St Andrew's and St George's Church
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's and St George's West Church serves Edinburgh
's New Town
, in Scotland
. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland
. The parish today constitutes the whole of the First New Town of Edinburgh and a small part of the early 19th century Second New Town of Edinburgh. The church building was completed in 1784, and is now protected as a category A listed building.
’s plan of 1767 for the First New Town
laid out a grid pattern of streets reflecting classical order and rationalism. It was the age of the Scottish Enlightenment
, and Edinburgh was becoming internationally renowned as the centre of new philosophy and thought. The two churches were intended to be built on Charlotte Square
(originally to be named St George Square), at the west end of George Street
, and St Andrew Square at the east end. However, Sir Lawrence Dundas, a wealthy businessman, preferred the eastern site for his home and bought the ground before Craig's plan could be implemented. St. Andrew's Church had to be built part-way along George Street, and its place was taken by Dundas House
, designed by Sir William Chambers
.
The Town Council held a competition for a design for the eastern church, St Andrew’s, which was won by Captain Andrew Frazer
and Robert Kay. The church was founded in 1781 and opened in 1784. The church is notable for its elliptical plan which was the first in Britain. There are similarities to William Adam's design for Hamilton Old Parish Church
and to James Gibbs
' original idea for St Martin-in-the-Fields
in London, both of which were circular sanctuaries fronted with porticoes. The architectural style reflects the contemporary 18th century fashion for classical Roman forms. These include the temple-front portico with ceiling rosettes based on examples found in Syria by Robert Wood
and illustrated in his Ruins of Palmyra of 1753. The magnificent interior ceiling design, in the style of Robert Adam
, also incorporates many features found in Roman and Pompeian interior design, as well as Scottish thistles.
The original design for St Andrew’s Church included a short tower but the Town Council opted for a steeple, built in 1787. It contains a unique peal of eight bells cast in 1788 by William and Thomas Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
, the oldest complete ring in Scotland. The bells were refurbished in 2006 and restored to full change ringing
. The original Georgian crown glass sash windows with glazing bars no longer exist. Of the replacements the most noteworthy are stained glass windows by Alfred Webster (1913) and Douglas Strachan (1934).
. Fuelled by increasing concern and resentment about the Civil Courts’ infringements on the liberties of the Church of Scotland, around one third of the ministers present at the annual General Assembly
walked out, cheered by onlookers outside, and constituted the Free Church of Scotland
.
In 1964 the congregation of St George’s Church in Charlotte Square
was united with St Andrew’s, forming St Andrew’s and St George’s. The St George's Church building is now used by the National Archives of Scotland
. Today, the church hosts an annual book sale for Christian Aid
. First held in 1974, in 2006 this event raised over £113,000, including the proceeds of the sale of the script of the Doctor Who
episode "New Earth
", signed by David Tennant
and Billie Piper
.
In January 2010 the congregation of St Andrew's and St George's was united with St George's West, Shandwick Place, to form the congregation of St Andrew's and St George's West. Both buildings are in use, with the former St Andrew's & St George's building as the principal place of worship.
and before that at Drylaw Parish Church, both in Edinburgh.
A recent former minister of St Andrew's & St George's was the Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan
, who was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
in 2000 and served as H. M. Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland until his retirement in 2009.
The two most recent ministers of the former St George's West Church were the Rev Peter J. Macdonald (1998-2008), who went on to become the leader of the Iona
Community, and the Rev Robert L. Glover (1985-1997), who became minister at Chalmers Memorial Church in Cockenzie and Port Seton
, East Lothian.
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...
's New Town
New Town, Edinburgh
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, in 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...
. It is a congregation 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....
. The parish today constitutes the whole of the First New Town of Edinburgh and a small part of the early 19th century Second New Town of Edinburgh. The church building was completed in 1784, and is now protected as a category A listed building.
Building
Two churches, St Andrew’s and St George’s, were planned as principal elements in the New Town of Edinburgh. James CraigJames Craig (architect)
James Craig was a Scottish architect. His brief career was concentrated almost entirely in Edinburgh, and he is remembered primarily for his layout of the first Edinburgh New Town.-Date of birth:...
’s plan of 1767 for the First New Town
New Town, Edinburgh
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is often considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
laid out a grid pattern of streets reflecting classical order and rationalism. It was the age of the Scottish Enlightenment
Scottish Enlightenment
The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy...
, and Edinburgh was becoming internationally renowned as the centre of new philosophy and thought. The two churches were intended to be built on Charlotte Square
Charlotte Square
Charlotte Square is a city square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street, intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east.-History:Initially named St...
(originally to be named St George Square), at the west end of George Street
George Street, Edinburgh
Situated to the north of Princes Street, George Street is a major street in the centre of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Laid out from 1767 as part of James Craig's plan for the New Town, George Street was named in honour of King George III.-Geography:...
, and St Andrew Square at the east end. However, Sir Lawrence Dundas, a wealthy businessman, preferred the eastern site for his home and bought the ground before Craig's plan could be implemented. St. Andrew's Church had to be built part-way along George Street, and its place was taken by Dundas House
Dundas House
Dundas House is located at 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the Registered Office of the Royal Bank of Scotland. It is protected as a category A listed building....
, designed by Sir William Chambers
William Chambers (architect)
Sir William Chambers was a Scottish architect, born in Gothenburg, Sweden, where his father was a merchant. Between 1740 and 1749 he was employed by the Swedish East India Company making several voyages to China where he studied Chinese architecture and decoration.Returning to Europe, he studied...
.
Andrew Frazer (lieutenant-colonel)
Andrew Frazer , was a lieutenant-colonel of engineers.Frazer was the son of George Frazer, a deputy surveyor of excise in Scotland, was probably employed on the works at Fort George after the Scottish rebellion of 1745–6. He was appointed practitioner engineer, with rank of ensign in the train, on...
and Robert Kay. The church was founded in 1781 and opened in 1784. The church is notable for its elliptical plan which was the first in Britain. There are similarities to William Adam's design for Hamilton Old Parish Church
Hamilton Old Parish Church
Hamilton Old Parish Church is a Church of Scotland parish church serving part of the Burgh of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is notable for its Georgian architecture. It was built in 1734 to an unusual, largely circular design...
and to James Gibbs
James Gibbs
James Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
' original idea for St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
in London, both of which were circular sanctuaries fronted with porticoes. The architectural style reflects the contemporary 18th century fashion for classical Roman forms. These include the temple-front portico with ceiling rosettes based on examples found in Syria by Robert Wood
Robert Wood (engraver)
Robert Wood was a British traveller, classical scholar, civil servant and politician.In 1750-1751 Wood travelled around the Levant with two wealthy young Oxford scholars James Dawkins and John Bouverie and an Italian draftsman Giovanni Battista Borra...
and illustrated in his Ruins of Palmyra of 1753. The magnificent interior ceiling design, in the style of Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
, also incorporates many features found in Roman and Pompeian interior design, as well as Scottish thistles.
The original design for St Andrew’s Church included a short tower but the Town Council opted for a steeple, built in 1787. It contains a unique peal of eight bells cast in 1788 by William and Thomas Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
, the oldest complete ring in Scotland. The bells were refurbished in 2006 and restored to full change ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
. The original Georgian crown glass sash windows with glazing bars no longer exist. Of the replacements the most noteworthy are stained glass windows by Alfred Webster (1913) and Douglas Strachan (1934).
History
The church was the setting, in 1843, for one of the most significant events in 19th-century Scotland - the DisruptionDisruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
. Fuelled by increasing concern and resentment about the Civil Courts’ infringements on the liberties of the Church of Scotland, around one third of the ministers present at the annual General Assembly
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
walked out, cheered by onlookers outside, and constituted the Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
.
In 1964 the congregation of St George’s Church in Charlotte Square
Charlotte Square
Charlotte Square is a city square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street, intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east.-History:Initially named St...
was united with St Andrew’s, forming St Andrew’s and St George’s. The St George's Church building is now used by the National Archives of Scotland
National Archives of Scotland
Based in Edinburgh, the National Archives of Scotland are the national archives of Scotland. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe...
. Today, the church hosts an annual book sale for Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches and works to support sustainable development, alleviate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia...
. First held in 1974, in 2006 this event raised over £113,000, including the proceeds of the sale of the script of the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "New Earth
New Earth
"New Earth" is the first episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 15 April 2006. It is a sequel to the first series episode "The End of the World", and brings back its villain who was thought to be destroyed, Lady Cassandra, as...
", signed by David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
and Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
.
In January 2010 the congregation of St Andrew's and St George's was united with St George's West, Shandwick Place, to form the congregation of St Andrew's and St George's West. Both buildings are in use, with the former St Andrew's & St George's building as the principal place of worship.
Ministry
The Reverend Ian Y. Gilmour was inducted by the Presbytery of Edinburgh as the new minister on 28 April 2011. He was previously minister at South Leith Parish ChurchSouth Leith Parish Church
South Leith Parish Church or Kirk is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. It is the principal church and congregation in Leith, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its kirkyard is the burial place for John Home, author of Douglas, and John Pew, the man from whom the author Robert Louis Stevenson reputedly...
and before that at Drylaw Parish Church, both in Edinburgh.
A recent former minister of St Andrew's & St George's was the Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan
Andrew McLellan
Andrew Rankin Cowie McLellan CBE is a minister in the Church of Scotland. He was Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland from 2002 to 2009....
, who was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
in 2000 and served as H. M. Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland until his retirement in 2009.
The two most recent ministers of the former St George's West Church were the Rev Peter J. Macdonald (1998-2008), who went on to become the leader of the Iona
Iona
Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
Community, and the Rev Robert L. Glover (1985-1997), who became minister at Chalmers Memorial Church in Cockenzie and Port Seton
Cockenzie and Port Seton
Cockenzie and Port Seton is a unified town in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the coast of the Firth of Forth, four miles north east of Musselburgh. The burgh of Cockenzie was created in 1591 by James VI of Scotland...
, East Lothian.