History
The Church Building
The present church building was designed by William Burn, architect also for Penninghame St John's Church building at Newton Stewart, which has a similar pulpit and leaded window moulding designs to Kirkcudbright Parish Church. The foundation stone of the Kirkcudbright Church was laid on 22 April 1836 and worship was first offered in the building on 20 October 1838. The Kirkcudbright building was built at a cost of £6,582 on ground given by the then Earl of Selkirk, who also paid for the building's construction. It was built on a large scale in anticipation that the town's population would grow more than it in fact did. The pulpit incorporates a sounding board and at lower level a Precentor's box from where praise was led before the introduction of the organ in 1886. The church is a category B listed building.
The Country, Town and Trades End
Like the 1730 building it replaced, the present church building is cruciform in shape. The main entrance gives access to the nave with the St Mary's Isle Estate Gallery above, together known as the Country End, underlining the fact that in former years this area of the church was occupied by the Earl and the estate and farming communities. The heraldic arms on the front of the Isle Gallery are those gained in 1918 by Sir Charles Dunbar Hope-Dunbar Bt., descendant of the Earl of Selkirk, with the motto Firmior Quo Paratior — The More Prepared, The Stronger.
To the left on entering the church is the Town End, the Gallery of which was occupied formerly by the Town Council and the pews by the townspeople of Kirkcudbright. The Town End The Town Council was granted the arms on the front of the Gallery by Lord Lyon in 1921. The arms are based on a 15th century impression of the oldest seal of the Royal Burgh, featuring the blue and silver colours of Galloway, with St Cuthbert, patron saint of the town, seated in the stern of a lymphad or galley, holding the head of the martyred King Oswald of Northumbria, slain in battle in 642. Oswald's head ultimately landed at Lindisfarne being buried with St Cuthbert's body and later transferred with Cuthbert to Durham Cathedral. The Burgh has no mottto, although the matter was discussed with the Lord Lyon in 1927.
To the right on entering the church is the Trades End, the Gallery of which is that of the Incorporated Trades. This body dates back to 1425 and was given Royal Charters in 1425 and 1466. The six trades incorporated are the Tailors, Hammermen, Shoemakers, Glovers, Clothiers and Squaremen. The Incorporated Trades of Kirkcudbright gained the arms shown on the front of the Gallery in 1953.
The colours laid up in the Church are those of the Kirkcudbright branch of the Royal British Legion and of the 5th Territorial Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers Regiments.
The only stained glass in the church is a window by William Meikle portraying Jesus the Good Shepherd, which is dedicated to the memory of the Rev A. D. Campbell. Several other incumbents of the charge, Dr Robert Muter, George Hamilton, John McMillan and John Underwood are remembered by memorial plaques. A minister of the former Kirkcudbright United Presbyterian Church, William Watson, is similarly remembered.
The Church Hall on the opposite side of St Mary's Street from the church was designed by A B Crombie, Architect, of Dumfries, and built during the ministry of A D Campbell, probably also around 1886. It is a Grade C listed building.