Humbie Parish is in the south west corner of East Lothian on the northern edge of the Lammermuir Hills, 20 miles south east of Edinburgh. It is a rural parish of gentle beauty.
There is one shop and sub post office, a primary school with 40-odd pupils and a much used village hall. Both hall and school serve neighbouring communities outwith Humbie.
Humbie Children's Village was a charity formed at the turn of the century to provide a country experience for children from deprived Edinburgh homes. It is no longer in use. The houses forming the former Children's Village have now been sold and the whole complex is under consideration for a substantial residential development.
The Church:
There has been a presbyterian church on the same site, set in a bend of Humbie Water, since 1590, and the present "B" listed church was built in 1800. In 1930 the chancel was added to the church and at that time the pulpit was moved to its present position and the pews were rearranged. The stained glass window, depicting scenes from David's life, is a Strachan work and was presented to the church by the Hazel family in memory of their son who was killed in the war.
In 1986 an Organ Trust was formed and successfully raised £7,500 to restore and install a David Hamilton organ, circa 1840, which was available from a redundant church in Leith.
The Congregation:
The congregation has xx members. Attendance at services is between xx and xx, rising to xx to xx for the two annual communion services and Harvest Thanksgiving. There are xx children in the Sunday School which meets as a Sunday club in the adjacent converted stables during the service. The Kirk Session comprises 10 Elders and the church, which is self supporting, operates a quoad omnia constitution. The Guild has xx members.
[For "xx" - details still to come]
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Yester Parish.
The Parish covers an area of about 24 square miles and has a population of 900 the majority of whom live in the attractive village of Gifford. Gifford is a thriving community with a wide range of clubs and societies which meet regularly, using the Village Hall. The well maintained Bowling Club is well supported and there are two nine hole golf courses on the outskirts of the village. Yester Primary School, in Gifford, has a high reputation. Secondary Education is provided at Knox Academy in Haddington four miles away.
Gifford has four shops where most of the essentials of life can be obtained. There is also a Post Office, a garage and two hotels with good restaurants which are particularly popular with city dwellers from Edinburgh at the weekends. There are a few small businesses but employment is mostly outside the village. Banks, supermarkets and a range of shops are available at Haddington.
The Church
The Church, which is 'A' listed, was completed in 1710. It is a white harled T plan church with square staged tower and slated spire and seats 200. The bell comes from the old Church of Bothans and is dated 1492. The Memorial on the village wall opposite is to the Revd John Witherspoon, a son of the manse, who was one of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence in 1776.
There is no Church Hall but regular use is made of the Village Hall for Sunday School, Guild and Session Meetings.
The Congregation:
The congregation has a quoad omnia constitution and is self supporting. Membership stands at xxx, there are x adherents and xx on the Supplementary Roll. Attendance is normally between xx and xx. The Kirk Session has xx Elders.
Services are held at 11.30am each Sunday as well as on Good Friday, Watchnight and occasional school services. Sunday School numbers fluctuate from term to term and currently stand at xx with one teacher and a rota of parent helpers. There is a flourishing Guild with xx members.
[For "xx" - details still to come]
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Other Features
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The Manse in Gifford village.
(This photograph was taken before extensive upgrading of the manse garden.
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