St Giles Village

St Giles Village is a town in the Royal Republic of Displaced Calvinists. It is located three miles northeast of the capital city of New Batavia Colony in the Batavia Colony District. St Giles Village is considered a suburb of the capital.



Background
St Giles Village was founded by Scottish Presbyterian settlers as a sister colony to the Huguenot settlement at New Batavia Colony. Reverends Ian MacKenzie and George Irving led a group of Free Presbyterians to join their French Reformed brethren in establishing a haven for persecuted Calvinist.

St Giles Village was a center of unrest early in the life of the nation. The predominantly Scottish Presbyterian population became outraged and rioted in reaction to former national Finance Minister Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau's espionage activities. This episode is known as the Mid-Week Prayer Meeting Riots of October 25th. These riots led to an increased political presence of the Scottish community in the affairs of the Republic.

St Giles Village quickly grew as a center for Scottish culture in the new nation, but it was overshadowed by the explosive growth of New Batavia Colony. Today, St Giles Village is considered a suburb of New Batavia Colony, and the two towns have nearly merged together. The two communities are separated by a small hill and a main highway that leads to the National Hospital.

Government
St Giles Village is ruled by a town council called a Session made up of Presbyterian clergymen and church elders. This differs from other towns in the Republic of Displaced Calvinists, which are ruled by councils called a Classis that usually are made up of an even mix of secular and clergy representatives. Reverend George Irving is the current Clerk of the St Giles Session.

The major political party in St Giles Village is the nation's Republican Eldership Party, or REP. On the national level, REP cooperates with the Democratic Huguesville Cattlemens' Association in elections and party platforms. REP and the Huguesville Cattlemens' Association appear on national ballots under the 'Democratic-Republican' ticket, and was designed as a coalition effort to defeat Captialism Now! candidates. Currently, all three parties belong to a pro-Monarchy power-sharing coalition.

REP's national headquarters are in downtown St Giles Village.

Industry and Services
St Giles Village was home to the once prosperous Fast Food industry in the Republic. Though in serious decline, the Knox Junior Hambuger chain's founding store is still open, one of the last still in business. Even with its menu severely reduced, it is still a popular gathering place for locals.

With the closure of most of the nation's Fast Food restaurants, employment in St Giles Village has shifted to health care, with St Giles Presbyterian Hospital serving as the hub for the nation's health care industry.

Transportation is also an important part of the St Giles economy, with the nation's international airport based at the northwest corner of town.

People and Culture
While French is the official language in the Royal Republic of Displaced Calvinists, English is the dominant language in St Giles Village. The majority of the population is from either the British Isles or North America, with most of those being of Scottish extraction. Minorities include several Jewish and French families.

Notable people include:
 * Reverend Ian MacKenzie, leader of the Republican Eldership Party and Moderator of the national Parliamentary Synod.
 * Reverend George Irving, pastor and international good-will ambassador.
 * Rabbi Yitzak Moshen, author and professor of Biblical Hebrew.
 * Willford Johnstone, captain of the St Giles competition croquet team.
 * Killian Campbell, radio personality.
 * Kenneth Keith MacRae, poet and musician.
 * Dr Lucile McDannel, medical researcher and transplant surgeon.