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history |
During the 18th century there was an urgent need within Perth for a greater supply of accommodation for the worshiping parishioners of the parish. As a consequence in 1715 the interior of the Parish Church of St John's was partitioned off to provide two places of worship, termed the Old and the New Churches. Prior to this time there had only existed within Perth one parochial church and two ministers. This split however did not sufficiently alleviate the problem and a third division was additionally made, splitting St John's Church into the parish kirks of the East, the Middle and the West Churches. A minister was allocated to each of the three congregations and each church conducted successive services. This system continued until 1806 when the Town Council resolved to annex three parochial districts from the Parish of St John's. These were to be the Middle Parish, the West Parish and St Paul's. The East Church within St John's church remained in the possession of St John's Kirk Session but came to be known as the East Parish of Perth. In 1921 the Court of Teinds was presented with a summons from the Lord Provost, Magistrates and Councilors of Perth, stating that the Church of St John's should be restored to a single church and that the existing parishes of Perth: East, Perth: Middle and Perth: West be disjoined and erected into two parishes, namely that of St John and of St Mark. St John's would occupy the existing church of St John the Baptist and St Mark's the Chapel of Ease of St Mark's Church. The existing East, Middle and West Churches were consequently combined once again within St Johns Kirk Session and the minister of the West Church was transferred to St Marks. The Kirk Session of Perth West sat within the Presbytery of Perth. |