Irvine, Perceton, Old Parish Church
Burial Vault (Period Unassigned), Cemetery (Period Unassigned), Church (13th Century)
Site Name Irvine, Perceton, Old Parish Church
Classification Burial Vault (Period Unassigned), Cemetery (Period Unassigned), Church (13th Century)
Alternative Name(s) The Vault
Canmore ID 42070
Site Number NS34SE 6
NGR NS 35111 40585
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/42070
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Dreghorn
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS34SE 6 35111 40585
(NS 35111 40585) Church (NR) (remains of)
OS 6" map (1970)
Perceton church belonged to Kilwinning Abbey. The parishes of Dreghorn and Perceton were united in 1668.
G Chalmers 1824
Little is known about the church at Perceton, though Chalmers' statement is correct. In addition, the earliest record of it occurs in a charter of 1468 (Reg Magni Sig Reg Scot), and the list of ministers dates from 1570 to 1667 (H Scott 1920). It was probably left to fall into ruin soon after the union of the parishes in 1668. Armstrong's map of 1775 shows it in ruins then. The burial vault on the N side of the church is said to bear the date 1638 (?).
Information from Rev I Fairweather, Dreghorn Manse.
The remains of this church stand on a high point of ground overlooking the ground to the N. On plan it measures 16m by 7m and its rubble walls are 1.7m high, except for the E gable, which is 2.5m high and has a modern top to it. The burial vault on the N has a tall, twin-lighted window in its N wall, the mullions of the lower portion, however, have been broken off. This vault is of ashlar, and its style is suggestive of a 17th century date. No trace was found of the date-stone referred to by the Rev Fairweather. The surrounding graveyard contains a number of old gravestones, the earliest date seen being '1698'. The church is featureless, save for a round-headed doorway in the S wall, and serves as the burial ground for the Macreddies and Mures of Perceton.
Visited by OS (JLD) 6 September 1956
No change.
Visited by OS (JRL) 28 August 1982.
Church
(remains of) [NAT]
OS (GIS) MasterMap, May 2010.
NMRS REFERENCE:
NMRS Microfilm & Microfiche Collection
MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS WITHIN CUNNINGHAME DISTRICT
copyright: Cunninghame District Council
acc. No. 1990/57
Reel 6 (Irvine Area), accompanied by index on microfiche.
(Undated) information in NMRS.
Remains of pre-Reformation church of Perceton, within the grounds of a family burial ground - A roofless rectangular stone enclosure, gabled north aisle (Historic Scotland).
Church became defunct when the parishes of Perceton and Dreghorn merged in 1668 ( Close, 1994)
Publication Account (1980)
The first mention of the parish church of Irvine is in the 1205 grant of Brice de Eglunstone (Dobie, 1890, 4) and another followed in 1233 (Pais. Reg. 1832, 166). Dedicated to the Virgin, Irvine parish church belonged to Kilwinning Abbey, although the date of its transferral to the abbey is unknown. Pococke noted that the church 'seems to be very old' and shortly after his observation a new parish church was in fact built in 1771/2, partly on the site of the older structure (McJannet, 1938, 135). A chapel in honour of St.Mary stood near the parish church to the southwest in a field adjoining St.Mary's Well. After 1761, that field was joined to the churchyard (McJannet, 1938, 136).
Information from ‘Historic Irvine: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1980).
