History
Since the early years of Christianity, there has been a place of worship on the Church site in Crail. Evidence has been found that in the twelfth century there was a small rectangular building of simple design. Not long afterwards, in the thirteenth century, a tower was added and the nave was rebuilt with Gothic arches. This was the building which was dedicated to St Maelrubha of Applecross in 1243 by David de Bernham, Bishop of St. Andrews. From that day, the church has borne witness to the faith, through times which have been both peaceful and tumultuous.
For years the Church has served a population whose chief occupations were farming and fishing: for years also, it has had to endure scenes which rival that which occurred in St Giles, Edinburgh, in 1637 when Jenny Geddes hurled her creepie at the head of the Dean of Edinburgh who had dared to read the new Prayer Book of Archbishop Laud.
What else could you expect in Crail when there were those prominent figures like John Knox who, when he preached here, started a riot and set a mob on a path of destruction of Churches all the way to St. Andrews?
But there have been peaceful times when the Parishioners of Crail set to make alterations in their sanctuary to make it more suitable for their form of worship. At one period, the Church was typical of Parish Churches throughout Scotland with their lofts or galleries for the Trades and Guilds of the Royal Burgh. These were reserved especially for the members of the Trades and Crail Church had six such lofts, each with its inscription, often with a Biblical text, for example, The Weavers' Loft "The coat was woven without seam, woven from the top throughout".
Alterations were made to this style of building in 1815 to what was a format which was traditional in that period, with box pews and a central pulpit with a canopy
Further improvements were made in 1937 with the installation of a three manual pipe organ and a new pulpit. The pipe organ, built by the famous Organ building firm of Durham, Harrison and came from a private house in Kirkcaldy, the owner being a relative of Mr Michael Portillo, the former member of Parliament.
Another major restoration was carried out in 1963 during the ministry of Dr. Macintyre. The box pews, so characteristic of the Church, had suffered from woodworm infestation and needed to be removed before more extensive damage was caused. Some panels from the box pews were preserved and can be seen in the church today. The archway by the Tower was re-opened and the stonework of the pillars was cleaned. The floor was renewed and the Church was fitted with pews of chestnut wood.
Explore more historical elements of our church using the interactive tour of our church here or explore them below...
