Short History of the Churches in Leslie

The following is a summary of the history of three of the former churches in Leslie and an account of events leading to the formation of Trinity Church, Leslie, which came about by an amalgamation of these three Leslie churches in 1956: the West, Logan Martin, and Prinlaws.

WEST CHURCH (now Trinity Church): This is by no means a young church - its roots stretch back to 1739, when dissatisfaction with the moderate policies of the established Church of Scotland led to the founding of the Secession Church. The Church they built in 1744 still stands in Leslie today and is now a joiner's workshop.

Remnants of the former church may still be seen - the date on the lintel; the head of the pulpit remains; the gallery at the east end remains and is believed to be the original and behind a cupboard there are the remains of a chain. A legend connected with it suggests wrongdoers were sometimes required to wear chains as a form of penance.

LOGAN MARTIN: The original Secession Church had been established only a few years when a disagreement rent its congregation in 1747. Burgesses in some towns had to take an oath declaring "their profession and allowance of the true religion professed within the realm" Some maintained that this should not be done and consequently those who would take the oath became known as "Burghers", whilst those who refused were called "Antiburghers". They would not share the same communion, so back to the Back Braes went the Burghers.

Thus, in a barn in winter, in the open air in summer, began what was to become the first Trinity Church. In 1771 they built a church in the Burgher Close. That church, too, remains and is now a private residence. The congregation grew, and in 1859 a church was built on the site of the present Masonic Hall, under the name East United Presbyterian, which became Trinity United Free in 1900. Its most celebrated minister was the Rev. Benjamin Martin who served his congregation for over 50 years and whose name lived on in the Logan-Martin Church long after his own was gone. Right next door to Mr. Martin's church was a Free Church, of which Mr. Logan was a minister. This congregation had been formed in 1844 after a further disruption in the Established Church, but the building was not erected until 1877-79. It is now St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.

Two Congregations so close together led to a little rivalry, and it is said that on a Sunday they would compete to drown the sound of each other's singing! It made sense, however to unite the two and the Free Church under the name Logan-Martin was chosen to house them. This left a problem of what to do with Mr. Martin's building. It was bought for use as a cinema - a new-fangled business - which proved the cause of consternation to some of its former members. It was not a problem for long. One night in 1921, after the building had functioned as a cinema for only one evening, it burnt down. Only the walls remained. A former member of Mr. Martin's flock, had been to see the film that evening, and it was said by some who saw the blaze that among the smoke and flames could be seen the spirit of Benjamin Martin, watching over the fate of his church. Ours is a sceptical age and some may not believe this, but the late Andrew Hunter, one-time Clerk to the Board of Trinity Church had seen in a photograph owned by Mr. Archibald Seath, the domed forehead and bristling beard of the revered old gentlemen, looming through the smoke.

PRINLAWS: The third Church that went to make up the current Trinity Church was Prinlaws, standing just inside the village boundary, which was marked off from the town of Leslie by two pillars on either side of the main road at the top of Valley Drive. The building was erected in 1839 for use as a school. In 1884 it became a Chapel of Ease. The term referred to the fact that it was a place of worship for the convenience of those who lived some distance from the Parish Church. The town had developed steadily to the west from the Brae Head, so that, with the establishment of the mills at Prinlaws, a good many people now lived in this area. Rev. James Hill led the church through its first 36 years, during which, in 1891, it was elevated to the status of a Parish Church Quoad Sacra (for ecclesiastical purposes only - a "daughter" of Christ's Kirk-on-the-Green).

Prinlaws Church was proud of being a "people's Kirk", as was demonstrated by the fact that a substantial amount of the money raised came from the generous donations from its poorer members. Prinlaws Church became familiar to everyone as a suite of halls for Trinity Church and was sold in recent times. The present Manse for Trinity Church is the former Prinlaws Church Manse.

TRINITY CHURCH: In June 1956 after a number of meetings with the Rev. Simm, representing Kirkcaldy Presbytery, it was decided to amalgamate three churches [West Kirk, Prinlaws Kirk and Logan Martin Kirk] as there was a shortage of ministers. The West Kirk minister was retiring, the Logan Martin Kirk minister was retiring due to ill health, and the Prinlaws Kirk ministry charge was only short term. The West Kirk was chosen to be the amalgamated church and renamed Trinity. The Prinlaws Kirk was turned into a suite of halls for Trinity Church. The Logan Martin Kirk was sold to the Roman Catholic Church, two manses were sold, and the Prinlaws Kirk manse was kept and renamed Trinity manse. The new name related to the tri-union of churches and also refers to the Godhead of the Christian Church.

Ministers at Trinity Parish Church since its formation in 1956:

Rev. James Murray (1957 - 1964)
Rev. Thomas Forrest-Smith (1964 - 1971)
Rev. William J. R. Hay. (1972 - 1981)
Rev. Alistair Wynne. (1982 - 1987)
Rev. Gordon M. Simpson. (1988 - 1996)
Rev. David Smith (1997 – 2003)
Rev. Melvyn J. Griffiths (2006 – present)