New book celebrates St Mary’s centenary

It is primarily the story of the current building in Cowgate, but the book also touches 
on the parish church’s beginnings at the Old Aisle and the building of the church at the Cross, now known as the Auld Kirk 
Museum.

The book entitled ‘Heritors to Inheritors’ is more than just a narrative of the design and construction of the building and its life over the last one hundred years.

It also tells the story of the church with a religious, 
social and political perspective of Kirkintilloch that stretches back hundreds of years.

The evolving nature of the town and its people affected how religion was viewed and how the church played a large part in local judicial and administrative affairs.

In particular, the book tells of the controversy that arose as a result of the decision to build the current church building and how the impact of that decision stretched from questions in the Houses of Parliament to cases in the local law courts.

The book also looks at the role of the building during the two World Wars.

Its opening coincided with the start of the First World War and those of the parish who suffered and died in the war are commemorated in the stained glass window in the chancel of the church.

The ‘Roll of Honour of the parishioners of Kirkintilloch’ was written into the Book of Remembrance which was 
installed in a case in the chancel on the dedication of the memorial window in 1926.

The names in the book have also been included in an appendix to the book which 
includes an indication of names which also appear 
on the war memorial at the Peel Park.

The new book will shortly be 
available for purchase at 
a price of £12 from the church office. To order one, call 0141 775 1166.