[Doug]

Originally Posted by pendy

Have we wandered a bit here?

I don't know about Oliver Cromwell beheading monks outside Church Kirk - the dissolution of the monasteries was quite some time before that (under Henry VIII) so there wouldn't be too many monks around at the time, with or without large attachments, Doug. Also since the lower part of least of the church dates from probably the 9th century (if not earlier), it's unlikely to commemorate anything Old Noll did.

Now then, I contest this wee issue of monks around the area of Church in the 1600s at the time of Cromwell.

Henry the VIII snuffed it in 1547 a clear one hundred years before old Cromwell’s time and the Battle Preston 1648. The dissolution relates to the monasteries as you pointed out. But I should advise you that the dissolution ended the monastery system, not the monks. After the reformation of the church under the Tudors the monks live on in smaller groups within the local communities providing pastoral care to the populous.

The storey does relate to Cromwell himself, but is more likely an act by one of his officers. So, to sum up. The dissolution had ****** all to do with anything and there was almost certainly monks at church in the 1640s

The tale as being attributed to Cromwell I didn’t say he did it! What I did say was “I must add that the tales that the heads over the door at the Kirk represent these two unfortunates are probably two early in there representation”. I would suggest the heads or earlier in depiction than the 1640s……

St James Church. Church Kirk. Founded 642 AD, tower dates from 1284, nave from 1804, chancel from 1856, Grade II listed.