|
Admin
history |
The congregation of Old Greyfriars originated from the proposal of the town council to in 1584 to divide the parish of Edinburgh ecclesiastically into four quarters, each having its own place of worship. Nothing happened at that time, but in 1598 the arrangements were carried into effect, and the south-west quarter was allocated the Upper Tolbooth, which sat in the west end of St Giles. A new building was planned within the Greyfriars burial ground, upon which work began in 1611, and it was opened for worship in 1620. From its establishment there were two charges, and the collegiate, or second charge, continued until 1840 when the parish of St John's was erected. It was in Greyfriars in 1638 that the National Covenant was signed by many of the Scots nobility and ministers of Edinburgh. In 1718, following an explosion within the church that destroyed the west end of the building, the decision was taken to build an additional church at the ruined west end, which became known as New Greyfriars. Old Greyfriars and New Greyfriars later united in 1929, under the name Greyfriars. The kirk session sat within the Presbytery of Edinburgh. |