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Ecclefechan, St Fechan's Church
Burial Ground (Medieval) - (18th Century), Church (Medieval) - (17th Century)
Site Name Ecclefechan, St Fechan's Church
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval) - (18th Century), Church (Medieval) - (17th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Johnstone Churchyard; St Feochan's Church; Old Church
Canmore ID 66673
Site Number NY17SE 11
NGR NY 19221 74504
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/66673
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Hoddom
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
NY17SE 11 19221 74504
(NY 1921 7449) St Fechan's Church (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map (1957)
For adjacent Johnstone church (NY 1925 7454), see NY17SE 67.
This church was situated on the S side of Ecclefechan. The parish was united with Hoddom in 1609, and the church later demolished. The cemetery remained in the 19th century.
G Chalmers 1890; New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845 (W W Duncan)
The parishes of Hoddam, Ecclefechan and Luce on Annan were united in 1609.
H Scott 1915-61.
The name 'Ecclefechan' is probably to be compared with Llanfechan in Montgomeryshire; the second part, which is supposed to be the name of St Fechin of Fore (H Scott 1917) may, however, be the mutated form of the Welsh adjective 'bechan', as in Llan-fair-fechan, 'Little St Mary's Church'. In this case the meaning would be 'little church'.
W J Watson 1926.
No trace of this church can be seen in the graveyard.
Visited by OS (RD) 23 October 1967
Ecclefechan (Glasgow, Annandale). A parsonage in Bagimond, the church remained unappropriated in the 16th century, then lying within the patronage of Carruthers of Holmains.
I B Cowan 1967.
Field Visit (25 August 1993)
NY17SE 11 19221 74504
The site of the medieval parish church of Ecclefechan is indicated by an area of raised ground, roughly at the centre of the burial-ground, measuring about 24m from E to W by 12m transversely. The presence of an early 18th-century grave-slab (John Bell, died 1736) on the edge of the raised portion of ground suggests that the church was demolished at some date prior to this.
Within the burial-ground, there are a number of other 18th-century gravestones, including that of Robert Peel (died 1749), together with a memorial to Thomas Carlyle (died 1879). The front wall of the old schoolhouse has been incorporated as part of the perimeter wall of the burial-ground.
Visited by RCAHMS (IMS, PC), 25 August 1993.
Listed as church and burial-ground.
RCAHMS 1997.
