Kilbirnie West
James Dodson
41
IV
THE REV. ALEXANDER DAVIDSON
The congregation did not meet till December 23 to elect a successor to Mr Martin. The call “came out” for the Rev. James Hunter, B.D., who at the time was acting as assistant in Great Hamilton Street Church, Glasgow. The majority in his favour as against another probationer was small, and the call was signed by only 51 members and 21 adherents. Mr Hunter at once asked that no further steps be taken in it, and the Presbytery ended the matter by refusing to sustain the call.
After an informal attempt to secure the Rev. D. D. Robertson of Whithorn, which came to nothing, the congregation met again on April 20, 1870, under the moderatorship of the Rev. Thomas Ramage of Kilmarnock, when the Rev. Alexander Davidson of Stromness was unanimously chosen, the feeling against translations having long since died away in the Church. The call was signed by 123 members and 65 adherents.
Mr Davidson had spent ten fruitful and full years in the Orkneys ministering to a small and struggling cause, and had shown considerable courage in undertaking its supervision at first and in shepherding it afterwards. In the preceding autumn he had
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declined a call from Rothesay on the ground of the loyalty of the Stromness people, and because “many belonging to other churches there had expressed opinions that had influenced him to such an extent that he could not set them aside.” Any difficulty he had had about moving southwards, however, was now removed, and on June 7 he accepted the call to Kilbirnie. The induction took place on July 7, when the Rev. John Jackson of Girvan preached from Zech. vi. 12, 13, the Rev. Thomas Ramage inducted, and the Rev. T. H. Lang of Ayr gave the charges. On the following Sabbath, July 10, Mr Davidson was introduced to his work by his friend, the Rev. John M‘Dermid of Glasgow. The people of Stromness showed their appreciation of Mr Davidson’s services by sending him away with gifts, but his removal destroyed the struggling cause in the north. Its members do not seem to have made any attempt to secure another minister, and the buildings were disposed of some time afterwards. It was surely heaping coals of fire upon the friendly heads of the Kilbirnie people when the Synod of 1874 made a grant to them of £80 from the sum obtained from the sale of the Stromness property, the money to be applied to congregational purposes.
The variation in the value of money since those days is strikingly shown by the fact that the managers in making arrangements for the induction solemnly passed the following resolution: “Taking into consideration the trouble that the Rev. Thomas Ramage as Moderator of Session has been at, and how at all times he had been ever ready and willing
REV. ALEXANDER DAVIDSON 43
to assist in furthering the welfare of the congregation, also the Rev. Thomas Lang, as Clerk of Presbytery, who had throughout our vacancy been so very active in arranging for a supply of preachers so that the pulpit had not been empty for a single Sabbath, they along with the thanks of the congregation be presented with Two Pounds Ten Shillings each”!
The disturbed state in which the congregation had been is shown by the fact that at the date of Mr Davidson’s induction the membership stood at 146, but from that time steady increase was recorded until the roll was doubled at the time of his retirement in 1902. The result was entirely due to the devotion of Mr Davidson and his acceptability with the people. He came to them with more than the usual experience of ministerial work. A native of Glasgow and brought up in Great Hamilton Street congregation—then the most important charge in the Reformed Presbyterian Church—he had during his student career, like his contemporary, Dr John G. Paton of the New Hebrides, acted as an agent of the Glasgow City Mission. The experience in preaching and visitation which he gained in that sphere and by his sojourn in the northern town, must have been of great value to him when he came to minister in a place like Kilbirnie with its factories and ironworks.
One of the first matters to which the congregation addressed themselves after the settlement of Mr Davidson was the condition of the manse. It was little more than a very small cottage, and in 1874 steps were taken for its enlargement. A wing was
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added and a second story provided for part of the building. The total cost seems to have been £269, but the whole deficiency on the congregational accounts for that year was only £43, which shows that the people were in good heart. The jubilee of the congregation was celebrated in 1876, and at that time all debt was wiped out.
At the meeting held on his retirement Mr Davidson named as the three most outstanding events of his ministry, the Unions of 1876 and 1900, and the erection of the present church on the site of the old.
The ecclesiastical connections of the congregation have been very varied. At its institution it was under the inspection of the Reformed Presbyterian Synod, and was made a constituent member of the Western Presbytery of the Church. The growth of the Church necessitated a rearrangement of its Presbyteries in 1834, and Kilbirnie was included in the Presbytery of Kilmarnock. There it remained till 1876, when the Reformed Presbyterian Church united with the Free Church of Scotland, and Kilbirnie was added to the Presbytery of Irvine. Neither the Session nor the congregation offered objection to the Union of 1876. Any difficulty the Session may have had at first was removed by their belief that the Articles of Agreement “distinctly recognise the Mediatorial Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ over the nations as well as over the Church”—a truth for which the Reformed Presbytery stood. In the event, one member of Session could not see his way actively to accept the Union, but he did not carry his opposition further than to signify his disapproval,
PRESBYTERIAL CHANGES 45
and remained an office-bearer. There being already a Free Church in the town, the congregation adopted a name dictated by its geographical relation to its neighbour and called their church the West Free Church, although the letters “R.P.” continued to appear in the title for some time longer to conserve any interest the congregation might have through its former connection. In 1895 the General Assembly withdrew certain congregations from the Presbytery of Irvine, and formed them into the Presbytery of Ardrossan. Both churches in Kilbirnie were attached to the new Presbytery, although the change did not meet with the approval of the West Kirk-Session.
The Union of 1900 passed without incident so far as the congregation was concerned, the only reference in the minutes being a note of the change of name to West United Free Church. Some anxiety as to their exact standing, however, came in 1904 with the adverse decision of the House of Lords. At the Union of 1876 the Reformed Presbyterian Church had remained a separate entity so far as all questions of property were concerned, the Synod continuing to meet quoad civilia—as it does to this day. It was therefore maintained with much show of reason that the judgment of the House of Lords had no special significance for all the old congregations of the Reformed Presbytery. When, therefore, the Allocation Order reached the managers and congregation in 1907, assigning to them their property under the Churches (Scotland) Act of 1905, considerable doubt arose as to their proper course of action. How could
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the Commissioners assign what had never fallen under their jurisdiction? Several meetings were held over the question, and much advice was sought from legal authorities. It was pointed out that no good would come of rejecting the Order. If the Commissioners had no authority, the position remained as it was, and no harm would be done. If they had legal power to deal with the property of the congregation, it would be advisable to accept what was offered. At length, in August 1907, the Allocation Order was accepted, and what was their own remained their own.
For a considerable time before 1888 the Church had caused worshippers within it some inconvenience owing to the growth of the congregation and the antiquated nature of the building. A gallery had been added, but access to it had for long been a source of trouble. In 1882, and again in 1886, a new church was suggested, but the matter was allowed to lie over. In the following autumn the question was again discussed. It was then felt that a new church must be erected on a new site, the old building to be retained for Sabbath School and other purposes. It was ultimately agreed to take a plebiscite of the members, and by a majority of 149 to 19 votes it was determined to proceed with a new building on the old site. In June 1887 it was reported that the congregation had promised £1306 towards the enterprise, and in May plans were adopted. During the building operations the congregation worshipped in the Good Templars’ Hall.
The new church was opened for public worship on
THE NEW CHURCH 47
July 7, 1889, by Dr W. H. Goold of Edinburgh, who preached from Rev. xv. 3: “And they sang the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, thou King of saints.” The collection amounted to the handsome sum of £201. The architect was Mr Alexander Petrie of Glasgow, and the total cost was apparently £1615. Three stained glass windows were inserted to the memory of William Knox of Moorpark, George Knox of Redheugh, and James Knox of Riverside, representatives of a family which had been associated with the congregation from its start and had taken a prominent share in all its work and activities. In 1905 another window was added to commemorate Mr R. W. Knox of Moorpark, who had died during the preceding summer. In 1899 it was suggested that a steeple with a bell should be erected, but nothing came of the proposal.
During Mr Davidson’s ministry considerable alterations were made in the mode of conducting public worship, all the changes coming spontaneously from the people themselves. Up to 1884 the only material used in the praise of the Sanctuary was the metrical psalms. In that year a petition signed by 120 members was presented to the Session asking that paraphrases and hymns should be introduced. Church regulations did not stand in the way, for the Reformed Presbyterian Synod had declared that no obstacle existed to their use in public worship, and the Free Church had legislated along similar lines. The
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Session determined to test the mind of the congregation by voting slips, and agreed that a majority of two-thirds of the members was required before the alteration could be authorised. The result was favourable to the change, and the Session authorised the use of the paraphrases and the five hymns usually printed along with them. Their cautious actings were due to a disinclination to make too great an innovation at once. In 1888 reform was carried still further by allowing the people to sit during prayer and stand during singing. At the same time the precentor was asked to form a choir, and in due time a choir was installed, the congregation thereafter showing their appreciation of their services by meeting the expenses of an annual trip for the members.
A further advance in the musical part of the service was made in 1899, when it was resolved to introduce an instrument. The subordinate place it was expected to take in public worship was shown by the advertisement inserted in the public prints: “Wanted by West Free Church a Lady to accompany choir on harmonium.” The office of precentor was retained for some time, but the two offices were afterwards merged in one person. Since that time there have been the usual extensions of the musical part of the services in the way of anthems and voluntaries.
During their connection with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the congregation did not require to draw from the general funds to augment the stipend of their minister, and although the demand
Illustration: Sabbath School Teachers, 1896.
CONGREGATIONAL FINANCE 49
for self-support after the Union with the Free Church was somewhat higher, they still contrived to raise what was needed. There was, therefore, some ground for the protest that appears more than once in the minutes as to congregations that supplemented their ministers’ stipends and at the same time drew on the funds at large. The same healthy ambition to be self-sustaining pervaded the other finances of the congregation, although they were more than once indebted to the Ferguson Bequest Fund when special expenditure had to be met. An occasional legacy came their way, but these were of small amount and infrequent in number. An interesting point was raised in 1876 in connection with a small bequest. A certain member left half of her estate to the congregation. An appeal was made by the trustees that the legacy should be surrendered for behoof of the remaining legatees. It seemed an ungracious thing to refuse, but the managers did so on the ground that it would be disrespectful to the wishes of the deceased and discourage like benefactions in the future—a decision which shows that whatever may have been the private feelings of the members, the managers took a very serious view of their position as guardians of the congregational purse.
In 1900 Mr Davidson’s health began to give way. He was near the allotted span of threescore years and ten, and had ministered in Kilbirnie for thirty years. The situation was met for some time by reducing the number of services on Sabbath to one, but it soon became apparent that some other arrange-
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ment was required. In the spring of 1901 it was resolved to provide Mr Davidson with an unordained assistant, and the Rev. H. T. Gillison, B.D., was appointed. The arrangement continued for a time, and then Mr Davidson intimated his intention of applying for a colleague and successor. In acquiescing in the proposal the congregation minuted their appreciation of their minister’s long and faithful services. Among other things the resolution declared that “as a preacher the Rev. Mr Davidson dispensed the Saving Truth of the Gospel with earnestness, force and fulness. As a pastor his judicious wisdom was always used to promote peace and good-will. He was generous beyond measure, and was in constant attendance where and when he was needed. As a citizen he was always ready to help in good works, and at the service of any brother who stood in need of his services. As head of his own household he was much given to hospitality, and his words were seasoned with the salt of the Word.” At a farewell meeting held on April 25, 1902, he was presented with a cheque for £440.
The Assembly duly authorised the calling of a successor, and the congregation lost no time in carrying out the duty. On June 16 they met for an election. Only one name was submitted—that of Mr Gillison who had been acting as assistant for the preceding year. The call was signed by 218 members and 63 concurrents, and on September 16 Mr Gillison was ordained to the pastoral charge.
Mr Davidson did not enjoy his retirement long. He went to reside at Ardrossan, and there he died
MR DAVIDSON’S WIT 51
on May 8, 1904, having attained the ripe age of 72. What the Rev. R. M. Adamson of Ardrossan, whose ministry he attended, said of him may indicate the general esteem in which he was held. Preaching on the Sabbath succeeding his death he said he was “a divine of the old school, ever courteous, kind and genial. Mellow humour, unaffected piety and sententious remark mingled in every chance meeting with him. . . . A gracious gift of unction was sweetened by simple cheerfulness, charity and hopefulness. . . . He shone conspicuously in celebrating the Sacrament, which he invested with much dignity and impressiveness.”
He was widely known for his wit. The Rev. J. P. Struthers of Greenock, in that classic little journal, The Morning Watch, described him as “a man of a singularly rich and pleasant humour,” and gave two examples with which it may not be inappropriate to close this notice of his ministry. He had on one occasion preached from Ps. cxii. 5: “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth.” Challenged as to what he would do if some impecunious but untrustworthy person, who had heard the discourse, asked him for a loan, he at once responded by quoting the whole verse according to the Scottish metre:
“A good man doth his favour shew,
And doth to others lend;
He with discretion his affairs
Will guide unto the end.”
On another occasion he was asked if he was ever tempted to take his humour into the pulpit. “Many
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a time,” he said, “but I don’t do it. I say to my humour, as Abraham said to his young men, ‘Abide ye here with the ass; and I will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.’”
He also saw humour even in tragedy. He used to tell how he once remonstrated with an old woman on her deathbed about her indifference to religion, asking if she did not remember that “her days were swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.” “Oh, ay, Mr Davidson,” was her reply, “weel, I mind fine since there was naething but hand-loom weaving about a’ Kilbirnie!”