Kirkbride, Durisdeer
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Kirkbride, previously Kilbride was an ancient parish close to the village of
Enterkinfoot Enterkinfoot is a small village or hamlet which lies north of Thornhill on the A76 on the route to Sanquhar, in Dumfriesshire, Durisdeer Parish, in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. Its original nucleus was the old mill with associate ...
, the lands of which lay on both sides of the
River Nith The River Nith (; Common Brittonic: ''Nowios'') is a river in south-west Scotland. The Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, east of Dalmellington. For the majority of its course it flows ...
in the old Strathnith area of
Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway (; ) is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, located in the western part of the Southern Uplands. It is bordered by East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire to the north; Scottish Borders to the no ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, about 5 miles south of
Sanquhar Sanquhar (, ) is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a former Royal Burgh. It is notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and considered the oldest working p ...
and north of Closeburn. The parish was suppressed and divided between
Durisdeer Durisdeer is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland, and in the historic county of Dumfries-shire. It lies north of Thornhill, above the Carron Water, a tributary of the Nith. History A Roman road once passed through ...
and
Sanquhar Sanquhar (, ) is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a former Royal Burgh. It is notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and considered the oldest working p ...
parishes in 1732. The ruins of the kirk are a
scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
and the surrounding graveyard is a
Category B listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
with the
River Nith The River Nith (; Common Brittonic: ''Nowios'') is a river in south-west Scotland. The Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, east of Dalmellington. For the majority of its course it flows ...
in the valley below. The Ha Cleuch Burn flows through the glen that lies to the east of the site with a lane reaching it that runs up from
Enterkinfoot Enterkinfoot is a small village or hamlet which lies north of Thornhill on the A76 on the route to Sanquhar, in Dumfriesshire, Durisdeer Parish, in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. Its original nucleus was the old mill with associate ...
, ending at Coshogle Farm.


History

The church of Kirkbride, dedicated to St Bride, Brigit, Brigid or Bridget, is said to have been founded by St Mungo, along with St Conal's at
Kirkconnel Kirkconnel ( Gaelic: ''Cille Chonbhaill'') is a small parish in Dumfries and Galloway, southwestern Scotland. It is located on the A76 near the head of Nithsdale. Principally it has been a sporting community. The name comes from The Church of ...
and was granted to the monks of
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
during the 13th century reign of Alexander II and had been within the Presbytery of Pont. Debate continues as to over whether St Bride was a true saint as the Celtic goddess
Brigid Brigid or Brigit ( , ; meaning 'exalted one'),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandaise ''B ...
has the same name, feast day and other links. In 1240 William, Bishop of Glasgow confirmed the grant. It became an independent rectory or parsonage and remained as such until the Reformation. Walter de Lillesclif was the parson at the time of
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
and it is recorded that after he had sworn fealty to
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
and the Sheriff of Dumfries restored him in that post with all its possessions. In the 16th century at the time of
James V James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...
the church lay in the Deanery of Nith and was taxed at £6 13s 4d. The
advowson Advowson () or patronage is the right in English law of a patron (avowee) to present to the diocesan bishop (or in some cases the ordinary if not the same person) a nominee for appointment to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a ...
or right as the feudal superiors to appoint the minister, lay with the Douglas family of Drumlanrig from the time of
James VI James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
until the parish was suppressed by the Lords Commissioners of Tiends in 1732.


The old kirk and churchyard

Kirkbride (NS854056) stands high up on to the south of
Sanquhar Sanquhar (, ) is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a former Royal Burgh. It is notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and considered the oldest working p ...
, dedicated to St Bride and granted to
Holyrood Abbey Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a List of British royal residences, royal r ...
in the 13th century. The present day ruins at this site are of a rectangular church that was reportedly built in the early 16th century, traditionally orientated east to west with a small sacristy extending from the northern wall. It is said to have held no more than a hundred of a congregation and was only the second church in Scotland built after the Reformation although it replaces an older chapel. Some of the church structure has disappeared due to robbing for the buildings of the nearby Kirkbride Farm that was once also the site of a mill. The parish was suppressed and annexed to
Sanquhar Sanquhar (, ) is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a former Royal Burgh. It is notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and considered the oldest working p ...
and
Durisdeer Durisdeer is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland, and in the historic county of Dumfries-shire. It lies north of Thornhill, above the Carron Water, a tributary of the Nith. History A Roman road once passed through ...
in 1732 although some other references give the date as 1727. Kilbride was the first parish in the South-West of Scotland to join the reformed faith and at first the use of the church was denied to the congregation who were forced to meet in the west corner of the churchyard around an ancient thorn tree. In the annual list of excommunications by the Pope at that time is listed the ancient Kirkbride thorn tree. The south side of the kirk has the visible remains of an unusually narrow door and two windows, one near the altar and another in the western end of the nave. A substantial rectangular block of stonework lying inside represents the old belfry that was still in situ in 1912. In the wall at the intersection with the sacristy is a stone exhibiting carved interlace Celtic style decoration that may be part of an old cross. In 1912 an arch with a chamfered edge lay between the sacristy and the nave. The fragments of a statue of an ecclesiastic referred to as "Gabrialdus" is recorded as being visible amongst the stones of the ruin in 1912. The narrow entrance door is unusual and had a pointed arch made of two stones that stood in 1920 but has now fallen. In the north-east angle of the church in 1920 a fragment of a tombstone was recorded bearing the inscription "Orate Propiciet" in Gothic lettering, translating as "Pray for the soul". It is recorded that an ex-provost of
Sanquhar Sanquhar (, ) is a town on the River Nith in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, north of Thornhill and west of Moffat. It is a former Royal Burgh. It is notable for its tiny post office, established in 1712 and considered the oldest working p ...
, Abraham Crichton, had the old kirk partly un-roofed in the 1740s as he regarded the congregation as being largely Whigs and therefore with
Covenanter Covenanters were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. It originated in disputes with James VI and his son C ...
and
Hanoverian The adjective Hanoverian is used to describe: * British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901 * things relating to; ** Electorate of Hanover ** Kingdom of Hanover ** Province of ...
sympathies whilst he was probably a
Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...
and a Jacobite. He had stated that he would "''Sune ding doon the Whig's sanctuary''" however work ceased when a terrible storm arose and he died shortly after from a fall from his horse. The old congregation had been petitioning for services to be resumed and they took Abraham's death as a punishment by God for his role in the suppression of the old parish and his act of sacrilege against the building. The church is very similar to the early 16th century church at Little Dalton. The Category B Listed churchyard contains several 17th and 18th gravestones with an approximately quadrangular graveyard surrounded by a plain rubble-built walls that are quite high in places due to the slope on which the site is located. The graveyard gateway stands to the east and has plain iron gates. In 1807 it was recorded that the graveyard was still being used for burials by local families. The church bell was stolen some time after its abandonment and was traced to
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
where it had been recognised by the sound of it when rung. It was brought back and re-hung in the small belfry on the gable end, however the belfry collapsed and the whereabouts of the bell is at present unknown. A 1725
Communion Token A communion token is a metal token issued to members of Reformed churches in order to provide them entrance to the Lord's Supper. There were many types issued in Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, but they were largely superseded by commun ...
for Kirkbride, designated as 'KB' is held by the Dumfries Museum.


The manse

It is not clear where the manse stood however it may have been at Kirkbride Farm and mill. A description of it refers to it having a castle like appearance with thick walls built to withstand the fierce gales. It was demolished prior to 1846 and was of such strength that considerable effort was needed to reduce it to rubble.


Ministers

Walter de Lillescliff is the first recorded parson at the time of
Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 125 ...
. The story is told of one of the
curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...
s who held office prior to the Reformation being hounded from the parish by a group of five parishioners led by another named Clark. The curate had woefully neglected his duties and the six men arrived at the manse one day, demanded to see the curate and after being observed by him they found that he has escaped through a window and the last they saw of him he was running up beside the Stroquhairn Burn on his way to
Wanlockhead Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, nestling in the Lowther Hills and south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands. It is Scotland's highest village, the village centre b ...
and safety. ;Rev Peter Rae In 1732 the parish ceased to exist and the last minister, who had served from 1703, was the Revd Peter Rae who courted controversy amongst his parishioners by running a printing press from around 1712 at Kirkbride and later at
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
. His business published the 'Dumfries Mercury' that was Scotland's first newspaper outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Rae also published his own writings including a discourse against the Acts of Union that took place in 1707 and "A History of the Late Rebellion (1718)", both of which are still cited today. He named his eight-year-old son as the proprietor of his publishing business in an attempt to divert criticism. Amongst his other involvements are making an astronomical clock that hung in Drumlanrig Castle, surveying Lochar Moss and acting as an agent for the
Wanlockhead Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, nestling in the Lowther Hills and south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands. It is Scotland's highest village, the village centre b ...
lead mines. He married Agnes Corsane, was born in 1671 and died in 1748. The sentiments of his flock are best expressed by a wit who wrote: One surprising insight into his character was that he was once placed before the Pont Presbytery for attacking a local woman who he believed to be a witch. He hit her on the forehead and drew blood, this being the supposed method of bring an end to malign influence, the '
Evil Eye The evil eye is a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a malevolent glaring, glare, usually inspired by envy. Amulets to Apotropaic, protect against it have been found dating to around 5,000 years ago. It is found in many cultures i ...
'. He soon after became the Clerk to the very same presbytery.


Kirkbride Mill

The 1856 OS map alone shows a dam and mill pond on the Stroquhairn Burn with sluices and a mill race running down to Kirkbride Farm with the water then leaving via an unnamed burn to join the Ha Cleuch Burn. A very worn grindstone is incorporated into the south wall of the church near the door.


Cartographic evidence and place names

In the 1660s a Cashogill is recorded and extends as far as Kilbryd . The March Cleugh is a small burn that flows from near Kirkbride Hill and joins the Stroquhairn Burn. The Ha Cleuch Glen Burn runs down to join the Enterkin Burn at the level the old Enterkin Cottages site. A Priestcrown Wood lies above the railway in the area of the masonry wall support and a
Holy Well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, Spring (hydrosphere), spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christianity, Christian or Paganism, pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualitie ...
lies on the lands of Hapland Farm of which no history survives. In 1904 a track ran from near the kirk down past Priestwood Cottage, later named Woodhead, to join the valley road at the Lime Cleuch. A trackway ran from Kirkbride Farm to
Wanlockhead Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, nestling in the Lowther Hills and south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands. It is Scotland's highest village, the village centre b ...
via the Lagdow Cairn. A 'Priest Wood' is recorded on a map of 1832 lying below the old church.


Covenanters

The congregation of
Durisdeer Durisdeer is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland, and in the historic county of Dumfries-shire. It lies north of Thornhill, above the Carron Water, a tributary of the Nith. History A Roman road once passed through ...
Church hold a
Conventicle A conventicle originally meant "an assembly" and was frequently used by ancient writers to mean "a church." At a semantic level, ''conventicle'' is a Latinized synonym of the Greek word for ''church'', and references Jesus' promise in Matthew 18: ...
every year at Kirkbride. This open air preaching was held regularly in secret during the Covenanting times and revived in 1957 by the minister of
Durisdeer Durisdeer is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland, and in the historic county of Dumfries-shire. It lies north of Thornhill, above the Carron Water, a tributary of the Nith. History A Roman road once passed through ...
, late Rev Bill Scott. A white marble Northumbrian Cross, the 'Martyrs Cross', stands in the
Dalgarnock Dalgarnock, Dalgarno, Dalgarnoc was an ancient parish and a once considerable sized village in the Nithsdale area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, south of Sanquhar and north of Dumfries that enclosed the parish of Closeburn but was annexed ...
burial ground, erected in 1925 and carved as a memorial to the 57 (54 men and three women) Nithsdale Covenanters who gave their lives for their faith. A letter book relating to the erection of this cross was kept at Hornel Library,
Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; ) is a town at the mouth of the River Dee, Galloway, River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, southwest of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie. A former royal burgh, it is the traditional county town of Kirkcudbrightshire. His ...
. The names of the martyr's are listed with the places and dates of death where known and the following death locations relate to this area of Nithsdale: James Harkness led the famous 'Enterkin Raid' when he led a band of 40 Covenanters who rescued seven out of nine fellow Covenanters who were being taken to Edinburgh via the nearby 'Enterkin Path' to be sold into slavery in America. He was captured by Claverhouse but escaped and fled to Ulster, only returning after the 'Killing Times' ended. His brother Thomas was however hung at the Grassmarket in Edinburgh and his name is on the Martyrs Cross. This is the famous Harkness family who were staunch Covenanters with many stories told of their trials and tribulations. The Lagdow Cairn on Kirkbride Hill is a small monument of stones that is said to commemorate the site where a person named Dow was shot by Sir Robert Grierson, the Laird of Lag and as a consequence the Cairn's name is derived from the surnames of Lag & Dow. A story is told of two Covenanters who were being constantly hunted by the King's troops with no success thanks to the shelter given by the locality and by their friends and neighbours. The troops unusually decided to capture instead the men's wives and take them into custody to force the capitulation of their husbands. Being warned, on many occasions the wives easily avoided capture, however one day they were caught in open country and the best they could do was hide in amongst the bracken and heather. Despite the soldiers walking through where they lay they were not discovered and this was taken as being akin to 'Peden's Blanket' where fog hid the righteous.


The Ghost of Abraham Crichton

Abraham Crichton, Provost of Sanquhar in 1734 had been a wealthy merchant in Sanquhar. In 1741 he was declared a bankrupt however it was generally believed that he had hidden his fortune. As stated he took an active part in the abolition of the services at Kirkbride and of its existence as a separate parish. His intention was to “sune ding doon the Whig's sanctuary” by removing the roof of the church however divine influence is said to have intervened and a violent storm forced the labourers to abandon their work and they did not return. Shortly after Abraham died from a fall from his horse, taken as a sign of divine retribution and in addition reports began of his ghost haunting the old kirk where he had ironically been buried. Reports differ on whether his appearances were solely restricted to the cemetery grounds, however he is said to have made a thorough nuisance of himself over a considerable period of time by causing milkmaids to drop their pails of milk and run for safety, terrifying locals miners and generally scaring old and young, men and women, all and sundry. The locals decided that this must stop as it had also become the talk of South-West Scotland and was even being discussed in Edinburgh. The Revd Hunter from the presbytery at
Pont Pont, meaning "bridge" in French, may refer to: Places France * Pont, Côte-d'Or, in the Côte-d'Or ''département'' * Pont-Bellanger, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-d'Ouilly, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-Farcy, in the Cal ...
was approached and he agreed to spend the night in an attempt to exorcise the ghost. In this he was successful and Abraham haunts the site no more, however although the minister never revealed his methods he advised that his adversary's tomb should be bound with thick metal chains and weighed down with a large boulder.


See also

*
Barburgh Mill, Closeburn Barburgh Mill is a hamlet composed of an old lint mill, later extended as a woollen mill and associated buildings which lies north of Auldgirth on the A76 on the route to Closeburn, Dumfries and Galloway, Closeburn, in Dumfriesshire, Closeburn Pa ...
* Deil's Dyke - A linear earthwork.


References


Bibliography

*Chalmers, George (1824). ''Caledonia: Or, An Account, Historical and Topographic, of North Britain.'' London : T. Cadell. *Hewison, James King (1912). ''Dumfriesshire - Cambridge County Geographies''. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. *RCAHMS. (1920) ''The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Seventh report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Dumfries''. Edinburgh : HMSO. *Wood, Rog (2010). ''Old Sanquhar Tales - A Collection of Folklore''. Dumfries : Dumfries & Galloway Council. .


External links


Photographs of the Enterkinfoot areaVideo footage and history of Morton CastleVideo footage of Kirkbide and its natural historyKirkbride and the Ghost of Abraham CrichtonKirkbride, Durisdeer - A Visual Record
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkbride Parish and Church Nithsdale Parishes in Dumfries and Galloway Christianity in medieval Scotland History of Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire