page_title: Old West Kirk
section_title: Context
hierarchical_section_title: Old West Kirk / Context
caption_attribution_description: English: The Old West Kirk in Greenock, view from the Choir Gallery (above the Cartsburn Aisle) looking towards the Sailor's Loft, with the Laird's Loft to the left. A scale model of a 20-gun frigate is suspended above the Sailor's loft, and the pulpit is in the foreground.
context_page_description: The Old West Kirk of the Church of Scotland, authorised by a 1589 Royal Charter and first opened in 1591, is noted as the first Presbyterian church built in Scotland following the Scottish Reformation, and the first approved by the Parliament of Scotland. At an early stage, east and west aisles were added as transepts, giving the church its cruciform plan.
  Over time, the town of Greenock grew around the church, which was enlarged and had galleries added to accommodate the congregation. From 1761 other churches were built to serve the growing population, and in 1841 the Old West Kirk was closed when the congregation moved to a new West Kirk. The old kirk gradually became derelict, then it was heavily restored and reopened on Christmas Day 1864. The architect James Salmon supervised the works and added a tower, and the church subsequently incorporated a major collection of Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows.
  Shipyards developed between the churchyard and the Clyde, and in 1917 Harland and Wolff began negotiations to enlarge their yard over the churchyard.
context_section_description: The feudal barony of Greenock lay along the southern shore of the River Clyde estuary, where it opens out into the Firth of Clyde, between the Devol Burn at its eastern boundary to the Barony of Finlaystone in the parish of Kilmacolm, and the West Burn at the boundary to Finnart. Around 1400 Malcolm Galbraith died with no sons, and Greenock was divided between his daughters to become two baronies: the eldest married Crawfurd of Kilbirnie and inherited Easter Greenock Castle, while Wester Greenock went to the younger daughter who married Schaw of Sauchie. Around 1540 the adjoining area of Finnart passed to the Schaw family, extending their holdings westward to the boundary of Gourock, and in 1542 John Schaw founded Wester Greenock castle.
  At this time there is no record of any village; retainers and servants lived at the castles, while most of the inhabitants were fishing families in temporary huts in small straggling groups on the coast. There were a few chapels: one at Chapelton overlooking the Devol Burn, and St. Lawrence near Wester Greenock castle (at what later became the south-east corner of Virginia and Rue-end Streets). Near the West Burn, the name Kilblain suggests a cell or chapel of Saint Blane.
caption: The Schaw Aisle, and the Sailor's Loft over the nave
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