The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project

Merseman · Joined: 07 Aug 2013 Posts: 339 Location: Duns, Berwickshire

At the time of the First World War the religious geography of Berwickshire was fairly simple. Each parish has its own 'Established' Church of Scotland and there had been no mergers of parishes since the early 1700s; further only 1 quoad sacra church existed (Houndwood in Coldingham). Following the merger of the UP and Free churches in 1900 - forming the United Free Church - almost every parish also had its own UF church: sometimes 2 or 3 rural parishes might share just 1, while in the towns there might be 2 UF churches or in Duns, the county town, actually 3.

Episcopalians were served by churches in Eyemouth for those in the east; Duns for those in the centre - and those few in the north; and Coldstream for those in the south, for whom a mission station also operated at Birgham, the only Berwickshire village without a Presbyterian presence. "Piskies" in the west would likely travel to Melrose.

Roman Catholics were served by one chapel for the whole county in Duns.

Only in Eyemouth, as was the case in so many fishing communities, could other denominations be found - here there were also Baptists, Methodists, and Congregationalists. Also a Roman Catholic chapel opened post-WWII.

Eyemouth Methodist Church closed around 2000.

It was bought in 2003 by the Congregationalists who left their old church.

They moved these fittings to their new site.

Note this isn't the pulpit, nor the organ, to which the plaque refers: it's the Methodist pulpit and that in the old Congregational church was broken up.

No Methodist memorials exist, but research is being done into their fallen.

Merseman · Joined: 07 Aug 2013 Posts: 339 Location: Duns, Berwickshire

Eyemouth Congregational Church, formerly the Methodist Church:

old Eyemouth Congregational Church, now flats:

Merseman · Joined: 07 Aug 2013 Posts: 339 Location: Duns, Berwickshire

Transcription of WWI plaque
All the men are on Eyemouth civic memorial except for Joseph Dougal.
(Although there are several Dougals so he may there by another name...
... albeit Dougal is a very common name in Eyemouth).

To the Glory of God
& SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

John Blackie
James Collin
James R Collin
Robert Collin
Robert Cowe

George Craig
Robert Craig
Joseph Dougal
Alex Lough
Thomas F Lough

Alex Young

Who laid down their lives
the Great War 1914-1919

THIS MEMORIAL [ORGAN AND PULPIT] WAS
ERECTED BY SUBSCRIPTION DECEMBER 1919

Transcription of WWI pulpit plaque
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN
IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919
THIS PULPIT AND ORGAN WAS ERECTED BY SUBSCRIPTION
DECEMBER 1919

Transcription of WWII plaque
All the men are on Eyemouth civic memorial.

ALSO
To the Glory of God
& SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF

David Dougal
George Lough
William Meek

Who laid down their lives
in the Second World War
1939-1945

Adam Brown · Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:28 pm Post subject:

Great work Kenny. Can we have the Roll and the pulpit in seperate threads please. We are wanting each memorial to have its own thread rather than one thread for each location. That will make it easier for us to track how many memorials we have recorded and which ones they are.

Kind regards

Adam

stuartn · Joined: 13 Dec 2016 Posts: 2551

WMR 78884 to 78887