Goin' to a Kirkin'

[Peter Crowe]

A remembrance of early Scottish Presbyterianism, Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan worship services have spread across America. Our first Kirkin’ was held in Montreat in April 1982. The next year, the Montreat Kirkin' service was moved to the Sunday of Memorial Weekend. We will hold our 26th annual Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan on May 27, 2007, in Montreat.

Scotland in the mid-18th century saw the English parliament and monarchy (The Disarming Act, 1746 - 1782) banning weapons, as well as the wearing of tartan or kilts by Highland clansmen (effective August 1747). A latter-day legend has it that clansmen would carry small pieces of the banned tartan cloth to the Church (Kirk) and the clergymen would slip a blessing into the service.
The Holy Scriptures were the responsibility of The Beadle, a lay person in the Scottish Kirk. The Beadle brought the Bible into the Kirk for the worship service.
In early history, clans were simply a gathering of peoples for their protection and for economic, political and social support. They were not necessarily related by blood.
Specific tartans developed simply because each area liked to weave a certain design using local herb dyes.
Why then do we celebrate clans and tartans? It is because the clansmen
demonstrated true brotherhood and the clan was the family. The tartan is a symbol of this love and togetherness.
In our Kirkin’ service, we remember ancient times, as well as past and present kith and kin, while asking God’s help and blessings in the future.

Sorry to be pedantic, but...

The information about the Rev. Peter Marshall who was originally from Coatbridge about 5 miles from my home town of Uddingston is fine but the rest of what these Montreat Caledonian Society people say is romantic nonsense 'Brigadoonerie' which as a bone fide Scottish Historian I feel a moral obligation to debunk.

A) The Hanoverians were not English monarchs and neither was the Parliament at Westminster which met from 1707. The House of Hanover were originally German and indirectly descended from James VI and I's (House of Stuart) granddaughter, Sophia. They were therefore more Scots by heritage than English. George I came to the throne in 1714, so the House of Hanover were always legally and constitutionally British monarchs.

B) Presbyterians were as a religious body whether Church of Scotland, or Erskinite seceeders opposed to Jacobitism.