Aberfoyle, Manse Road, Old Parish Church And Churchyard

NN50SW 3.00 51842 00506

NN50SW 3.01 5181 0049 Building

(NS 5183 0049) Church (In Ruins) (NAT)

OS 6" map, (1958)

The Object Name Book of the Ordnance Survey (ONB) states that the church is 'a small plain oblong built edifice being the parish church, its interior is fitted up with pews, sufficiently commodious for about 450 sitters. Immediately west on the opposite side of the road is the parish school a small edifice erected some four years ago by the heritors of the parish.

Name Book 1886

This church, now unroofed, was built in 1744 and fell into disuse in 1870 when the present Parish Church was built in Aberfoyle. There is a record of a former church on the site in 1621 (information from T Naismith, 25 Queen's Crescent, Aberfoyle).

The remains stand to roof height and measure internally 14.5m east to west x 5.5m tranasversely within walls 0.9m thick. The entrance, which has originally been larger, is in the west while the bell is still intact in the east gable. The interior now forms part of the graveyard, in which the oldest known stone bears the date '1685'.

There is no record as to whom the church was originally dedicated.

Visited by OS (R D) 24 October 1968.

REFERENCE - Scottish Record Office

'Glazing, pottying and painting the 4 windows on the South side of the Kirk of Aberfoyle'. Payment of ?4.3.9 to Archibald Paterson, Wright.

Factor's Account Book.

1764 GD 220/6/50

Building of the New Church.

Payment of ?1233.7.2 (Scots) 'to James Mushett, mason, for all materials to, and building a New Church' as the Duke of Montrose's proportion of the cost.

Cash Book. GD 220/6/33/Page 807 and

1744 GD 220/6/49

Repair of the Church.

Payment of ?39.16.6 to Walter Graham for repairing Church.

Payment of ?2.0.6 to Alex McIlwham's account for Mason work.

Payment of ?49.17.0 to William Simson for repair of the walls.

Factor's Account Book.

1822 GD 220/6/56

A bell for the Church of Aberfoyle.

A receipt from a skipper for a hamper with the bell has been received but the ship has not yet arrived. Letter from George Robertson W.S. to Mungo Graham or Gorthie.

1725 GD 220/5/1734/12

Pinning and harling of the Kirk and repairing the slating etc.

Payment of ?26.17.0 to Alexander Gowan.

Factor's Account Book.

1765 GD 220/6/50

Repair of Aberfoyle Church.

Payment of ?150 to James Macfarlane, as the Duke of Montrose's proportion of the cost.

Cash Book.

1839 GD 220/6/36

Aberfoyle. Bell for Aberfoyle Church.

Receipted account for ?6.8.10 for a bell bought from John Waylett in London and delivered for shipping to Leith.

1725 GD 220/6/1251/32

Proposed building of a church.

Letter from James Richardson to Mungo Graeme of Gorthie. It accompanied contracts and relative articles. The suggestion that the Church should be sited a little to the North is acceptable.

1743 GD 220/6/612/7

Building the Church of Aberfoyle. Articles relative to the Contract with James Mushet, Mason in Dunblane, for building from the foundation a church at Aberfoyle. They give a detailed description of the proposed building.

1743 GD 220/6/960/16

Building the Church of Aberfoyle.

Contract between William, Duke of Montrose and John McLachlan of Greenhall, Heritors of the Parish of Aberfoyle, on the one part, and James Mushet, Mason in Dunblane on the other part whereby said James is to build a new Church at Aberfoyle. Receipt for ?12.33.7.2 (Scots) follows the Contract.

1743-1744 GD 220/6/960/15

Proposal to build a New Church and Manse at Aberfoyle. Letter from the Duke of Montrose to S Jolly. He opposes the proposal. The Old Church 'is quite large enough for the Parish and I do not consider it at all desirable to make accommodation for persons coming from other Parishes'. He hopes that the Manse can likewise be repaired.

1838 GD 220/6/549/4

Memorandum about building the Church of Aberfoyle.

The Estimate amounts to ?106.3.8.

1846 GD 220/6/612/9

Proposed memorial to Richard Hampson.

Letter from Robert Hampson to Horatio Piele and reply [copies]. He suggested the erection of 'a small simple church in this Parish in lieu of the present one which is in a dilapidated condition, and out of the way of the great majority of the people.....' The suggestion is approved by Mr Piele and he agrees to forward the correspondence to the Duke of Montrose.

1868 GD 220/6/573/17-18

Proposed Church at Aberfoyle.

Letter from Horatio Piele to the Duke of Montrose. The tradesmen's offers for Aberfoyle Church amount to ?1,810. This sum includes ornamental work which could be left out and the amount reduced to ?1,500 Mr [John] Honeyman, Architect. [1831-1914] is now acting for Rochead [John Thomas Rochead][1814-1878] and he approved of a 'neat simple building without a spire.....rather than one like the Plan'.

April 1st 1869 GD 220/6/574/38

Proposed Church at Aberfoyle.

Letter from Horatio Piele to the Duke of Montrose. He had met Mr [John] Honeyman, Architect [1831-1914] and Mr Hampson at Aberfoyle and found Mr Hampson quite willing to agree to the Duke's suggestion for improving the Plan by heightening the walls.

May 5th 1869 GD 220/6/574/39

Proposed Church at Aberfoyle.

Letter from Robert Hampson to the Duke of Montrose. Mr [John] Honeyman, Architect [1831-1914] has agreed that the walls should be slightly raised and so improve the appearance of the building without adding greatly to the cost. However, the windows would have to be altered, a division made in the buttresses and the elevation of the porch increased. These alterations would be more expensive and would required quarried stone from Bannockburn.

May 7th 1869 GD 220/6/574/37