved inscription, painted in red, around the ashlar arch to the east which reads: Born 23rd Sept MDCCCLXX [1870] - In memory of Elvira Wife of H W Henderson and daughter of Aline Todd – Died Dec 18th MCMI [1901].

To the east of the chapel is an exceptional and rare pair of large bronze sarcophagi with inscriptions and decorative floral reliefs in the Art Nouveau style, commemorating Sir Joseph White Todd (to the south) and his wife Aline Elizabeth (Fanny) Lefebvre (to the north).

Tapered octagonal-plan gatepiers with exaggerated octagonal caps are located to the entrance and at angles where the boundary wall returns from the road. There is a low coped and coursed rubble boundary wall to the north.

Statement of Interest

Morenish Chapel is a fine example of a memorial chapel with richly symbolic crafted Arts and Craft decoration to the interior and highly decorated sarcophagi to the exterior. The building was executed to a high specification for its scale and location, with a wealth of architectural treatment and attention to detail to its interior and exterior.

The chapel at Morenish was commissioned in 1902 by Aline Elizabeth Todd, wife of Sir Joseph White Todd, Baronet, in memory of her daughter Elvira Todd Henderson, who died in childbirth. The chapel is shown on the 3rd Edition Ordnance Survey map, surveyed in 1903 and published in 1906. Aline and Joseph are buried at Morenish in two highly decorative bronze sarcophagi in the grounds of the chapel.

The chapel was constructed near Morenish Lodge, the Highland residence of the Todd family. Aline White Todd lived in New York City before her marriage to Joseph Todd, and her daughter (from her first marriage) Elvira spent her early childhood in the city. Aline would likely have been aware of American trends in art and architecture at the turn of the 20th century which may have influenced the commission of Morenish Chapel, including the choice of a coloured glass window designed by Tiffany Studios

The octagonal piers at the wall and gate do not appear to match the style of the church and may be of an earlier date.

Small family chapels or mortuary chapels are most frequently found on large estates, and in crypts and mausoleums in church graveyards. The construction of family commemorative chapels underwent a decline in the late 19th century, however some of the formalities of mourning and commemoration remained in the early part of the 20th century. Late 19th and early 20th century estate chapels, war memorials or memorials to individuals can be richly decorated in honour of the deceased. The inclusion of a highly decorative interior, as is the case at Morenish, was less common for this building type during the early 20th century.

While the architect has not been identified it is likely to be by someone of note. Stylistically, it appears to be similar to the work of George Penrose Kennedy (GPK) Young.

External Links

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