North Leith Parish Church
Encyclopedia
North Leith Parish Church is a congregation
of the Church of Scotland
, within the Presbytery of Edinburgh
. It is serves part of Leith
, formerly an independent burgh
and since 1920 a part of the city of Edinburgh
, Scotland
.
and was completed in 1816. It has a notable neo-classical portico (with four large Ionic columns), above which is a clock tower surmounted by a slender spire
. A pipe organ
(by Wadsworth of Manchester
) was added in 1880. The building was damaged by bombing during World War II
(in 1941), but was repaired by 1950. It is a category A listed building.
William Burn was also responsible for several other notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Edinburgh Academy
and John Watson's College (now the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
).
granted lands for the construction of Holyrood Abbey
. In 1493 Robert Bellenden, Abbot of Holyrood
, built St Ninian's Chapel on the north-west bank of the Water of Leith
, on lands owned by the Abbey. The small chapel was subsequently rebuilt after the Reformation
. The replacement church opened in 1586, and later became the parish church of North Leith, which was created a quoad omnia
parish, i.e. a civil and sacred parish
, by a resolution of the Parliament of Scotland
in 1606. A Dutch-style tower was added in 1675. The discovery of rot in this building in the 18th century led to extensive renovation and the construction of galleries within the building, but the church remained too small for the congregation, leading to its replacement by the current building in 1816 (then in fields just outside the built-up part of Leith). The Dutch-style tower of the old church still stands, although it was later incorporated into a mill.
North Leith Parish Church united with Bonnington
Church in 1968, creating Leith North & Bonnington Church (using the Madeira Street building). In 1982, Leith North & Bonnington Church further united with Leith St Ninian's Ferry Road Church, creating the current congregation with the historic name North Leith Parish Church.
shopping centre, the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Scottish Government offices at Victoria Quay.
, Northamptonshire
.
Recent former ministers include:
The Reverend David H. Logan was minister at St Ninian's Ferry Road Church from 1965 until his retirement in 1982, at which point the congregation united with Leith North & Bonnington.
Congregation
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship:* Local church* Congregation , an administrative body of the Roman Catholic Church...
of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, within the Presbytery of Edinburgh
Presbytery of Edinburgh
The Presbytery of Edinburgh is one of the forty-six presbyteries of the Church of Scotland, being the local presbytery for Edinburgh. Its boundary is almost identical to that of the City of Edinburgh Council area .The current Clerk is the Reverend Dr. George J. Whyte...
. It is serves part of Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, formerly an independent burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
and since 1920 a part of the city of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Building
The current building in Madeira Street (at the junction with Prince Regent Street), Leith, was designed by the architect William BurnWilliam Burn
William Burn was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812...
and was completed in 1816. It has a notable neo-classical portico (with four large Ionic columns), above which is a clock tower surmounted by a slender spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. A pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
(by Wadsworth of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
) was added in 1880. The building was damaged by bombing during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(in 1941), but was repaired by 1950. It is a category A listed building.
William Burn was also responsible for several other notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy is an independent school which was opened in 1824. The original building, in Henderson Row on the northern fringe of the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland, is now part of the Senior School...
and John Watson's College (now the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, holds the national collection of modern art. When opened in 1960, the collection was held in Inverleith House, at the Royal Botanic Gardens...
).
History
Its origins date back to 1128, when King David I of ScotlandDavid I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
granted lands for the construction of Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey
Holyrood Abbey is a ruined abbey of the Canons Regular in Edinburgh, Scotland. The abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland. During the 15th century, the abbey guesthouse was developed into a royal residence, and after the Scottish Reformation the Palace of Holyroodhouse was expanded...
. In 1493 Robert Bellenden, Abbot of Holyrood
Abbot of Holyrood
The Abbot of Holyrood was the head of the Augustinian monastic community of Holyrood Abbey, now in Edinburgh. The long history of the abbey came to a formal end in July 1606 when the parliament of Scotland turned the abbey into a secular lordship for the last commendator, John Bothwell...
, built St Ninian's Chapel on the north-west bank of the Water of Leith
Water of Leith
The Water of Leith is the main river flowing through Edinburgh, Scotland, to the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth.It is long and rises in the Colzium Springs at Millstone Rig of the Pentland Hills...
, on lands owned by the Abbey. The small chapel was subsequently rebuilt after the Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
. The replacement church opened in 1586, and later became the parish church of North Leith, which was created a quoad omnia
Quoad sacra parish
A quoad sacra parish is a type of parish in Scotland which is used for ecclesiastical purposes only. Quoad sacra translates from Latin as 'concerning sacred matters'. This type of parish can be distinguished from the 'parish proper' a parish combining both civil and eccesiastical functions...
parish, i.e. a civil and sacred parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, by a resolution of the Parliament of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
in 1606. A Dutch-style tower was added in 1675. The discovery of rot in this building in the 18th century led to extensive renovation and the construction of galleries within the building, but the church remained too small for the congregation, leading to its replacement by the current building in 1816 (then in fields just outside the built-up part of Leith). The Dutch-style tower of the old church still stands, although it was later incorporated into a mill.
North Leith Parish Church united with Bonnington
Bonnington, Edinburgh
Bonnington is a district of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of the Leith Docks.The Water of Leith flows by here.The former Bonnington Church united with North Leith Parish Church in 1968, with the united congregation thenceforth using the North Leith Parish Church building in...
Church in 1968, creating Leith North & Bonnington Church (using the Madeira Street building). In 1982, Leith North & Bonnington Church further united with Leith St Ninian's Ferry Road Church, creating the current congregation with the historic name North Leith Parish Church.
Parish
The parish largely consists of the north-west part of Leith, including the Fort housing scheme, Leith Docks, including the Ocean TerminalOcean Terminal, Edinburgh
Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland is a shopping centre, designed by Sir Terence Conran.It is built on former industrial docklands on the north side of the city at the edge of the boundary between formerly separate ports of Newhaven and Leith. The land was formerly occupied by the Henry...
shopping centre, the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Scottish Government offices at Victoria Quay.
Ministry
The current minister (since March 2011) is the Reverend Alexander McAspurren, who was previously minister of one of the two Church of Scotland congregations in CorbyCorby
Corby Town is a town and borough located in the county of Northamptonshire. Corby Town is 23 miles north-east of the county town, Northampton. The borough had a population of 53,174 at the 2001 Census; the town on its own accounted for 49,222 of this figure...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
.
Recent former ministers include:
- Reverend Douglas Clarke (1968–1979) - originally inducted to Leith Bonnington Church in 1965, becoming minister of the united Leith North & Bonnington Church in 1968
- Reverend William G. Neill (1980–1986) - originally inducted to Leith North & Bonnington in 1980, moving to St Andrew's Church, AyrAyrAyr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
, in 1986 - Reverend Alastair G. C. McGregor QC BD (1987–2002)
- Reverend Dr Kenneth S. Baird (2003–2009).
The Reverend David H. Logan was minister at St Ninian's Ferry Road Church from 1965 until his retirement in 1982, at which point the congregation united with Leith North & Bonnington.