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history |
The Free Church in Prestwick began at the Disruption of 1843 when Dr Thomas Burns, nephew of the poet, Robert Burns, 'came out' along with the majority of his congregation. Initially they worshipped in the open air on the farm of Orangefield, near Monkton during the summer months. In December 1843 the first church was built in Monkton, but from 1846 services were also conducted in a school in Prestwick. The Prestwick congregation grew in size at a more rapid rate than that of Monkton, so to address the needs of the growing congregation a new church was built in Prestwick in 1874, with the church at Monkton being used as a church hall. The church was enlarged in 1896 including the addition of a further church hall. At the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church in 1900, the congregation at Prestwick became Prestwick North United Free Church. In 1929 at the union of the United Free Church and the Established Church the charge became Prestwick North Church of Scotland, and shortly afterward in 1933 a suite of halls was erected. The congregation united with Monkton and Prestwick (St Cuthbert's) Church on the 31 May 1981 to form Monkton and Prestwick North Church of Scotland. |