Collier's Loft Newton Parish Church
Panels Commemorating the Names of the Colliers

History of the Collier's Loft

Panels Commemorating the Names of the Colliers who Petitioned the Kirk Session for the Right to Build a Loft

Introduction
In April 1725, a group of colliers 'belonging to Mr Biggar' petitioned the Kirk Session of Newton Parish to have a loft or gallery built inside the church for them. The Kirk Session agreed to it but asked that the colliers get consent from the Heritors. In 1732 their request was granted. See the Kirk Session Minutes
A new church was built in 1742 and another loft built in 1747. Access to this new loft was by a staircase built on the outside the church.

To celebrate these events, two boards (one for 1732 and another for 1747) were put up in the church bearing the names of the petitioning colliers.


The panel commemorating the colliers successful in 1732

[above] Main part of the panel commemorating the colliers successful in 1747. [right] The rest of the panel.

The design on each panel shows the tools used by colliers - pick, shovel, and hammer; quotations from the bible were also included.
Although they are very similar in design, the panel for 1747 seems to have been put up at a later date.

Thankyou to Mark Cameron for the original photos.

Names of the colliers commemorated on the boards:

1732 - John Pentland, Abraham Steel, Abraham Moffat, Richard Boyd, Thomas Bennet, John Boyd, James Bennet, William Bell, Thomas Pentland.

1747 - Robert Archibald, Hugh Adam elder, Thomas Archibald, Hugh Adam younger, Henry Archibald, Henry Adam James Kinghorn, John Adam.