As it’s St Fillan’s 900th anniversary I’m looking at Rev. Rutherford’s children’s address, where he talks about the history of the church, this one is for 3rd September 1967, here he is talking about John Scott – not the Rev John Scott some of us remember but Sir John Scott from 1474.
Boys and Girls, I want to tell you about some of the priests and ministers who have laboured here over the centuries. Some are interesting, some are not, some we know a great deal about other we know nothing, some stayed a long time, some were only here for a year or two, some were clever, some appear to have been a bit dumb, some were famous in their day, other just did the work they had been appointed to, some were good and some, I’m sorry to say were bad.
The one I want to tell you about today was a good man, he comes third on the list – John Scott and the date on the memorial is 1474. He came from a titled family, and though a priest he was Sir John Scott. In those days Aberdour was an important place, the King spent much time in Dunfermline and important people lived close by – the King’s auntie lived in Aberdour Castle. From Aberdour, people got on the boat to Inchcolm, also St Fillan’s Well was in Aberdour which was supposed to cure blindness.
There were no hospitals then and the blind and the lame came to Aberdour. Some came for some time, hoping to be cured, it would have been miserable with no place to say. Sir John Scott saw their plight and his heart went out to them so he persuaded the Earl in the Castle to give money and land, got the Abbot of Inchcolm to give his blessing and write to the Pope for permission, and even got the King to give some money. He founded the Hospital of St Martha with four nuns, named after the sister who was always busy in the house helping others.
Some see the need around them and never do anything about it, but Sir John Scott saw the need and acted.