Monument record 363 - St Columba's Parish Church

NB43SW 2 4258 3299.

(NB 4258 3299) Church (NAT)
OS 6'map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1898)

This is the parish church, built 1794
Name Book 1850.

The first Earl of Seaforth (temp. Charles I) built a Church in Stornoway, probably because St.Lennans (NB27NE 4) had fallen into disrepair,and Martin lists 'Stornoway Church' in addition to St. Lennans.
W C Mackenzie 1919; M Martin 1934.

'The ancient place of worship in Stornoway was levelled for the purpose of building a safer and more commodious church', which was erected in 1794.
NSA (written by Rev J Cameron) 1845.

The old parish church, St Columba's, is entirely 18th century and later. No traces of an earlier church exist, but so far as the minister (Rev R Macdonald, St. Columbas Church) knows the site was not changed in 1794. Visited by OS (A L F R) assistent archaeology officer, 22 April 1964.

'The old parish church (St Columbas) on the corner of Church Street and Lewis Street was originally constructed in 1794.It was much repaired in 1831,and extended and remodelled in 1884-5.Although development here is unlikely,environmental improvements and installation of new services,for example,are likely to occur from timt to time.Monitoring of this type of work may reveal traces of the original ground plan and enable a fuller understanding of the development of one of the older churches in Stornoway.' (E.Dennison,R.Coleman,56)

'St Columba's Old Parish Church, nearby, retains little of its original late eighteenth-century character, having gone alterations as early as 1831, additions in 1885 and later substantial changes. Although development here is unlikely, environmental improvements, for example the insertion of new services, are more likely. Monitoring of this type of work may reveal traces of the original ground plan and enable a fuller understanding of the development of one of the oldest churches in Sornoway.'(E.Dennison and R.Coleman,1997,63)

This church is represented on the Chapman/ Gibbs map (1807-09) and is depicted as a rectangular building located centrally with a larger rectangular boundary. The map shows it standing alone above the houses of the town that run parallel to the inner harbour streets.
KM (Arch Service CnES) 05/06/2024

Martin Martin, 1695a, A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland c. 1695, 28 (2nd ed., 1716) (Bibliographic reference). SWE5082.

Chapman, James / Gibbs, Alexander, 1807-09, Plan of [the] Island of Lewis (Cartographic materials). SWE41337.

W C Mackenzie, 1919, The Book of the Lews: the story of a Hebridean Isle, 146 (Bibliographic reference). SWE12815.

E. Patricia Dennison & Russel Coleman, 1997, Historic Stornoway: the archaeological implications of development, Vol. XIV, Ross-shire, 115, 137 (Bibliographic reference). SWE41004.

Name Book (County), 1998, Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 27B, 33 (Unpublished document). SWE4254.