Bothkennar Parish Church

NS 9035 8347

St. Kinnera’s Church

Bothkennar & Carronshore

Traditionally the original church lay to the west of the present one.   During the Reformation it was one of the last to adhere to the Episcopalian Church.

1673: High up on the west gable near the SW corner a date stone of 1673 suggests that much of the body of the present church was built then.   Evidence for masonry of this date can be seen on the north side where original windows with dressed and backset margins occur under the existing windows that have been placed to suit a higher floor level.  Similarly, the bottom part of an original doorway survives under the window in the east gable, with a corresponding doorway, now also built up, in the centre of the opposite gable.

1789: The church was rebuilt and is commemorated by a stone bearing that date placed in the wall, high up, near the north-east corner.  The size appears to have been unchanged.  Work by John Moir (NLS 10892/148).

1792: A tower was added on to the west gable of the church shortly after the rebuilding of 1789.   On plan it is 11 ft square over walls approximately 3ft thick; it rises to a height of four storeys, the upper ones being reached by ladders and hatchways.   A door in the middle of its south wall leads into a small chamber 5 ft square, which served as a vestibule before the west door was built up.   The top storey is used as a belfry.   In its ascent the tower is intaken at two stages, the lower between the first and second storeys, at about the level of the eaves of the church, and the higher between the upper two floors.   Below the lower intake the masonry is squared rubble roughly brought to courses, but higher up it is ashlar to the apex of a concave-sided pyramidal roof.   This alteration may indicate a delay in the completion of the upper portion.  The openings on the second floor are lintelled but elsewhere they are round-headed.  Subscriptions for a steeple were taken in 1791 (NLS 10802).

1887: The old structure was strengthened and enlarged.   Architect Sidney Mitchell, Edinburgh, provided the plans.   The new masonry extension on the south front of the building was provided with a gallery supported by five cast iron columns made by the Falkirk Iron Co.  These were placed on the line of the old south wall, and finished in elliptical arches.   Beyond this  a  spacious vestibule with entrances at the west and east also contains a central staircase with  access  to  the  gallery and a separate opening off the  passage  to  the session  house.   Externally the south front now presents three gables, the larger central one projecting slightly forward and crowned by a belfry.   The architect tried by this means to retain the English Italian style of the old church.  A vestry was built onto the north side of the church at the same time.  The builders were J & A Reid, Larbert.  Cost c£16,000.  The timbers of the roof of the church divide the ceiling up into panels, which are further subdivided by plaster ribs painted blue.

1926-28: Church hall built.  H Wilson, architect.

1943: United with Carronshore Church on 29th December to become “Bothkennar and Carronshore Church”.

MANSE

1816: Built to the west of the church.

1989:  Sold.

 FITTINGS

1690: Communion cup

1795: Communion cup.

1887: Most of the present fittings belong to this date.   The chaste pulpit against the north wall was designed by Sydney Mitchell, the architect.   The seats and choir screen are of yellow pine.

BELL

1729: A bell by Robert Maxwell and Co, Edinburgh, bearing the date 1729 was removed to Fallin in 1911.  The inscription on the bell reads: “Gifted by the Parishioners of Bothkennar.  Robert Maxwell & Company – Fecit.  Edinburgh 1729”.

WINDOW

1887: Cathedral glass put in leaded squares.

See separate entry for stained glass.

WAR MEMORIAL

See separate entry for War Memorial

SEATING

1887: 530, being 100 more than previously.

CHURCHYARD

The present graveyard lies to the west of the church.   It is of two levels so that the earliest gravestones now visible date to 1640.   Many of the stones have fine carvings, and the subjects include a number of ships.

1904: Closed.

MINISTERS OF BOTHKENNAR CHURCH                  

1574Hamilton, John1580
1587Couper, WilliamOct 1595
Dec 1595Bryce, EdwardSep 1602
May 1603Caldwell, JamesAug 1616
1619Young, Andrew1622
Nov 1622Horwell, John1629
Feb 1629Galbraith, John1649
1650Douglas, George
Jun 1654Blair, John1660
Apr 1661Wright, JamesNov 1664
May 1665Forsyth, JamesSep 1673
Dec 1673Fogo, WilliamApr 1676
Aug 1676Skinner, John1701
1703deposed-restored-deposedAug 1717
Jan 1722Lindsay, HenryOct 1741
Jan 1744Penman, JohnJul 1765
Apr 1766Nimmo, WilliamOct 1782
Jul 1783Dickson, DavidOct 1795
May 1796Caw, JohnDec 1847
Jul 1848Stevenson, WilliamDec 1884
Jun 1885Anderson, GeorgeNov 1892
Apr 1893Hutton, George DicksonMay 1919
May 1919Farish, Charles William1924
1924McQuoid, Peter C1927
1927Thomson, WilliamJan 1943
Jul 1944Maclaren, William Buchanan1983
1984Whitelaw, William DOct 1997
1998Carruth, P
Moore, Andrew J.

G.B. Bailey (2019)