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Essil, St Peter's Church And Well
Church (Medieval), Holy Well (Medieval)
Site Name Essil, St Peter's Church And Well
Classification Church (Medieval), Holy Well (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Church Of Easil; Red Kirk; Speymouth, Old Parish Church; Essill
Canmore ID 16964
Site Number NJ36SW 3
NGR NJ 33959 63459
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/16964
- Council Moray
- Parish Speymouth
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Morayshire
NJ36SW 3.00 33959 63459
NJ36SW 3.01 33983 63516 Burial Ground
For (successor) Speymouth parish church (NJ 3364 6075), see NJ36SW 46.
(NJ 3395 6346) Church of Easil (NR) (Remains of)
(NJ 3403 6350) St. Peter's Well (NR)
OS 6" map, Morayshire, 1st ed., (1871)
St. Peter's Well (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map, Morayshire, 2nd ed., (1905)
The parishes of Speymouth (formerly Dipple) and Essil (or Essill) were united by the Commissioners of Teinds on 14 July 1731.
H Scott 1915-61.
The Church of Easil parish dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle and mentioned in the early years of the 13th century was the seat of the sub-treasurer of Elgin Cathedral. The church was allowed to fall into ruin after Easil parish was incorporated in Speymouth in 1731 and by 1870 only parts of the west gable and north wall remained, but the burial ground was still in use in 1879.
St Peter's Well on the bank on the other side of the road, was considered both holy and healing.
A Jervise 1875-9; H B Mackintosh 1924.
Essil (Moray, Elgin). Assigned in conjunction with church of Kinneddar as the prebend of the treasurer of Moray in the constitution of Bishop Brice (1208 x 15), the parsonage revenues remained with that dignitary at the Reformation. However, during the 13th and 14th centuries disputes over certain teinds within the parish were the cause of litigation between the treasurer as parson and the priory of Urquhart. The cure throughout remained as a vicarage perpetual.
I B Cowan 1967.
Two isolated fragments of wall survive but each has been adapted to display a memorial stone. It is not instantly apparent, therefore, that a church existed at the published site, nor is it certain that the fragments of wall are 'in situ'.
Burial ground still in use and now extended.
No trace of the well.
Visited by OS (I S S) 19 January 1972.
