Kilconquhar
Encyclopedia
Kilconquhar (from the , Church of (St) Duncan or Conchad) is a village
and parish
in the Kingdom of Fife in Scotland
. It includes the small hamlet of Barnyards. It is bounded by the parishes of Elie, Ceres
, St Monans, Carnbee, Newburn
and Largo
.
It is approximately 9 miles from north to south. Much of the land is agricultural
or wooded. The village itself is situated inland, north of Kilconquhar Loch
.
married Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
to become the Earl of Carrick
. Adam went to the Crusades
with Prince Edward of England
and died in Acre
. His widow subsequently married Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, who thus became Earl of Carrick and Lord of Kilconquhar. Their son was Robert the Bruce.
In the 18th century the village was noted as a weaving centre. This industry faded in the late 19th century. The population was at a high in 1836 of 558 but dropped to 350 in 1881. By 2011 it had fallen to just over 200.
. The historic church building is still in regular use; it has an unusually tall tower, and is an exact, but larger scale, copy, of Cockpen and Carrington Parish Church
in Midlothian
.
St. Conquhar is noted as a Scottish saint in a 15th century Perth
Psalter. His saint's day is noted as May 3rd.
The remains of Old Kilconquhar Church lie in the churchyard. This was originally called Culdee
Church and is first mentioned in 1177. In 1200 Duncan, Earl of Fife bestowed revenues from this church to the Cistercian nunnery in North Berwick
. The church was consecrated in 1243 by Bishop de Bernham
. In 1499 Patrick Dunbar, Laird of Kilconquhar, set up an altar to "Our Lady of Pitie (Pity)".
The new church was planned in 1818 and opened in 1821. It contains several fine stained glass windows including "The Acts of Charity" by Ward and Hughes installed in 1867 and four biblical warriors installed in the 1920s by Mrs Andrew Grant in memory of her four nephews lost in World War I
.
The church bell was donated by Robert, son of the Countess Dowager of Crawford, in the mid 19th century, but is an 18th century bell, formerly in Greenwich Hospital
.
Lochside Farm, Allan Cottage and Woodlands all date from the mid 18th century.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
in the Kingdom of Fife in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It includes the small hamlet of Barnyards. It is bounded by the parishes of Elie, Ceres
Ceres, Fife
Ceres is a village in Fife, Scotland, located in a small glen approximately 2 miles over the Ceres Moor from Cupar and 7 miles from St Andrews. The former parish of that name included the settlements of Baldinnie, Chance Inn, Craigrothie, Pitscottie and Tarvit Mill.-The village:It is one of the...
, St Monans, Carnbee, Newburn
Newburn Parish, Fife
Newburn is a civil parish in the County of Fife in Scotland. It is located on the north coast of the Firth of Forth and bounded by the parishes of Kilconquhar and Largo...
and Largo
Lower Largo
Lower Largo or Seatown of Largo is a village in Fife, Scotland situated on Largo Bay on the north side of the Firth of Forth. An ancient fishing village, Lower Largo has gained fame as the 1676 birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.The arrival of the...
.
It is approximately 9 miles from north to south. Much of the land is agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
or wooded. The village itself is situated inland, north of Kilconquhar Loch
Kilconquhar Loch
Kilconquhar Loch is a Scottish freshwater loch.This small shallow loch is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is located beside the village of the same name in East Fife, within a mile of the coastal village of Elie....
.
History
Kilconquhar House was formerly owned by the Adams of Kilconquhar. Adam of KilconquharAdam of Kilconquhar
Adam of Kilconquhar was a Scottish noble from the 13th century. Of Fife origin, he is notable for becoming the husband of the countess of Carrick and participating in Crusade with Louis IX.-Background:...
married Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
Marjorie, Countess of Carrick
Marjorie of Carrick was countess of Carrick, Scotland, from 1256 to 1292, and is notable as the mother of Robert the Bruce.-Marriages:...
to become the Earl of Carrick
Earl of Carrick
The Earl of Carrick was the head of a comital lordship of Carrick in southwestern Scotland. The title emerged in 1186, when Donnchad, son of Gille Brigte, Lord of Galloway, became Mormaer or Earl of Carrick in compensation for exclusion from the whole Lordship of Galloway...
. Adam went to the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
with Prince Edward of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
and died in Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
. His widow subsequently married Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale, who thus became Earl of Carrick and Lord of Kilconquhar. Their son was Robert the Bruce.
In the 18th century the village was noted as a weaving centre. This industry faded in the late 19th century. The population was at a high in 1836 of 558 but dropped to 350 in 1881. By 2011 it had fallen to just over 200.
Parish Church
Kilconquhar Parish Church is within the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. The historic church building is still in regular use; it has an unusually tall tower, and is an exact, but larger scale, copy, of Cockpen and Carrington Parish Church
Cockpen and Carrington Parish Church
Cockpen and Carrington Parish Church is located to the south of the town of Bonnyrigg in Midlothian, Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland...
in Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
.
St. Conquhar is noted as a Scottish saint in a 15th century Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
Psalter. His saint's day is noted as May 3rd.
The remains of Old Kilconquhar Church lie in the churchyard. This was originally called Culdee
Culdee
Céli Dé or Culdees were originally members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland and England in the Middle Ages. The term is used of St. John the Apostle, of a missioner from abroad recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 806, and of Óengus...
Church and is first mentioned in 1177. In 1200 Duncan, Earl of Fife bestowed revenues from this church to the Cistercian nunnery in North Berwick
North Berwick
The Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the...
. The church was consecrated in 1243 by Bishop de Bernham
David de Bernham
David de Bernham was Chamberlain of King Alexander II of Scotland and subsequently, Bishop of St. Andrews. He was elected to the see in June 1239, and finally consecrated, after some difficulties, in January, 1240. He died in 1253, and was buried at Nenthorn, near Kelso.-References:*Dowden, John,...
. In 1499 Patrick Dunbar, Laird of Kilconquhar, set up an altar to "Our Lady of Pitie (Pity)".
The new church was planned in 1818 and opened in 1821. It contains several fine stained glass windows including "The Acts of Charity" by Ward and Hughes installed in 1867 and four biblical warriors installed in the 1920s by Mrs Andrew Grant in memory of her four nephews lost in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
The church bell was donated by Robert, son of the Countess Dowager of Crawford, in the mid 19th century, but is an 18th century bell, formerly in Greenwich Hospital
Greenwich Hospital
Greenwich Hospital can refer to:*Greenwich Hospital , USA*Greenwich Hospital , UK...
.
Other notable buildings
The local pub is the Kinneuchar Inn. It dates from around 1750.Lochside Farm, Allan Cottage and Woodlands all date from the mid 18th century.