Hamilton Old Parish Church facts for kids
Hamilton Old Parish Church is a special church in Hamilton, Scotland. It's part of the Church of Scotland. People know it for its cool old design, which is called Georgian architecture. The church building and its grounds are very important. They are listed as a "Category A" building, meaning they are of national importance.
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A Look Back: The Church's Story
This church was built a long time ago, between 1729 and 1732. It replaced an even older church from the 1400s. That old church was in a different spot, near the mausoleum in Strathclyde Park.
What makes this church unique is its 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, you can find a special memorial. It remembers four Covenanters who were executed in Edinburgh in 1666. There's also a beautiful stained glass window. It shows Jesus with Martha and Mary. This window was put in in 1876 to remember Mrs. James Stevenson.
The Churchyard: Old Stones and Stories
The area around the church is called the churchyard. Here, you can find the Netherton Cross. This is a very old stone cross from the 10th or 11th century. It's made of red sandstone. This cross is a rare example of old art from the early medieval Kingdom of Strathclyde. The cross was found at Hamilton Palace and moved to the churchyard in 1926. Sadly, years of weather are making the cross wear away.
The churchyard also has several memorials for the Covenanters. Some of the graves are said 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 explore. However, new burials no longer happen here.
Church Leaders: The Ministers
The current minister is Reverend Ross Blackman. He started his role on November 19, 2015. Mr. Blackman studied at Highland Theological College and the University of Glasgow.
Some of the ministers who served before him include:
- Reverend John Thomson (from 2001 to 2014)
- Reverend Dr. Hugh Wyllie
Dr. Wyllie was very important. He was the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1992. The Moderator is like the main leader of the Church of Scotland for a year. Dr. Wyllie is one of three ministers from Hamilton Old Parish Church to 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, John McKechnie, who was one of the ministers, became the only minister. There were also two church buildings: the Old Church and Auchingramont Church. Auchingramont Church was closed when Douglas Macnaughton was the minister.
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