Barony Saint John's Church of Scotland, Arran Place 6                                                                                   27 July 2006

The Barony Church opened in 1844. On 24 September 1987, a service in Saint John's Church commemorated its closing and merger with the Barony Church to form Barony Saint John's Church. In early 2010, there were safety concerns over the church sanctuary and the church hall was used for services. Further safety concerns about the hall resulted in the complete closure of the church. The last service was held on 20 November 2011. For the next four Sundays, services were held in the Parish Centre of the Church of Saint Peter in Chains. Thereafter, the congregation had the use of Saint Andrew's Church. On 19 November 2013, Barony Saint John's Church merged with New Trinity Church, Chapelwell Street, Saltcoats to form Ardrossan and Saltcoats Kirkgate Parish Church.

The model ship is called the Bryce-Douglas after A D Bryce-Douglas who presented it to the church. The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald of 7 August 1885 carried the story below:

THE BRYCE-DOUGLAS
The model ship presented by A D Bryce-Douglas esquire has this week been successfully placed on the steeple of the new Parish Church, Ardrossan. The old stone courses at the top of the steeple were taken down a distance of nine feet, the old rod taken out and a new rod two inches thick by twenty feet long inserted. From the top of the base stone to the deck of the ship is eleven feet and the rod rises seven feet clear of the topmost point of the steeple, the indicators north, south, east and west being midway between that and the ship. The work is being done by Mr John Boyd, mason, Mr Robert Barbour junior, joiner, the steeplejack in this instance being Mr John Mellon, joiner, Vernon Street, Saltcoats who has done several jobs of this sort in Paisley and elsewhere. The ship is four feet eight inches long by eight inches broad of beam, three feet intervening between keel and the truck on main topmast. The hull and rigging are of copper, yards of brass and she is steered by "double spankers" or main sheets.