St. Columba's congregation, as part of the Church of Scotland, traces its Presbyterian roots back to the Reformation in 1560. Going back only to the early years of the late 19th century, with the Burgh of Stirling expanding far beyond the old town wall, the congregation had moved down from near the Castle to the North side of Murray Place, by this time the thriving centre of the town, and where they were known as the North Church. But trouble, long brewing, was coming to a head - the right of a congregation to call its own minister, rather than having foisted upon them the choice of the landowner, was being lost. In 1843 matters came to a head. At the General Assembly of 1843 ministers who insisted on that right, finding that it was definitely to be denied to the church, simply walked out, nearly 500 of them, including Alexander Beith, our minister. This was the Disruption, and this was the founding of the Free Church of Scotland. Known now as the Free North Church the congregation soon established its material and financial basis and by 1853 was worshipping in the church they had built in Murray Place across the road from their old church. In 1900 the Free Church (with some abstentions) joined up with the United Presbyterian Church to become the United Free Church of Scotland and this congregation became the North UF Church. Before that, however, one of our members, Mrs. Ellen Peter who died in 1890, left money in her will to build a new church further south, nearer the homes of the majority of the congregation. This gift, with its conditions - the new building to be used for Free Church worship and to be known as the Peter Memorial, being the principal ones - was accepted by the Deacons' Court but now of the United Free North Church, it entered into possession of the present building in Park Terrace.
The next church union, even bigger then the 1900 one, was in 1929, but one event may be noted before that. In 1908 the Craigs Church, and old Cameronian or United Reformed Church, which had become too small for separate existence, united with us, bringing to us their tradition of inflexible loyalty to the 17th century covenants with their repudiation of any state control over the Church In 1929, at last, the differences between the parish church, as it was known, and the U F Church became reconcilable and the churches united. The Church of Scotland was one again. As there was, in Stirling, a North Church, as a parish church, we changed our name from the U F North Church to St. Columba's Church - a change of name but not of substance. So St. Columba's continues with the same Presbyterian constitution and worship of God as in Dr. Beith's day (but with the services mercifully shorter to cater for our reduced stamina compared with our predecessors!)
YOUR FINAL COORDINATES ARE N 56 06.ABC W 003 56.DEF
A=A sign appears on the north east end of the church. The numerical equivalent of the second letter of the first Latin word around the flaming tree plus 2
B=At the North East entrance of the church there are ? heads around the door. Number minus 1
C=Number of large arched windows at the front of the church minus 1
D=Number of yellow handrails at front door of church plus 1
E=Number of people mentioned on bench at front of church minus 2
F=There is a parking restriction sign at the front of the church. The 2nd number appearing on the sign minus 1
TOTAL SUM OF YOUR ANSWERS= 22
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