Reflections from the Pew 15

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland met in Burntisland Parish Church in May 1601 in the presence of King James VI. The General Assembly had moved out of Edinburgh to escape an outbreak of plague. The meeting was due to take place in St Andrews. However, James had injured his shoulder in a hunting accident while staying at nearby Rossend Castle, so he summoned the Assembly to meet somewhere more convenient for him.

At that meeting it was agreed by all present, including the King, to commission a new translation of the Bible.

Following the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, he became King James I, uniting the two crowns.

Free Church & Manse on OS map 1:1,250/1:2,500 1944-1970

In 1604 James met with a number of scholars and churchmen at Hampton Court (to avoid the plague which had taken hold in London). There were divergent religious view and to break the stalemate, King James suggested a new translation of the bible.

A committee of 54 translators and revisers made up of the most learned men in the nation were given the job. There were specific rules which included the process of exchanging drafts which were then subject to close scrutiny.

The King James Bible, as it became known, was published in 1611.

Note that plagues are a recurrent theme of these stories but the life of the church continued.