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history |
The church of Kilmaurs was dedicated to St Mora or Maura of Little Cumbrae and it belonged to the Abbey of Kelso. There is evidence of a church at Kilmaurs dating as far back as 1170. Sir William Cunningham of Kilmaurs endowed the church with a collegiate foundation in 1403 and prebends of the collegiate church included, Cherickeheuch, Bellshill and Fluris and Bankhead. Almost two hundred years later in 1600 an aisle was added by his descendant James, Seventh Earl of Glencairn, this aisle now holds a 17th century monument in memory of William, ninth Earl of Glencairn, Lord Chancellor of Scotland and his countess, both of whom were buried in St Giles in Edinburgh. The present day church was erected in 1888. Kilmaurs St Maurs Kirk Session was linked in 1955 with Kilmaurs Glencairn however this link was later terminated in 1963 in favour of a union between the two sessions, to form Kilmaurs St Maurs-Glencairn. Kilmaurs sat within the Presbytery of Irvine (later Irvine and Kilmarnock) and the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr. |