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history |
Prior to the reformation Torphichen belonged to the Preceptory of the Knights St John of Jerusalem, indeed the knights, who were established in the 12th century, used Torphichen as their Scottish seat. Ministry of the parish is recorded from 1565 in the person of Thomas Duncanson. A new parish church was built in 1756 and in 1838 an additional church was opened for public worship at Blackridge. In 1931, following the 1929 union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Torphichen Parish Church was united with the former United Free congregation of Torphichen St Johns. After the local union the old St Johns church was converted for use as a church hall and the parish church continued in use as the place of worship. Avonbridge and Torphichen were linked together in 1970. The kirk session sat within the Presbytery of Linlithgow, later of Livingston and Bathgate and following the reorganisation of the presbyteries in 1976 Torphichen became part of the Presbytery of West Lothian. |