Kirk of Calder

Had to go in to work this morning and what lovely weather to drive in - snow, again. To be fair it was on and off, all the way in. Anyway as I was in the car on my own for a change, I was able to stop on the way home and take some photos of the Kirk of Calder. Thankfully the snow stayed off until the last few shots!

The History Bit...
A church is believed to have existed on the present site of the Church since around 1150. In medieval times it was under the control of the great diocese of St Andrews.
Rector Peter Sandilands (the younger son of the 5th Knight of Calder from the Sandilands family) was responsible for building the older part of the present Church. He become Rector in 1526 and work was started on a new church on the old site in 1541.

After work on the church had started and due to his advancing age, a deed was drawn up in 1542 detailing how the church should be finished and funds were provided for its completion. He died in 1546/7 when only the choir had been completed. The present church was fully completed in approx. 1863.
The next Rector was John Spottiswood who in 1560, at the time of the Reformation, joined the Reformers and became Superintendent of the Lothians, Merse and Teviotdale. Apparently John Knox visited Calder House (adjacent to the church) at that time to take communion.
The son of John Spottiswood, also John, went on to become the Archbishop of St Andrews, the primate of Scotland and it was he who crowned Charles I at Holyrood in 1633.
......so now you know!