Historical memoir of the family of Eglinton and Winton

PREFACE. X1U
been utterly removed, very many of the old tomb-
stones still remain on the spot, and the area of the
church is yet distinctly to be traced by its founda-
tions still remaining in situ. It has been of a sim-
ple oblong form, 64 feet by 26 over the walls. The
situation was certainly of a rather unmonastic nature,
quite the antipodes of what the prudent old Romish
priesthood were usually wont to select for their own
special domiciles — doubtless the immediate protec-
tion and patronage of the baronial stronghold may
well enough account for the deviation in this instance.
This ancient church, however, was overthrown by a
high wind in the year 1690, and never afterwards
restored, but removed to a new site about a mile
directly inland on the banks of the little streamlet
of Stanleyburn, where the manse and glebe were
then situated — a situation in point of shelter and
amenity exceedingly well chosen ; but unfortunate-
ly still quite inconvenient to the great body of the
inhabitants, who then as now were located in the
town of Saltcoats, fully a mile and a half distant.
The materials of the original building were brought
up and used in the construction of the new one ;
but the inconvenient nature of the situation, ere the
lapse of fifty years, again led to its abandonment,
and at last it was removed to Saltcoats, where it has