Greenlaw
The church of Greenlaw was granted to the Abbey of Kelso by Cospatrick, Earl of Dunbar, in 1147, along with the subordinate chapels of Lambden and Haliburton. William Lamberton, who ruled the See of St. Andrews from 1298 to 1328, granted these churches to the monks of Kelso in consideration of the great devastation caused by the succession wars.* In 1296, Nicholas del Camb, vicar of Greenlaw, swore fealty to Edward I.
Of the original fabric of the mother church, nothing remains visible. However, the current building likely rests on its original foundations. Before 1712, the structure, like many old churches, was of the long and narrow type and of rudimentary construction. At that time, it was lengthened and raised to its present height. The architectural style is partly Norman, with corbie-step gables typical of the 17th century. In 1712, a handsome tower was constructed at the west end of the church, which serves as the building's most striking feature. Interestingly, this tower was built not as a church steeple but as a tolbooth or prison, designed to resemble a church tower.
The tower is unique in structure: square, rising to a height of 60 feet, and topped with a corbelled parapet. Above this, the steeple proper rises an additional 18 feet, tapering to a point approximately 78 feet from the ground. The ascent is made via a spiral staircase, and the walls originally featured small loopholes. At the base of the tower is an old iron gate, likely the original from 1712. A courthouse once stood on the west side of the tower. The lower part of the tower, used as a prison, was grimly nicknamed "Hell's Hole." A local rhyme references this arrangement:
"Here stands the gospel and the law,
Wi' Hell's Hole atween the twa."
About 46 years ago, during excavations inside the church, evidence of three floors was discovered. On the lowest floor, about 3 feet below the current one, interments were found, along with monumental stones. One stone had to be lifted and moved to facilitate drainage work.* This stone, now visible in the churchyard, is oblong with an incised cross. The initials "A. H." appear in the upper left-hand corner and "I. L." in the upper right. The style of the characters suggests a date no earlier than the latter half of the 16th century.*
There were three chapels in the parish dependent on the mother church: Lambden, Halyburton, and Rowiestone.
The chapel of Lambden (or Lambdene), located in the southeast quarter of Greenlaw parish, was constructed by Walter de Strivelin, who held the lands of Lambden under Cospatrick around the mid-12th century. Walter obtained permission from the Bishop of St. Andrews to build a church within his village of Lambden at the request and concession of Cospatrick, the Earl, under whose fee the hamlet belonged.† No trace of the chapel now remains.
The chapel of Halyburton was granted to the monks of Kelso in 1176 by David, the son of Tructe, "within his vill, with some crofts and two bovates of land; all for the sake of the soul of his Lord, Cospatrick, the Earl."* In 1261, Philip de Halyburton gave the monks a resignation of the chapel of Halyburton.† The only vestige of this chapel remaining is a small portion of a wall forming part of the Halyburton farm-house garden wall.‡
The chapel of Rowiestone, whose origin is uncertain, seems to have been connected with the Abbey of Melrose. The building has been entirely removed, but its burial ground was discovered about fifty years ago when the field in which it lies was being drained. The burial ground was in the form of a square, surrounded on three sides by fine old trees. Due to frequent changes in the agricultural population, all memory of its original purpose had been lost.*
The old bell currently in use at Greenlaw Church is inscribed:
"Thomas Brovnfield his gift to the Kirk of Greenlaw Anno 1696 & refounded 1726 R M fecit Edr."
Thomas Brovnfield was a farmer in Greenlawdean. He "left 400 merks to buy ane guid bell for the paroche church of Greenlaw."
In the front wall of the church is a stone tablet, inscribed:
"To the memory of Thomas Broomfield, a considerable benefactor to this parish and the public. Buried here August 1667. By order of the Kirk Session of Greenlaw this is erected 1742."
Two silver communion cups are engraved:
"The property of the Kirk Session of Greenlaw 1786."
The churchyard is large and contains many old stones, the inscriptions on which are unfortunately undecipherable. At the bottom of a handsome stone dedicated to William Hislop, surgeon, Greenlaw, are these lines:
"Dear is the spot where loved ones sleep,
And sweet the strains their spirits pour,
O, why should we in anguish weep?
They are not lost, but gone before."
The following is a list of the ministers who have served in Greenlaw since 1606:
David Home, M.A. — 1606 to 1637
Robert Home, M.A. — 1645 to 1673
John Home — 1674 to 1689
Archibald Borthuik, M.A. — 1693 to 1709
James Gilliland — 1711 to 1724
Thomas Turnbull — 1725 to 1734
John Hume — 1734 to 1777
William Simson — 1778 to 1799
John Stewart — 1799 to 1804
James Luke — 1804 to 1820
Abraham Home — 1821 to 1844
John Hunter Walker — 1844 to 1881
Arthur Gordon, M.A. — 1881 to 1886
Hugh MacCulloch (present incumbent) — 1886
The United Presbyterian Church was built in 1855. It has an oblong shape with an ornamental front and a small steeple. The interior is neat and commodious. The present minister is James Ferguson Padkin, settled in 1895.
The Free Church was built in 1856-7. The first congregation consisted of "Old Light Original Seceders." The church is a neat structure, comfortable and commodious, with a large hall adjoining. The present minister is Alexander Cameron, M.A., settled in 1875.
SOURCE: The Churches And Churchyards Of Berwickshire By James Robson 1893, updated 2025 Nathan Zipfel