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Bonkyl Kirk
Interior
History
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| Bonkyl
Kirk - The History
Bonkyl or Buncle as it was
known, like Preston nearby, was probably a church under the Bishop of Dunkeld in the early 13th century.
The income from the church supplied the needs of the Bishops table. The rest of Berwickshire belonged to the diocese of St Andrews.
In 1660, Bonkyl Church was in ruins but continued to be used
until 1669 when the Synod of Dunkeld ordered services to be held in
the village of Preston.This order was quickly followed in 1670 by the Bishop
ordering that the roof be removed from Bonkyl Church and replaced on Preston Church within three
months!
At that time there was a substantial village around Bonkyl Castle,
a short distance to the west of the church and the inhabitants felt it was too far to go to
church at Preston so the Synod changed their minds in 1688 and
allowed services to be held on alternate Sundays in the two churches.
The stained
glass window in the porch at Bonkyl Kirk
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Bonkyl church had extensive repairs in 1718 and from then on was recognised as the only
church serving the two villages and Preston was only used for burial vaults.
Bonkyl church was closed for 8 months in 1905 for renovation
carried out under the guidance of the Rev. Ludovic
Mair, the Minister from 1880 to 1922.
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The apse of the old church was left in 1820 when the old church was demolished and the materials used for the new church.
The apse is probably the oldest surviving remnant of a Norman church in Berwickshire, dating from the late 11th century.
It was used as a burial aisle for the Homes of Billie.
< This list of
Ministers who served the Parish hangs in the vestry.
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The last burial was that of Margaret, second wife of Rev Ninian
Home, sadly murdered by one Norman Ross, a servant in 1751. Her
murderer, poor Norman Ross was the last person in Scotland to undergo the punishment of having his offending right hand amputated before his public execution in Edinburgh.
Fortunately the more recent
history of Bonkyl church reflects happier times!
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The
entrance to Bonkyl Church |
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