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The Kirk Session of Edinburgh West St Giles first originated in 1692 when a meeting-house in the Lawnmarket opened, and which later had a parish allocated to it in 1698, termed the New North. The Parish allotted to the New North, (later named West St Giles), was annexed largely from the parishes of Greyfriars and Tolbooth. In 1699 Edinburgh Town Council was instructed to take down the Lawnmarket Meeting House and in the same year the North West corner of St Giles was prepared as accommodation for the New North congregation. This area of St Giles was generally referred to as Haddos Hole as it was here that Sir John Gordon of Haddo, a bigot and anti-covenanter, was imprisoned before his execution in 1641. New North was made a burgh church and held two charges up until 1814, when the stipend of the second charge was granted to the payment of the minister of the newly erected Edinburgh St Georges.In 1829, when reconstruction work on St Giles began, the New North congregation was temporarily accommodated in the Methodists chapel in Nicholson Square between 1829 and 1835, and then in Brighton Street Chapel from 1835-1843, at which time they returned to the west of St Giles. Following the return in 1843 the congregation, having a much more accommodating place of worship grew in numbers and it was during this time that the New North came to be termed Edinburgh West St Giles.In the latter half of the 19th century it was desired that St Giles be opened up to serve as one church and so a new church was erected near to the meadows, to which the congregation of West St Giles were transported in 1880. In 1972 Edinburgh West St Giles united with Grange and also with Warrender, under the name of Marchmont St Giles and under the ministry of Rev W.B. Young, minister at Warrender. |