The Watsonville Mission began in 1898 under the direction of the parish of Dalziel. William Smith, first minister at St. Mary’s, was the assistant to the Parish of Dalziel.

In 1902 an iron church was built in Watson Street at a cost of £400 and in the same year Rev. William Smith was ordained as minister.

In December 1914 St. Mary’s Church was opened for worship. It was built at a cost of £4,333.

The old iron church was sold to the Church of the Nazarene for £375, £25 less than it cost to build!

To date St. Mary’s has had seven ministers:-

Rev. William Smith (1902 - 1923)
Rev. Alex Mauchline (1923 - 1926)
Rev. William Buchanan (1927 - 1946)
Rev. Dr. Ian Doyle (1946 - 1960)
Rev. Cameron MacKenzie (1961 - 1978)
Rev. John Harris (1978 - 1987)
Rev. David Doyle (1987 - present)

There are several points of general interest in St. Mary’s:-

The Communion Chair was presented to the Church by the Church Choir in memory of all those who died in the Second World War.

The pipe organ was installed in the Church in 1951.

The Avon Hall was built in 1955.

The Vestibule was built in 1958.

The Cameron Hall and Session Room and Coffee Bar were built in 1967/1968.

The Boys’ Brigade Company, the 13th Motherwell, was founded in 1915.