LONGFORMACUS
This parish is made up of the two old parishes of Longformacus and Ellara, united in 1712. We have no information bearing on the foundation and early history of the church of Longformacus. From the 13th century until the Reformation, the barony, with the advowson of the church, was held in succession by Morthington of Morthington, the Earls of Moray, the Earls of Marsh, and a branch of the St. Clairs of Roslin.* This is the extent of the information—meagre as it is—that we possess regarding this church until the year 1730, when it was rebuilt upon the old foundations. From the old and weathered appearance of portions of the walls, it has evidently been constructed from the materials of the older church.
The church was renovated in 1892, and during the excavations in the interior of the old building, the workmen uncovered large quantities of bones. They also unearthed a large sepulchral stone with a cross sculptured upon it, which, in all probability, is very old. This stone is now placed in the vestibule of the church. On a projecting stone in the exterior back wall, there is an old sundial that bears no date and is likely a relic of the 1730 construction or possibly earlier.
Mr. Ferguson—Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, 1890.
Nearby, there is a portion of a chain and a small fragment of the collar that formed the jougs. This relic is now rarely found in old churches.
The church itself is a pretty little building inside, featuring an apse and chancel, with beautifully stained-glass windows. Inserted in the south wall is a sculptured stone bearing the St. Clair arms, with the letters I. S. above.
The churchyard holds nothing particularly remarkable, as the inscriptions on the older stones are mostly defaced.
Notable Inscriptions
This inscription appears on a small stone:
"Here lyse James Robertson who dyed January the 9th, 1734, aged 25 years."
On another small stone:
"Hear lies the body of James Trotter and Elisabeth Litter, his wife."
The following, in the most rudely printed and somewhat obscure characters, appears on a very small, peculiarly shaped stone:
"Heir leys James Shir L men (?) to Jeneat Hwem who departed on January 27th, 1707."
There are two communion cups inscribed:
"Given by Sr. Robert Sinclair of Lamformacus to kirk thereof 1674."
In the centre of the village, about 50 yards from the church, is a "holy well," dedicated to Our Lady, dated 1581. On the stonework above the spring is an elaborate monogram containing the letters D. W. B. (David Wardlaw Brown, proprietor of Longformacus).
Ministers of Longformacus
The following is a list of the ministers who have served in Longformacus since 1594:
John Douglas, M.A. — 1594 to 1607
George Rowlle, M.A. — 1607 to 1652
Thomas Wolfe, M.A. — 1668 to 1671
Alexander Douglas, M.A. — 1672 to 1677
John Broun, M.A. — 1678 to 1684
Robert Smyth, M.A. — 1684 to 1714
Daniel Sinclair, M.A. — 1715 to 1734
Robert Monteith, M.A.* — 1735 to 1776
Selby Ord — 1777 to 1814
George Bell — 1815 to 1830
Henry Riddell — 1830 to 1843
Walter Weir — 1844 to 1871
George Cook, M.A., B.D. — 1871 to 1891
James Johnstone Drummond, M.A., B.D. (present incumbent) — 1891
The Free Church stands in the center of the village of Longformacus. It was erected in 1847 and is built in the form of a cross. The present minister is George Taylor, M.A., who settled in 1870.
SOURCE: The Churches And Churchyards Of Berwickshire By James Robson 1893, updated 2025 Nathan Zipfel