- This article is about the house type. "Manse" is also a nickname for the city of Tampere, named after Manchester.
A
manse (from
Latin mansus, "dwelling", from
manere, "to remain") is a house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a
minister, usually used in the context of a
Presbyterian,
Methodist,
Baptist or
United Church.
When selling a former manse, the Church of Scotland always requires that the property should not be called "The Manse" by the new owners (but "The Old Manse" or other variations are acceptable). As a result, "manse" is intended to refer to a working building rather than simply apply as a name.
Popular usage
Many notable Scots are referred to as a "son (or daughter) of the manse", as their fathers were ministers, and they were therefore brought up in a manse:
- Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development
- Wendy Alexander (sister of Douglas), Labour MSP; former leader of the Labour Party group in the Scottish Parliament (2007-2008); former minister in the Scottish Executive (1999-2002)
- John Logie Baird, engineer and inventor of the world's first working television system
- John Buchan, novelist and Unionist MP, served as Governor General of Canada
- Peter Fraser, advocate; former Lord Advocate (1989-1992); former Conservative and Unionist MP
- James Gray, Conservative MP
- William "Captain" Kidd, pirate
- Andrew Bonar Law, former Prime Minister (1922-1923)
- Eric Liddell, athlete and rugby internationalist, winner of the 400 metres at the 1924 Olympic Games; missionary to China; portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire
- Sheena McDonald, broadcaster
- Michael Moore, Liberal Democrat MP
- John Reith, founder of the BBC
- David Steel, former leader of the Liberal Party and the Social and Liberal Democrats; former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
- David Tennant (stage name of David McDonald), actor
- William Montgomery Watt, Islamic studies scholar and Orientalist
- John Witherspoon, signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence
See also
References