Duddingston Kirk facts for kids
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Duddingston Kirk is a historic church in the Church of Scotland. It's located right next to Holyrood Park in a small area called Duddingston Village, on the east side of Edinburgh, Scotland. People still go to regular church services here, led by the minister, Rev Dr James A. P. Jack.
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The Kirk's Long History
Duddingston Kirk is a very old building, possibly even dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, before the Norman conquest of England.
Building the Church
The church was built around the year 1124. A Norman knight named Dodin built it on land given to Kelso Abbey by King David I of Scotland. When it was first built, the church had a main area (the nave), a special area for the altar (the chancel), and a square tower. It was built facing east to west, which was a common design for churches.
The original entrance on the south wall is quite special. It has beautiful stone carvings from the Scoto-Norman period, with a rounded top. Later, in 1631, the Prestonfield Aisle was added. This part included a gallery, a downstairs area, and burial vaults on the north side. In 1968, the inside of the church was updated, and the old pipe organ was removed.
Protecting the Graves
The entrance to the churchyard (called a kirkyard) from Duddingston village has a unique gatehouse. This small building was built in the early 1800s as a lookout point. Its purpose was to stop "bodysnatchers" from stealing recently buried bodies. These bodysnatchers, also known as "resurrectionists," would dig up graves to sell the bodies to doctors for study. Sometimes, they even committed murders, like the famous case of Burke and Hare.
Famous Visitors and Events
Because it's so close to central Edinburgh, Duddingston has always been a popular spot for artists and important people. The famous novelist Sir Walter Scott became an elder (a church leader) at Duddingston in 1806. The kirk has also been used as a venue for performances during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a big arts festival.
Notable Ministers
Over the centuries, many interesting ministers have served at Duddingston Kirk.
Reverend John Thomson
One very famous minister was the Reverend John Thomson, who served from 1805 to 1840. He was also a well-known painter and friends with famous artists like Henry Raeburn and J. M. W. Turner. He used to call his church members (and his own large family) "ma bairns," which means "my children." This might be where the popular Scottish saying "We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns" comes from, meaning "we are all God's children" or "we are all human beings."
Other Ministers
After Reverend John Thomson, James Macfarlane became minister in 1841. He later became the Moderator of the General Assembly in 1865, which is a very important role in the Church of Scotland. Many other ministers have served the church since the Reformation, including:
- 1560-1564 - William Blackwood
- 1611-1630 - Charles Lumsden
- 1630-1633 - Robert Monteith of Salmonet
- 1866-1911 - John Allan Hunter Paton
Beautiful Stained Glass
The church has some lovely stained glass windows.
Joan Carfrae Pinkerton Window
The large triple window in the north gallery is a memorial to Joan Carfrae. She was the wife of Allan Pinkerton, a famous detective who was born in Duddingston in 1822. This beautiful window was designed by Douglas Strachan.
Dr Stevenson Macadam Window
Another stained glass window, located just east of the pulpit, remembers Dr Stevenson Macadam, who was an elder in the church.
Duddingston Kirkyard
The churchyard is the burial ground around the church. Many interesting people are buried or have memorials here, including:
- William Henry Dick-Cunyngham VC (a memorial for a brave soldier)
- Very Rev James Macfarlane (a former minister)
- Rev John Thomson of Duddingston (the famous painter-minister)
See also
