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Slamannan Parish Church
- Dedication: St Lawrence
- Diocese of St Andrews
- Deanery of Linlithgow
- NS 85661 73419
Summary description
Rebuilt in 1810, possibly partly on the footings of its predecessor.
Historical outline
There appears to be no surviving reference to this church before the 1270s, when it was recorded in the tax-rolls of the papal tax-collector in Scotland as an independent parsonage paying 3s 8d tax in 1275.(2) It was noted as paying 5s 2d in the 1275-6 tax-year.(3) In the tax-roll for the Deanery of Linlithgow drawn up in the 1290s, it was recorded as valued at £6 13s 4d and paying 13s 4d in taxation.(4)
The church remained independent throughout the pre-Reformation period and was in the patronage of the families of Sandilands of Calder and Cunninghame of Polmaise. In 1498 William Sandilands was rector, possibly through the patronage of his kinsmen.(5) The Cunningham interest was confirmed in 1512 by King James IV, who confirmed possession of various lands and rights, including the patronage of the church of Slammanan, exercised by alternate turns arising from vacancies, to James Cunningham, son and heir of Robert Cunninghame of Polmaise.(6) Sandilands interest in a share of the advowson of the parsonage of Slamanan was confirmed by Queen Mary in 1553, while in 1556 the share of the Cunninghames in the advowson was recorded as the fifth part (7)
At the Reformation, the parsonage and vicarage was valued at £53 6s 8d, but a separate vicarage pensionary, held by one James Arthur and valued at £10 annually, was also recorded.(8) It seems that although the church remained an independent parsonage that the incumbent was an absentee and the cure was served through a vicar on a fixed stipend. There is no record of when that arrangement was first instituted.
Notes
1. J M Mackinlay, Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland: Non-scriptural Dedications (Edinburgh, 1914), 394. There was a St Lawrence’s Well in the parish.
2. A I Dunlop (ed), ‘Bagimond’s Roll: Statement of the Tenths of the Kingdom of Scotland’, Miscellany of the Scottish History Society, vi (1939), 34.
3. Dunlop (ed), ‘Bagimond’s Roll’, 56.
4. The Correspondence, Inventories, Account Rolls and Law Proceedings of the Priory of Coldingham, ed J Raine (Surtees Society, 1841), cviii.
5. Calendar of Entries in the Papal Registers Relating to Great Britain and Ireland: Papal Letters, xvii, part 2, ed A P Fuller (Dublin, 1994), no.5.
6. Registrum Magni Sigill Regum Scotorum, ii, 1424-1513, ed J B Paul (Edinburgh, 1882), no 3754.
7. Registrum Magni Sigill Regum Scotorum, iv, 1546-1580, ed J M Thomson (Edinburgh, 1886), nos 867, 1078.
8. J Kirk (ed), The Books of Assumption of the Thirds of Benefices (Oxford, 1995), 552.
Summary of relevant documentation
Medieval
Synopsis of Cowan’s Parishes: Listed as an independent parsonage in Bagimond’s Roll, the church was unappropriated at the Reformation, lying within the patronage of Sandilands of Calder and Cunningham of Polmoise.(1)
Mackinlay suggests that the church was also known as St Lawrence, and there was a well dedicated to that saint in the parish.(2)
1378 John de Meldon has church (familiar of the dean of Aberdeen).(3)
1394 Robert Goldsmith holds church and the chapel of St Mary in Linlithgow.(4)
1498 William Sandilands rector of the church.(5)
1512 James IV confirms to James Cunningham, son and heir of Robert Cunningham of Polmais, various lands and rights including the right of patronage over the church of Slamannan and over the chaplainry at the altar of SS Peter and Paul as held by Robert founded and situated in the parish church of Stirling.(6)
Post-medieval
Books of assumption of thirds of benefices and Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices: The Parish church vicar pensionary held by James Arthur, valued for £10.(7)
Account of Collectors of Thirds of Benefices (G. Donaldson): Third of parsonage and vicarage £17 15s 6 2/3d. Third of vicar pensionary, £3 6s 8d.(8)
1611 (3 July) Visitation found the fabric of the church and the kirk yard dykes to be in good care.(9)
1614 (12 Jan) The parishioners of the parish request from the Presbytery of Linlithgow (with the approval of the bishop of St Andrews), that the presbytery meetings be held in their church occasionally (the presbytery reply that they cannot guarantee it because of the distance from the other churches).(10) Letter of 26 January also notes that the church is unplanted and has been for some time). A minister was finally found in 16 July 1616.(11)
1628 (7 May) Visitation of the church by the Presbytery of Linlithgow, removes the minister (Thomas Ambrose) following an extended trial. Ambrose is accused of creating a scandal [seems to be accused of impregnating a local women outside of marriage]. Although the presbytery found that he could not be completely found guilty of the crimes the decision was taken to transport him to another parish to avoid further problem.(12)
1630 (21 Apr) The Earl of Linlithgow, patron of the church, ordered to organise the repair and division for seats of the church as ordained on the last visit.(13)
1732 (1 Sept) The new heritors of Slamannan note that now they are disjoined from Falkirk [as small part of Falkirk parish has been added to Slamannan], they are happy, with the agreement of the other heritors, to carry out additional building at the church, lengthening it by the addition of an aisle at the east end of the church.(14)
1753 (7 Mar) Petition presented to the presbytery for the repair of the church of Slamannan which notes that the ‘church was in ruinous condition’. At the subsequent visitation on 2 May workmen (unnamed) report that the whole roof was insufficient as was the whole of the walls, excepts the gavils and a small part of the west end. They estimate the cost at £107.(15)
Statistical Account of Scotland (Rev James Macnair, 1791): ‘The walls of the church were rebuilt about the year 1753’.(16)
New Statistical Account of Scotland (Rev Alexander Davidson1839, rev 1841): ‘The church was rebuilt in the year 1810’.(17)
Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches (George Hay): 1810, refurnished, detached session house and 1722 Maxwell bell.(18)
Notes
1. Cowan, The parishes of medieval Scotland, 184.
2. Mackinlay, Non-Scriptural Dedications, p. 394.
7. Kirk, The books of assumption of the thirds of benefices, 552.
8. Donaldson, Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices, 16.
9. Selections from the minutes of the Synod of Fife, pp. 24-25, NRS Records of the Synod of Fife, 1610-1636, CH2/154/1, fol. 55.
10. NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1610-1617, CH2/242/1, fol. 82.
11. NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1610-1617, CH2/242/1, fols. 83 & 151.
12. NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1618-1632, CH2/242/2, fols. 185-187.
13. NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1618-1632, CH2/242/2, fol. 281.
14. NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1731-1742, CH2/242/13, fols. 11-12.
15. NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1742-1773, CH2/242/14, fols. 313 & 318.
16. Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, ed. J. Sinclair, Edinburgh, (1791), xiv, 87.
17. New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, Edinburgh and London, (1839 rev 1841), viii, 279.
18. Hay, The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches, pp. 233 & 275.
Bibliography
NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1610-1617, CH2/242/1.
NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1618-1632, CH2/242/2.
NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1731-1742, CH2/242/13.
NRS Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1742-1773, CH2/242/14.
NRS Records of the Synod of Fife, 1610-1636, CH2/154/1.
Calendar of entries in the Papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland; Papal letters, 1893-, ed. W.H. Bliss, London.
Calendar of entries in the Papal registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland; Papal Petitions, 1893-, ed. W.H. Bliss, London.
Cowan, I.B., 1967, The parishes of medieval Scotland, (Scottish Record Society), Edinburgh.
Donaldson, G., 1949, Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices, (Scottish History Society), Edinburgh.
Ecclesiastical Records. Selections from the minutes of the Synod of Fife, 1611-87, 1837, ed. C. Baxter (Abbotsford Club), Edinburgh.
Hay, G., 1957, The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches, 1560-1843, Oxford.
Kirk, J., 1995, The books of assumption of the thirds of benefices, (British Academy) Oxford.
Mackinlay, J.M, 1914, Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland. Non-Scriptural Dedications, Edinburgh.
New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, Edinburgh and London.
Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, ed. J. Sinclair, Edinburgh.
Architectural description
The church of Slamannan remained an unappropriated parsonage throughout the middle ages. By the time of the Reformation it was in the patronage of the Sandilands of Calder and the Cunningham of Polmaise families.(1)
In 1730 the southern part of the parish of Falkirk was added to that of Slamannan.(2) On 1 September 1732 the new heritors determined to enlarge the church to provide additional accommodation by means of the addition of an eastern aisle.
According to the Statistical Account ‘the walls of the church were rebuilt about the year 1753’.(3) On 7 March of that year the church was said to be in ruinous condition, and a report on 2 May said that the roof was insufficient, as was the whole of the walls apart from the gables and a small part of the west end. The estimated the cost of repairs was £107.(4)
The church was completely rebuilt in 1810(5) by the wright James Warden, possibly to designs of Hume and Richardson that had been drawn up in 1809.(6) It is not known to what extent it may have occupied the same footprint as its predecessor, though it may be wondered if there is at least a possibility that exposed footings at the south-west corner could survive from the previous building.
The south front has two tiers of four rectangular windows, the lower level of the outer windows being smaller than the others at that level. At the centre of the south front, below a sundial, are two recycled inscriptions. The upper one, which appears to be from a dormer gablet, gives the incomplete date 16- and the statement ‘I AM TH[E] LIGH[T] O[F] TH[E] W[O]RLD’. The lower one is a quotation from Leviticus: ‘KEIP MY SABBATH AND [REVE]RENCE MY SANCTUARY’. The north face has two tiers of four rectangular windows at the centre, and a single window at an intermediate level towards each end. There is a diminutive bellcote at the apex of the west gable.
Notes
1. Ian B. Cowan, The Parishes of Medieval Scotland (Scottish Record Society), 1967, p. 184.
2. Francis H, Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, vol. 6, 1885.
2. National Records of Scotland, Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1731-42, CH2/242/13, fols 11-12.
3. Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, vol. 14, p. 87.
4. National Records of Scotland, Presbytery of Linlithgow, Minutes, 1742-73, CH2/242/14, fols 313 AND 318.
5. New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, vol. 8, p. 279.
6. John Gifford and Frank Arneil Walker, The Buildings of Scotland, Stirling and Central Scotland, New Haven and London, 2002, pp. 656-7.
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