St Michael's Parish Church, Linlithgow facts for kids
St Michael's Parish Church is a very big church in Linlithgow, Scotland. It's part of the Church of Scotland. In 2024, it joined with three other churches: St Ninian's Craigmailen, Torphichen Kirk, and Avonbridge Church. Together, they formed a new church called Linlithgow and Avon Valley Church. St Michael is the special saint who protects Linlithgow. The town's motto, or saying, is "St Michael is kinde to strangers" (which means "St Michael is kind to visitors").
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The Church's Long History
How Old Is St Michael's Church?
No one knows exactly when the first church was built in Linlithgow. But by the 1100s, the church was already very important and wealthy. It even had smaller chapels connected to it. Because of this, a historian named Rev John Ferguson thought the church was much older than the 1100s.
Building and Changes Over Time
In 1138, King David I of Scotland gave permission to build a church here. This new church was built on the same spot as the older one. It was officially opened in 1242.
A big fire in 1424 destroyed much of the church. Most of the building you see today was built after that fire, in the 1400s. King James IV visited the church in 1506 while the choir area was being built. He even gave the head builder a tip! The church was finished in 1540. It was fixed up a lot in the 1800s.
A Royal Connection
St Michael's Church is right next to Linlithgow Palace. Because of this, Scottish Kings and Queens loved to worship there. A writer named Robert Lindsay of Pitscottie wrote a story about King James IV. He said that before a big battle, a mysterious old man appeared in the church. The old man told the King not to go to war or listen to women's advice.
Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in Linlithgow Palace on December 8, 1542. She was baptised, or christened, in St Michael's Church.
The Reformation and Beyond
In 1559, during the Scottish Reformation, Protestant leaders removed statues from the church. They saw these statues as "popish" (related to the Pope). They even damaged the statue of St Michael. Today, only that statue of St Michael remains. You can still see it high up on the outside of the church.
After the Reformation, the inside of the church was changed. In 1646, soldiers led by Oliver Cromwell used the main part of the church to stable their horses. After they left, the church needed a lot of repairs.
Restoration and New Features
By the early 1800s, the church was in very bad shape. Even though repairs were made, many old parts of the church were lost. The inside walls were painted white, and a plaster ceiling replaced a beautiful old one. In 1820–21, the stone Crown Tower, which looked like a crown, had to be taken down.
Later, in 1871, Rev Archibald Scott brought the first church organ into the building. He also had the white paint removed from the walls. More repairs were done, and the church was rededicated in 1896. However, the tower was too weak to put the original stone crown back.
In 1964, a new crown made of aluminium was put on the tower. This modern crown was designed by Geoffrey Clarke.
Important Church Leaders
Some important ministers have served at St Michael's Church. Four of them even became the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Moderator is like the main leader of the Church of Scotland for a year.
- Rev Andrew Bell was Moderator in 1855.
- Rev Donald Macleod was Moderator in 1895.
- Rev Archibald Scott was a minister from 1870 to 1872. He became Moderator in 1896.
- Rev Thomas Niven was a minister from 1872 to 1876. He became Moderator in 1906.
- Rev Dr John Ferguson was a minister from 1878 to 1913. He helped organize the church's restoration.
The Very Revd Dr David Steel was also a minister here. He was the father of a famous politician, David Steel. Revd Dr David Steel was Moderator in 1974. Rev Dr Liam Fraser became the minister of St Michael's on November 14, 2019.
See also
