Christian places of worship were a key feature of post-medieval landscapes. In both urban and rural areas of South East Scotland the local parish church was typically among the largest and most impressive buildings in a settlement. By 1600 the Protestant Church of Scotland was in a strong position in the South East and had control of the region’s parish churches, although different factions disagreed about how reformed the Church of Scotland should be. The 17th century saw bitter divisions between the supporters of more hierarchy and ceremony in the church (the movement which became Episcopalianism) and the supporters of simpler worship and no bishops (the tradition which became Presbyterianism) – disagreements which triggered outbreaks of iconoclasm and armed conflict.
The South East was on the frontline of Scotland’s post-medieval religious divisions. Edinburgh was central to Charles I’s efforts to reorganise the Scottish Church and to introduce more elaborate worship – a campaign which led to part of Holyrood Abbey being restored in the 1630s for the king’s Scottish coronation (Spicer 2021, 332). Yet the South East also saw fierce resistance to episcopacy, and in 1638 the National Covenant protesting against Charles I’s religious changes was agreed at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. Serious disagreements persisted throughout the 17th century AD, with implications for the design and furnishing of churches. A degree of historical study of 17th century Scottish church architecture has been undertaken by scholars such as Andrew Spicer (Spicer 2003 and 2021). However, further archaeological research into the extent to which the religious upheavals of the post-medieval period affected the interiors and exteriors of churches would be desirable.
Many of the churches used by post-medieval communities were older structures which were adapted for Reformed worship. These alterations could be quite extensive. For example, in the 1610s the residents of Melrose constructed a substantial barrel vaulted parish church in the former choir of the local abbey. Meanwhile, St Giles’ Kirk in Edinburgh was split up into four separate churches during the late sixteenth and early 17th centuries – a subdivision which persisted until the restoration work of the 1870s. Post-medieval alterations to older churches have sometimes been partially obscured by later renovation programmes. Indeed, some 19th and twentieth century conservators and heritage enthusiasts deliberately removed post-medieval structures – seeking to strip away what they regarded as undesirable later accretions and restore buildings to what they deemed their ‘medieval’ state. Yet the actions of post-medieval congregations were critical to determining which parts of Scotland’s medieval religious heritage survived, as well as providing insights into the lives and aspirations of 17th and 18th century Scots. The post-medieval stories of Scotland’s medieval religious buildings deserve much greater attention than they have traditionally received.
Major new churches were also founded in South East Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries. For example, the Tron Kirk in Edinburgh was largely built between 1637 and 1655 – and the site has been the subject of several highly productive archaeological intervention (Cook et al 2013, 4). The 17th century was arguably a period of experimentation in the region’s church architecture, with the region’s own architectural traditions being blended with influences from further afield – as can be seen in structures such as the Dutch inspired façade of the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh (built 1688-1691). The 17th century saw the beginnings of a major stylistic shift in Scottish church architecture, with an increasing trend for using classical elements and proportions. Classical models would of course go on to to dominate the ecclesiastical architecture of 18th-century Scottish towns – leading to the creation of such notable buildings as St Andrew’s Church on George Street in Edinburgh (which was constructed on an unusual elliptical plan in the 1780s). The South East was at the forefront of the adoption of Classical elements into Scottish church architecture. Indeed, the Archerfield Aisle at Dirleton Kirk in East Lothian (constructed around 1650) is often regarded as the earliest example of Neo-Classical architecture in Scotland. However, some Classical elements had been used in earlier South-Eastern churches (including at the Tron Kirk). Further study of the dissemination of Classical architecture in the region, and how this imported style interacted with local needs and architectural traditions could be helpful.
The 18th century saw slightly greater religious diversity in South East Scotland – mostly driven by groups breaking away from the Church of Scotland. The South East had a significant Episcopalian presence, particularly in Edinburgh, where from the 1690s onwards an Episcopal congregation worshipped in a former wool store on Carrubber’s Close. As restrictions on Episcopalians reduced in the late 18th century, Episcopal congregations began to construct more substantial church buildings such as ‘the English Chapel’ on Cowgate in Edinburgh (now St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church) and the Gothick inspired St George’s on York Place (now Genting’s Casino). Additional study of the sites used by Episcopal congregations (both their publicly recognised chapels and clandestine meeting places) would be of interest. The South East also saw a number of Presbyterian groups break away from the Church of Scotland over the course of the 18th century. Greater research into the meeting places of the various Secession congregations would be desirable.
During the post-medieval period Roman Catholics faced significant discrimination and legal restrictons. Nevertheless, there was a degree of Catholic activity in South East Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries (although probably much less than in the Highlands and Western Scotland). Much of our knowledge of Catholicism in the region relates to highly privileged families such as the Setons, who by reason of their rank were able to retain Catholic loyalties into the post-medieval period. Similarly, James VII used his exceptional status to create a Roman Catholic chapel at Holyrood Palace (though this chapel was destroyed during Williamite Revolution of 1688). Interestingly, excavations in Leith have uncovered rosary beads in burials from the 1640s, suggesting a degree of popular Catholic observance (Stoakley 2019). Further study of the fragmentary physical evidence for Catholic practices in South East Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries could cast new light on the experiences of Catholics beyond the court and great aristocratic families.
The vast majority of the residents of post-medieval Scotland were at least nominally Christian. However, the 17th and 18th centuries did see some growth in other faiths. From the 1690s onwards a few Jewish individuals and families are recorded as living in Edinburgh, although there was not an official synagogue in Edinburgh until 1825. Any evidence of Jewish observance in South East Scotland before 1800 is potentially of national interest.
It is important to remember that places of worship are part of wider communities, and that churches and other sacred spaces often fill a range of functions beyond their primary spiritual purpose. Archaeology can help reveal the varied uses of post-medieval religious buildings and their environs. During the 17th and eighteeenth centuries churches and churchyards were not only the scene of Sunday worship, they were also sites of education, punishment, charity and (controversially) trade. Research into the activities which took place in and around churches during the 17th and 18th centuries could be of interest – potentially casting further light on both the history of religion in South East Scotland and on wider post-medieval society.