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A Tale of Two Kirks |
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St John's Kirk in Perth is one of the oldest buildings in the Fair City, with the land surrounding it once used as a cemetery and as a marketplace.
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According to tradition, the church was founded in the 6th Century, but it was in the early Medieval period that the church began to take on its present form, with the nave supposedly erected at the order of David I, and major repair work carried out during the reign of Robert the Bruce. The choir was begun in around 1440, and the church was more or less in its present form by the end of the century.
Religious turmoil had been bubbling under the surface in Scotland for several years, with major flashpoints arriving at the martyrdom of Protestant preachers and, particularly, after the murder of Cardinal Beaton in St. Andrews in 1546. The Protestant assassins took refuge in St Andrews castle and were besieged there for over a year. It was at this point that John Knox came to prominence. A minor preacher prior to this, he voluntarily entered the castle and remained there until French troops captured the defenders, resulting in Knox being sentenced to 19 months as a French galley slave. On his return to Scotland after many years in exile, Knox was no less fiery, and he was soon stirring up trouble.
The pivotal moment came when Knox arrived in Perth in May 1559. Knox chose to come to Perth as the town council had openly declared themselves for the Reformation, and perhaps more importantly for Knox. Also, the city was walled, affording him some protection should Catholic forces attack!
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On the 11th May, Knox preached a sermon in the Kirk on "the sin of idolatry". What happened next is unclear, but it seems that a priest attempted to say Mass, a local objected and then mayhem erupted. Aside from the smashing of the altar, little damage was done to the Kirk itself, but the mob went on the rampage throughout the town, destroying the four monasteries there and looting the contents. Knox attempted to deflect responsibility for these attacks, claiming that they were the work of a "rascal multitude", but there can be little doubt that his sermon provided the inspiration.
Perth's staunch position behind the new faith only served to increase its stature as the major town of the region - even at the tail end of the Eighteenth Century, Perth was still the 6th most populous town in Scotland. This increase in importance was doubtless linked to the decline of other towns in the area, which had previously held rank as religious centres - such as Dunkeld.
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