Historical Notes on Fintray Parish Church
What follows is the text of a brief pamphlet that I issued almost exactly forty years ago to the day, to mark the 150th anniversary of Fintray Parish Church (built 1821). At the time I was minister at Fintray and also at the neighbouring linked charge of Kinellar and Blackburn. Apart from a few minor updates and omission of some obviously outdated material, the pamphlet reflects the position in 1973.
This is not intended to be either an exhaustive or a scholarly work and makes no such pretensions.
Since Rev John Catto’s Jottings on the Parish of Fintray was printed in 1901, there has been nothing comparable published and readily accessible. It is hoped that this modest little pamphlet may perhaps partially fill this gap.
It should be pointed out that this pamphlet really deals with the history of the church as distinct from the civil parish. In former days it was often difficult to draw any such distinction but nowadays the line is clearer. No one would pretend that the life of the average parish in Scotland really revolves round its church.
Accordingly, those who may wish to know something of Fintray’s secular history will find little in the following pages. Perhaps at some future date, someone will be able to fill this gap.
Like many churches – large and small – in Scotland, Fintray has quite an interesting past. It is always pleasant and encouraging for present day Christians to look back at the various ways in which God has moved his people in days gone by. Yet it is never enough just to look back with sighs of nostalgia at the perceived glory of yesteryear. The church of God is set down in the present day and God’s commands and injunctions to men and women to be his disciples hold as strongly as ever.
Church buildings, however fine they may be will one day crumble into dust. Traditions however high they may be in their aspirations will be forgotten. Only Him whom we worship remains, the same yesterday, today and for ever (Heb 13: 8), the one who lives not in any temple made with hands (Heb 9: 24) but is the living Person of Jesus Christ.
No one other than God himself knows the future of the church at Fintray but his command is to follow in faith. So, this booklet is put out in the prayer that this may be the spirit in which our Kirk will lead its life now and in the future.
Fintray Manse
February 1973
Christian witness in this parish without doubt goes back to the Celtic period of the church. An evangelist named Drostan, along with three followers – Colm, Medan (or Meddan) and Fergus -laboured to bring the Gospel to this north east part of Scotland.
In spite of evidence in the Book of Deer that suggests a later date, it would seen that this took place during the fifth century of the Christian era and so, even before the time of such monumental figures as Columba who laboured in the following century.
Drostan and his associates were almost certainly trained at the missionary school at Whithorn in Galloway, founded by Ninian in 397 AD and known as Candida Casa (White House). Medan founded a chapel at Cothal on the north bank of the River Don at the eastern end of what is now the parish of Fintray. Just across the river, in the parish of Dyce is “Pitmeddan”. There is also a Pitmeddan in the parish of Udny and both of these names give testimony to his labours.
The original church of Dyce was founded by Fergus and the two little churches – Dyce and Fintray respectively – faced each other across the Don. Today, as populations have moved, the modern parish churches are quite a few miles apart.
Later in the history of Fintray, under Roman Catholicism, it seems that Medan was partially ousted as patron saint of the parish in favour in favour of Saint Giles.
After the time of Medan and his followers we really pass into a “dark” period of history. It seems virtually certain, however, that the parish bounds were marked out in the twelfth century during the reign of King David I, son of Malcolm Canmore and Margaret. Around 1196 David, Early of Huntingdon, Lord of Garioch and a grandson of David I founded the Benedictine Abbey of Lindores near Newburgh on the Fife bank of the River Tay and endowed it generously. Among the endowments he granted was the “church of Fintreth” which, in practice meant the whole parish. Provision had to be made, however, by the ecclesiastical hierarchy for the support, from the teinds of the parish, of a vicar [1] to attend to the religious ordinances in Fintray.
Around this time too, it seems that a chapel was built and dedicated to Saint Giles in the region of what is now Chapelyards croft. At some time before the Reformation, most of the church lands were sold off including Disblair, Milton, Logie, Blair and Foresterseat. The Barony jurisdiction of Fintray came into the hands of William Forbes of Craigievar in 1621. Heritable jurisdictions were abolished in 1746 but the lands remained in the ownership of that family for many centuries.
It is of interest to note that in the Minutes of the Presbytery of Aberdeen of 16 July 1601, it is recorded that a deputation visited the parish in connection with a petition from Rev William Neilson, minister at Fintray, for an increase of Glebe.
One of Fintray’s ministers in the seventeenth century was Rev Andrew Abercrombie [2] who was a Covenanter. His manse and crops were burned by the Marquis of Montrose in 1645. Mr Abercrombie resigned his living before men of his convictions were ejected by Parliament in 1662. Unfortunately, he took all the Kirk Session records with him and these have never been recovered. The seventeenth century was a troubled century for Christendom in Scotland (and in England).
After Rev James Hutcheon, Minister at Newhills, was inducted to Fintray in 1702, it was decided that the time had come to erect a new church. Since Celtic times, the ecclesiastical centre of the parish had been at Cothal but, in the centuries that followed, the population had tended to move westwards. The new church was constructed in 1703 at Halltoun (Hatton) of Fintray on a small mound that was probably the site of an original mansion or “hall”. The new church was a very plain building probably containing two lofts – one for the Laird [3] and the other a common loft. Remains of the old church at Cothal can still be seen.
Mr Hutcheon died in 1712 and was succeeded by Rev William Osborne, son of the Professor of Divinity at Marischal College. During his ministry, a new manse (long since demolished) was built near the church at Hatton.
It is of interest to note that Patrick Copland LLD (1749-1822), Professor of Natural Philosophy at Marischal College, was a native of Fintray. His father was Rev Samuel Copland MA, Minister from 1745 to 1796 and contributor to the “Old” Statistical Account of Scotland.
The church now in use was built in 1821 on an elevated position to the north of the 1703 building. A fragment of this old building still stands, surrounded by the Old Churchyard. In 1830, a vault was built in the churchyard to store the remains of deceased persons until they had putrefied beyond the stage of being any use to the anatomists. Thereafter they were buried. Such vaults or mort-safes, sometimes referred to as “resurrection houses” were by no means uncommon at the time.[4]
The parish of Fintray was largely untouched by the secession movements, even the Disruption of 1843. The Free Church of Scotland did have a Mission Station in Fintray but no church was built and no minister was ever inducted. This is in marked contrast to most of the surrounding parishes and particularly with Aberdeen itself where all of the ministers within the City Parish of Saint Nicholas “went out” in 1843.
The Parish
Rev Samuel Copland records in the Statistical Account that the parish comprised 7,388 acres and was in the shape of an Irish harp. The Third Statistical Account records the acreage as 7,270 acres. When the parish bounds were originally marked out, the River Don formed the southern boundary. In the course of time, the Don slightly changed its course, leaving two smallish areas of the parish stranded on the south side. In October 1948, these two areas were formally ceded to the parishes of Dyce and Kinellar respectively. The present civil parish boundaries can be easily traced on an up-to-date Ordnance Survey map.
The boundaries can be more particularly described as follows: starting at a point just below Waterside, Kintore it follows an irregular line to a point just north of Greenlands, moving then east and south east to join the Newmill or Aultlather Burn; it follows the line of the burn until it is joined by the Denburn tributary; it then follows the latter and crosses the Kinmuck Road; thereafter it follows an irregular line again until it reaches its most northern point just about a mile north of the Blair; it then follows an irregular line in a south easterly direction to meet the Burn of Straloch; it follows the line of the burn until just south west of Newmachar village where it cuts across country in a south westerly direction to join the Red Burn the line of which it follows for a short distance only; it then follows another irregular line east, then south until it joins another (unnamed) small burn which flows into the Don at Heugh-head; thereafter, the Don itself forms the remaining boundaries.
The neighbouring parishes to Fintray are Dyce, Kinellar, Kintore, Keith Hall and Newmachar. In 1970, Fintray was linked with Kinellar and Blackburn to form one pastoral change linked over two parishes.[5]
The population is fairly widespread over Fintray parish. The main centre of population is at Hatton of Fintray which has a primary school, a post office and a shop. There are also small centres of population (1) at the hamlet of Disblair, which had a small school until quite recently, but no post office and (2) Cothal, which has a post office and shop.[6]
The main mansion house was Fintray House, built as the main residence for the Forbes-Sempill family in 1827 to the design of John Smith, who also designed the parish church. There was a rival plan for Fintray House offered by the distinguished architect William Burn. Subsequently, the house was substantially rebuilt in 1880. It was requisitioned during World War II and was never occupied again thereafter by the family. It was demolished in 1952 although the stable buildings and lodge houses survive. Much of the estate is now the property of an absentee landlord.
Disblair House (formerly Disblair Cottage) is a pleasant small mansion, the main wing being over 300 years old. Unfortunately this part of the house was gutted by fire on 18 January 1973.
The Church
The present church, built in 1821 to the design of John Smith, the distinguished Aberdeen architect is a substantial, handsome, if plain building, with a high pulpit on the south wall and a gallery on three sides including a (disused) laird’s pew facing the pulpit. In 1960, the church was modernised and electric light and power brought in for the first time.
At the same time, the organ was moved from its former position in front of the pulpit to its present location under the gallery on the east wall. A small vestry was taken out under the west gallery at the same time and a cupboard provided for the minister’s coat and gown. Previously there was no vestry for the minister.
There is an externally rung bell dated 1821 mounted on the west gable. The church is so designed that there is an entrance and gallery staircase on the east and west sides.[7]
The pulpit is high and pleasing in appearance with an attractive decorative sounding board. Unfortunately, the stairs leading up to the pulpit are rather clumsily arranged.
Like many churches built in the last century, Fintray church is really too large and inflexible for present needs.
The Manse [8]
The Manse of Fintray, which now serves the linked charge, was constructed between 1851 and 1855 to the design of William Smith, Aberdeen City Architect and son of John Smith who designed Fintray Church. William Smith designed many fine buildings including Balmoral Castle (in close cooperation with Prince Albert), Trinity Hall, Gilcomston Free Church (now Gilcomston South), the (former) College of Domestic Science in King Street and the steeple of the Kirk of St Nicholas.
The manse is a large irregularly-shaped building, quite impressive by any judgment and well situated in its own grounds. It was also serviced by substantial outbuildings (now semi derelict) including a bothy for the “minister’s man” and a most impressive back-to-back privy!
By modern standards, the rooms in the manse are rather large but yet the house is well proportioned and more convenient to run than many houses of its vintage. As is also the case with the church, the outward appearance is somewhat spoiled by having been covered, in typical Scottish manner, with drab grey harling.
A twin manse to that of Fintray may be seen at Methlick where a manse was built in 1861 to the same design. There are also a number of other manses across the north east of Scotland built to a similar design.
Communion Vessels
Fintray Church is fortunate enough to possess a very old silver cup inscribed For the Holie Communion at Fintray. Mr Adam Barclay Minister 1633. This cup, sometimes referred to as Saint Medan’s Cup is priceless in monetary value and of considerable historical interest since various stories are attached to it.
Some claim that the cup is actually older than its inscription and point out that there is a pre-Reformation recess in the north wall of what remains of the old church at Cothal into which the cup fits perfectly. This in itself proves nothing apart from the fact that a cup of similar size could have been kept in this recess.
There is another story that that the cup was made from the silver head or image of Saint Medan that, in pre-Reformation times, was carried round the parish on the saint’s day (14 November) or in times of drought or trouble. The full truth of the history of this cup will probably never be known on this side of eternity.
There are also two extremely fine silver beaker shaped cups still in regular use at communion which were presented in 1699 by Sir John Forbes of Craigievar, who bought them out of the vacant stipend of the parish.
Individual cups are now used at communion, although their introduction is fairly recent.
The Organ
On 27 July 1901, a bazaar was held in the grounds of Fintray House to raise funds to purchase an organ for the church. It was in connection with this bazaar that the little book “Jottings on the Parish of Fintray” was published and sold. Though anonymous, it was the work of Rev John Catto, Minister at Fintray and also Clerk to the Presbytery of Aberdeen.
As a result of the money-raising efforts, the present “Dulsanell” organ was purchased in 1901. It is a single manual extension organ with three ranks of pipes and still gives excellent service in leading congregational praise. Originally it was manually blown. An electric motor was fitted in 1960 and the instrument was overhauled and cleaned.
Communion Tokens
·