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Old Kilpatrick is
where the origins of Colquhouns lie, when in 1246 Humphry of Kilpatrick
received the barony of Colquhoun. The Barony extended along the banks
of the Clyde, just east of Dumbarton and up into the Kilpatrick Hills which
rise up to twelve hundred feet above the river.
The church was believed
to have been constructed in the 12th century. The original construction
stood for over five centuries, when due to its dilapidated condition, it
was demolished and a new building erected in 1812.
In the graveyard most
traces of Colquhouns have gone, though we know many are interred here,
one dating from 1699. On display in the churchyard is a carved effigy
of a knight from one of the tombstones, it is 14th century and probably
one of the early Colquhoun Lords.
The effigy, standing
over six feet tall, is fastened by large iron staples to the outside wall
of the church. The figure appears to be a well armed knight, however there
is no inscription on the stone. It is executed in a style which suggests
it is a fourteenth century sculpture. |
