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Sir David Wilkie RA
Kirkton of Cults Manse was the birthplace of the Rev. David Wilkie's third son on 18th November 1785. As a young man he sketched many of the parishioners during his father's services. A number of these sketches were drawn on the fly leaves of his Bible which may be seen in the National Library of Scotland.
His birthplace was not the present house at Kirkton of Cults but a dilapidated building at least 150 years old at that time. Kirkton House, now no longer a manse, built in 1796, was the home of his boyhood and youth. It was there that he painted Pitlessie Fair, The Village Recruit and the sketches for The Village Politicians.
Wilkie enrolled at the Trustees Academy, Edinburgh in 1799 and by 1804 had sold Pitlessie Fair for 40 guineas. He left for London shortly after and in 1811 was elected to full membership of the Royal Academy. He became Limner to King George IV in 1823 and in 1836 was knighted by King William IV.
He was buried at sea on 1st June 1841 while returning from the Middle East. In the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh there is a memorial painting of this event by his friend Turner.
In 1897 a Wilkie Memorial Committee was formed in Pitlessie but the subscriptions were insufficient for the erection of a statue of the artist. It was decided to use a former church to serve both as a memorial to Sir David and as a centre for community activities. The Hall contains a collection of Wilkie engravings and a large community painting Pitlessie Fair 2000.
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