St. Bride (or Bryde or Brigid) probably lived from around the second half of the 4th century. She was an Irish
nun and abbess who became one of the patron saints of Ireland and had many Scottish Churches dedicated to her. She was also
the patron saint of the powerful Douglas family.
She is widely venerated in Ireland and her cult was spread to Scotland and to Europe more widely by Irish
missionaries in the following centuries. Many pre-reformation Scottish churches were dedicated to St. Bride. One (admittedly
controversial) theory is that St. Bride was given the name of the powerful pagan goddess Brigid; the appearance of a Christian
Saint called Brigid being an invention of her early biographers seeking to find a way to convert pagans to the Christian faith.
Brydekirk, originally known as Bridechapel sourced its water from the already existing St Brydes Well, the name
suggesting connections with the saint and therefore possibly having holy or restorative properties. The spring is still there
but difficult to locate. The present village sprung up around the small chapel dedicated to Saint Bryde. In 1983 excavations
found coins dating back to the 14th century are now in the Dumfries Museum.
The present attractive church occupies a commanding position at the top of the main street from which vantage
point the minister can keep a close eye on the comings and goings of his parishioners!
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