The Church Steeple and Clock
After addition of the steeple in 1809, which must have been a bit of an event in the village, the old bell was presumably mounted within it. It seems that from the outset it was intended that a clock would be installed in the steeple. Clock faces were carved into the stone of the steeple but no works were fitted, and this remained the situation for the next 30 years or so. In 1840 it seems that there was a general demand amongst the community that a clock be fitted in the steeple so that the villagers would have an accurate indication of the time. Although time was of less importance in these more relaxed days, it must have seemed desirable that a public indication of the time should be available. Besides, other local communities may have been installing public clocks and Dundonald would not want to be left behind. However, it seems there was a public clock somewhere in the village before the new Church clock was fitted and the Church was charged with looking after it. Heritors’ Records mention charges for cleaning and repair of this older clock. The only other available indication of the time locally was a sundial, a very unique double-headed sundial, on the school building. It can still be seen high on the south wall of the Montgomerie Hall.
The communal desire for a clock resulted in a public subscription to which 345 people contributed an unknown amount. It was not quite enough for a clock but the shortfall was made up by the Heritors, and Breckenridge & Son of Kilmarnock were contracted to install the new clock, which cost £84. Breckenridge had been in business since the turn of the century and were skilled clockmakers who also provided the clocks in Mauchline, Kilmaurs, Riccarton and in St Marnock’s and King Street Churches in Kilmarnock.
With the installation of the new clock the old bell was of a design that was incompatible and the Heritors generously provided a new bell. This was first rung to mark the arrival of the Earl and Countess of Eglinton on a Tuesday in March 1841 to witness the new clock being set in motion. The clock still keeps good time today, 150 years later. It was given a major overhaul in 1976 thanks to another public subscription which raised around £1500. The residue of that money is held in trust by the Church as a Clock Fund for future maintenance.