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Greenhill Covenanters Museum


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Greenhill

Greenhill, like the neighbour museum at Gladstone Court, is a place where time has been made to stand still. Greenhill takes us much further back than the Victorian streets of Gladstone Court — from the time when King James VI packed his bags and entered his new kingdom south of the border, to the time when the parliaments of the two kingdoms were united over a century later in 1707. For a great deal of that time, James and his son Charles I and grandsons Charles II and James VII tried to rule against the wishes of the Kirk of Scotland and the majority of the people, with the troubles developing into open war and rebellion. Here in this old house, the story of these far-off times is told simply, reflected in the life and courage of its then owner, Lady Greenhill, and in the record of Biggar during the relatively peaceful time under the Commonwealth, which is found in the writings of the local diarist, Andrew Hay. Small costume figures portray the ordinary country folk and their leaders and persecutors. Andrew Hay himself appears fullsize in reconstruction of his study, surrounded with books from his library.

The kitchen is furnished complete with press bed in which preacher Donald Cargill rested at a local farm the night before his capture and execution in 1681. Upstairs is a four poster bed dating from about 1600, which belonged to a local covenanting family. Coins and other artefacts speak of time very unfamiliar to our own. Banners proclaim the slogans of church and state. Books, pamphlets and Bibles speak to us of values fought for and still to be upheld.

Andrew Hay in his study


Unveiling Cargill Monument, Thankerton July 1911

 

Redcoat & Lady Greenhill's daughter

 

Museum open weekends : Saturday & Sunday, May - October,  2p.m. - 4.30p.m.

Parties welcome & special openings can be arranged. Telephone 01899 221050 for further details.

E-mail :  margaret@bmtrust.freeserve.co.uk

Find out more about the Covenanters by visiting the Scottish Covenanters Memorial Association website.  See below.
This link below via an external link and will take you away from Biggar Museum Trust. Use your browser's back button <-- to return to this site.  http://www.covenanter.org.uk/

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