Hamilton Old Parish Church facts for kids
Hamilton Old Parish Church is a special church in Hamilton, Scotland. It belongs to the Church of Scotland. People admire it for its beautiful Georgian style of building. The church and its land are so important that they are listed as 'Category A', meaning they are very historic.
History of the Church
The church was built a long time ago, between 1729 and 1732. It took the place of an older church from the 1400s, which was called the Collegiate Church. That old church was in a different spot, near a mausoleum (a building for tombs).
This church has a very unusual shape; it's mostly round! A famous architect named William Adam designed it. People say this is the only church building he ever designed. The inside of the church was updated in 1926.
Inside the church, there is a special memorial. It remembers four Covenanters who were executed in Edinburgh in 1666. The church also has a beautiful stained glass window. This window shows Jesus, Martha, and Mary. It was put in place in 1876 to remember Mrs. James Stevenson.
Exploring the Churchyard
The churchyard is the area around the church. It holds an old stone cross called the Netherton Cross. This cross is very old, dating back to the 900s or 1000s. It is made of red sandstone. Experts say it's a rare example of old stone art from the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde. The cross was found at Hamilton Palace and moved to the churchyard in 1926. Sadly, years of weather have started to damage it.
The churchyard also has several memorials for the Covenanters. Some of the graves here are believed to be for people who died in the Battle of Bothwell Bridge.
You can enter the churchyard from Cadzow Street. The entrance has stone walls and gateposts. The churchyard cemetery is open for visitors to look around, but new burials do not happen there anymore.
Church Leaders: The Ministers
The current minister of Hamilton Old Parish Church is Reverend Ross Blackman. He started his role on November 19, 2015. Mr. Blackman studied at Highland Theological College and the University of Glasgow.
Before him, there were other ministers, including Rev John Thomson (from 2001 to 2014). Another notable minister was Rev Dr Hugh Wyllie. He was chosen to be the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1992. The Moderator is like a leader for the whole Church of Scotland for a year. Dr. Wyllie is one of three ministers from Hamilton Old Parish Church who have been Moderator since the end of the Second World War. The others were Matthew Stewart in 1947 and John Fraser in 1958.
Until 1960, this church had two ministers at the same time. After that year, John McKechnie, who was one of the ministers, became the minister for the whole church. There were also two church buildings: the Old Church and Auchingramont Church. Auchingramont Church was closed when Douglas Macnaughton was the minister, after John McKechnie.
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