Crossmichael

Crossmichael Village
Crossmichael Church and graveyard
Old Castle earthworks near Mains of Greenlaw
Road to Culvennan and Mains of Greenlaw

Crossmichael (Scottish Gaelic: Crois Mhìcheil) is a small village on the east side of Loch Ken about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Castle Douglas in Scotland.

Crossmichael is also the name of the Civil Parish in Kirkcudbrightshire, in the District Council Region of Dumfries and Galloway.

Crossmichael was first recorded in AD1164 when Galloway was an independent land.

Crossmichael has a pub, a marina, and a church with a distinctive steeple.

The A713 road runs through Crossmichael. It is on the 520 bus route.

Townhead of Greenlaw is a mile to its south. The site of Greenlaw, Crossmichael, National Grid Reference (NGR): NX 74800 64500, is said to be a Roman burial ground, and occupies rising ground.

A Roman fort once existed to the south near Glenlochar barrage.

Sixteen other forts, mottes, stone circles and cairns all lie within 3 miles of Crossmichael.

The Church

The village name comes from the ‘ Cross of St. Michael’ patron saint of the original church.

The Parish of Crossmichael is recorded as far back as the 12th century. A building was believed to be present prior to AD1547 as the earliest tombstone in the churchyard bears that date. The present church building dates from 1751, but includes the distinctive round tower of earlier date. Some evidence suggests that the round tower was built around 1611 by Sir Robert Gordon of Greenlaw, Crossmichael Parish. The date on the bell (1611) in the round tower tends to confirm this. In 1852 the church was remodelled by the architect John Starforth.[1]

The Churchyard has Covenanters graves dating from the ‘ Killing Times ‘ of the 1680, a fine enriched Gordon monument (1757), a table stone with an acrostic epitaph to Rev Andrew Dick, and three war graves.

Famous people

Sir Robert Gordon, 1st Baronet (c.1565 - 1628). On 12 July 1626 he was appointed a member of the Council of war for Scotland and a Commissioner for the Middle Shires, residing at Greenlaw, Crossmichael Parish, Kirkcudbrightshire (near Culvennan.[2] He donated the bell that is in the Crossmichael Church Tower.

Sir Robert Gordon was one of the first to embark in the scheme for the establishment of colonies in America, having on 8 November 1621 obtained a charter of what was called the barony of Galloway in Nova Scotia, and in 1625 he published a tract on the subject. "Encouragements for such as shall have intention to bee Vndertakers in the new plantation...By mee Lochinvar...Edinburgh, 1625" [3][4] His 2nd son, Robert Gordon of Gelston joined with his father in (The Plantation of America) in the grant of the barony of Galloway in Nova Scotia in 1621. On 1 July 1629, 70 Scots under the leadership of James Stewart, 4th Lord Ochiltree of Killeith, landed at Baleine, Cape Breton Island, probably encouraged by Sir Robert Gordon of Lochinvar (who resided at Greenlaw, Crossmichael Parish).

List of listed buildings

List of listed buildings in Crossmichael, Dumfries and Galloway

References

  1. ↑ http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200348
  2. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/genealogicalhera03burk#page/610/mode/2up
  3. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/cihm_93615#page/n29/mode/2up
  4. ↑ "History of Galloway" Vol.II. p.31 https://archive.org/stream/historyofgallowa02mack#page/n47/mode/2up
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Coordinates: 54°58′50″N 3°59′15″W / 54.98044°N 3.98756°W / 54.98044; -3.98756

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