Corrie Parish Church will close its doors for the last time after the service on Sunday October 15, ending 136 years of continuous worship. Here is a brief history of the church which was largely compiled from a booklet published on the centenary of the church in 1987.
The first mention of Corrie Church appeared in June 1886 when the Duke of Hamilton granted the site for the building.
Plans for the proposed church, which was estimated would cost £1,260 were drawn up by Glasgow architects J Burnet & Son, with son John James designing the church which was one of his early works.
The construction must have progressed smoothly because on Sunday June 26 1887 the church was opened for public worship, the service being conducted by Rev David Strong of Hillhead Parish, Glasgow while the evening service by Rev Malcolm McLean of Brodick.
An extract from the Campbeltown Courier on July 9 1887 describes the edifice in these terms: “A handsome new church in connection with the Church of Scotland has been completed and opened for worship on the island of Arran.
“The new church is built on the sloping ground towards the sea, outside the village. It is in early Gothic style built of red sandstone, having a simple tone belfry and wooden porch, the roof being covered in green slates. Rush bottom chairs accommodating 250 persons take the place of ordinary pews.”
In the autumn of the year of opening a bazaar was held in Corrie for the purpose of clearing the debt of the new building and this was reported in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald on Friday September 2 stating: “The Corrie Bazaar which opened on Wednesday week was brought to a close on Saturday night and the total realised amounted to £919.”
From the beginning, the church building at Corrie was under the jurisdiction of the Home Mission committee in Edinburgh, serving as a chapel of ease for Brodick Parish whose kirk session drew up if communion roll, therefore the worshippers in the new church at Corrie were members of the Brodick Church.
The services indeed were conducted by the Brodick minister with help from other ministers during the summer months and holidays.
The first permanent missionary appointed on June 7 1891 was Rev William Muirhead MA from Cardross.
From then, and for over 30 years after, the Corrie Church merely had the status of a Mission Station, being served by ministers who were designated as missionary ministers.
Gradually Corrie Church was elevated to the status of parish church.
This happened in two stages, being separated by some 22 years.
The first stage was complete when the church was given its own constitution and its missionary ordained.
In 1903 a petition for this was transmitted to Presbytery by the Kirk of Session in Brodick, which still had oversight of the mission at Corrie.
The case presented was couched in these terms: “That the Mission Church at Corrie was built at a cost of £1,750 or thereby that it is seated for about 250, that it is distanced five miles from the parish church, that it was opened for public worship on the last Sunday of June 1887 and shortly thereafter free of debt.”
Presbytery granted the crave of petition and at a meeting of the Brodick church session on March 12 1904, the Moderator, Rev Malcolm McLean laid on the table the Deed of Constitution of the chapel of ease at Corrie.
Within a fortnight Rev James Brown met the first committee of management, received the Deed of Constitution of Corrie Church and was duly ordained as its first minister on 21st of April 1904.
For nearly 20 years the chapel of ease in Corrie continued in this way. It now had its own minister and a management committee responsible for its financial and fabric affairs, but it was still under the spiritual oversight of the Parish of Brodick and its kirk session who sent their elders to allow the communion service to be held.
The final stage towards Corrie becoming a parish church was in 1922.
In that year consideration was given to the Kirk Session in Brodick regarding the upgrading of Corrie from a chapel of ease to a Parish Quoad Sacra, an ecclesiastical term which meant that Corrie would become a parish church, separate from Brodick and having its own kirk session supervising spiritual affairs within it bounds along with a congregational board responsible for fabrics and finance which was finalised on July 20 1923.
Enjoying its new status, the kirk session at Corrie comprising of the minister and four assessor elders who were appointed by the presbytery.
In March 1930 two elders, William Stewart Orr and Robert Logan were duly elected, having been chosen by the kirk session after there were no objections from the congregation. Stewart Orr served as the first session clerk and treasurer.
After the death of Rev W S Brookes MA.BD, successor to Mr Brown, the history of Corrie Church took another twist on Sunday January 13 1957 when services were held in both Brodick and Corrie to inaugurate the linking of the two congregations under one minister, the Rev Robert Carmichael, with each church keeping its own kirk session and office bearers.
He was followed in 1967 by Rev William Wallace and in 1974 Rev Dr Ian Macleod took over for the next 32 years.
He was succeeded by Rev Angus Adamson and parish assistant Mrs Jean Hunter, when the Parish of North Arran was formed in 2006.
This consisted of Brodick linked with Corrie, Lochranza linked with Pirnmill, and Shiskine. Rev Adamson demitted office in September 2020 and Mrs Hunter retired in April 2021.
Sidebar: Interesting church facts
The kirk bells have tolled every Sunday during more than a century although the bell tower had a different location from that which it has at present. In the 19th century bell ringing was an essential part of the beadles’ duties requiring three separate peals on a Sunday. The first peal was rung two hours before worship, for the purpose of synchronising clocks and watches, while the second and third peals were to summon the faithful to worship for morning and evening services.
For many years and until 1960, the praise in Corrie Church was accompanied by the sound of a reed organ. The congregation had always favoured a small pipe organ, which it was felt would be more in keeping with the interior design of the building. This dream, which was eventually realised also fulfilled a desire for a memorial within the church to the men from Corrie and Sannox villages who had made the supreme sacrifice in two world wars.
The windows in Corrie Church. The two windows above the communion table are John the Baptist baptising Jesus and Jesus temptation by the devil. It is not know when they were put in but certainly before the Second World War.
The window opposite the organ was designed by Richard Leclerc in memory of Alec Maule, his widow was the church organist. It depicts his little boat with a red sail, and the view from Corrie to Holy Isle with the pilgrim scallop shells.
In September 2020 a new window in memory of Sandra Kerr was installed. This was designed by Emma Butler-Cole Aitken and shows the Christian Fish and a cross made from an anchor with flowers and butterflies showing Sandra’s connection with the sea and wildlife.
