Old St Paul's, Edinburgh
Old Saint Paul's, Edinburgh | |
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John Kitchen |
Old Saint Paul's is an historic church of the
Its congregation originally formed a breakaway group from the city's
History
Although the present building dates from the 19th century, Old Saint Paul's has a history going back 300 years to the beginning of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
The original congregation of Old Saint Paul's was a breakaway group from Saint Giles' Cathedral, which had become the Cathedral of Edinburgh in 1634. The last bishop at Saint Giles', Alexander Rose, left the Cathedral in 1689 accompanied by much of his congregation. He founded a new place of worship in an old wool store in Carrubber's Close – this lies close to the present site of Old Saint Paul's.
Many Episcopalians remained pro-Jacobite during the Jacobite rising of 1689, loyal to James and his descendants. Members of Saint Paul's were involved in the Jacobite struggle, including the Risings of 1715 and 1745. One member of the congregation brought the news of Bonnie Prince Charlie's victory at Prestonpans to Edinburgh, shutting the town gates against the defeated Hanoverian army.
As a result of the Risings, Episcopalians and their places of worship were persecuted under law. It was only after the death of Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) in 1788 that the association of Episcopalians with Jacobitism was shaken off. Penal laws were gradually repealed, and in that year the Scottish Synod resolved that
Building
The present building was designed by Hay and Henderson in the
The high
A memorial chapel (warriors Chapel) was built in 1926 as a memorial to the lives lost in the
Sculpture
At the head of the Calvary Stair is a sculpture of the Crucifixion by Alfred Frank Hardiman completed in 1926.
The Organ
The present organ was built by Father Henry Willis and installed in 1888. Slight modifications were made to this instrument in 1936; it was electrified and enlarged in 1960 when a new console with tab stops was provided. Further tonal modifications and additions were made in 1968.
The Church Hall
Beneath the Church is a sizeable hall. During the Edinburgh Fringe, the hall is transformed into theSpace @ Venue 45 by venue operators theSpaceUK.
References
- ^ Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker