THE MAGAZINE OF BOTHWELL PARISH CHURCH ‘SCOTLAND’S OLDEST COLLEGIATE CHURCH’

Registered Scottish Charity No: SC0 9819

Summer 2011 Minister’s Letter Page 1. Minister’s Letter cont. 2. Give With a Will 2. Goodbye 3. Holy Land Pilgrimage 3. Living the Questions 4. Church Register 4. Statement of Purpose 4. Socialisers 5. Flower Festival 5. Where A River Bends 5. The Guild 6. KJV Service 7. Allovus Summer Outing 7. Thanks 7. Open Church Project 7. Red Sea / Noah’s Ark Club 8. Summer BBQ 8. Scarecrow Festival 8. The Boys Brigade 9. Kirk Session Update 10. Concert 10. A Short History of Bothwell 11. Rota Page 12.

Minister: The Revd. J. M. Gibson, TD.

The Manse of Bothwell, 4 Manse Avenue, Bothwell, G71 8PQ

Tel: 01698 853189. Email: jamesmgibson@msn.com

Church Office Tel: 01698 854903 (Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9am-2pm)

Email: bothwellparishoffice@btconnect.com h Church Centre: 854987 Chapterhouse Café: 858566

FROM THE MINISTER ….

1

Earlier this month, May, Cardinal

Keith O‘Brien, Archbishop of

Edinburgh, wrote a strident article

in the newspapers urging Christians

to become much more aggressive

against the secular society in which

we live and those who encompass

atheism in particular. As I read his

words I felt just a little

discomforted, for while I do think

there has undoubtedly been a

concerted effort to push

Christianity, both in its institution

and practice, to the margins of our

society I am not so sure about

‗targeting‘ individuals simply

because of their lack of religious

faith. That seems to me to be both

something unworthy of our faith

and which could spectacularly

backfire. For instance....

An atheist ‘saint ‘

Earlier this month a very special

birthday passed almost unnoticed.

May 7th was the 300th anniversary of

the birth of the Scottish philosopher

David Hume. Born in Edinburgh,

Hume was perhaps the brightest

intellect of the Scottish

Enlightenment and one-time atheist

supreme. In the 1770s, one of his

young followers chalked on his

house ‗St David Street‘ and even

today he is still affectionately

referred to by that title. So, is he the

secular saint of all those who

would dismantle our Christian

heritage, or is he an example of a

Christian scholar who lost his

faith ?

It is recorded that he died of bowel

cancer, facing his last days with

great cheerfulness and resignation,

steadfastly refusing to believe in

any kind of afterlife. While such a

death may seem commonplace to

us, back in 1776 it proved a

sensation. It was a shock to many

Christian believers and a happy

boast for would-be atheists.

But worse, annoyingly for the

orthodox – Hume not only died

well, he also lived well. Though

he never attained the honours his

intellect might have deserved and

was consistently attacked by a

whole host of writers, he remained

remarkably calm and polite

throughout. While his

philosophical works were not, at

first, well received (he sensibly

rewrote his main work to make it

more easily understood!) his

„History of England‟ was a

runaway success and cemented his

literary reputation.

David Hume‘s greatest legacy,

however, was the quality of his

scepticism. He believed that

science should get on with its

business observing and discerning

laws in nature without worrying

about unobservable ‗occult powers‘

such as God. Part of me, therefore,

does not rush to celebrate this

philosophical grandfather of

contemporary atheism. However, if

we remember him for his scholarly

distinction and personal integrity

maybe we, too, should give thanks

for the life and works of this most

famous academic philosopher.

Though he vigorously challenged

the claims of Christianity, he also

gave us the intellectual means to do

the same to atheists.

Continued on page 2…..

2

m

Church Web Site

www.bothwellparishchurch.org.uk

Have YOU had a look

lately?

Give With a Will

a legacy to the Church

Did you realise that Bothwell

Parish Church is a registered

Scottish Charity?

Did you know that giving a

LEGACY is one very important

way by which you can continue to

support the work of Bothwell

Parish Church after your death?

A LEGACY may be a specific sum

of money, a property, share in a

company or the residue of your

estate.

Through a LEGACY you can

ensure that funds are available for

the

Worship

Outreach

and Service

of YOUR Church

here at Bothwell.

LEGACIES are exempt from

Inheritance Tax and may provide

vital funds for a particular project of

our Church or may be invested to

produce annual income for

ongoing work.

All LEGACIES are only used in

accordance with the donor‘s wishes.

So why not speak with your

Solicitor … and give with a will?

From The Minister

Continued from page 1...

He is one of the few people I would

not want to persuade out of atheism

– somehow it would deny the

mind-stretching power of our God-

given reasoning, which is itself one

of the surest signs of God‘s

presence in the world. m

Death of Osama bin Laden

And now to another very different

individual.

Few people in the West would not

experience a sense of relief that

Osama bin Laden, the founder and

leader of al-Qaeda, had been located

by American forces. However, there

has been a certain bitter after-taste

both at his locus right under the

noses of the military elite in

Pakistan and, of course, the manner

of his death.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr

Rowan Williams, said, “I think the

killing of an unarmed man is always

going to leave a very uncomfortable

feeling because it doesn‟t look as

though justice is seen to be done.”

Very carefully chosen words.

I cannot, in truth, say that I was

traumatised by news of bin Laden‘s

death. For years, since the insane,

evil attack on the Twin Towers of

New York, he has been responsible

for spreading destruction, death and

terrible distortions of his own

Islamic faith. That said, however,

the confused and confusing reports

of this event emanating from the

White House did nothing to reassure

the World that this action was not

simply a premeditated execution.

Raw revenge. Payback for 9/11.

On a number of occasions I have

been asked for my reaction. For

what it is worth, it is probably as

confused and confusing as most

peoples. I applaud the intervention

of Dr Williams. He must have

known that questioning the manner

of bin Laden‘s death was not going

to win him friends. But, then, it is

not the job of an Archbishop – or

any cleric – to trim conviction to

popular opinion. As Archbishop

of Canterbury, Dr Williams is in

an almost unique position to say

the unpopular things that need to

be said – and which politicians can

never say.

However, I think it somewhat

naive to think that what eventually

happened was not inevitable – for

at least, two reasons. The first is

that the military do exactly what

the military are trained to do by act

of Government. Special

Operations, like this one,

invariably take place under cover

of darkness, when adrenalin is

surging, the response uncertain and

split second decisions have to be

made. Personal safety is

paramount. In such situations,

whether civilian arm-chair

sensitivities collude or not, when

in doubt, soldiers are trained to

open fire. And the second is to ask

where in the world, and by whom,

would Osama bin Laden have been

given a ‗fair‘ trial, according to

law ? America ? No. Somewhere

in the West ? I doubt it. In

Pakistan ? What would have been

done with him had he been taken

alive ? Guantanamo Bay and a

military trial ?

Like most other people throughout

the world, I don‘t know the details

of what the military was instructed

or precisely what happened. I, too,

actually feel very „uncomfortable‟

about the death of any individual,

especially in circumstances not

fully explained. Fundamental to

my faith is belief in the sanctity of

life. However, perhaps in

suggesting that Osama bin Laden

was denied justice, we might be

mistaking „justice‟ for „mercy‟ -

which is quite a different concept.

Jim Gibson

Minister of Bothwell.

3

I am writing this article having just completed my studies at the University of Glasgow. It is a

time of mixed feelings – although I am delighted to have no more essays, dissertations or

exams hanging over my head, it was very strange and rather sad to wake up and have to think

about what to do!

As I examined my diary, I realised that my time here at Bothwell is disappearing at an

alarming rate – a time which has been full of new experiences, new challenges and new friends; a time which remain

prominent in my mind and in my heart forever.

It only seems like last Sunday that I started my placement here, yet I have many wonderful memories of all that we

have shared in the last eight months or so.

When a student is on placement, they are encouraged to try out new things, which I have tried to do in as many areas

of worship as time and circumstances allowed. From new hymns to poetry as well as organising a multi-sensory

worship session for the Allovus group at the start of the year, it has been a privilege to have journeyed with you all in

these various encounters and experiences.

As some of you will know, I am leaving Bothwell Parish Church on Sunday 26th June, where I will be leading

worship. After a short break in July, I will begin my final probationary placement at Trinity Parish Church, Hamilton

on 1st August, where I will remain for 15 months. It is a very exciting time as the ‗finishing line‘ finally approaches

in my training!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support, your hospitality and your friendship, all of

which have been offered from the moment I crossed the threshold that first Sunday morning. It has been an honour to

walk alongside you all in your life journeys.

May God be with you all in all that you do and I look forward to keeping in touch with you.

Jonathan .

Jonathan Fleming – Student Assistant

Come the last Sunday in June, Jonathan will take his leave of us at Bothwell his time as our Student Assistant

having reached its end. We will be sorry to see him go. Over the last eight months, he has befriended many of the

congregation and all of us have appreciated his thoughtful and, at times, thought-provoking contributions to our

worship. After a short break over the summer, Jonathan begins his probationary assistantship in Hamilton. We wish

Jonathan, his wife Karyn and daughter Rachel well in that and in the years of ministry which lie ahead.

Jim Gibson, Minister

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND – 2013.

Ever thought about visiting the Holy Land ?

Ask anyone who had ever been

and they will tell you everyone who does so is moved by the experience.

So why not consider making the journey of faith with friends from your

own church ?

The Minister is considering leading another pilgrimage.

8 or 10 day trip from Wednesday, 3rd April 2013

staying

Jerusalem and Tiberias.

For further information

please contact the Church Office/ Minister a.s.a.p.

Baptisms: “By water and the Holy Spirit”

April 17th William Peter David Hepburn, son of David and Aileen Hepburn, 6 Birkdale Court, Bothwell m

Marriages: “Whom God has joined” m May 6th Nina McCluskey and Steven Ellis 19 Rowan Place, Bellshill May 20th Katie Anderson and Thomas White 44 Leven Road, Ferniegair, Hamilton May 27th Kirsty McGregor and Jonathan Scott Flat 3/1, 648 Tollcross Road, Glasgow

Funerals: “confident of Life Everlasting”

The Minister invites the prayers of the congregation for the family and friends of the following who recently received Christian funeral: April Alister Baird Esq, 4 Mill Road, Bothwell Robert MacDougall Esq, 10 Old Station Court, Bothwell Mrs Isabella Parsons, 84 Shelley Drive, Bothwell May Mrs Jane Park, 4 Lomond Drive, Bothwell

4

Statement of Purpose

Bothwell Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland and is part of the worldwide f a m i l y o f p e o p l e belonging to the Christian Faith, worshipping God through Jesus Christ. In response to the love of God for all, we seek to serve our community t h r o u g h w o r s h i p , friendship, care and education; and to promote Christian values of concern for others, forgiveness, healing and justice.

SAVE STAMPS PLEASE!

LIVING THE QUESTIONS:

Began for the first time at Bothwell last year when a group of eight

members of the congregation enrolled for the Thursday evening

discussion group. Since then, they have returned for level two,

„Reclaiming the World‟ and are currently progressing through their

study of the DVD-based introduction to progressive Christianity for

the 21st century.

A second group has indicated intention to enrol at level one and they will begins meeting together of

Wednesday evening at the beginning of September.

‗Living the Questions‘ is an open-minded alternative to courses that attempt to give people all the answers

and instead strives to create a safe environment where people can ask the questions they have always

wanted to ask, but have been afraid to voice. It is intended not only for church members but for anybody

who may have left the church because of its refusal to take their questions, or their life‘s situation,

seriously.

There is still space for more to join us. If you would like to join level one on September 7 please make

contact with the Minister or the Church Office (854903).

5

Sunday 21st August

Starting at 2pm from the Church Centre car park

Entry fee = £2.50 per person

Refreshments will be provided for all participants on their return to the Church Centre.

See you there….!!

For sale

―Where a River Bends‖ provides a vibrant history of the

ancient village of Bothwell with its castle and 14th century

collegiate church and excels in telling of the extraordinary

significance of the village in Scottish history, both political

and ecclesiastical. The narrative tells of the power struggle

within Scotland, Scotland‘s affrays with England and the

country‘s relationship with France. Jack Gallacher skilfully

punctuates the history with anecdotes and quotes, many of

them amusing. The range of people associated with the

village through the ages is astonishing.

£7.95—buy your copy from the Church Office.

BOTHWELL PARISH CHURCH FLOWER FESTIVAL A Flower Festival entitled "Men (and Women) at Work" will be held in Bothwell Parish Church, Main Street, Bothwell, on Thursday 8, Friday 9, and Saturday 10 September 2011 from 10am until 5 pm each day. The theme will be portrayed in 12 tableaux based upon well-known men and women of biblical times starting with Adam and Eve. The tableaux will be arranged by members of local Floral Art Clubs and friends. If anyone would like to sponsor an exhibit, please contact Jean Hamilton (telephone 01698 853835) for further details. The fresh flowers in the exhibits will be available for sale. These can be reserved and can be collected on Saturday at 5pm when the Flower Festival closes.

Bothwell Art Club will also have an exhibition of paintings by local artists on display in the Church at the same time.

As the Festival takes place over three days, help in stewarding (men and women) would be very much appreciated. If you are able to give an hour or two of your time at anytime during the three days, please give your name to Jean Hamilton (Telephone 01698 853835), Ellen Buttery, Maureen Watt or Sally Rutherford-Young.

The Festival will be one of a number of events taking place during Bothwell’s first Scarecrow Festival.

If you would like any more information, please feel free to contact me.

Jean Hamilton

The Guild 1886

to

2011

2011 is a very special year for our Guild at

Bothwell. We celebrate our 125th

Anniversary with a number of events planned

to ensure that all our members and friends

will be able to treasure happy

memories of such a historic occasion. We

were most grateful that, through the good

will of Cllr Henry Mitchell, South

Lanarkshire Council honoured the Guild with

a Civic Reception held on Thursday, March

24th in the Council Chambers. Provost

Cleary proved an excellent host, warmly

welcoming our members and guests.

The evening commenced with refreshments and cutting of a cake specially baked for the occasion by Joan Henry and

decorated with the Guild Badge by Maureen Watt. The cake was cut by two of our Guild Presidents, Sheena Cook and

Louise McLean. Photographs were then taken by the official Council Photographer.

A superb Buffet Supper was much enjoyed as the sound of laughter and chatter filled the function room. It was particularly

gratifying to see present as guests of the Guild so many good friends from past membership and representing neighbouring

Guilds in the Hamilton South Presbyterial area. Following the meal, Provost Cleary officially thanked the Guild for work

in the community of Bothwell and beyond, its membership had done over long years and wished the Guild well for the

future. Our Minister, Mr Gibson was invited to say a few words and, then, our third Guild President Nancy Robertson gave

a most witty and apposite vote of thanks. A truly memorable evening was thoroughly enjoyed.

6

GUILD SUMMER OUTING

Our Summer Outing this year took a very happy coach load of Guild members to Keswick in the Lake District on

May 3rd. The early morning sun shone as we gathered at Station Road to depart at 9.30 prompt! A morning

coffee stop at Moffat was welcome especially since the cuppa was accompanied with hot filled rolls. After a day

spent at leisure in Keswick, we travelled to Carlisle for high tea and, then, home to again to Bothwell. Our thanks

to Grace Moore for organising yet another Guild adventure enjoyed by all.

Oonah Lambert Secretary

7

Please Note:

Deadline for submission of articles & rotas for the

September / October Edition of the Lantern need to be with the church Office no later than

Monday 16th August.

Thank you

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, a minister heard a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that a proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and

cotton wool, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with enormous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: “Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes.”

Thank You

I would like to thank everyone

who sent cards to express their

sympathy on the death of my

husband, Bob, and also those

who spoke to me personally. I

appreciated all the kind thoughts

and prayers.

Janet McDougall

2011

The Year of

the Bible

Come and join us as we celebrate the

400th anniversary of

God’s Holy Word

Guest Preacher:

The Very Revd. Dr Gilleasbuig Macmillan

Minister of St.Giles’ Cathedral

Dean of The Thistle

Sunday 18th

September 2011 at

2.30pm

ALLOVUS Summer Outing

M

to

THE PEOPLES PALACE

on

THURSDAY 16th JUNE

Buses leave Church at

10am.

We are delighted that thanks to our loyal band of

volunteers, our 2011 Project begins on Wednesday 1st June when we

look forward to our Church being ―open‖ to visitors.

New volunteers are needed to join our helpers—please contact Ann

Walker (853144) if you would like to assist.

The Open Church Project runs until 31st August.

8

Red Sea &

Noah’s Ark Cltb

Our latest venture is sponsorship of a guide puppy called Unity. We received our first photograph and we

are all looking forward to regular updates on her training progress which we can follow online as well as

receiving further photographs and regular ―Pupdates‖ newsletters. If all goes well she could

become a guide dog in two years time.

Thanks to the generosity of the congregation,

the sum of £112 was sent to South Africa to

our friends at the Place of Restoration. Our

children received a certificate of thanks from

Monica MacDonald for their efforts. Overall

we have sent over

£200 this session so

many thanks to

everyone who helped

us to reach this total.

Anne Sharp

Sunday 28th August

2 — 4pm

Tickets £3

The Manse Garden

4 Manse Avenue Bothwell

G71 8PQ

9

The Boys' Brigade

The BB session is nearly done and we can now look back on another fantastic year.

Anchor Boys The Anchors have had an average of 20 boys each week and we have taken part in many different activities. There have been some new games to play some of which have become firm favourites. We had a special activity night when one of our Boy's mum came along and led a fitness night- thanks to Vicky for that. We have also had some Dad's come along to help us out and their assistance has been greatly appreciated. This year the Anchor Boys attended the Battalion Sports Night for the first time and would have been at the Carol Service – but it was cancelled due to snow. We have 6 Boys being promoted to the Junior Section and while we are sorry to see them we are sure they will continue to enjoy themselves.

Junior Section After another hugely successful year for the Junior Section, it’s good to reflect on some of our achievements… The year kicked off with a refreshed programme to include more exciting and varied activities – this has gone down a storm with the Boys and there now truly is something for everyone. This is reflected in our numbers which have remained at 19 through-out the course of the year. Once again, taking part in Battalion level competitions has been high on the agenda and we have enjoyed a great deal of success. Fantastic efforts in the Bible, General Knowledge & Board Games competitions and a show stopping performance in the Figure Marching which saw us hang on to the winner’s trophy, means we clinched joint second place in the James Reid Achievement Trophy for best Junior Section – an absolutely brilliant achievement which every Boy played a part in. Special mention must be made of Iain Page who

scored 100% in the Junior Bible – a fantastic achievement well done Iain. Two weeks ago the Boys enjoyed a well-deserved trip to see ‘Joseph’ in Hamilton and after the consumption of many Happy Meals and litres of ice-cream it was agreed that a good time was had by all. A great end to a great session – WELL DONE!

Company Section Following the success of last year’s camp to Tweedsmuir the boys were asked for their thoughts on what we should do in the new session to ‘shake things up a bit’. The list was short as they already enjoyed what was on offer, they did however request more badge work and different activities throughout the session. As a result, the officers put together a brand new programme of activities and scheduled a new start time of 7.30pm allowing us to give a dedicated time for badge work as well as including a variety of activities every week. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that we started the new session with a summer get - together , this involved a day’s walk along the Clyde taking in local sights accompanied with some friendly banter. The boys enjoyed their walk and enthused about what lay ahead in the coming year. The year started well, we have welcomed new boys and a new officer, Mr Connell. We have once again taken a clean sweep of the Battalion Drill trophies, including the Elementary where the new recruits are put through their paces by our Sergeant Cameron Blake (who also won best commanding NCO). In the Restricted Drill we came first and second and we capped it off by winning the squad drill too. We have taken part in various competitions with varying levels of success. We came second place

in the Master Team Quiz, Cameron Blake won the seniors cross country and Iain Scott took part in our battalion swimming gala. You will agree that this is an outstanding effort by all involved and even more heartening is that the boys want to try even harder next year to win more! Friday night’s t have included lots of activities from smoothie making to movie nights and nights where the NCO’s prepared the programme and ran the night with minor assistance from the staff. We have also had the pleasure of St Andrews Ambulance Association who came along and took us for First Aid. The seniors have to be commended for their efforts in the Challenge Plus award. We will have the honour of presenting the Gold award this year for the first time in the Company as well as presenting the prestigious Queens Badge to three dedicated men. The seniors have been influential in various events such as; the Challenge Plus taster evening, a fair trade event hosted by Sainsburys, a cooking bus event in October which was a joint event with the BB and NHS, ten pin bowling and go-karting/paintball event in April. In fact, it is because Bothwell’s seniors are so active that over 30 young people from around the battalion have been able to enjoy one or more of the afore mentioned events. Well done Seniors! Cameron B la ke a nd Mart in J enkins represented Lanarkshire at the unveiling of a new memorial to the Merchant Navy, by HRH the Princess Royal, in November. We are all looking forward to our second camp next week. We have invited the promoted boys from the junior section for an overnight stay, we are certain that they will have a super time.

Continued on page 10.

10

KIRK SESSION UPDATE The Kirk Session last met in February and among matters discussed were the following:

Restoration of the Church Quire, Sacristy and Monument. In order for the initial phases of this work to

proceed, Presbytery has approved our application for a temporary loan from the General Trustees. We

await the decision of the Trustees.

Installation of New Window in Centre Main Hall. Workmen from the Scottish Glass Centre have recently

visited the church Centre and work has begun on the commission sponsored by a member of the

congregation. It is hoped the window may be installed sometime in late autumn.

Finance Report. Our deficit for last year was mainly due to ever increasing energy costs. New methods of

obtaining energy are being investigated by the Finance Committee and further reports on this will be made.

We are grateful for a number of legacies received. Overall, the Treasurer gave a comprehensive report and

was able to give a more positive outlook for the coming year.

Property. A full report was given by Ken Hamilton regarding the restorative work needing undertaken to

the ancient Quire of the church, the Sacristy and Monument. The church clock has required further

maintenance work and appreciation was shown for the clearance work undertaken round the church

grounds by Elizabeth French and her family.

Church Centre. Continues to be extremely well used throughout the week on a daily basis. Maintenance

work is constantly undertaken to keep the building fresh and appealing.

Presbytery of Hamilton. As a result of recent meetings held by the Presbytery, it is not expected that future

readjustment of churches in our area will affect Bothwell Parish Church.

New Beadle‟s Gown. This gift from the Revd Peter price was greatly appreciated by the Kirk Session.

Guild‟s 125th Anniversary. Arrangement to celebrate this important Anniversary were noted.

Carers‟ (Civic) Service. The third such service will be held on Sunday, 22 May 2011 at 10.30am.

Civic/ Interdenominational Service for the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible will be held within

Bothwell Parish Church later in the year.

John Crichton

Session Clerk.

The Boy’s Brigade Continued from page 9…..

Captains Summary We collected all of the trophies we won at The Annual Church Parade in May and the icing on the cake was when we were announced as the Winners of the MacDougall Trophy for the best all round company in the battalion. To end the year we have 6 young men gaining the two highest awards in the Boys' Brigade, 3 being awarded their Presidents Badge and another 3 receiving the Queens Award. m Congratulations to :

Presidents Badge – Jack Hamilton, Cameron Crowe and Malachi Nkere m Queens Badge – Jack Crichton, Drew Crichton and Blair Gibson

I thank all of the Company Staff for their dedication and work over the past year – it really is a team effort and they have all pulled together t o h e l p t h e c o m p a n y continue to Advance Christ's Kingdom.

Finally on behalf of the Boys and Officers of the 1st Bothwell I would like to thank all the members of the Co n gre ga t i o n of B ot h we l l Parish Church for their support of the Company over the years – we really appreciate this and are proud to be part of the family of Bothwell Kirk.

If you want to find out more visit our website at www.1stbothwellbb.org

Robin McLean

Captain 1st Bothwell Company, The Boys' Brigade

CONCERT

by

Jack Kane

(Classical saxophone)

and friends

Wednesday June 22nd

7.30pm

in

Bothwell Parish Church

A Short History of Bothwell

The fourth instalment of the notes prepared by the late Rev. S. J. Hamilton, B.A., on the history of the parish.

11

IV: THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF BOTHWELL

In the last issue we referred to the foundation of the Collegiate Church

of Bothwell by Archibald the Grim in 1398, and we

explained that a Collegiate Church was one to which was attached a college of clergy, known as prebendaries, presided over by a provost, whose duty it was to maintain the church as a temple of praise and worship.

The Grim Earl was a most generous patron, conferring on the Collegiate Church: 1. The whole tiend of the parish, together with manse, garden and orchard. 2. The Kirk lands, being a ten pound land of old extent (i.e. The glebe, which apparently included the areas now

known as Kirklands and Kirkfield. Note: Dr Mair in his „Digest of Church Laws‟ defines the term “Kirk Lands” as lands belonging to the clergy before the Reformation).

3. The lands of Osbernstun (Orbiston) in the barony of Bothwell. 4. The lands of Nether Urd in the shire of Peebles, with its mill.

At a later time the church acquired:

5. The tiends and revenues of the parishes of Strathaven and Stonehouse. 6. The sixteen pound lands of Cathkin and its mill in the parish of Carmunnock.

To these already large endowments were added, by other pious donors, the lands of Carnbrew, Unthank, Stevenstoun, Alderstoun, Carfin, Jerviestoun, Richard-Johnstoun in the barony of Bothwell and also the Nether Mill or Orbiston on Calder.

It would be interesting to know what was the value of all this property, but it is almost an impossibility to compute. We can, however, deduce from references in the Compt of the Collector of Thirds of Benefices, 1561, the worth of it at the time of the Reformation. The following are minimum estimates:- Provosty of Bothwell, £222 0 0 Prebend of Newton, 20 0 0

Prebend of Stonehouse, 92 0 0 Prebend of Netherfield, 20 0 0 Prebend of Overtoun, 22 0 0 Prebend of Hessildean, 26 13 4

402 13 4

This, of course, is Scots money; but although £1 Scot is only equal to 1/8 sterling, still it must be remembered that £1 Scots at the time of the Reformation was at least as valuable as £1 sterling now, as it would buy as much, if not more. m In addition to the above, the Vicar and Prebendaries all had manse, yards and gardens lying adjacent to the Collegiate

Church. The actual site of their manses, etc., was the portion of ground which lies between the church and what is now

called Green Street. According to Dr MacCulloch, minister of the parish in 1795, most of the houses were demolished

before his incumbency, but it is just possible that one of them remained until a few years ago. The inhabitants of

Bothwell will remember that near the old entrance to the manse avenue there stood a little cottage which was purchased

by the late minister and dismantled in 1925 to improve the approach to the manse. This cottage was generally reckoned

to be very ancient, being roughly built and thatched, and consisting of two rooms separated by a passage which ran from

front to rear. If it was not one of the original prebend houses, it certainly was built on one of the old prebend yards, as

the titles shew. Indeed, we have it on good authority that the terms “Vicar‟s Yard” and “Prebend Yards” are still to be

found in the charters for other feus in the same neighbourhood.

Next edition we hope to commence an account of the Provosts of Bothwell from 1398 to the Reformation, dealing at the

same time with events of national as well as local importance which occurred during their respective incumbencies.

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Church Flowers Chancel War Memorial JUNE: 5th Mrs A Watt Mrs B Watson 12th (Pentecost) Mrs M McIntyre Mrs A Grimmond 19th Mrs P Fleming Mrs A Thomson 26th Miss H McWhinnie Mrs J Henry JULY: 3rd Mrs E Buttery Mrs E French 10th Miss M Jack Mrs M Mitchell 17th Mrs L Horn Mrs M McArthur 24th Mrs M Chalmers Mrs U Morris 31st Mrs H Duddy Mrs S Rutherford-Young AUGUST: 7th Mrs N Robertson Mrs L Stirrat 14th Mrs M Watt Mrs S Greenshields 21st Mrs I Greenhalgh Mrs P Brown 28th Mrs L Leckie Mrs M Cunningham

Sunday Welcome / Duty Rota Office bearers should please arrive at Church for duty by 10am. Anyone unable to fulfil their duty should please arrange cover.

Please note that only two of the office bearers will be required to assist with counting the collection after the service.

JUNE 5th S Mowat H Marsh J Marsh L McLean 12th C McMurdo C McQueen Dr Ritch R Robertson 19th B Sharp J Shaw K Simpson E Terrace 26th E Somerville Dr Thomson A Watt G Whitton

JULY 3rd E Buttery J Carson M Clark S Cook 10th D Craig J Crichton J Cumming J Dalziel 17th E Dempsey Dr Fairlie B Gillespie J Gilmour 24th T Goodsir S Greenshields K Hamilton L Horn 31st I Henderson J Henry J Hart M Hutchison

AUGUST 7th M Jack D Lee G Moore S Mowat 14th H Marsh J Marsh L McLean C McMurdo 21st C McQueen Dr Ritch R Robertson B Sharp 28th J Shaw K Simpson E Terrace E Somerville

Sunday Coffee Rota

As usual, volunteers are asked to please swap any inconvenient dates with each other. New volunteers are most welcome to join the list and

should please contact Sara Crichton - 854421.

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JUNE: 5th Pat Maxwell Gillian Ormiston 12th Elspeth Hamilton Elizabeth French 19th Eleanor Barr Elaine Gibson 26th Suzanne Smith Shirley Frew JULY: NO CRECHE AUGUST: 14th Eleanor Terrace Nan Carson 21st Janet McDougall Jaynie Craig 28th Pat Maxwell Gillian Ormiston

Sunday Crèche

JUNE: 5th Mrs E Dempsey 12th Mrs C Cahill 19th Mrs J Craig 26th Mrs S Crichton

JULY: 3rd Mrs J Hamilton

10th Mrs N Carson

17th Mrs A Thomson

24th Mrs M Cumming

31st Mrs E Buttery

AUGUST: 7th Mrs H Gilmour

14th Mrs E Depsey

21st Mrs C Cahill

28th Mrs J Craig