The Laigh Kirk TragedyLAIGH KIRK TRAGEDY 18 OCTOBER 1801
The present Laigh Kirk building dates from the year 1802, and to explain how it came into existence we need to look at the tragic events which took place in the afternoon of Sunday 18th October 1801. The existing old building at that time was too small to accommodate the large congregation. The passageways were few and very narrow. The stairs leading to the upper galleries were steep and narrow and the exit doors opened inwards and not outwards as they would have to do nowadays. The poorer people sat on temporary seats in the narrow passageways, while the well-to-do sat in their rented pews. In addition, the stability of the building had already been called into question and there was a local belief in a prophecy that the building was destined to fall down on to the congregation.
On that particular Sunday the congregation was unusually large because the Old High Kirk and some of the other churches in the neighbouring parishes were vacant, and many had flocked to the Laigh to hear the "Great McKinlay", who was at the peak of his fame as a preacher. The kirk was therefore packed, if not over-packed. Nothing untoward had happened at the morning service but the bell had hardly stopped ringing for the afternoon service and the minister just about to enter the church, when a small piece of plaster fell from the ceiling, or some say a seat cracked in one of the galleries. For whatever reason, a cry went up that the building was falling down, panic ensued and those who were downstairs started to rush outside.
Those who were upstairs in the galleries were not so fortunate. In the rush for the steep narrow stairs, they became tightly jammed together, many fell, crushing and suffocating those poor souls underneath them. The doors at the foot of the stairs had been pushed shut by the sudden surge of people towards them. Some desperate people threw themselves down into the body of the kirk, others leapt from windows into the graveyard. Others climbed into the pulpit to appeal for calm. You can imagine the chaotic scene.
The Royal Kilmarnock Volunteers were summoned to try and restore order; hundreds gathered anxious for news of family or friends. Ladders were sought to reach the upstairs windows but few could be found.
The outcome of this tragedy was that 29 people died in the panic and one woman died shortly afterwards from her injuries. A total of 30 in all; who are listed in McKays History of Kilmarnock. Curiously no infant sustained the slightest injury, although there had been several present in the church. n fact one distraught mother who had been separated from her child during the commotion, later found it safe and well, sleeping in one of the pews.
After the tragedy, the structure of the building was examined and the conclusion reached was that, although there were doubts about the security of the roof structure, if the congregation had left in an orderly fashion, no lives would have been lost. However, no sermon was ever preached again in the building. It was pulled down and the stone used in the building of a church in Riccarton. The heritors were anxious to allay the fears of the congregation and agreed that the new building should be larger, more spacious and with sufficient doors; seven in all!! The foundation stone of the new building was laid with due Masonic honours on 20th April 1802 and during the rebuilding the congregation attended services in the (Old) High Kirk. This new structure was designed by Robert Johnstone, retaining the much older tower which is believed to be 17th century, but NOT the 1410 as recorded on the stone incorporated into its structure. A session room was added in 183 1 (architect Ingram) and extensive renovations in 1903-4 by Gibby Andrews & Newlands.
S J Wilson
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