The Dundonald Bell
The old bell referred to above is now on display in the National Museum of Scotland but it was in service in the church here for around 350 years. It is cast in bronze and has the date 1495 stamped on it. It is possible that it was procured for the church building that was built around that time. There is a Latin inscription round the top which reads “St Giles pray for us” along with a fleur de lis design. It also has the marking XT, an abbreviation for Christ. There is a bell of very similar design in a Church in Linlithgow, probably cast by the same maker, and this has led to the speculation that perhaps the bells were gifts from James IV who had close connections with both places.
Above - The Dundonald Bell when on display at Dundonald Castle visitor centre.
Although the old bell was removed from the steeple in 1841 it was not redundant for long. With the formation of the Free Church in 1843 the bell was given to the new church and it did duty in the Free Church building for around 40 years. When it retired from that duty it lay in a garden in Newfield until it was recovered by Dr Alexander and was given to the Society of Antiquaries in Edinburgh.