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Peak into the past…

Glimpses into the past

Minutes record that the opening of the church for Divine Service was on October 4th 1874. Sir Graham Graham-Montgomery, the 4th Baronet, donated the ground for the church. The church was desigiied by John Lessels (1808-1883) of Edinburgh. The cost of building St. Paul’s came out higher than the original estimate. The building cost £1295.12.5 and with furniture and incidentals totalled £1413.12.10p and they borrowed £350 from the bank. The consecration of the church was delayed until the debt had been cleared and this was then carried out by the bishop on October 4th 1881.

In 1881 Russell of Wamock generously supplied a bell for the church.

In June 1886 Sir Graham Graham-Montgomery offered to feu a site to the north of the church to build a parsonage, by September they had a building fund of £620 and by September 1887 the house was erected. In October 1888 the church was gifted a piece of land to the south of the church by Mr Purvis Russell for a parsonage garden.

In 1892 David Reid’s widow offered to give a new organ to the church, in July 1911 Mrs Reid gave £1,000 to endow the Reid memorial organ. 24th July 1930 Capt. Reid intimated an offer by Mrs Reid to install an electric engine to work the organ in place of the then present water engine.

In June 1908 the question of enlarging the church was considered and they were quoted for five different schemes of enlargement. If this had gone ahead it would have more than doubled the seating of the church.

The Church hall was built sometime between 1900 and 1910, at a cost of £100, for the use of the Sunday School.

11th January 1931, Capt. Reid suggested that the constitution of the church be amended to permit ladies being appointed to the vestry, this was approved!

August 1934, Reservation of a pew to cost £7.10.0d annually, further seats at the rate of £1.11.6d per seat.

The first heating system was installed in the 1940s using under pew steam pipes fed from a coal fired boiler. This sys­tem was upgraded to use electric heaters under each pew and finally infra-red radiant heaters were added in 1995.

The tapestry for the kneelers were made 1989-1991 by members of the congregation and their friends under the direction of Eileen Evetts who then made them up. The Alter cloth showing the church and surroundings was made by Muriel Markiand in memory of Margaret Smith’s mother Peggy Gallant.

In 2006 we removed the pulpit to locate a new organ, which was donated by Nora Elliot in memory of her brother John. The old organ was also dismantled to create a Lady Chapel and additional seating for the Church. This work re-exposed the North Window and the North Transept.