Dirleton Kirk facts for kids
Dirleton Kirk is a historic church located in the village of Dirleton, in East Lothian, Scotland. You can find it just north of the village green. Dirleton is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, about 21 miles east of Edinburgh. It's also two miles west of North Berwick, slightly north of the A198 road.
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A Look Back: Early Churches in Dirleton Parish
Before 1612, the main church for this area was the 12th-century St. Andrews Church in Gullane. Back then, it was called Golyn. It's thought that Cistercian nuns (religious women) were active near the old church in Gullane in the 1100s. Another group of Cistercians lived in a lost village called Eldbottle.
The ancient Congalton family also built a chapel at Congalton in the 12th century. This was for their family and others living nearby. Also in the 12th century, a religious place was set up on Fidra, an island near Dirleton. This chapel was dedicated to St. Nicholas. Monks used a ferry to travel to and from the island. A nearby farm is still called Ferrygate today.
Around the same time, the de Vaux family built a chapel in Dirleton. It was dedicated to All Saints. Then, in 1444, the Haliburtons, who were the lords of Dirleton Castle, started a college of priests at their church in Dirleton.
The old church in Gullane continued even after the Reformation. But in 1612, Sir Thomas Erskine asked Parliament to move the parish church to Dirleton. He explained that the old church was no longer suitable because of sand blowing in from the nearby beach. In 1576, Andrew McGhie, the last vicar at Gullane St. Andrews, was told off by King James VI for smoking too much tobacco!
The New Church in Dirleton
Dirleton Parish Church, which is dedicated to St. Andrew, was built soon after Sir Thomas Erskine's request in 1612. It's a long and wide building with rounded windows. The south side and roof have a special aisle (a side part of the church) built by James Maxwell, Earl of Dirleton. This part has a stone roof supported by stone brackets. It also has a window with a looped design. This aisle is thought to be the first example of neo-classical architecture (a style inspired by ancient Greek and Roman buildings) in Scotland.
Over the years, the church was changed and made bigger. In 1836, the tower was topped with Gothic pinnacles (pointy decorations). This made the tower's edges blend nicely with the rest of the church.
Mary Nisbet Hamilton (1777–1855) did a lot for the church. She paid for a new manse (the minister's house) in 1828. She also made sure the tower was finished and added a vestry (a room for the minister and choir). As a way to remember his wife, Mr. Russell of Archerfield gave a beautiful stained glass window. It shows 'St. Francis and the animals', with over ninety animals depicted. Miss Margaret Chilton designed this window.
It's amazing that the church records go all the way back to 1655. There have only been twenty ministers in the parish since 1576. In 1971, the church was given a special status as a Category A listed building. This means it's a building of great historical importance.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
The church has several stunning stained glass windows:
- South (porch) - St Francis of Assisi (three panels) by Margaret Chilton
- Main east window (three panels)
- South-west - Christ Child by Ballantine and Gardiner (1899)
- South central - Suffer the Little Children by Daniel Cottier (1892)
- North - Samuel anointing David by Douglas Strachan (1916)
- North-east - Jesus the Shepherd
Ministers Before the 1900s
Here are some of the ministers who served at Dirleton Kirk before the 20th century, with the year they started:
- 1576 Thomas MakGhie
- 1597 Andrew MakGhie
- 1637 John Trotter
- 1639 John MakGhie
- 1683 Robert Sinclair
- 1688 Laurence Charteris
- 1697 James Clark
- 1708 James Alston (He was chosen as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1725, which is a very important role!)
- 1733 James Glen
- 1749 Hugh (or Hew) Bannatyne
- 1769 Alexander Glen
- 1805 William Stark
- 1835 John Ainslie
- 1843 James Scott
- 1864 William Logie
- 1878 John Kerr: known as the sporting parson.
Dirleton Kirk Today
The church's parish now includes Dirleton, Fenton Barns, Archerfield, the Westerdunes area of North Berwick, and the small village of Kingston. Since 1989, Dirleton Kirk has been connected with the Abbey Church (Church of Scotland) in North Berwick. The current minister is Dr. David Graham.
Important People Connected to Dirleton Kirk
- Sir Thomas Erskine. Lord Dirleton
- Sir James Maxwell of Dirleton
- Sir John Nisbet, Lord Advocate – He was described as "One of the worthiest and learnedest men of his age, a person of great integrity and who always stood firm to the law." This means he was a very honest and knowledgeable lawyer.
- Mary Nisbet Hamilton
- Mr. Jackson Russell of Archerfield
