|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You are visitor number:
 |
|
The Early Days
The first written mention of Bathgate
appeared in a Charter of Malcolm IV (1153-65), who granted the
church of Bathchet with its land to the monks of Holyrood. The
church continued with them until the reign of Robert the Bruce, when
it was transferred to the monks of Newbattle, in satisfaction of a
claim for outstanding arrears of rent due for salt works and estates
in the Carse of Callander. The monks of Newbattle continued here
until the Reformation. Unfortunately, Charters by which churches
were granted to abbeys and monasteries give us no information as to
when these religious buildings were erected. The early British
church and, at a later period, the Culdees (a fraternity of monks in
Scotland from the eighth century) established churches and
congregations throughout the county, which at a still later date
became affiliated with the Roman church. The earliest mentions of
place names in West Lothian which can now be identified have come to
us through the ancient British church. In the year 397, St Ninian, a
Briton who had served under St Martin of Tours, established a
religious school at Whithorn. Under his teaching and training there
was sent forth a band of missionaries, who preached the gospel from
Whithorn to the Orkneys 160 years before St Columba landed at Iona.
These early missionaries and their successors continued the great
work and among them were St Colm, St Kentigern, St Serf and St
Machan. And so we find West Lothian having Christian communities
established by representatives of the old British church. St Serf
planted the seeds of the church at Abercorn in the first half of the
sixth century and St Machan founded Ecclesmachan Church some time in
the latter half of the sixth century, about the year 580.
[Prev] [Next]
|
|
|
|
