• Source: Bonkyl Church

Bonkyl Church (also spelled Buncle or Bunkle) (Scottish Gaelic: Bun na Cille = 'the hill foot of the church') is a Church of Scotland kirk situated at grid reference NT808595 5 miles (8 kilometres) northeast of Duns in the old county of Berwickshire. The nearest hamlet is Preston just over 2 miles (3 kilometres) to the south-west.




History


There has been a religious establishment at Bonkyl since the early 12th century, and it was part of the vicarage of Dunkeld before 1275. The early proprietor of the church was Sir Alexander de Bonkyl, but the church passed into the care of his daughter Margaret in 1304. After the death of Margaret, the Bonkyl estate and church passed down to her son, Sir Alexander Stewart of Bonkyl.
During the Second War of Scottish Independence the location was contested by Thomas Ughtred, a future Knight of the Garter. The care and maintenance of the church then passed to the Douglas Earls of Angus, descendants of the Stewarts, before finally passing to the Earl of Home in 1877. The church was a separate parish until 1621 when it was co-joined with the nearby parish of Preston. In 1958, the churches were joined by Reston, then Chirnside in 1973. The present church is a Category B listed building.
The ancient church at Bonkyl fell into ruin and was demolished in 1820 when the present church was built. All that is left of the old church is a Norman apse, a vaulted arch which was later used as a burial vault of the Homes of Billie. It is thought to be the oldest of its kind in Scotland, having been built in the early 12th century and is a designated scheduled monument.




Ministers in the early years of the reformed church


1582 - 1598 William Sinclair
1599 - 1607 George Redpath
1607 - 1612 Matthew Carrail
1612 - 1621 John Gaittis




Gallery



















See also


Bonkyll Castle
List of places in East Lothian
List of places in Edinburgh
List of places in Midlothian
List of places in West Lothian
List of places in Scotland




References



Statistical Accounts for Scotland
Gazetteer for Scotland, Francis Groome




External links


RCAHMS: Bonkyl
RCAHMS: Bonkyl Walled Garden
James Hutton's Slighouses
Scottish Borders Council
Church website
More images at Geograph
1862 Ordnance Survey map of Bunkle Castle and Kirk - National Library of Scotland

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Bonkyl Church
• Bonkyll Castle
• List of Church of Scotland parishes
• List of listed buildings in Bunkle And Preston, Scottish Borders
• Preston, Scottish Borders
• John Stewart (knight, died 1298)
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• Berwickshire
• Scheduled monuments in the Scottish Borders