Although it is called a parish church, it does not appear that any well-defined parish was over assigned to it. It comprehended, probably, the villages of Nether Gogar and Gogar Stone, and the whole of the lands now known by the name of Gogar. At the Reformation the superintendent of Lothian placed John Coise, reader in the kirk of Gogar, who seems to have been a very illiterate man. He was ordered by the presbytery in 1586 "to desist from public preaching, and to content himself with simple reading of God's word;" and at a second visitation in 1598, he was directed to read prayers and chapters, and catechise the people after the form of examination, and to learn thame to reheirs ye articles of ye beleif, ye commands, and ye Lord's Prayer."
The parishioners of Gogar made many efforts to have their kirk planted, but they were too few in number and too poor to raise a sufficient provision for that purpose. With this view they applied to the Synod and Presbytery in 1599, offering to give Mr. William Arthur, who was then serving the cure of Corstorphine, L.100 per annum and their kirkland, if he would become their regular clergyman. This, however, was considered an inadequate provision, and therefore the Presbytery "thocht good, for the present, to unite Gogar and Corstorphine."
In the ancient taxatio of 1167, the Kirk of Gogar is valued at 12 marks, and in Bagimont's Roll, at L.5, 6s. 8d. John Coise's stipend was the haill third of the parsonage and vicarage of Gogar, and amounted to L.22, 4s. 5d. Scots.
The only distinguished rector of Gogar was Willielmus Manderstoun, who was also Doctor in Medicine, and Rector of the University of St. Andrews in 1530. He was the author of two learned works in logic and moral philosophy (ii), and probably held the living of Gogar as a sinecure. Another rector, Jaines Heriot, Bachilarius in Decretis, died in 1440, and was buried in Corstorphine church.
i. See Spottiswood's Account of Religious Houses, p. 529
ii. See M'Crie's Life of Melville, Vol. 1, p.437
