Collegiate Church Background

The Collegiate Church was built by John, Lord Semple in 1504. This date is around the time the Semples moved their primary residence from Ellistoun Castle to a new abode called the Castle of Semple adjacent to the outflow of the Castle Semple loch in an area that became known as Castltoun.

The church (and castle) was built in the Park of Lochvinzok. It was dedicated to the honour of God, and the blessed Virgin Mary, for the prosperity of his sovereign James IV and Margaret his Queen, for the soul of Margaret Colville of Ochiltree his former spouse and also for the salvation of his own soul and that of Margaret Crichton his present wife and all of his predecessors and successors and all the faithful now deceased. Provision was made for a Provost, six chaplains, a sacrist and two singing boys. Apart from the singing boys the clergy were given 2.5 acre of land around the church to build houses, gardens and orchards. They were also given other assets which provided each of them with differing levels of income. In particular the second Chaplin was given all the teind sheaves of the village of Chapletoun and four other locations. The third Chaplain was to have the fruits and emoluments of the parish clerkship of Lochvinyock amounting to 18 merks out of which he was to pay the clerk of the parish kirk of Lochvinyock. Furthermore the lands that had previously been linked to St Brydes chapel in Kenmore and those linked to Semple’s chapel in the Parish of Lochvinyoch at Chapeltoun together with pertinents were given over to the Collegiate Church.

All traces of the villages of Chapeltoun and Kenmore are gone. However, the map below shows the approximate location of the Chapel at Chapeltoun a mile northeast from Lochwinnoch just off the Bridesmill Road adjacent to the Warlock Gates. The village of Kenmore was located further along this road in the vicinity of the East Gates entrance to Castle Semple and St Brydes House. The villages of Chapeltoun and Kenmore may have withered and died as a result of the Collegiate Church and Lord Semple’s action to re-assign assets from the churches in these locations to his personal shrine. The Collegiate Church ceased to be used after the Reformation in 1560. Seats and Pews, the alter and font stone for holy water were still in the church when McDowall took over. By 1782 the upper part of the church was used as a wrights shop by the family.