Laying of the Foundation Stone of the New Parish Church – 8th September 1864

The columns of the Berwick Advertiser, 10th September 1864, supply a full account of this important ceremony, attended by a large body of people, including the Presbytery of Chirnside, County Constabulary, 3rd Berwickshire (Ayton) Rifle Volunteers, together with local school children. Many county families and friends were also present, among whom might be specially mentioned are Alexander Mitchell-Innes Esq and family and other Heritors of the parish. Seven young ladies dressed in white and connected with the Sunday School figured in the procession which formed up at the Parish School, namely Miss Jane Yule, Ayton Station; Miss Middleton, Ayton Cocklaw; Miss White, Ayton Law; Miss Margaret Dalgetty, Ayton; Miss Catherine Patterson, Ayton; Miss Agnes Henderson, Ayton and Miss Jane Anne Whitlie, Ayton. The Minister, the Rev Daniel Cameron, conducted the service, in the course of which the Architect, Mr Wardrop, Edinburgh, produced a case containing the coins and newspapers of the day and bearing the following description:-

"AYTON PARISH CHURCH.

The foundation stone of this Church was laid

on 8th September, A.D., 1864,

In the 27th year of the reign of

Her Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria

by Mrs Mitchell-Innes, of Ayton Castle, and Miss Mitchell-Innes.

Minister of the Parish: The Rev. Daniel Cameron"

After the contents of the case had been deposited in a cavity in the foundation stone, Mrs Mitchell-Innes was presented with a silver trowel with which she spread the symbols – the corn, wine and oil, over the stone. Another large stone being lowered on top of the foundation stone, the latter was tapped three times by Miss Mitchell-Innes with a silver mallet, when Mr Cameron declared the foundation stone of the Church truly laid. The trowel and mallet were them presented to Mr and Mrs Mitchell-Innes respectively, and the young ladies already mentioned presented Mrs Mitchell-Innes with a Bible mounted in silver. Mr Cameron, referring to Mr Mitchell-Innes, though not by name, said that by his princely liberality he had contributed in a great degree to the building of the new Church, which would prove at once a place of worship and an ornament to the parish.

The Heritors gave £1,500 towards the building of the Parish Church and Mr Mitchell-Innes of Ayton Castle contributed the remainder which is supposed to have been £3,000 – in all, besides the field, a total of £4,500.

The Church was opened for worship on the 13th January 1867.