Our History
ST JAMES used to be known as
the ‘English Church’ – which indeed it was until 1897, when it formally joined the Scottish Episcopal Church.
In doing so it forfeited a large financial legacy from Georgina Bannerman, which left the recently built church in grave financial
difficulties. Inside the west door there is, in addition to the foundation stone
of 1887, a tablet denoting the consecration of the church in 1925. This could be done as the
church was no longer in debt. The granite church (architect Arthur Clyne) showing externally a French architectural influence,
was not the first church of St James’ congregation. St Paul’s in Loch Street (now demolished)
was the only Episcopal church to survive unscathed the Penal Laws of the 18th century. This
was because they acknowledged the Hanoverian monarchy whereas the Scottish Episcopalians continued to pray for the Stuarts.
When St Paul’s, albeit reluctantly, finally joined the Episcopal Church, between three and four hundred left
the church in Loch Street and purchased a church that had recently been vacated by the Greyfriars Free Church.
Possession was obtained in May 1854, and this new church was called St James, as this was the Saint’s Day nearest
to the date of entry. This original building still remains in Crown Street and after serving many purposes
is now a motor cycle shop. As the congregation increased in size and the population moved westwards, the present church was
planned, opening in 1888. The interior of the church was basic late Victorian Gothic, and it had a somewhat
lopsided look due to the lack of a south aisle; this was added in 1900. The exquisitely carved reredos
was built as a war memorial and contains the names of those who fell in both wars. The candlesticks on
the Holy Table were given in memory of Mrs Ord. By far the oldest items are the two large candlesticks,
certainly medieval, and believed to have stood in the pre-Reformation Abbey of Kinross. They were purchased
by the Cruickshank family from a Morayshire country house during a sale in the First World War and gifted in memory of their
mother, the wife of Thomas Cruickshank, who was once Chancellor of the Diocese.
The church has no steeple, although one is shown on the original plan, and there was a fund specifically designated
for this purpose. Because the church debt was not cleared until 1925, owing to the Bannerman law suit,
rising costs prevented the steeple ever being built, a matter of great relief to those responsible for the finances of the
church, given the even greater rising costs of maintenance associated with a church steeple!
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Our Stained Glass Windows
The east window, one of Douglas
Strachan’s early masterpieces was installed in 1901. It represents Christ in glory, adored by angels; the law and the
prophets, represented by Moses and Isaiah; then the evangelists, St Matthew the man, St Mark with a lion, St Luke with an
ox and St John with an eagle. The big west rose window is the work of John M Aiken. It is beautifully coloured,
representing the Virtues, with Charity as the central figure, the outer right clockwise from the top, being Purity, Humility,
Temperance, Mercy, Peace, Hope, Faith and Truth.
The
most interesting of all the windows historically is the Lancet in the North Wall of the Chancel, given by Colonel Lumsden
in memory of his son, Lieutenant William Henry Lumsden who was killed in action at Nujuffghur on 25th August 1857
during the Indian Mutiny. He was serving in the forces of the East India Company in a regiment of which
he was part founder, the ‘Guides’ called the Eyes and Ears of the Military.
Our Memorials
The brass tablet to
the Revd Angus Mackay rightly commemorates his fifteen years as Rector during which time the present church was built, when
he together with Mr Kay, shouldered most of the responsibility.
The wooden
memorial on the north wall was erected to Thomas Cruickshank by his son, both of whom were in the time Chancellors of the
Diocese. The late Dr Douglas Simpson, the well known local historian claimed this to be the finest plaque
made of wood in the whole of Scotland.
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