THE INTERIOR OF LAMLASH PARISH CHURCH

GENERAL INTERIOR

The boarded, barrel-vaulted ceiling is supported by seven compositely-constructed arched timber braces. Each extends down to wall posts, (behind the plasterwork). The tops of these posts can be identified by the ashlar corbels in the form of a shield.

The transepts on the north and south elevations are shown off with three, pointed ashlar earches set on columns of grey, polished Aberdeen granite each surmounted by foliate capitals.

The main interior feature is a carved, timber tripartite Gothic sedilia with an open gallery above, set behind the pulpit in the east* elevation. A sedilia is a priest's seat within a sanctuary and is usually of stone. The carved one here in Lamlash is unusual in that sedilias are not normally found in Scottish churches and this one also has triple seats. There is a fine stone triple one in a church in Aberdeen.

Of the twenty two window lights, fifteen are set in German cathedral glass as originally designed and the other seven in stained glass. The vestry houses a further two patterned glass windows of recent manufacture. The originals are all handpainted and set in three base patterns. These in turn are made up into differing layouts. The glazier of the church was James Graham of Greenock.

View of the Chancel of Lamlash Parish Church

STAINED GLASS

There is a total of seven memorial windows in the church commemorating former ministers of the parish, local dignitaries and residents. They range from 1907/8 to 1999 and interestingly show the difference in design and colour ranges used by artists over the century. All the windows measure 2.7m x 0.6m except No.6 situated over the north* door. This measures 1.3m x 0.6m. Windows are numbered in order of their installation.

No.1. North* wall. Memorial window to PATRICK MURRAY - Chamberlain of Arran 1881 - 1906.
Artist: Possibly Robert Anning Bell.
Manufacturer: J & W Guthrie of Glasgow. Donor: James 6th Duke of Montrose.

No.2. North* wall. Memorial window to Sir DAVID RICHMOND - Lord Provost of Glasgow 1896 - 1899.
Artist: Possibly Andrew Rigby Gray - Chief designer to :-
Manufacturer: Wm Meikle & Sons of Glasgow.
Donor: Mrs Fairlie - daughter.

No.3. North* wall. Memorial window to Rev. PETER ROBERTSON - First Parish Minister 1883 - 1913.
Artist: Possibly Andrew Rigby Gray - Chief designer to :-
Manufacturer: Wm Meikle & Sons of Glasgow.
Donor: Mrs Fairlie - daughter.

No.4. South* transept. Memorial window to Rev. ANDREW W. KENNEDY - Parish Minister 1914 - 1947.
Artist and Manufacturer: Gorden Webster 1951.
Donor: Daughter and Congregation.

No.5. North* wall. Memorial window to Capt. JOHN FERGUSON - Shipmaster and his wife of Lamlash.
Artist and Manufacturer: Gorden Webster 1951.
Donor: Daughters Ella and Brida Ferguson.

No.6. Above North* door. Memorial window to JESSIE J. GIBSON and her brother Capt. JOHN McBRIDE GIBSON Shipmaster of Lamlash.
Artist and Manufacturer: Gorden Webster 1951.
Donor: Nieces Ella and Brida Ferguson.

No.7. North* transept. Memorial window to Rev. DOUGLAS FULTON B.A. - Parish Minister 1958 - 1992.
Artist and Manufacturer: Christian Shaw of Edinburgh 1999.

ORGAN

The organ is a two manual and pedal instrument with pneumatic action. It was built by Wm. Hill, Norman and Baird of London and was gifted to the church in 1934 by Mrs Agnes Fairlie in memory of Rev. Peter Robertson, first minister of the church. Originally it stood immediately in front of the pulpit and was moved to its present position in early 1980.

SHIP MODEL

The model was built by Capt. MacMillan - Shipmaster, of Cordon, Lamlash and was presented to the church after his death. It is a model of the four-masted, full-rigged ship "FALLS of CLYDE" which was built in Port Glasgow in 1878.

She is the last vessel of her type afloat and is now the centrepiece of the Hawai'i Maritime Centre in Honolulu after trading for more than 40 years.

BOOKCASE

The small bookcase in the south* transept was made by a local craftsman from part of a pew from St. George's Church. It was commissioned by John Muirhead, a former elder and lay-preacher in the church, in memory of his wife.

It contains a small linrary, mostly his own, of books with a religious significance which may be borrowed by members of the congregation.

PAINTING

In the north* transept hangs a painting of Lamlash taken from the Whiting Bay Road. It was painted by James Kay R.S.A.,R.S.W. who was born in Lamlash when his father was stationed here with the Royal Navy. He. was closely tied to Lamlash and Arran. His mother was Violet McNeish, 1821-1901, eldest child and daughter of Alexander McNeish and his wife Elizabeth Lyle of Lamlash. Alexander McNeish, James Kay's grandfather, was eldest brother of Daniel McNeish, baker, grocer and postmaster of Lamlash.

It was presented to the village by Kay and hung for many years in the village hall. After the hall was taken over by the district council, it was then taken into the church for safe-keeping.

CHURCH BELLS

One of the greatest features of the church is the peal of nine bells, one of only fifteen in Scotland. When the church was built there was installed a peal of eight bells all in the scale of 'C'. Five of them were presented by the Duke of Hamilton and the other tree by James Auldjo Jamieson, Commissioner to the Duke. In 1913 another bell, in honour of Mrs Agnes Fairlie, was presented to the church by her husband, All of the bells were cast by John C Wilson & Co. in the Gorbals Brass and Bell Foundry. They are nationally unique in that, it is the largest chime cast in a Scottish foundry for a Scottish church. They have a total weight of 42cwts 1qr 27lbs. There is a rota six bell ringers.

NOTE In describing any ecclesiastical building it is assumed the alter or pulpit is always set in the east and all locations are given on that basis. With our pulpit set in actual or true west this means that all locations differ by 180 degrees. For example : true direction EAST - ecclesiastical direction WEST. Where the location is referred to with an * it means that this is the ecclesiastical direction.

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