Local history publications
The first Chairman of the Friends, Donald M Abbott, has written several local history articles and newspaper items, some of which were edited and published by the Friends as
Pitroddie Perspectives.
The very kind generosity of the author has meant that the proceeds from this and his later publications have all been donated to the Friends to fund their work with the Archive.
These and other local history publications can be bought at the
AK Bell Library Shop
Local history publications include:
The Free Church of Longforgan &c at Invergowrie
The first volume of the latest publication of Donald M. Abbott examines the history of this church from the Disruption of 1843 until 1945. This is the oldest 19th century Presbyterian Church in the village.Its history includes many lists of names of members and officebearers which should interest descendants of these people today as well as residents of Invergowrie and Longforgan districts in particular. Senior officebearers included the owner of Bullionfield Paper Mill from 1858 and a director of Draffens of Dundee, that onetime large department store. Sunday schools figure, including outreaches at Kingoodie and Denbrae as do details of ministers and in particular that Moderator of the United Free Church of Scotland in 1921 and minister, historian and author here from 1881 until 1931 - the Very Revd Adam Philip D.D. Incidental periodic happenings in the church and locality are recorded in detail and this building still functions today as the village community centre. It amalgamated in 1945 with St Columba's Church to form Invergowrie Parish Church.There is also a most interesting chapter about the kirks in Newburgh, Fife in the 1700s/1800s. The reason for its inclusion is explained in the booklet.
Available for £5 at the AK Bell Library shop
St Columba's Church of Scotland at Invergowrie
Complementary to the first booklet, volume 2 of the Presbyterian Church history in Invergowrie examines the church records from the foundation firstly in 1886 of an iron kirk in Invergowrie by the Kirk Session of Longforgan Parish Church, to provide for its members in Kingoodie and Invergowrie until the time of the later building of 1909 and until 1945.This latter building forms Invergowrie Parish Church today. In doing so, Longforgan Session gave the use of an old bell date 1690 to their satellite which caused some consternation in heritor circles in Longforgan village. Something of the contretemp is recorded as is the generosity of local landowners/ residents in assisting the financial wellbeing of this new church extension. The day to day management of this congregation and its development into a separate parish church is recorded, as is something of their ministers, officebears and congregational activities. The trials caused by the amalgamation in 1929 of the Church of Scotland with the majority of the United Free Church of Scotland had an impact on this congregation which is set out for the reader to digest.
A Chapter about eastern Carse asociated items of interest is provided. This includes details of what is claimed to be the oldest ecclesiastical foundation north of the River Tay at Dargie Invergowrie,mills at Invergowrie, the Boys' Brigade in Invergowrie and Inchture and something of the ruined kirk at Benvie, to name but some of the included items. The various appendices, as in booklet No 1 above, are also of historic interest.
All of the proceeds from booklets sold in Perth are being generously donated by the author, Donald M. Abbott to the Friends of Perth & Kinross Council Archive. The income from copies sold by Invergowrie Parish Church is for their 2009 Centenary celebrations of the building of the current church.
Communion Tokens - A Short Appreciation
Available for £4 and which proceeds of its sale are being generously donated by the author, Donald Abbott, to the Friends of Perth & Kinross Council Archive.
'Communion Tokens - A Short Appreciation' looks at the tokens which once allowed attendance at the Sacrement of the Lord's Supper. This fully-illustrated booklet shows examples of tokens from Perth, the Carse of Gowrie and further afield and briefly examines the presbyterian churches for which they were made.
Pitroddie Perspectives
looks at different aspects of a world and a place that has now disappeared. Spanning two centuries, this illustrated publication looks at Pitroddie Quarry, Pitroddie Church and its Ministers, and at the hamlet's prisoner of war camp at the end of WW2. Perspectives (2003) has now sold out, but is available for consultation in the Local Studies section of the AK Bell Library.
Following the publication of Perspectives, Bruce McAlpine, a native of Kilspindie, contacted Donald Abbott to say that he had some records of Pitroddie Church, dated 1829-1915. These had been kept by his late mother and together with some photographs, provided a further record of Pitroddie's history. Before lodging the records with the National Archives of Scotland, Donald used the material to expand the church's story.
Practical and Pictorial Pitroddie
distills the newly-discovered records of Pitroddie Church, bringing out its association with the daily activities of the Pitroddie inhabitants and the Carse of Gowrie area. It examines the financial hardships of the congregation, who with their various Ministers used dogged determination to survive.
Practical and Pictorial Pitroddie (2004) £5
100pp ISBN 0905 412 445.
Available from the AK Bell Library shop
Pitroddie - The Canadian Link
The third of the booklets about Pitroddie comes from documents dating from 1814 held at the Archives of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The documents had been taken from Scotland to Ontario by the Rev William Proudfoot in 1832.
They include a Call to him of 1814 from Coupar Angus signed by over 260 attenders of the Secession Church in Kettins parish. Also included in the publication are extracted minutes of the Pitrodie (sic) Auxiliary Bible Society for 1815, which, as a satellite of the Carse of Gowrie Bible Society, brings another dimension to Carse life. Over forty members paid a levy of either one penny or one halfpenny per week, and The Canadian Link provides details of the Society's Constitution along with lists of members and office bearers.
Apart from his spiritual and pastoral duties Rev Proudfoot also taught seventeen scholars at Pitroddie between 1819-1825. They were mostly boarding pupils, whose names, fees and daily costs have been meticulously recorded: quills, ink, shoes and shoe repairs, suits, books and haircuts. Other documents created by Rev Proudfoot include his Forms of Address for Baptisms and Marriages.
The Canadian Link is rounded off with information about Pitroddie laymen, including John Roger (1772-1858), and elder for forty-four years, and long-serving Session Clerk. One of his grandsons, William Galloway McDonald (1840-1901) became Provost of Inverkeithing Town Council as well as being a onetime member of the Managment Board of Pitroddie UP Church.
There is something in this publication for everyone, particularly those with links to the Carse and Coupar Angus
The author is grateful to the Archivist of the Presbyterian Church in Canada for allowing this material to be accessed and published.
Pitroddie-the Canadian Link (2005) £3
100pp ISBN 0905 452461
Available from the AK Bell Library shop
Pitroddie Prelude
is the fourth booklet about Pitroddie and its church. Resulting from newly-discovered archives (now at the NAS), the author, Donald M Abbott, looks at the early life of the Pitroddie congregation.
The booklet starts with the death in 1800 of the first fulltime minister, Rev John Kyle, who had been appointed in 1791, some three years after the founding of Pitroddie Church. These early records allude to the arguments between the congregation and the Presbytery about payment of Kyle's funeral and of the stipend due to his widow. The financial theme continues with details of costs and materials for the building of the manse, and later, of members' cottages. With the appointment of Rev William Proudfoot, work on the new church began, much of it done under Proudfoot's architectural guidance. The booklet details the labour and funding of all these projects and describes the individuals involved, providing a fascinating insight into the concerns and lives of the Pitroddie inhabitants.
Pitroddie Prelude is available at the AK Bell Library Shop.
Monies raised by this and other Abbott publications go to the Friends of Perth & Kinross Council Archive, Scottish Charity Number SC 031537
Contact the shop at the AK Bell Library for information about these and other local history publications
