Field Visit
Date 1 August 1928
Event ID 1098346
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1098346
Parish Church, Burntisland.
The present parish church stands in the town, a position more convenient than that of Kirkton, where the original church [NT28NW 5] was situated. It was built in 1592, with the consent of the heritors (1), and at the expense of the inhabitants, apparently as a result of the growing importance of the town, which had been made a royal burgh in 1568. It is supposed to have had a church in Amsterdam as model (2), and its plan and method of construction are probably without parallel elsewhere in Scotland. The building is almost square, measuring 59 feet 5 inches by 59 feet 2 inches within the walls, and is surmounted by a central tower supported on four piers, which enclose a central area some 21 feet square internally. From the piers which are joined by semi-circular arches, rampant arches are carried to the four corners of the building, their thrust being received on external angle buttresses.
The tower and buttresses are built of ashlar, the church walls are of rubble, harled. The windows, south door, and porch are relatively modern. The four lower courses of the central tower are original, but all above this level are later, their period being indicated by the date 1749, which is incised on the sill of the west window. An entrance, opening into a gallery, has at some time been added in the east wall of the church. It is reached from a forestair with a good moulded balustrade. The entrance is a moulded doorway, inscribed on the lower member of the cornice with the words: GODS . PROVIDENCE. IS . OUR . INHERITANCE . JUNE . 6 . 1679, and having an anchor on the cushioned frieze and a lugged architrave. Above the west door is an inserted stone bearing the date 1592 and an anchor.
Within the church there is a wooden gallery on each wall. The fronts of these galleries are panelled and painted, the painting being considerably restored. The panels bear at various places dates (1602, 1622, 1711, 1733), mottoes and representations of ships, mariners with nautical instruments, the insignia of the Baxters' Incorporation represented by a wheat-sheaf surmounted by the ‘peel’ or baker's shovel and ‘slice’ in saltire, a hanging balance and a merchant's mark, the last being dated 1723 and incorporating what seems to be the monogram A.V.
The 17th-century pew, which is built round three sides of the north-eastern pier, is an interesting feature. It is made of oak, inlaid in places with other woods, and has a canopy supported on moulded and reeded shafts. The front and back are panelled, two panels on the back being armorial, while another bears the date 1606. The first armorial panel, which the initials S.R.M. appearing on it connect with Sir Robert Melville, bears: Gules, a sun argent between three crescents of thes ame. The second is parted per pale. On the dexter side are the Melville arms as above, while the sinister side carries those of Hamilton: Gules, a heart or between three cinquefoils argent. Above the latter panel is a third bearing the initials S.R.M. and D.I.H., the latter for Dame Joanna Hamilton (cf. [RCAHMS 1933], 211).
SEPULCHRAL MONUMENTS. (1) Against the east wall of the churchyard is a Renaissance mural monument dated 1689, commemorating Captain Andrew Watson, his wife Isobel Boswell, and their son John Watson of Dunnikeir (cf. [RCAHMS 1933] No. 366) with his wife Euphan Orrock. The initials of all four appear in monogram in the tympanum enclosing a shield parted per pale: dexter, on a fess surmounting a tree eradicated, a crescent between two stars; sinister, 2nd grand quarter, 1St and 4th, a lion rampant, 2nd and 3rd, a rose; 4th grand quarter, on a chevron erminois, three crescents.
(2) A recumbent slab in front of the last monument, commemorating David Wedderburn (d. 1628), bears in addition to inscriptions a shield enclosed by the initials M.D.W. and A.W. and bearing the impaled coats of Wedderburn and Watson thus: dexter, a chevron between [three roses] ; sinister, on a fess surmounting a tree eradicated, a crescent between two stars.
RCAHMS 1933, visited 1 August 1928.
(1) Statistical Account, ii, p. 431. (2) New Statistical Acct., ix, p. 420.
