St Andrews

Charter evidence relating to the Parish.

c.1380. Bishop Alexander Bur (1362-1397) made a protest against the Earl of Moray and the burgesses of Elgin anent the use of the lands and port of Spyni, Kynnedor, and the island (Inch[broom]), they belonging to the Bishopric of Moray. He maintained that the Bishops, his predecessors, were wont to have fishers of sea fish dwelling in the town of Spyni, with their wives and families sailing from Spyni to the sea, and bringing back their boats with fishes to the said port, in the name of the Bishop of Moray.¹³

1426. An early occurrence of the name Kilmalemnoc is in a charter of King James I, in which he confirmed a grant by Archibald, Earl of Douglas, to his brother, James of Douglas [of Balvenie], of certain lands in the country of Moray, including all lands lying within the thanedoms in the lordship of Kylmalaman.¹⁴

1539. There exists a precept of sasine upon a charter of resignation in favour of Alexander Innes of that Ilk, of the lands of Innes, the lands of Kelmalmak, and the lands of Aberchirder, all in one barony, date 25th March, 1539.¹⁵

1543. According to the Register of the Bishopric of Moray, a charter was granted in 1543 to Alexnder Innes of that Ilk, of Eskill and Sanct Androis Kirkhill in the baronies of Birneth and Spynie.¹⁶

1553. William Innes of that Ilk became posessed of the lands and barony of Kilmalemnok; Alexander Innes posessed them in 1573; John Innes in 1578.¹⁷

Other Churches and Chapels in the parish .

Inchbroom (Isle of Spinet) {NGR: NJ 254665} : Also known as "Our Lady's Chapel of Inch" and "Chapel of the Isle of Spinet". The chapel of Inchbroom served the northern part of the parish of St Andrews. It originally stood on an island in the Loch of Spynie, reached only at low tide, and it remained in use for almost a century after the Reformation. The chapel and its burial ground are very well-documented, and many human remains have been exposed by ploughing. The burial ground went out of use in the late 17th century. The site is now known as Chapel Field on the farm of Inchbroom.
A case regarding the possession of the husband tenandry (tenandria husbandalis) of the chapel of Inch came before the Consistory Court of Moray on 23rd July, 1522, Sir David Fotheringhame, chaplain of the chapel of the Isle of Spinet, called Our Lady's Chapel, Inch, pursuer, and William Clerk, defender. Sentence was passed by Anselm Robertson, Succentor of Ross, canon and Commissary General of Moray, finding "that the chaplain and his predecessors were actual possessors of the tenandry of the Inch, and in use of feeding their beasts from the place commonly called the Thornye Bray [Thorny Brae] to the place commonly called by Taill of the Meadow, and going from the end of the meadow to the Water of Lossy, going down through the said water and by the side of the said chapel on the north-side thereof, as proper pasture annexed to said chapel."¹⁸
In 1544, William Sutherland, chaplain of the Lady's Chaplainry of Inch, commonly called Our Lady's Chapel of Inch, granted a charter, with the consent of the Bishop of Murray, in favour of Alexander Innes of that Ilk, of the lands of Inch within the regality, on payment of 57s. 4d. yearly, of Spynie.
Thomas Brebner was chaplain of Inch at least from 1571 to 1582. In the former year he granted, as Superior, a precept of clare constant for infefting Alexander Innes of that Ilk in the lands of Inch.
A charter of confirmation under the Great Seal upon the lands of Inch and Stonewalls {NGR: NJ 281656} was granted by King James VI (1567-1625) after the annexation of the church lands to the Crown at the Second Reformation, in favour of Robert Innes of that Ilk.¹⁹

Foresterseat {NGR: NJ 253629} : It is supposed that a chapel (some say the original church of Kilmalemnok) existed beside or as part of the ancient castle of Frosterseat (Foresterseat).

The Parish Glebe - Cramond reports that, on the 24th July, 1718, witnesses deponed the ''meithes and marches' of the Glebe to be as follows:
From the south side of the churchyard straight up the banks of the Lossie to the coble staike [a stake which held the church boat fast], thence lineally westward to the end of a mearing [a strip of uncultivated ground between two corn ridges] and thence northward up the said mearing by severall thorn bushes to the highway leading to the church to the foord of the water of Lossie and thence to the churchyard.²⁰

The Problems Presented by the River Lossie, and other notes from church records.

We present here a somewhat extended series of notes, which other writers might have chosen to omit. However, we believe that they provide such a fascinating 'snap-shot' of the parish of St Andrews, and its troubles, in the period immediately prior to its amalgamation with the Parish of Lhanbryde, that the reader will find themself almost sharing the trials and tribulations of the Session and Minister! It is quite a rare 'cameo' of eighteenth century church life.

As has already been noted, throughout its history, the Parish of St Andrews suffered from its division into two parts by the River Lossie. With the advent of better record keeping in the form of the minutes of various Church bodies such as the Presbytery of Elgin, the Parish itself and even the Synod of Moray, we regularly find entries regarding the provision of a river-crossing to allow parishioners better access to Sunday services. Most importantly, we should recognise that these valuable insights reveal a real problem that had faced the parish for many years!

What follows here is a selection of entries from the various 'sources', the majority of which relate to the provision of a crossing of the River Lossie. From these entries, it would seem that there had been first a fording point near where the present footbridge is located, at {NGR: NJ 250627}. [See note above on the Glebe] When the Lossie was in 'spate', or for those who did not wish to use the ford, a boat came to be used, although, as these entries show, this was something of a precarious venture and the boat often required repair or even replacement. All of this was a heavy financial burden for such a modest parish to bear.

We should also bear in mind that the crossing was not only of importance to the parishioners. For generations, travellers heading to and from Elgin used the route provided by the King's Highway - leaving Elgin by the bridge over the Tyock Burn {NGR: NJ 229626}, and then passing through the notoriously boggy lands of Barmuckity {NGR: NJ 247620}. However, this route was regulary made impassable by flooding. There was an alternative path from St Andrews church, which went up to the Kirkhill {NGR: NJ 248629} and then followed the ridge of the hill to Woodside {NGR: NJ 236634} and thence through Barflathills and down to the bridge which entered the Chanonry of Elgin just beside the Dean's Manse {NGR: NJ 222630} . This provided a much more secure and dry route into the City, avoiding the flooded land round Moycroft.

1650 - 20th June - The Session of Elgin supplicates that, "Linkwoodes might rather be annexed to Elgin [parish] than kept at Sanct Andrewes seeing the water of Locye [Lossie] is interjected twixt them and ther paroch kirk wheras nothing may hinder them repaireing to Elgin at anie tyme." [Linkwoodes = 'Linkwood' [{NGR: NJ 233616}]

1708 - 15th June - The Session of St Andrews, having no beddell nor officer at present,  (…) Eddison, who was the last having commited that unnatural act of self murder, hanged himself in the bel's tow.²¹

1708 - the same day, the Session determined the duties of the new Beadle /Church Officer.

1726 - 18th August - The church had been thatched with turves of heather but required re-thatching £28 Scots. It had a south door, a north door and a big door [west door?], also eight windows.

1726 - 7th September - As the winter was now approaching and the old boat could not conveniently serve for carrying the parishioners on the other side of Lossie over to and from the church on the Lord's Day, the session agree that a boat be made at Garmouth, the price thereof £24 Scots.

1727 - 7th March - Received for the old boat £2.

1727 - 6th August - The church of St Andrews, with all the seats therein, was burnt to ashes by a boy shooting doves sitting thereon, and the next day being the Lord's Day, the minister preached in the churchyard, and desired the congregation to meet next Lord's Day at the kiln [milne/mill?] of Pitgaveny.

1727 - 30th August - It is represented that since last presbytery, the church of St Andrews, by some accident or other, is burnt to ashes, as also, that there is no manse for the minister of that parish, notwithstanding of a decreet of presbyterie for the building of it.

1731 - 23rd November - The heritors assure the presbytery the church will be roofed next summer, and its not being done before was occasioned by the couples being thrown down by a strong wind.

1731 - 24th November - The elders said the … boat which the Session had bought some years ago was broken.

1733 - 12th July - The Session appointed the boat to be mended.

1734 - Paid for materials for mending the boat and workmanship, £4 16s.

1737 - 8th March - Paid Alexander Shearer for the boat £3.

1737 - 9th August - Paid Alexander Shearer for making the intack safe for passage 12s.

1738 - 9th February - Paid Alexander Shearer for managing the boat £3.

1738 - 9th July - The Session, considering they wanted a boat in Lossie that in case of a speat [spate/flood] the people on the other side could not attend worship, appointed the minister and Gilbert Brander to buy one [the minister at the time was John Paterson (1731-78)].

1738 - 4th August - Paid for a boat £7 4s.

1739 - 26th June - The manse of St Andrews is now built. The minister has now the legal grass [glebe].The church is in good repair and well divided with seats. The churchyard wants dykes.

1739 - 5th August - To Robert Ross for managing the boat the time of the Sacrament, the water being in speat 18s. For a lock to secure the boat 12s. The minister has bought a new boat for £18 Scots.

1740 - 18th June - From the Minutes of the Presbytery of Elgin.
Visitation to St Andrews. The Presbytery appoint a schoolhouse and a chamber for the master to be built 33 feet long (20 for the school and 13 for the chamber), walls 7 feet high, with a chimney in the chamber, with three windows in the school and one in the chamber, with doors and locks and a partition 'twixt the school and the chamber, and two tables and four forms for the school, with a divet thatch [divet = 'divot' or 'turf']. To be built at the west end of the town of Kirkhill.²³
Master's salary to be 100 marks, comprising:

The cost of the building was projected to be:

1741 - 5th February - The minister has caused mend the boat which was much broken by the ice last speat.

1741 - 25th June - Paid for five pints of tar to the boat and the man's wages.

1743 - 3rd July - Paid for four deals for mending the boat 12s.

1745 - Price of the boat £11 16s. Paid for a lock to the boat.

1746 - 13th January - For mending the boat £5 17s.

1747 - 5th January - Expended £4 6s. Scots for the boat.

1748 - 8th August - Price of the old boat £2 14s. Scots.

1750 - 2nd July - George Baird having undertaken to build a bridge of timber over the water of Lossie and the minister having found the people would contribute £60 Scots thereto, the Session, knowing what a conveniency it would prove for the people in attending the worship of God and also for the whole countrie in passing about their business and that it would afterwards ease the Session of the expense of a boat, approved of the agreement with George Baird, who obliges himself that it shall neither be carried away by wind or water for ten years.

1751 - 7th January - Collected for the bridge £69 10s. Expense of building the bridge £49 15s. (timber £42; lime, tar and fog £3 6s.; iron and nails £34 6s. etc.) The balance paid out of the box.

1752 - 18th June - The old boat sold for 6s. sterling.

1753 - 2nd July - The Session agree to pitch the bridge to make it more durable, cost £7 0s. 2d.

1757 13th June - As the bridge had fallen the timber was sold by roup at near £8 Scots. So much of the revels was kept as might be of use for another bridge. The iron came of £14 16s. The Session, considering how great a conveniency the bridge was to this parish, and having experience of the inconvenience of the form of it as the timber rotted in the bulwark, thought a bridge with a middle pillar of hewnstone would be more secure and therefor desired the minister to employ proper persons to try if there was a good foundation and, if so, to get a middle pillar built this summer and if that took effect to petition the presbytrie for a collection within their bounds to enable them to build a more secure bridge as it is now well known how great a conveniency it was for the whole countrie when the water was in spate.

1758 - 6th February - For mending the boat £13 14s.

An agreement is made with Hugh Grant, mason in Elgin, for building a bridge with a middle pillar for twelve guineas. The Presbytery allow collections for the bridge in their several parishes.

{Extract from the Session records of Alves.}
1758 - 16th February - Mr Watt [Minister 1753-1774] intimated to the congregation that the bridge upon the Water of Lossy opposite St Andrews had fallen down and that the kirk-session of that place not being able to rebuild the same had solicited the assistance of the neighbouring parishes and therefore he hoped that they would contribute liberally next Lord's day in order to help them forward with so necessary a work. [£5 10s. collected]

1762 - Paid for iron to secure the bridge £2.

1764 - Paid John Stewart for … a piece of plate for securing the bridge.

1765 - Paid for iron for securing the bridge £1 8s.

1768 - 18th May - Paid for timber for helping the bridge. To Archibald Ramsay for 83lb. 12oz. of iron work for the bridge £15. Two trees from Speymouth £2 16s.

1771 - Paid for six trees to the bridge £90; for tar to ditto, £11 5s.; for workmanship £3 18s.

1776 - To iron for bands to the bridge and lead for fixing them £3 12s. 6d. Hugh Grant, mason in Elgin, for re-building the bridge and providing stone and lime for the same, got 50s. Stirling.

1783 Paid £2 also £5 5s. to James Urquhart for repairing the pillars of the bridge.

1786 - Paid for new painting of the bridge, 14s.

1787 - Paid 4s. 6d. for the carriage of stones to the bridge being 18 loads for preventing the pillars being undermined.

1789 - 20th September - A great speat in Lossie cut off all communication with the church, therefore no collection.

1789 - 11th October - A speat in Lossy, equal to that of 20 September last, cut off all communications with the church on the other side of the water as well as on this.

1792 - For garron nails and buts for repairing the bridge 14s.

1792 - Paid the English Company of Garmach for wood to repair the bridge, £2 5s. 9d.
{This was the company established at Kingston of Garmouth by William Osbourne, a merchant of Hull. The company purchased and felled the whole forest of Glenmore and rafted it down the Spey. This business started in 1783.²⁴

{From the Session records of Llhanbryde.}
1796 - 9th May - The Church of St Andrews being taken down upon Monday, May 9th 1796, there was no public worship in the parish upon the three last Sundays of May, nor upon the four Sundays of the month of June. The schoolhouse being roofed in, the congregation were assembled there upon 3rd July.