MINISTRIES

There have been twenty three known ministers of the church in Kirkliston between 1569 and 2020, twenty nine if the number of Free Church ministers is included.

Prior to 1569, land ownership around what is now Kirkliston by Catholic Lords and Bishops, and appropriation of the church by petition to the Pope in 1450 dictated jurisdiction over Kirkliston.

Perhaps for that reason the lineage of ministers at Kirkliston before 1569 is not well documented.

 

 KIRKLISTON PARISH CHURCH
(Church of Scotland)

  • 1569 Rev William Strang

  • 1585 Rev James Law
    (became Bishop of Orkney then Glasgow)

  • 1611 Rev John Booke
    (the time of the Covenanters – the Solemn League and Covenant dating from 1643 contains his name, a copy of which is on display today in the church)

  • 1646 Rev Gilbert Hall
    (also during the time of the Covenanters)

  • 1663 Rev James Wemyss
    (became Professor of Divinity at Glasgow University)

  • 1689 Rev John Mackenzie

  • 1691 Rev Thomas Miller

  • 1716 Rev James Houston

  • 1749 Rev John Drysdale

  • 1765 Rev James Lindsay

  • 1794 Rev Charles Ritchie

  • 1826 Rev Adam Duncan Tait
    (died 1864 aged 61)

    1843 The schism, and creation of the Free Church

  • 1865 Rev John Robertson Liddle
    (died 1879 aged 39)

  • 1879 Rev Alexander Masson
    (1845-1934) in charge until 1923

  • 1924 Rev Robert Allan McLean
    (died 1940 aged 48)

    1929 – United Free Church absorbed into Church of Scotland

    1941 – Kirkliston congregations united under William Maxwell as Senior Minister at Kirkliston Parish Church

  • 1941 Rev William Maxwell (1873-1945)
    Kirkliston cemetery burial ID 201759871

  • 1943 Rev Duncan Williamson
    (initially under senior Minister Rev William Maxwell)

  • 1965 Rev George Irving

  • 1969 Rev James W Hill

  • 1976 Rev John Murie

  • 1996 Rev Glenda Keating
    (until 2007)

  • 2009 Rev Maggie Lane
    (until 2019)

  • 2020 Rev Erick du Toit
    (present day)

 

 KIRKLISTON FREE CHURCH

  • 1843 Very Rev Dr James Chalmers Burns (1809-1892)
    (until then a Church of Scotland minister).

  • 1890 Rev Robert Alexander Lendrum

    1900 – The Free Church congregation became Kirkliston United Free Church upon union of Free Church with United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

  • 1907 Rev William C Smith

  • 1918 Rev Alexander F MacInnes

  • 1928 Rev Redvers B Anderson

    1929 – United Free Church absorbed into Church of Scotland.

  • 1935 Rev William Maxwell

    1941 union of Kirkliston congregations under the Rev William Maxwell as Senior Minister