The Present Church

Design and Construction

The present church building was designed by William Burn, architect also for Penninghame St John’s Church at Newton Stewart, which has a pulpit and leaded window mouldings similar to Kirkcudbright Church. The foundation stone of the Kirkcudbright Church was laid on 22 April 1836 and worship was first offered in the building on 20 October 1838. The Kirkcudbright building was completed at a cost of £6582, on ground given by the then Earl of Selkirk, who also paid for the building’s construction. It was built on a large scale in anticipation that the town’s population would grow more than it in fact did. The pulpit incorporates a sounding board and at lower level a Precentor’s box from which praise was led before the introduction of the organ in 1886. The church is a Category B Listed Building.

Interior Features – the Country, Town and Trades Ends

Like the 1730 building it replaced, the present church building is cruciform in shape. The main entrance gives access to the nave through the base of the tower.

The main wing (nave), with the St Mary’s Isle Estate Gallery above it, is known as the Country End, as it was traditionally occupied by the Earl and the estate and farming communities. The heraldic arms on the front of the Isle Gallery are those gained in 1918 by Sir Charles Dunbar Hope-Dunbar Bt., descendant of the Earl of Selkirk, with the motto Firmior Quo Paratior – The More Prepared, The Stronger.

The left-hand wing (south transept), with the Town Council gallery (in lieu of the Magistrates’ gallery of the old church), is known as the Town End. Its Gallery was traditionally occupied by the Town Council and the pews by the townspeople of Kirkcudbright.

The Town Council was granted the arms on the front of the Gallery by the Lord Lyon in 1921. The arms are based on a 15th century impression of the oldest seal of the Royal Burgh, featuring the blue and silver colours of Galloway, with St Cuthbert, patron saint of the town, seated in the stern of a lymphad, or galley, holding the head of the martyred King Oswald of Northumbria, slain in battle in 642. Oswald’s head ultimately landed at Lindisfarne, being buried with St Cuthbert’s body and later transferred with Cuthbert to Durham Cathedral. The Burgh has no motto, although the matter was discussed with the Lord Lyon in 1927.

The right-hand wing (north transept), with the Trades’ gallery, is known as the Trades’ End. Its Gallery is that of the Incorporated Trades. This body dates back to 1425 and was given Royal Charters in 1425 and 1466. The six trades incorporated are the Tailors, Hammermen, Shoemakers, Glovers, Clothiers and Squaremen. The Incorporated Trades of Kirkcudbright gained the arms shown on the front of the Gallery in 1953.

Colours

The colours laid up in the Church are those of the Kirkcudbright branch of the Royal British Legion and of the 5th Territorial Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers Regiment.

Memorials

The only stained glass in the church is a window by William Meikle portraying Jesus the Good Shepherd, which is dedicated to the memory of the Rev’d A D Campbell.

Several other incumbents of the charge, Dr Robert Muter, George Hamilton, John McMillan and John Underwood are remembered by memorial plaques (see Ministers page). A minister of the former Kirkcudbright United Presbyterian Church, William Watson, and other local benefactors, are similarly remembered.