Whispers of history echo from these very stones. Welcome to the Magdalen Chapel a 16th-century marvel nestled on Edinburgh’s Cowgate. This isn’t just any chapel. It’s a place where the threads of faith commerce and rebellion intertwine. Built between 1541 and 1544 the Magdalen Chapel stands as a testament to the generosity of Janet Rynd. She poured a significant sum 2000 pounds over and above her late husband Michael MacQueen’s 700 pounds to erect this building. Michael a spice and linen merchant to the royal household envisioned a place of worship and an almshouse for seven poor men. These men were to pray for the soul of Mary Queen of Scots.
Before the Reformation Mary of Guise the Queen Regent arranged for academic lectures here within the Magdalen Chapel’s walls. The Magdalen Chapel was more than a place of prayer. It was a hub of activity. After Janet Rynd’s death in 1553 patronage of the Magdalen Chapel passed to the Incorporation of Hammermen a metalworkers’ guild. They faced financial challenges after the Reformation. The chapel’s chaplain remained Roman Catholic while the Hammermen adopted Protestantism. This led to rent disputes and financial struggles. Despite these challenges the Magdalen Chapel continued to be a vital part of Edinburgh life.
The Magdalen Chapel hosted the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in April 1578. A tradition claims that the very first General Assembly in 1560 was held here too. John Craig a Dominican friar turned reformer preached here. He spoke in Latin having been out of Scotland for many years. The Magdalen Chapel was a refuge for the Covenanters. They held conventicles there. The bodies of executed Covenanters including the Marquis of Argyle Hew Mackail and John Dick were prepared for burial in the Magdalen Chapel after their executions in the nearby Grassmarket. Their heads and hands once displayed gruesomely in Edinburgh were gathered at the Magdalen Chapel before burial in Greyfriars Kirk.
The Magdalen Chapel’s history is rich with detail. Examine the inscription above the door. It reads ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and the Lord will recompense him that which he hath given Pro XIX vers XVII’. Notice the semi-circular wooden platform at the east end installed around 1615. The carved armorial panel above the door by John Sawer was moved to its current position in 1649. The tower and spire date from around 1620. A bell cast by Michael Burgerhuys of Middelburg a Dutch bell founder is from 1632. Sadly the original ceiling is gone. But a fragment painted in ‘skye colour with clouds and a sin (sic sun) gilded in the centre’ by Alexander Boswall in 1725 remains.
The south wall’s stained glass is remarkable. It features the Royal Arms of Scotland and the Arms of Mary of Guise. It’s the only intact pre-Reformation stained glass window in Scotland. A sword said to have belonged to Captain John Paton a Covenanter and the table used to prepare executed Covenanters for burial are still here. Janet Rynd’s tomb with her coat of arms is in the southeast corner. The Magdalen Chapel’s story is one of faith resilience and the enduring spirit of Edinburgh itself. This small chapel has witnessed centuries of history. It continues to stand as a testament to the past.