Life and Work found in 1934 time capsule

Thomas Baldwin reports on the contents of a rediscovered time capsule in Bearsden.

A 90-year-old copy of Life and Work was among the contents of a time capsule opened at a Bearsden Church.

The capsule had been discovered in the stonework of New Kilpatrick Church’s old hall, which was demolished in January, and was opened at morning worship on Sunday February 2.

The Life and Work, dated September 1934, was priced twopence and included a story from 100 years before then, as well as articles on the Order of Deaconesses, Holidays for City Mothers, and Our Anglican Conference.

The capsule’s contents also included a copy of the order of service for the laying of the hall’s foundation stone. The minister of the congregation and parish at the time was the Rev James McCardel, whose granddaughter Lesley Mcfarlane is a member today and was at the service on Sunday.

There were also copies of the Glasgow Herald and the Milngavie and Bearsden Herald, and a set of coins, all dated to around 1934.

The developer who now owns the site of the old building has suggested they display some of the coins in the new vestibule, as well as using the date stone in the new construction.

The church plans to bury the other documents again in a new, bigger, capsule that will include newspapers and coins from today, along with some other ideas such as a letter, a mobile phone (with instructions!), photos, stories and suggestions from both children and adults about church life today.

Minister, the Rev Roddy Hamilton, said: “We have a heritage month in September, and given that is the month 91 years ago that the original time capsule was buried, we might do it all again, keeping the story of the church going, so that another generation can see in another 100 years’ time over 200 years of Christian heritage in this place.”