The records of the nation of Scotland carry the story of Cadder Church and Parish back to the middle of the 12th century. The Scots King David I instituted great reforms in Church and State before his death in 1153. His grandson and successor, Malcolm IV, made a grant of the lands "Conclud, Cader and Badermonoc" to the Bishopric of Glasgow. This was confirmed by his successor, William the Lion. SO there might have been a church before that, built near the old ruins of the Roman camp on the Antonine Wall. But there definitely was a church building, and people worshipping there at Cadder, about the year 1150AD. Almost 850 years ago
As can be seen from the names of known Pre-Reformation clergy, from the beginning links with the Cathedral of Glasgow were close. Many of the Sub-deans were men of note. One at least, Andrew Muirhead, later became Bishop of Glasgow. Some of the nominal vicars may have held appointments in Rome, and the Appeals and Counter Appeals of which we have note suggest conflict between the priests doing the work locally and the holders of the office waiting for their stipends in Rome.
From the Cathedral to the University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, the "Living" was annexed to the College of Glasgow and the University drew the teinds of the parish until 1821. It also possessed the right of patronage, i.e. appointing a minister, but this right was bought out by the Heritors and Parishoners in 1695. We are told that when the congregation of Cadder first sought to exercise their right to elect a minister there was a dispute with the University. Thomas Muir of Huntershill, at that time an Elder, made a spirited defence of the congregation's rights. After the great renewal of the Church in the Reformation of 1560 the first Reformed Minister was the Rev. David Cunningham who came from Lesmahagow in 1572. He also had charge of Monkland and Lenzie, covering both Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld. Five years later he was consecrated Bishop of Aberdeen and this see-saw between Presbyterianism and Episcopacy was to continue for another hundred years.
We know a fair amount about every minister since then, men of learning, and men of great evangelical spirit, as well as men of very ordinary and even human failure. There was John Bell, whose manse was so ruinous he petitioned to rebuild, and was told to live in the steeple. Some were chased from the parish and others died honoured in the fullness of their years.
The minute books of the Kirk Session of Cadder date from 1688 and the many volumes are fairly complete, though there is a great and unexplained blank from 8 May 1737 to 27 March 1791. The originals are lodged in register House in Edinburgh, but we are fortunate in having complete photocopies for our own local use.
As the plaque on the East wall, erected in 1909, informs us, the Pre-reformation church had to be replaced in 1750 and that in turn by the present building. This was designed by David Hamilton ( 1768-1843 ), one of the creators of early 19th century Glasgow, in Neo-Gothic style, built in 1825, and completed in 1829 by the erection of the tower through the generosity of the principal Heritor, Stirling of Cawder.
In 1900 around 1,000 people lived in Bishopbriggs. Cadder Church served a wide country area and the farming, mining and quarrying communities looked to the old parish church for spiritual continuity and comfort.
By the 1970s and 1980s we were one of the larger congregations in the West of Scotland, serving a bulging suburban community, with excellent facilities in the South and North Halls, but focussed still on the lovely church in its early 19th century setting by the canal.