Tron Kirk
Encyclopedia
The Tron Kirk
is a former principal parish church in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. It is a well-known landmark on the Royal Mile
. It was built in the 17th century, and closed as a church in 1952. It was briefly a tourist information centre, but as of 2008 it is unused.
" by the citizens of Edinburgh in 1641, and known as "Christ's Kirk at the Tron
". As the South-East parish, it was one of the four early parishes of Edinburgh, subsequent to the Scottish Reformation of 1560. Prior to the erection of this new church, parishioners of the SE parish worshipped in St. Giles' Cathedral
. An English traveller, visiting the Tron in 1705, recorded his impression in his diary:—"The nobility generally resort to the Tron Church 'which is the principall', and the Lord High Commissioner has a throne erected in it, in a very spatious gallery, on his right hand sits the Lord Chancellor of Scotland
, and on his left the Lord Provost of Edinburgh." There were special grants of pews made by the Edinburgh Town Council to noblemen, Senators of the College of Justice
, citizens of Edinburgh Old Town, Principals and Professors of the University. A full list of seat-holders has been preserved for 1650, the year of the battle of Dunbar
, and for 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie
was in Edinburgh.
Upon the entrance of the Prince to Edinburgh, he intimated that ministers should have full liberty to continue their duties on the following day—Sunday—the only requirement was that in the prayers for the Royal Family no names should be specified. The service at the Tron was taken by the Reverend Neil M'Vicar of St. Cuthbert's, the two Presbyterian ministers at the Tron having quietly left the city. The church was packed and he prayed as usual for King George
by name and then added—"and as for this young man who has come among us seeking an earthly crown, we beseech Thee that he may obtain what is far better, a heavenly one!" When this was reported to Prince Charles, he is said to have laughed and expressed himself highly pleased at the courage and charity of the minister.
was executed in 1697 for the crime of blasphemy after preachers complained that he had blasphemed against the Tron Kirk and God. Aikenhead was prosecuted for saying "I wish I were in that place Ezra calls hell so I could warm myself" as he walked by the Tron Kirk on his way back from a night of drinking with a few classmates.
The baptisms and marriages of many Edinburgh luminaries took place in the Tron, one being the marriage of the famous jurist John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall
on January 21, 1669, to Janet (1652–1686), daughter of Sir Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall, 1st Baronet, and the first Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and a Senator of the College of Justice
(d.1688).
On April 25, 1694 Helen (d. January 9, 1714), daughter of George Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Banff
(d.1668) by his spouse Agnes, daughter of Alexander 1st Lord Falconer, of Halkerstoun, married Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth in the Tron.
John Drysdale, who married Mary, daughter of the famous architect William Adam, was a Minister of the Tron Kirk and was also a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
, though now he is chiefly remembered for his friendship with Adam Smith
, the economist.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
met in the Tron from 1830 to 1840—the period of the "Ten Years' Conflict".
when he created Edinburgh a City. The land was purchased by the parish from Dr. William Scott, MD, for £1000 Scots
. It was erected between 1636 and 1647 to a design by John Mylne, Royal master mason. The design mixed Palladian and Gothic
elements, and was inspired by contemporary Dutch architecture. The full Chamberlain's Accounts for this project are still extant. It was shortened in 1785 to accommodate the construction of Hunter Square and the South Bridge. In 1828 a new spire was constructed to replace the original that was destroyed in a fire of 1824. In 1952 it closed as a church and was acquired by the City of Edinburgh Council, the congregation moving to a new church in the Moredun
area of the city. It was subsequently left to decay, and the interiors were eventually gutted. Excavations then took place under the church, from within, in 1974, which revealed some foundations of 16th century buildings in Marlins Wynd. A debate continues as to whether the internal destruction of this famous landmark was warranted.
celebrations has been reduced in recent years, due to the expansion of the celebrations throughout the city centre.
Kirk
Kirk can mean "church" in general or the Church of Scotland in particular. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.-Basic meaning and etymology:...
is a former principal parish church in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, 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 is a well-known landmark on the Royal Mile
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
. It was built in the 17th century, and closed as a church in 1952. It was briefly a tourist information centre, but as of 2008 it is unused.
Religious history
The Tron Kirk of Edinburgh was "dedicated to ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
" by the citizens of Edinburgh in 1641, and known as "Christ's Kirk at the Tron
Tron (Scotland)
A tron was a weighing machine in medieval Scotland, usually located in the marketplaces of burghs. There are various areas of several Scottish towns that are named for them...
". As the South-East parish, it was one of the four early parishes of Edinburgh, subsequent to the Scottish Reformation of 1560. Prior to the erection of this new church, parishioners of the SE parish worshipped in St. Giles' Cathedral
St. Giles' Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral, more properly termed the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile which runs from the Castle to...
. An English traveller, visiting the Tron in 1705, recorded his impression in his diary:—"The nobility generally resort to the Tron Church 'which is the principall', and the Lord High Commissioner has a throne erected in it, in a very spatious gallery, on his right hand sits the Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Lord Chancellor of Scotland
The Lord Chancellor of Scotland was a Great Officer of State in pre-Union Scotland.Holders of the office are known from 1123 onwards, but its duties were occasionally performed by an official of lower status with the title of Keeper of the Great Seal...
, and on his left the Lord Provost of Edinburgh." There were special grants of pews made by the Edinburgh Town Council to noblemen, Senators of the College of Justice
College of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
, citizens of Edinburgh Old Town, Principals and Professors of the University. A full list of seat-holders has been preserved for 1650, the year of the battle of Dunbar
Battle of Dunbar (1650)
The Battle of Dunbar was a battle of the Third English Civil War. The English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell defeated a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie which was loyal to King Charles II, who had been proclaimed King of Scots on 5 February 1649.-Background:The English...
, and for 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
was in Edinburgh.
Upon the entrance of the Prince to Edinburgh, he intimated that ministers should have full liberty to continue their duties on the following day—Sunday—the only requirement was that in the prayers for the Royal Family no names should be specified. The service at the Tron was taken by the Reverend Neil M'Vicar of St. Cuthbert's, the two Presbyterian ministers at the Tron having quietly left the city. The church was packed and he prayed as usual for King George
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
by name and then added—"and as for this young man who has come among us seeking an earthly crown, we beseech Thee that he may obtain what is far better, a heavenly one!" When this was reported to Prince Charles, he is said to have laughed and expressed himself highly pleased at the courage and charity of the minister.
Notables
18 year old student Thomas AikenheadThomas Aikenhead
Thomas Aikenhead was a Scottish student from Edinburgh, who was prosecuted and executed at the age of 20 on a charge of blasphemy. He was the last person in Britain to be executed for blasphemy.-Indictment:...
was executed in 1697 for the crime of blasphemy after preachers complained that he had blasphemed against the Tron Kirk and God. Aikenhead was prosecuted for saying "I wish I were in that place Ezra calls hell so I could warm myself" as he walked by the Tron Kirk on his way back from a night of drinking with a few classmates.
The baptisms and marriages of many Edinburgh luminaries took place in the Tron, one being the marriage of the famous jurist John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall
John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall
Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, 2nd Baronet, Lord Fountainhall was one of Scotland's leading jurists who remains to this day an oft consulted authority...
on January 21, 1669, to Janet (1652–1686), daughter of Sir Andrew Ramsay, Lord Abbotshall, 1st Baronet, and the first Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and a Senator of the College of Justice
College of Justice
The College of Justice is a term used to describe the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies.The constituent bodies of the supreme courts of Scotland are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Accountant of Court's Office...
(d.1688).
On April 25, 1694 Helen (d. January 9, 1714), daughter of George Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Banff
George Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Banff
George Ogilvy, 2nd Lord Banff was member of the old Scottish Parliament, a feudal baron, and a Cavalier.-Family:The son of Sir George Ogilvy, 1st Lord Banff, and 1st Baronet , by his spouse Janet, daughter of William Sutherland, Lord Duffus...
(d.1668) by his spouse Agnes, daughter of Alexander 1st Lord Falconer, of Halkerstoun, married Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth in the Tron.
John Drysdale, who married Mary, daughter of the famous architect William Adam, was a Minister of the Tron Kirk and was also a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
, though now he is chiefly remembered for his friendship with Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
, the economist.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body[1] An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland, A Gordon McGillivray, 2nd Edition .-Church courts:As a Presbyterian church,...
met in the Tron from 1830 to 1840—the period of the "Ten Years' Conflict".
Architectural history
The Tron, as it is commonly called, was ordered to be built by King Charles ICharles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
when he created Edinburgh a City. The land was purchased by the parish from Dr. William Scott, MD, for £1000 Scots
Pound Scots
The pound Scots was the national unit of currency in the Kingdom of Scotland before the country entered into political and currency union with the Kingdom of England in 1707 . It was introduced by David I, in the 12th century, on the model of English and French money, divided into 20 shillings...
. It was erected between 1636 and 1647 to a design by John Mylne, Royal master mason. The design mixed Palladian and Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
elements, and was inspired by contemporary Dutch architecture. The full Chamberlain's Accounts for this project are still extant. It was shortened in 1785 to accommodate the construction of Hunter Square and the South Bridge. In 1828 a new spire was constructed to replace the original that was destroyed in a fire of 1824. In 1952 it closed as a church and was acquired by the City of Edinburgh Council, the congregation moving to a new church in the Moredun
Moredun
Moredun is a district of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of Liberton, while Craigour is situated just to its north.Originally called Gutters and later Goodtrees, the estate was renamed Moredun in 1769.-Sources:Google Maps...
area of the city. It was subsequently left to decay, and the interiors were eventually gutted. Excavations then took place under the church, from within, in 1974, which revealed some foundations of 16th century buildings in Marlins Wynd. A debate continues as to whether the internal destruction of this famous landmark was warranted.
Hogmanay
The Tron's position as the traditional focus for Edinburgh's annual HogmanayHogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
celebrations has been reduced in recent years, due to the expansion of the celebrations throughout the city centre.
External links
- Tron Kirk Moredun http://www.tronkirk.org.uk/main.html
- Edinburgh Hogmanay http://www.edinburghshogmanay.org/
- Edinburgh Architecture - The Royal Mile (with original drawing of Tron Kirk)