ST JASPER


St Jasper’s Cathedral – granite walls: dark dirty red stone with gargoyles and a spire. Nearly 500 years old. There is no such saint. The name St Jasper is probably a corruption of an Irish saint’s name.


St Jasper: Vampire Hunter

17th Century Covenanter, Crawford Meikle, nicknamed St Jasper (which he probably would have hated as “papist foolery”). Born in the village of Auchterowan, not far from Oldcastle. His father was the local minister. His wife and three of his children who died in infancy are buried in the Auchterowan Kirk cemetary.

Local legend say when he was 21 years old he was attacked by a “man with a demonic countenance” when riding back from Oldcastle to Auchterown. This sparked his fervour for hunting down “accursd and foule” creatures.

Meikle was present when the Earl of Atholl burned Oldcastle down, during the War of the Three Kindgoms. He is said to have been one of the Earl’s men who killed the Town Council in Trembler’s Alley and painted the walls with their blood.

Human records say he was grievously wounded in the Battle of Dunbar in 1650. They disagree on whether he was buried in a Dunbar churchyard, or retreated to Stirling with the surviving Covenanters and was buried there. Either way, there is no tombstone which bears his name.


Human historical records don’t really record him as a dedicated vampire hunter, but do mention him tracking down witches, demons, Baobhan Sith and ‘enemies of god’. The authors of those records include Catholics and gay people in the ‘enemies of god’ category.

Supernatural stuff written about his activities include:


What survives of Meikle’s own writings, include:


Vampire historical records have accounts of him and his men breaching a number of havens and destroying several vampires of significant power. So not just clueless newbie vampires.

Some documents claim he hunted down and killed werewolves. Others claim he was in league with werewolves, and received their aid when slaying Kindred.


The Tremere caught up with him during or just after the Battle of Dunbar. Where, when and how is annoyingly vague.

Meikle is buried in the crypt beneath the club (Nocturne) along with his knowledge of how to destroy vampires. The implication is that this knowledge is something more scary and dangerous than the usual ‘set them on fire’ or ‘chop off their head’. Something supernatural or magical in nature.

Something the Tremere wanted locked away, rather than trying to use themselves!