GOVAN OLD PARISH CHURCH

Introduction

The parish church of Govan is located close to and south of the River Clyde in an area once famous for its industry and commerce.
In spite of the Victorian wealth with which this area was once synonymous, the parish has long been thought to be of great antiquity: partly because of the irregular cicular shape of the churchyard; partly because of the unusual dedication to St. Constantine ; but mostly because of the fine collection of carved stones preserved there.
Yet the documentary sources for Govan are scarce, and the archaeology practically unknown.
Now however, successive seasons of excavation are beginning to shed light on the origins of the church , the churchyard and the secular settlement that surrounded it.

To the right of the gate is a memorial to the men and women of Govan who gave their lives for Britain during war.
The shape and size of the Graveyard points to the importance of Govan and its Christian community in the 9th and 10th Centuries.
It is the only part of pre-industrial GOVAN to survive and contains 17th, 18th and 19th Century gravestones. A walk through the graveyard will reveal the changing nature of the trades and crafts of old Govan as both agricultural and industrial revolutions altered the environment, the community and its way of life.
The present Church is at least the fourth parish church to be built in this ancient graveyard.
It was designed by Sir R. Rowand Anderson (who also designed the Pearce Institute), and erected 1884-8 under the ministry of Dr John MacLeod (after whom the MacLeod Hall in the Pearce Institute was named). The design of this church transformed Scots Presbyterian church planning towards the end of the 19th Century and the early years of the 20th Century.
The important collection of stained glass is unusual because one man controlled the choice of subject matter and selection of artists, the minister Dr John MacLeod.

The windows in the Steven Chapel are by Heaton, butler & Bayne, Burlison & Grylls and Clayton & Bell. Shrigley & Hunt made the windows for the Baptistry.
All the magnificent windows in the main church are by Charles E. Kempe.

Also within the church are 30 sculpted stones, one of the most remarkable collections of early Christian sculpture in Scotland.
The collection includes the shafts of four free standing crosses. Among these are the 'Cuddy Stane', a man on horseback, possibly an early representation of Christ riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the 'Sun Stone' which has on one side the carving of a horseman playing pipes and on the other side, the sun with its rays radiating clockwise; the 'Govan Cross', of which only the shaft survives, the upper half probably disappearing during the Reformation; the 'Govan Sarcophagus'(a shrine coffin); 5 hogback stones that suggest Viking settlement in the 10th Century.

Down the centuries, the Christian community in Govan has been led by a remarkable series of men of faith and vision, some of whom made an enormous contribution to the whole country.
By tradition, the early medieval monastery on this site was founded by St Constantine, King and Martyr.
The Reformer, Andrew Melville (1577-80) who pioneered the Presbyterian structure of the Church of Scotland was Minister here before his appointment as Principal of St Andrew's University. He was the first of four Reformed Ministers of Govan to be Principal of Glasgow University as well.
The liturgical and theological pioneer, John MacLeod (1875-98) had this church built. George F MacLeod (Lord MacLeod of Fuinary)(1930-38) made an impact that is still felt today, and on leaving Govan founded the Iona Community, which has made distinctive contributions to issues of peace and justice worldwide.

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