Rathven
| |
|---|---|
 Rathven Kirk | |
  Rathven Location withinMoray | |
| OS grid reference | NJ444657 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BUCKIE |
| Postcode district | AB56 |
| Dialling code | 01542 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 57°40′41″N2°56′02″W / 57.678°N 2.934°W /57.678; -2.934 | |
Rathven (Scots:Raffin)[1] is an ecclesiastical parish, village and formercivil parish in the historicCounty of Banff, now inMoray, Scotland. The civil parish was last used as a census subdivision in 2001, with a population of 12,378,[2] The formerburgh ofBuckie is the largest settlement in the parish, which also includesFindochty andPortknockie.
A medieval church dedicated to St Peter was built before the Reformation. The Rannas Aisle of 1612 is all that remains of the early church. This was built by the Hays of Rannas.[3]
In 1224, John Bisset, linked to the church, built a leper hospital. This was later converted into a Bedesman Hospital. At the time of the Reformation the church was under the control of St Mary's Collegiate Church inCullen.[4]
The Roman Catholic St Peter's Church is in the town of Buckie. It is sometimes inaccurately referred to as a cathedral.St Gregory's Church, Preshome andSt Ninian's Church, Tynet are served from here. The church was built in 1851–7 to a design byBishop James Kyle and Alexander and William Reid. In 1907 the chancel, altar and baptistry were altered byCharles Jean Ménart, who also designedSt Aloysius Church, Glasgow.[5]
George Hay was the first post-Reformation minister of the parish and served asModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in March 1571.[4]
RevWilliam Scrogie, minister from 1649 to 1667, leaving to take his position asBishop of Argyll.[6]
The Addison family in Rathven can be traced back to the 17th century and this branch includes the Canadian-Czech philanthropist, Vincent Peter Addison (d. 2007) and the travel writer, David M. Addison whose latest work "Confessions of a Banffshire Loon" contains much information about the Addisons of Rathven as well as the Addisons of nearby Portknockie where Joseph Addison was the first Provost. There are also a couple of chapters on the Gordons of Letterfourie who were the lairds of Rathven.[7]
