Andrews St

Andrews, St., a town in the county of Fife, 40 miles from Edinburgh, on the east coast of Scotland, overlooking the bay of the same name from the summit of a steep cliff. It was made a royal burgh in 1140, and Bruce held his first parliament here in 1309. The university was founded in 1411 by Bishop Wardlaw, and is the oldest in Scotland. Cardinal Beaton was assassinated in the castle (1546), the ruins of which remain; and the walls of the cathedral, wrecked by Protestants under John Knox, in 1559, add picturesque beauty to the town. The see, which lapsed in 1689, was reinstituted in 1844. The Madras School is a noble foundation, originating in a bequest of Dr. Bell for the free instruction of the poor. St. Andrews is a great resort of golf-players from every part of the kingdom, and sea-bathing attracts many summer visitors. The port is dangerous, and there are few industries save fishing and sail-cloth making.