Dennyloanhead Church

SITES & MONUMENTS RECORD

SMR 419

NS 8100 8014

TIMELINE

1746	Dennyloanhead Associate Presbyterian Church	1747
1747	Dennyloanhead Anti-Burgher Church	1820
1820	Dennyloanhead United Secession Church	1847
	Dennyloanhead United Associate Congregation
1847	Dennyloanhead United Presbyterian Church	1900
1900	Dennyloanhead United Free Church
1929	Dennyloanhead Church of Scotland

1738: At the induction of William Bennet to the Parish Church at Denny on August 22nd 117 people, elders and family heads left the Church. The people of Denny, with others from Falkirk and Cumbernauld joined the Associate Presbytery and held a meeting in a barn at Lochgreen Farm owned by their first elder William Spiers. The meeting place moved around and eventually the Erskine Church was built at Falkirk. Some meetings were still held at Bridge End of the Water of Bonny.

1743: Temporary building erected at Dennyloanhead. This was presumably the same size as the later building, ie. 60 ft by 45 ft. An internal scarcement in the later building probably denotes the original height of the walls. A plan of c1780 shows the meeting house at Loanhead as a 2-storey building, but also places it to the SE of the site of the known church (RHP 704).

1746: Branch of the Erskine Church formed at Dennyloanhead.

1751: First minister appointed.

1815: Church enlarged by raising the wall heads and inserting three tall lancet windows, then adding a gallery on three sides. Rendered externally. A panel, set high up in the middle of the south wall is inscribed “1743/ REBUILT/ 1815”. There is a moulded eaves-course returned on the gables; plain tabling; with a bell-cote on the west gable and a finial on the other gable.

1888: New roof and panelled ceiling, cost £200.

1893: New memorial hall opened, the gift of Mrs Air, Broughty Ferry, and Miss Bain, Burnhead. It was built on the west side of the church to accommodate nearly 300 people at a cost of £800. The architect was J C Edmiston, Glasgow, and the builders were Mackie and Greg, also of Glasgow. The memorial stone reads: “Muirhead Memorial Hall. Family connection from 1765 to 1892. Erected 1893.”

1904: Central heating installed.

1923: Electric light installed.

1932: Extensive internal alterations. Two side galleries removed leaving only the gallery on the west wall. Chancel constructed at the east end; pulpit transferred from the south wall to the north side of the entrance to the new chancel; between the hall and the church a new session room, annexe, kitchen etc. The date 1932 now appears above the door. The bell tower dates to this period.

1963: May 1st Linkage with St. Helens Church, High Bonnybridge.

1964: Extensive repair work needed due to dry rot and woodworm infestation.

1978: Link with St. Helen’s Church severed and new link formed with Haggs.

1990: Nov. Link with Haggs dissolved.

1991: Church closed.

FITTINGS

1753: Two pewter communion chalices.

1929: Oak communion table gifted by the family of James Brand, Towerfield.

ORGAN

1912: Cost £20.

WINDOW

See separate entry for stained glass.

SEATING

1932: Horseshoe gallery replaced by an end gallery.

CHURCHYARD

1871: Few burials after this date.

1964: Landscaped and levelled.

MINISTERS OF DENNYLOANHEAD CHURCH

Jul 1751	Walker, John	1797
Aug 1797	Stark, James	May 1850
Nov 1850	Stevenson, James	May 1866
Feb 1867	Jerdan, Charles	Dec 1878
Jul 1879	Keir, David	Nov 1922
1923	Walker, Frederic Sydney Mess	Nov 1925
May 1926	Cox, Thomas Loudon	1930
Sep 1930	Lovie, Peter	Feb 1937
Jun 1937	Thomson, Alfred Edwin Moir	May 1953
Oct 1953	Keiller, James Dennis	Mar 1961
May 1961	Barrow, Peter	Mar 1972
Sep 1972	Watson, John	1978
Jul 1978	Holland, John	1982
1983	Dean, Roger A.F	1990

G.B. Bailey (2019)