Revealed on 4 February 2025
3 minutes learn
Church members have been whisked again in time and given a captivating perception into the lifetime of the Bearsden congregation almost 100 years in the past.
A mysterious time capsule was found hidden amongst the rubble of New Kilpatrick Parish Church’s previous corridor final week after it was demolished to make means for a brand new block of flats.
A hearsay had circulated for years that there could be a field hidden inside a stone wall however no person might ensure it was true till it was discovered.
The lead-covered field was opened throughout the service on Sunday and inside have been cash and quite a lot of paperwork together with the version of the Church of Scotland’s journal, Life and Work, from September 1934.
It was priced two pence and included an article that dated again 100 years in the past, which suggests almost 200 years of historical past is represented within the time capsule.
Treasures
The journal additionally included articles on the ‘Order of Deaconesses’, ‘Holidays for Metropolis Moms’ and ‘Our Anglican Convention’, displaying that the identical breadth of pastoral work, social care and ecumenical partnership work was empowering the Church of Scotland then as now.
The field additionally contained the 1933 church annual report and an version of the Glasgow Herald dated Saturday, 7 September 1934.
Not like the newspaper of right this moment, it featured no headline tales on the entrance web page.
As an alternative, it confirmed ‘Hatches, Matches and Dispatches’, and three lengthy columns of church notices for the subsequent day, displaying the importance of church life for folks alive then.
A duplicate of the Milngavie and Bearsden Herald, the native weekly newspaper nonetheless in circulation right this moment, was folded up within the field.
and Sally Mudge.
New Kilpatrick Parish Church is among the oldest energetic congregations in Scotland and a particular service was held final 12 months to mark 375 years of being a parish.
Its motto is “open hearts, open minds, open religion” and parish minister Rev Roddy Hamilton described the time capsule as a captivating discover.
“There have been quite a lot of cash discovered within the time capsule, all dated 1934, or as near that date as doable – a crown, ha’penny, farthing, sixpence and so on,” he defined.
“The kids discovered these significantly attention-grabbing given our higher use of playing cards and cellphones to pay for issues, particularly the burden of cash that basically would tear a gap in your pocket.
“Smallest of all of the paperwork was the order of service for the laying of the muse stone on 8 September 1934.
“The minister of the congregation and parish on the time was Rev James McCardel, whose daughter is a member of New Kilpatrick and was on the service on Sunday, holding the identical order paper that he did all these years in the past.”
New time capsule
Mr Hamilton stated a dialogue on what to do with the contents has taken place.
“The developer who now owns the positioning of the previous constructing has urged they show a number of the cash within the new vestibule in addition to use the date stone within the new building,” he added.
“The opposite paperwork could also be buried once more in a brand new larger capsule that can embrace newspapers and cash from right this moment, together with another concepts resembling a letter, a cell phone full with directions, pictures, tales, and solutions from each youngsters and adults about our life as a church right this moment.
“We’ve a heritage month arising in September of this 12 months and given that’s the month 91 years in the past that the unique time capsule was buried, we’d do all of it once more.
“It is going to hold the story of the church going, so in 100 years time one other technology can see representations of greater than 200 years of Christian heritage on this place.
“Would not you like to be a fly on the wall then?”
