Fraserburgh South Church, the Moses Stone and Fraserburgh University

Fraserburgh South Church on Seaforth Street with Fraserburgh Leisure Centre in the background.The building with the large blue window was, for a time, the station master's house. The station yard was directly below the kirk.  Contained within the kirk is the extraordinary 'Moses Stone'.

The South Church, originally the South United Free Church, was built,in a towering Germanic Gothic style,  on the site of the old parish school on Seaforth Street and opened for worship in October 1800. The imposing tower is topped by  a spire and houses a clock gifted by George Anderson, Treasurer of the Bank of Scotland.   The Moses stone, thought to be  a relic of Fraserburgh University, was set into the wall above the door of the parish school  then incorporated into the south wall of the South Kirk. In 1969 the stone was re-positioned inside the kirk.

The Moses stone, the sole relic of Fraserburgh University. The stone may have been an altar stone or may have been set into the wall above the main gateway.

Fraserburgh University had a vague and troubled history; there  is disagreement and conjecture as to exactly when it operated and even exactly where it was situated. The most likely location of the ill fated  University was on what is now College Bounds, probably  between  the  vicinity  of the former Alexandra Hotel, now demolished, and the  Barrasgate Road area. This is chiefly on account of sculptured stones, including the 'Moses Stone' depicting  Moses receiving the ten commandments and dated 1613 which are said to have originated in earlier buildings there. 1613, it should be noted ,was the date of Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth's contract with the feuars of the Broch in which a town council and merchant guild were established and rights regarding the holding of markets and annual fairs were given over to the feuars.

The University was founded by charter in 1592,  and financed originally by Lord Saltoun as part of his attempt to assist the  growth  of the town which was considered remote  from places of education. Lord Saltoun's efforts to improve facilities in Fraserburgh incurred huge debts, resulting in his having to sell part of his estate which  in turn reduced the income for the  university. The first, and possibly only,   principal was Charles Ferme,  protestant minister of  Parish Church of Philorth (Fraserburgh).  Ferme arrived in Fraserburgh in 1598 but was soon imprisoned for his involvement in  a series of protests against Episcopacy .  According to Alexander Gordon, his  19th century biographer, Ferme escaped twice  from Doune Castle before being exiled to the Isle of Bute. He then  returned  to Fraserburgh about 1610, dying there   on  24th Sept 1617. It is generally thought  that University  was did not survive Ferme's imprisonment and the  Lord Saltoun's reduced fortunes, closing around 1605. The University  building, described as 3 storey and 'quadrangular', was used to house students and staff of King's College, during 1647 outbreak of plague  in Aberdeen.  

Detail from the Moses stone. The splendidly bearded patriarch Moses is depicted looking heavenwards, presumably on Mount Sinai,  his left hand rests on the tablets which contain the Ten Commandments being handed down to him by God. 

Date stone from the Parish School

When the 'Moses stone was built in to the outside wall of the South Kirk this carved stone was displayed immediately below it.