Falkirk Old Parish Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Falkirk Old Parish Church |
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| Falkirk Old & St. Modan's Parish Church | |
Falkirk Old Parish Church
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 Falkirk Old Parish Church
Location in Falkirk
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| 56°00′01″N 3°47′09″W / 56.00028°N 3.78583°W | |
| OS grid reference | NS887800 |
| Location | Falkirk |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | www.foasmpc.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Modan |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Category A listed building |
| Designated | 21 March 1960 |
Falkirk Old & St. Modan's Parish Church, also known as "Falkirk Trinity Church", is a church in Falkirk, central Scotland. It is part of the Church of Scotland. This old church is located right in the middle of Falkirk. It might have been built as early as the 600s! Most of the church was rebuilt in the 1800s. However, its tall steeple from the 1700s was kept. The church building is very important and is protected as a "Category A listed building." This means it is a special historical building.
Contents
History of Falkirk Old Church
How Falkirk Got Its Name
The town of Falkirk gets its name from this very church! Long ago, after the 500s, a "speckled church" or "Faw Kirk" was founded here. This name eventually became "Falkirk."
Early Church Buildings
Some people believe that King Malcolm Canmore of Scotland started a church here in 1057. In 1166, the church was given to Holyrood Abbey, a famous abbey in Edinburgh. The oldest parts of the church building you can see today are from around 1450. These parts show that the medieval church was shaped like a cross. It also had a tower in the middle.
Rebuilding the Church
The church's tower was rebuilt between 1738 and 1741. This work was done following designs by the architect William Adam. From the 1790s, people started talking about making the church bigger or fixing it up. There were many disagreements about what to do.
In 1810, the problem went to the Court of Session, which is a high court in Scotland. The court decided that the old tower should stay. However, the rest of the medieval building should be taken down and replaced. The plans by James Gillespie Graham were chosen. The new building was finished by autumn 1811. It cost about £3,500, which was a lot of money back then. Later, in 1893, a session house (a meeting room) was added on the south side.
Joining Two Churches
In 1986, the Old Parish Church joined with St Modan's Parish Church. Together, they formed the congregation that exists today.
Ancient Stones Inside
Inside the church, you can find several old carved stones from the medieval period. These include stone figures of important people. They used to be on top of tombs inside the old church. There is also a cross-head from the 1100s.
Notable Burials at Falkirk
The churchyard has some important graves. These include:
- Sir John de Graeme: He was killed at the Battle of Falkirk on July 22, 1298. His gravestone has been replaced twice over the centuries. The current stone is said to be a copy of the original. It has an old poem carved on it:
Here lyes Sir John the Grame, baith wight and wise,
Ane of the chiefs who rescewit Scotland thrise,
Ane better knight not to the world was lent,
Nor was gude Graham of truth and hardiment
- Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll: He was also killed at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. Sir John Stewart was a direct ancestor of James VI of Scotland. This means he is also an ancestor of the current Royal Family.
- Patrick Murehead of Rashyhill (died 1723)
- Sir Robert Munro, 6th Baronet (died 1746)
