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Kingdom of Fife | |
Wemyss |
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The church of Wemyss was dedicated to St Mary and pre-reformation it belonged to the Holy Trinity at Edinburgh. Ministry here is recorded from 1585 in the person of James Tullos. The old charge of Wemyss, which in later years was termed Wemyss St Mary's-by-the-sea, was united in 1976 with the congregation of Wemyss St Adrian's, under the name of Wemyss. The present day church, which still sits on the site of the original church is though to date back in part to pre-reformation years. The kirk session sits within the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy.
The congregation of East Wemyss Free Church, which sat in the Free Presbytery of Kirkcaldy, was established in June 1843, the year of the Disruption. Worship initially took place in the open air, or during bad weather in a hall above stables, until 1846 when their church was opened. Following the 1900 union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland, East Wemyss Free Church became East Wemyss United Free Church and upon the 1929 union between the United Free Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland, East Wemyss U.F. was renamed East Wemyss St George's Church of Scotland. A new church and halls were dedicated on the 18 December 1937. In 1973 East Wemyss St George's established a union with the congregation of West Wemyss St Adrian's, under the name of Wemyss St Adrian's and St George's, and further union followed in 1976 with Wemyss St Mary's-by-the-sea, under the name of Wemyss Church of Scotland. The united congregation remains active today, presently under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy.
Buckhaven Chapel of Ease was built in 1902, and a number of years thereafter in 1913 Buckhaven parish was disjoined from Wemyss, Methil and Milton of Balgonie and erected quoad sacra. Following the 1929 union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Buckhaven was termed Buckhaven St Michael's and in 1972 Buckhaven St Michael's united with the charges of Buckhaven St Andrew's and Buckhaven St David's, under the name of Buckhaven. The kirk session, which remains active today, sits within the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy.
In June 1792 a group of residents of Buckhaven applied to the Burgher Presbytery of Dunfermline with a request for sermon. Prior to this time the majority of the group had attended service in Kennoway, which sat three and a half miles from Buckhaven. Partly as a consequence of the unsatisfactory distance the Buckhaven Secession church adherents had to travel to attend church, sermon was granted and on 21 July 1794 the congregation of Buckhaven Burgher Church was officially formed. It seems apparent from church records of the time that the church of the congregation was in the process of being constructed in 1794. David Teller, the first minister of the congregation was ordained in 1796. In 1847 the congregation became part of the United Presbyterian Church and in 1869 a new church was opened at a cost of over £2600. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, Buckhaven U.P. was renamed Buckhaven St David's United Free Church and upon the 1929 union between the United Free Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland, Buckhaven St David's U.F. became Buckhaven St David's Church of Scotland. In 1939 Buckhaven St David's was united with the congregation of Buckhaven Muiredge, continuing under the name of Buckhaven St David's, and further union followed in 1972 with Buckhaven St Andrew's and also with Buckhaven St Michael's, to form the session of Buckhaven Church of Scotland. Buckhaven Church of Scotland remains active today, presently under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy.
In 1866, in response to a request from Free Church residents living in the district, a Free Church mission station was established in Buckhaven and the charge was later sanctioned in 1875. Buckhaven Free Church sat within the Free Presbytery of Kirkcaldy. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the United Free Church of Scotland in 1929, Buckhaven Free Church was renamed Buckhaven St Andrew's United Free Church and upon the 1929 union between the United Free Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland, Buckhaven St Andrew's United Free Church became Buckhaven St Andrew's Church of Scotland. In 1972 the congregation of Buckhaven Church of Scotland was formed by the triple union of Buckhaven St Andrew's, Buckhaven St David's, and Buckhaven St Michael's, and this united congregation remains active today, under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy.
Buckhaven, Muiredge United Presbyterian Church was established as an extension church in Buckhaven by the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy in 1882. The church was opened in 1885. It passed successively to the United Free Church, as Buckhaven Muiredge, and to the Church of Scotland. The Church of Scotland charge, which was in the presbytery of Kirkcaldy and the synod of Fife, united with Buckhaven St David's under that name in 1939.
Following the Disruption of 1843 the quoad sacra parish church congregation of Methil ceased to exist and for many years mission work was carried out here by the Free Church of Leven. In 1852 a Free Church mission station was formally established in Methil and in 1894 the charge was sanctioned. A brick church was later erected to house the congregation. In 1900, upon the union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterians, Methil Free Church became Methil United Free Church and following the 1929 union between the United Free Church and the Church of Scotland, Methil U.F. was renamed Methil East Church of Scotland. The congregation of Methil East, which sat within the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy, was united in 1934 with the charge of Innerleven to form the session of Innerleven East. After this local union the united congregation worshipped in the Methil East church until a new church was erected in 1941, the East church was later converted for use as a church hall.
On the 16th May 1728 several Praying Societies in and around Leven acceded to the Associate Presbytery and worshipped together at Abbotshall until 1743, when they were transferred to Ceres. In 1768 members of this Associate congregation, who were resident in Innerleven, petitioned the Presbytery requesting that sermon be provided at Innerleven on account of the distance they were required to travel to attend worship at Ceres. It was agreed that four services per year would be supplied however the petitioners were dissatisfied with this compromise and consequently left the presbytery to take their own course of action. The exact steps taken are unknown due to a lack of authoritative records, however it is recorded that Innerleven (Dubbieside) had established their own session by 1781, and the first minister of the congregation was ordained in 1789. In 1900, upon the union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterians, the congregation of Innerleven Associate became Innerleven United Free Church and following the 1929 union between the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Innerleven U.F. became Innerleven Church of Scotland. In 1934 Innerleven was joined with the congregation of Methil East to form the session of Innerleven East and following this local union the congregation continued to worship in the Methil East church until a new church was erected in Methilhaven Road in 1941. The former Innerleven church was sold and the Methil East building was later converted for use as church halls. The sessions of Innerleven Associate Congregation, U.F and Church of Scotland all fell under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy.
At the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh:
At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Markinch:
At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Markinch:
At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Markinch:
Data provided by the Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)
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