A Corpus of Scottish Medieval
Parish Churches

Summary of relevant documentation

Medieval

Synopsis of Cowan’s Parishes: A chapel of Dunbar until the Reformation, the church did not become parochial until after this.(1)

Mackinlay suggests that the existence of a well dedicated to St John the Evangelist in the parish may suggest the dedication of the church.(2)

1527x29 Thomas Cowtis, rector of Spott and official of St Andrews in the archdeaconry of Lothian, oversees a divorce between Katherine Saltoun and Andrew Fergusson.(3)

Post-medieval

Books of assumption of thirds of benefices and Accounts of the collectors of thirds of benefices: The Parish church vicarage and parsonage noted as prebendary of Dunbar, £100 in total.(4)

1681 Attempt to chase up heritors who owe money for repairs (in 1686) noted that they had paid out £72 in May 1681 for a repair of the church.(5)

1683 (21 Aug) Reference to the presentation of the new minister Archibald Buchan by William Murray of Spott, patron of the church.(6)

1684 (1 June) Visitation of the church by the Presbytery notes that £20 was taken out of the poor money for repair of the church, several times, although the church had been repaired since (money has yet to be repaired). The brethren had already noted they were well satisfied with the fabric of the church).(7)

1685 (5 July) That day the ministers and elders considering the ruinous condition of the church by reason of a violent wind a while ago which has a great part of the north side of the church and also that the windows are without weyrs, they think it necessary that the ruinous part be presently repaired.(8)

1685 (20 Oct) Compt of the heritors accounts for repairing the church, Alex Craighed, wright, paid for 15 days work and various other materials, £30 in total.(9)

Statistical Account of Scotland (Rev John Martin, 1791):‘The church and manse were repaired in 1790’.(10)

New Statistical Account of Scotland (Rev Robert Burns Thomson, 1836):‘The precise date of the building [parish church] is unknown’.(11) [further reference to the repair of 1790 but no other information]

Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches (George Hay): 1790 with 17th century burial aisle, renovated 1848; early 18th century pulpit, detached session house. Has an earlier burial aisle on the south side.(12)

Notes

1. Cowan, The parishes of medieval Scotland  186.

2. Mackinlay, Scriptural Dedications, p. 181.

3. Liber Officialis Sancti Andree, no.64 & 65.

4. Kirk, The books of assumption of the thirds of benefices, 171.

5. NRS Spott Kirk Session, 1683-1703, CH2/333/2, fols. 21.22.

6. NRS Spott Kirk Session, 1683-1703, CH2/333/2, fol. 1.

7. NRS Presbytery of Dunbar, Minutes, 1657-1684, CH2/99/2, fols. 299-300.

8. NRS Spott Kirk Session, 1683-1703, CH2/333/2, fols. 17-18.

9. NRS Spott Kirk Session, 1683-1703, CH2/333/2, fol. 19.

10. Statistical Account of Scotland, (1791), v, 402.

11. New Statistical Account of Scotland, (1836), ii, 231.

12. Hay, The Architecture of Scottish Post-Reformation Churches, pp. 72, 187, 189, 199, 233 & 255.

Bibliography

NRS Presbytery of Dunbar, Minutes, 1657-1684, CH2/99/2.

NRS Spott Kirk Session, 1683-1703, CH2/333/2.

Cowan, I.B., 1967, The parishes of medieval Scotland, (Scottish Record Society), 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.

Liber Officialis Sancti Andree, 1845, (Abbotsford Club), Edinburgh.

Mackinlay, J.M, 1910, Ancient Church Dedications in Scotland. Scriptural Dedications, Edinburgh.

New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, Edinburgh and London.

Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, ed. J. Sinclair, Edinburgh.