A History of Farnell

In my diary for Sunday, 8th February is a presentation I am giving called A History of Farnell. Whilst Farnell in Angus is not my main research interest I have come across quite a lot of information about the parish and area. When asked if I would be prepared to give a talk to any interested parties I jumped at the opprotunity. This post is a short few paragraphs that will summarise the type of detail attendees can expect. Hopefully I'll get a fuller version posted after the event, and maybe even a video.

In 1627 Commissioners appointed by Charles I were making inquiry about the Churches… It is entitled "The Estate of the Kirk at Farnell, 30 June, 1627."

The number of the communicants within the parish is 300. The Kirk is situated in the middle of the parish, the farthest house not being above half-a mile distant from it … There is no school nor foundation nor provision for a school, nor any need", as Mr John Wemyss, minister of Kinnaird, has taught all the parishioners' children of Kinnaird and Farnell gratis, who pleased to send them for many years past, but he found very few willing to send their children, and none for some years past, because as soon as they were eight years of age they employ them as herds in keeping their cattle and sheep. … The whole parish belongs to Lord Carnegie, except Nether Fethie, whereof John Guild is heritor, holding off his Lordship." (Warden, 1871).

The current church building is the second to be built on this site. There were evidently some repairs to the church in 1752 (Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-9, vol. 3, p. 228). It was completely rebuilt in 1806,(New Statistical Account of Scotland, 1834-45, vol. 11, p. 112) as a posthumous work of the architect James Playfair; his diary records that he was preparing the working drawings in 1788 and the specifications in 1789 (Howard Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 4th ed., New Haven and London, 2008, p. 812). A session house was added by D. Wishart Galloway in 1929 (John Gifford, The Buildings of Scotland, Dundee and Angus, New Haven and London, 2012, p. 461).

The plans of the Church were designed by the Dowager Lady Carnegie ... In 1574 Farnell, Cuikston, and other four churches, were served by one minister. The present parish consists of the old parish of Farnell, and of part of Cuikston, afterwards Kinnaird, this addition having been made to it when that parish was suppressed, as will now be particularly set forth. The Church of Farnell is supposed to have been dedicated to St Ninian, Bishop-Confessor ; and the Church of Cuikston to St Rumon or Rumald. The lands of Kinnaird lay in the parish of Cuikston. Near the end of the sixteenth century the Church became ruinous, and a new one was built by David Carnegie of Kinnaird in the immediate vicinity of his Castle. David Carnegie died before the new Church was completed, but in his will, made on 15th April, 1598, the day before his death, he ordained that his eldest son and successor should complete the " wark of the Kirk of Kinnard." It was some time after this before the new parish of Kinnaird was erected (Warden, 1871). Note: The parish of Cuikston has now gone and the parish of Kinnaird has arrived, complete with its own parish church and graveyard.

Kinnaird continued a separate parish till 1787, when in compliance with the wishes of the heritors interested, it was suppressed, and the parish divided, of Brechin. A small portion being added to Brechin, and the larger portion to Farnell. The lands of Kinnaird, being in the southern section of the divided district, are now in the parish of Farnell (Warden, 1871).