but of the mansion, its rooms, staircases, and of
the furniture and pictures by great masters, furnish us with
some idea of the former grandeur of " this princely seat, once
the abode of nobles and the retreat of kings."
Dr. Rennie and Mr. M'Kenzie both give
descriptions of the building. The following notes, however, are
based on a much more recent and very complete architectural
account of it1: —
"As will be seen from the illustration the
structure consists of two parts, namely, an oblong keep (the
original and centre building), with wings north and south added
in later times, and -a block of buildings to the north-east
originally forming a separate house. In length the keep runs to
fifty-six feet six inches, and to thirty-one feet six inches in
width, with walls fully six feet in thickness. On the ground
floor level in the western or back wall are still to be seen
three shot-holes of the horizontal kind two feet six inches in
length by six inches in height. The first floor contains a great
hall, forty-one feet six inches long by twenty feet broad; but
in other respects the structure has been completely transformed
through subsequent additions and alterations. Where the original
entrance doorway and staircases were cannot now be traced, and
few features remain to indicate the date of the keep. The old
building, as we have seen, passed through many vicissitudes.
With the advent of the seventeenth century came quieter times.
It was then considered more suitable to erect a new and detached
mansion to the north-east, keeps at this period being often
abandoned and newer and more comfortable dwellings erected. This
new house was of the L plan, with the staircase in the
re-entering angle, as can still be observed from the north side.
Some of the rooms in this building have the appearance of an
awkward addition, and, especially opposite the staircase, do not
fit in as if they formed part of the original design. The
elevation shows a good deal of the character of a Scottish
seventeenth century mansion. During the reign of Charles II. the
Duchess Anne and her husband resolved to combine the keep and
the detached mansion into an imposing edifice. They therefore
added the wings at the north and south ends of the old keep. The
north wing served to unite the keep and the detached mansion,
the internal communication being obtained by means of a skewed
doorway. At the same time the existing great square staircase,
with its heavy stone balustrade, was erected in the south wing.
It only leads to the first floor, however, the upper wings being
reached by two circular staircases. The roof of the keep was
also at this time crowned with a classic cornice and balustrade,
just as we find it now ; and its windows were enlarged and
arranged in regular rows to match those in the symmetrical
wings. A central doorway with classical mouldings completed the
transformation. On the front of the north wing is a fine panel
which attracts much attention. This contains the arms of the
authors of the transformation just decribed. In the right shield
are to be found the Hamilton arms and motto, and on the left
what appear to be the Hamilton and Douglas Arms quartered,
probably for the Duchess Anne and her husband, Lord William
Douglas. The house now became a great but rambling edifice, the
hall of the ancient keep serving as the dining-room, while the
hall of the formerly detached mansion became the modern
drawing-room. Internally the building was once richly decorated,
but the upper floors of the keep seem never to have been
finished."
No mention is made of the approach to the keep.
In all likelihood this would be from the west, where a
drawbridge would be used over the natural moat formed by the
wide and deep ravine of the burn. And there is still evidence of
a pillar, probably connected with the drawbridge, on the east
bank of the ravine to the rear of the house.
There are now two beautiful approaches, one named
the Hamilton Ride, entering from the south at Hamilton Lodge The
other, from the east, is across the bridge which spans the Dean
burn, and along a wide and beautiful avenue of stately beech
trees.
Kinneil policies are greatly enhanced by two
beautifully •wooded rivulets, the Dean burn and the Gil burn.
The former runs under the main approach near the entrance, while
the latter forms the western boundary of the house. Both fall
into the Firth near the Snab. The glen of the Gil burn,
according to tradition, is haunted by the wraith of Ailie or
Alice, Lady Lilburne. The story is that she was the wife of a
colonel of Cromwell's, who was for some time resident at Kinneil,
and that she committed suicide by throwing herself into the
ravine from one of the back windows. Another legend is to the
effect that there was a subterranean communication between
Kinneil House and Linlithgow Palace; but it is too foolish for
credence.
II.
There is little doubt that the village of Kinneil,
now no more, sprang up in feudal times. It was built, we are
told, to the west of Kinneil House near the site of the Roman
Wall, and had the causeway or base of the rampart as its street.
The proprietors of the soil in those days fostered such villages
in the neighbourhood of their keeps. Thus in troublous times
they had their vassals and retainers ready at any time to guard
and defend them. With the advent of more peaceful times,
however, many of the old feudal obligations fell into disuse,
and, as a consequence, these feudal villages were broken up. But
Kinneil village long survived feudal times, and latterly assumed
quite a modern character. In time the district became the Parish
of Kinneil, which was bounded on the north by the sea, on the
west by the River Avon, on the east by the castle wall, commonly
called "Capies Wall," and on the south by Linlithgow.
Malt-making and brewing were in the seventeenth century the
occupations of the villagers and parishioners to a great extent.
Indeed, many of the early feuars in Bo'ness were bound by their
titles to go to the Brewlands of Kinneil to have their barley
made into malt.
It is recorded3 that
Kinneil was a considerable town long-before any population had
collected at the Ness, and also that in the year 1661 there were
559 "communicable" persons in the parish, the greater number of
whom resided in the town of Kinneil. In 1691 the village was
almost wholly demolished, only a few families remaining. As with
Blackness in the east, so with Kinneil in the west, the rapid
rise of the new town and port of Borrowstounness practically led
to its extinction. But even in 1843, long after the Kirk and
Parish of Kinneil had been suppressed and a new church opened in
Borrowstounness, the inhabitants of the Barony of Kinneil still
observed some old customs connected with the ancient parish.
This appeared particularly in the management of their poor,
which was quite distinct from that of Bo'ness. Kinneil folks put
their church-door collections for the poor into the old ladle of
Kinneil Church, whilst the inhabitants of the town put their
quota into a different receptacle. After the poor belonging to
Kinneil were supplied, the remainder of the funds that could be
spared was distributed to the poor of the town. These funds were
occasionally augmented by voluntary contributions from a Hearse
Society connected with the barony, and were always more than
sufficient for supplying their poor. It is greatly to be
regretted that information concerning the parish and village is
so scant. Unfortunately, the Church records were lost some
hundreds of years ago. In a historical sense this is a calamity,
for with them a great deal of interesting and valuable
information must have gone for ever.
III.
On a knoll to the west of the ravine at the back
of Kinneil House are yet to be seen the ruins of the Church of
Kinneil. The building ran east and west, and the western gable,
containing a belfry apparently for two bells placed adjacently,
is nearly all that remains. In consequence of its ruinous state
it is now difficult to form much idea of what the church was
like. Its length cannot be traced, but there appear to have been
buildings, at a distance eastwards of about sixty-four feet.
From indications it seems to have consisted of a large nave,
with a transept on the south side only. On the north several
small chapels may have been grouped, as there are evidences,
though slight, of buildings here. The west gable measures
twenty-six feet wide outside, and is three feet nine inches
thick. Entrance was gained by doors opposite each other on the
north and south sides, a few feet from the west gable. Short
flights of steps led into the church, the floor of which was
below the ground level. There is no trace of the eastern gable,
or of where the entrances from that end, if any, were situated.
The floor appears to have been covered, in places at least, with
slabs. Some of these bear devices and initials, and it is very
probable that interments had taken place inside the building.
At what date the church was built we cannot
learn. In the twelfth century it was common for the feudal lord
to provide a place of worship for his family and retainers, and
doubtless the building was erected early in the century by some
of the Hamiltons.
According to an authority4 quoted
by Sibbald, Kinneil was in the diocese of St. Andrews and
deanery of Linlithgow about the year 1176, and was rated at
twenty five merks. It had been given to the Canons of Holyrood
in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and was confirmed to
them by the Bishop of St. Andrews in 1240. The canons enjoyed
the revenues, and the cure was served by a vicar. We find5 also
that in 1512 John Stirling granted £10 sterling yearly from his
lands of Easter Crackey to a chaplain for performing divine
service at one of the altars of Kinneil Church. A manse and
glebe, we know, came to be attached to the charge in later
years. The site of the former cannot be located, but it possibly
lay to the north or west of the church.
A bell belonging to tbe church is now in the
possession of the Kirk Session of Bo'ness. It is thought to be
one of two, inasmuch as the inscription is incomplete, and is
supposed to have been continued on the other. The double belfry
lends support to this supposition. The inscription is in
ornamental Lombardic capitals—"en Katerina: vocor: ut: per: me:
virginis: aline:" Diameter, 23f inches. This bell was on view in
the Scottish Exhibition of National History, Art, and Industry,
Glasgow, 1911.
Around the remains of the church lies the old
churchyard. To the west and south the flat tombstones lie in
abundance; and it is believed there are also many graves and
tombstones to the north, though not now visible. Few of the
tombstones to be seen are now in their original positions. Laid
flat on the grave, and with little but their own weight to keep
them in position, they could be easily displaced; and it is
evident that many of them have from time to time been removed
and cleaned, with the object of deciphering the emblems and
dates. The stones are generally about six and a half feet long
and three feet broad. Inscriptions there are none, and names but
few. Initials, however, are common; and the names, when given,
are usually cut round the borders of the stone. Very many have a
shield on them, generally in relief, but sometimes simply cut
into the stone; and it is supposed that many of these indicate
the graves of some of the numerous cadets of the House of
Hamilton at one time resident in our neighbourhood.
Some of the stones have symbols indicating the
occupation of the deceased. There is, for example, one with an
anchor; another with a small hammer in the centre of a shield,
with initials; another with what is evidently a maltster's
shovel; and several with collier's pick and hammer.
The members of the Ducal House were generally
buried at Hamilton Palace. Alexander, the tenth Duke,
constructed the famous mausoleum there, which cost £150,000, and
took twelve years to build.
IV.
Undernoted is a list of the ministers of Kinneil6 from
the Reformation.
The first is Mr. Thomas Peblis, and the year of
his appointment is given as 1588. He was presented to Bathgate
in 1592, but preferred to remain at Kinneil; was a member of
Assembly in 1602, 1610, and 1617; and had a son, boarded in the
New College, St. Andrews, in 1616. It is thought that he became
the minister of Kirkmichael.
Mr. Peblis was succeeded, in 1618, by Mr John
Peblis, A.M., who studied at the University of Edinburgh, and
attained his degree three years before. He died in March, 1625,
aged about thirty, and in the seventh year of his ministry.
There is nothing to show that he was a relative of the former
minister.
The successor of Mr. John Peblis was Mr. Richard
Dicksone, A.M., formerly of St. Cuthbert's. He was presented
here by old Marchioness Anna of Hamilton. There was delay over
his settlement. During the reign of James, or early in that of
Charles, he had been confined in Dumbarton Castle. When
nominated by the Duchess, the Bishop of St. Andrews continued
the collation until he acquainted King Charles, and meanwhile
steps were taken to " keep order " at Kinneil. The King's
authority was obtained, release followed, and the Bishop
directed Mr. Dicksone " not to exercise his gifts elsequhair
than at the Kirk of Kinneil." He was a member of the General
Assembly in 1638, and died in 1648, aged about seventy-two. He
was married first to Bessie Pantoune, by whom he had a family of
two daughters and five sons. His second wife, Elizabeth,
daughter of Robert Hamilton, merchant, Edinburgh, survived him.
The last minister of Kinneil was Mr. William
Wishart, A.M. He graduated at Edinburgh University in April,
1645, of which his son and grandson became the twelfth and
fifteenth
Principals respectively. He was admitted in
August, 1649, but there is some uncertainty as to the year in
which he entered the charge. Details of his trials and troubles
while minister here and afterwards will be found in the chapter
on the Covenanters. References to his brilliant family will also
be found elsewhere.
Kinneil Parish and Church were finally suppressed
by an Act of the Scottish Parliament in 1669.