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Lost in Coldstream, church questiopn

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  • Lost in Coldstream, church questiopn

    Following on from the thread by OC i'm having a problem with my Coldstream churches :o

    Historically (national basis) the Free Church first started in 1843, in 1901 the Presbyterian and Free Church united. Sections of both churches resisted this union and continued alone hence the situation found in many Scottish towns where there could in addition to the Established Church (Church of Scotland) be

    United Presbyterian Church
    United Free Church
    Presbyterian Church
    Free Church

    Many of the buildings could start as a church for one congregation and change to another over time, age, condition, location and size are all reasons why a church may (or may not) remain in use. Post 1901 there were even instances where a pow could be built to house a new "united" congregation with a larger capacity whilst the earlier buildings remain for use by those who resisted the union.


    Prior to 1901 the Coldstream pow's are listed in assorted directories as;

    Parish Church (capacity 1100)
    Free Church (capacity 600)
    2x Presbyterian churches (known as East and West, capacity of 700 and 1000 respectively).




    The Parish Church (Church of Scotland) is on the High Street, on the opposite side is a former pow, built in 1907, i have found a description which matches the building and suggests it is the former West United Free Church.

    On Victoria Street there is a former pow described as Victoria Street Free Church. There is nothing to indicate the date of construction.

    My problem is that i cannot find any references to the two Presbyterian buildings, nothing to suggest their location or dates of construction. The West building may have occupied the site now used by the former West UF building but i'm not sure.

    Can anyone find anything to help at all please?
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

    Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
    My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
    My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

  • #2
    Glen

    As you've found, it's very difficult to track the allegiance of any particular building, which can change many times over the life of the building (or site). "Presbyterian" can fit the description of virtually any church of any Church of Scotland or other non-espicopal allegiance. Being in Scotland, you may find a library with a fairly modern set of the Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, which is divided up into geographical areas (similar to dioceses) and lists every Church of Scotland church and all its ministers (and any changes of allegiance). There is also The Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, which does the same for the Free Church.
    Uncle John - Passed away March 2020

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    • #3
      Thanks Uncle John, i was hoping to try and avoid the libraries if possible, but it looks like either a trip to Hawick or leave the wiki as it is (probably best to get the image for the Victoria Street building and Relief chapel added, then put a note under the images???), the local libraries are small and funding along with opening hours are being cut back quite considerably. it's slightly annoying as i can find the "when and who" for construction on three of the buildings but nothing definitive relating to their usage.

      Usually the West/East references are fairly self explanatory, the alignment of Coldstream is broadly East-West, the eastern end being the closest to England.

      I have found the relief chapel was absorbed by the Presbyterian church, the building still stands (built 1826 and still in use during the 1950's) but that would put it about as far west as the West UF church.
      Last edited by Glen in Tinsel Knickers; 27-12-08, 12:35.
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

      Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
      My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
      My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

      Comment

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