OS1/13/80/30

Continued entries/extra info

30 Parish of St. Monans

[Quotations]
" What is at present used for the church of the parish is part of an old convent on the west side of the town of St. Monance which is situated upon a rock advancing into the Frith of Forth. It had been a very stately and beautiful Gothic pile of hewn stone in the form of a cross with a square steeple in the centre. The walls of the south and north branches are still standing but want the roof of the west branch no vestige remains and the east branch with the steeple serves as at present for the place of public worship. This part of the building has a very beautiful vaulted roof with veins jutting out from the side walls and meeting in the centre of the roof where it is decorated with roses and other ornaments. Over the vault there is a slate roof to preserve it from the weather. The burthen of upholding this fabric was laid by the proprietor of the lands of Newark upon the feuars of St. Monance when he let off the ground on which the town stands having the annexation in view. But the building seems to have been in a manner totally neglected by them. In 1772 it was in a ruinous state that the incumbent raised a process for reparation before the presbytery and obtained a decree for that, end against the heritors. but the feuars were reluctant pretending they were not obliged to uphold it. This brought on a process between the heritors etc and there before the Lords of Session in which they were cast and found to uphold the fabric. During the process it received a partial reparation but nothing equal to what was granted by presbytery and nothing more has yet been done either by the heritors to enforce the decree of the Lords upon the feuars or by them to testify their compliance with it; and if they continue long so to do this venerable pile must sink into ruins. What a pity is it that such a beautiful monument of antiquity and which perhaps has not its fellow in Scotland, should be suffered to go to desolation."

Sinclair's Stat. Acct. [Statistical Account] vol.9p. [Volume 9 pages] 345-6