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In Edinburgh at the Reformation the burgh church was the Collegiate Church of St Giles', but there were other churches very close which in the succeeding centuries would be swallowed up within the burgh. In 1584 the Town Council resolved to divide the burgh ecclesiastically into four quarters, each having its own church, but this did not take effect until 1598. The division was:- St Giles', serving the south-east, New for the North-West, Upper Tolbooth for the South-West and Trinity College for the North-East. Each had two ministers. A further division of Edinburgh was made by the town council in 1641 to establish the following parochial areas:- West St Giles (later termed Tolbooth) - North-West, High or East St Giles - North, Trinity College - North-East, Tron - South-East, Old or Middle St Giles - South, Greyfriars - South-West. Each again had two ministers. Further changes were made in succeeding years as the city grew and new churches had to be erected, some areas being sub-divided (for example, when Lady Yester's kirk was opened in 1655 for the south-south-east are of the city).
The General Sessions of Edinburgh seem to have convened on a regular basis, mostly with the city magistrates, to consider matters of general concern, such as swearing in public, Sabbath-breaking, collections for the poor, filling of vacancies within the city churches, supervision of charity schools within the city and the like. Representatives of each kirk session could attend, the number varying with any alteration in the number of parishes within the city. As there was technically one parish of the burgh Edinburgh there was one General Kirk Session, from which the General Sessions presumably took their name. |