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List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is a complete list of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from the Reformation to the present day. Some listed below also currently have their own article. The location of the parish or other post during the Moderator's year in office is also listed (in brackets).

Since 1714 the General Assembly has normally been held annually every May. Moderators-designate are nominated in the October of the previous year; a formal vote is taken at start of the General Assembly (in May), then the new Moderator takes the chair. He/she holds office for one year; his/her final act is to formally open the following year's General Assembly and preside over the formal election of a successor.

The Moderator of the current year (when a minister) is styled "The Right Reverend", while past Moderators are styled "The Very Reverend".[1]

16th century

  • 1560 none mentioned
  • 1561 (May and December) none mentioned
  • 1562 (June) and 1568 (Dec) John Knox (Edinburgh)
  • 1563 (June) none mentioned
  • 1563 (Dec.), 1564 (June) and 1568 (July) John Willock (Superintendent of the West)
  • 1564 (Dec.), 1565 (Dec.), 1566 (June and Dec.) and 1572 (Aug.) John Erskine of Dun (Superintendent of Angus and Mearns)
  • 1567 (June) George Buchanan (Principal, St Leonard's College, University of St Andrews)
  • 1567 (July and Dec.), 1576 (April), 1578 (June) John Row (St Johnstoun)
  • 1569 (Feb.), 1577 (Oct.), 1582 (Oct.), 1586 (May), 1593 (April) and 1597 (March) David Lindsay (Leith)
  • 1569 (July) William Christison (Dundee)
  • 1570 (March), 1576 (Oct.), 1581 (Oct.) John Craig (Edinburgh)
  • 1570 (July), 1575 (Aug.), 1581 (April), 1583 (Oct.), 1595 (March) and 1597 (April) Robert Pont (Edinburgh: St Cuthbert's)
  • 1571 (March) George Hay (Rathven)
  • 1571 (August) Gilbert Gardin (Fordyce)
  • 1572 (March) Robert Hamilton (St Andrews)
  • 1573 (March) and 1578 (Oct.) David Ferguson (Dunfermline)
  • 1573 (Aug.) and 1577 (April) Alexander Arbuthnot (Principal of King's College, Aberdeen)
  • 1574 (March) and 1580 (Oct.) Andrew Hay (Renfrew)
  • 1574 (Aug.) John Duncanson (Minister at the King's House)
  • 1575 (March) James Boyd (Bishop of Glasgow)
  • 1578 (April), 1582 (April and June), 1587 and 1594 Andrew Melville (Principal of the College, Glasgow)
  • 1579 (July) and 1583 (April) Thomas Smeton (Minister at Paisley, later Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1580 (July) James Lawson (Edinburgh)
  • 1588 (Feb.) and 1592 Robert Bruce (Edinburgh)
  • 1588 (Aug.) Thomas Buchanan (Ceres)
  • 1589 (Feb.) none mentioned
  • 1589 (June) and 1590 (March) James Melville (Anstruther, Fife)
  • 1590 (Aug.) and 1602 Patrick Galloway (Minister at the King's House)
  • 1591 Nicol Dalgleish (Pittenweem)
  • 1595 and 1606 James Nicolson (Meigle, later Bishop of Dunkeld)
  • 1597 (March) Peter Blackburn (Aberdeen, later Bishop of Aberdeen)
  • 1597 (May) Robert Rollock (Principal of the College of Edinburgh)
  • 1600 Robert Wilkie (Principal, St Leonard's College, St Andrews)

17th century

No General Assembly until 1638

No General Assembly after 1653 until the restoration of Presbyterianism in 1690. Gabriel Cunningham (now very old) acted as Interim Moderator in 1690 (as though there had been no gap) until Kennedie was chosen to succeed him.

18th century

  • 1701 and 1704 Thomas Wilkie AM (Edinburgh: Canongate)
  • 1702 David Williamson AM (Edinburgh: St Cuthbert's) aka "Dainty Davie"
  • 1705, 1708, 1711 and 1715 William Carstares AM (Principal of the College of Edinburgh)
  • 1706, 1713, 1718, 1724 and 1728 William Wishart DD (South Leith, later Principal of the College of Edinburgh)
  • 1707 John Stirling (Principal of the College of Glasgow)
  • 1709 John Currie (Haddington)
  • 1710, 1714, 1717, 1722 and 1726 William Mitchell (Edinburgh: High Church)
  • 1712, 1716, 1720, 1727 and 1730 William Hamilton DD (Professor of Divinity, later Principal of the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1719 James Grierson (Edinburgh: Trinity College Church)
  • 1721 Thomas Black (Perth)
  • 1723 and 1731 James Smith (Cramond; later Principal of the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1725 and 1729 James Alston AM (Dirleton)
  • 1732 and 1737 Neil Campbell DD (Principal of Glasgow University)
  • 1733 John Gowdie DD (Edinburgh: New North, also Principal of the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1734 James Gordon DD (Alford)
  • 1735 Alexander Anderson AM (St Andrews)
  • 1738 and 1741 James Ramsay AM (Kelso)
  • 1739 James Bannatyne (Edinburgh: Trinity College Church)
  • 1740 George Logan (Edinburgh: Trinity College Church)
  • 1742 Thomas Tullideph DD (Principal, St Leonard's College, St Andrews)
  • 1743 Robert Wallace DD (Edinburgh: New North)
  • 1744 John Adams (Dalrymple)
  • 1745 William Wishart DD (Principal (Secundus) of the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1746 John Lumsden (Professor of Divinity, King's College, Aberdeen)
  • 1747 Robert Kinloch AM (Edinburgh: High Church)
  • 1748 George Wishart DD (Edinburgh: Tron Church)
  • 1749, 1752 and 1756 Patrick Cumming DD (Edinburgh: Old Church, also Professor of Church History)
  • 1750 Robert Patoun AM (Renfrew)
  • 1751 James Mackie (St Ninians)
  • 1753 Alexander Webster DD (Edinburgh: Tolbooth)
  • 1754 and 1760 Robert Hamilton DD (Professor of Divinity, Edinburgh) and minister of Old Greyfriars Kirk
  • 1755 George Reid AM (St Evox)
  • 1757 William Leechman DD (Professor of Divinity, later Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1758 Thomas Turnbull (Borthwick)
  • 1759 George Kay DD (Edinburgh: Old Greyfriars')
  • 1761 John Hyndman DD
  • 1762 Robert Trail DD (Professor of Divinity, University of Glasgow)
  • 1763 William Robertson DD (Edinburgh: Old Greyfriars, also Principal of the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1764 Alexander Gerard DD (Professor of Theology, Marischal College, Aberdeen)
  • 1765 James Oswald DD (Methven)
  • 1766 John Hamilton DD (Glasgow: High Church)
  • 1767 James Murison DD (Principal of the New College, St Andrews)
  • 1768 Gilbert Hamilton DD (Cramond, near Edinburgh)
  • 1769 James MacKnight DD (Maybole)
  • 1770 Alexander Carlyle DD (Inveresk)
  • 1771 Robert Walker (Edinburgh: The High Kirk)
  • 1772 Adam Fergusson (Moulin)
  • 1773 and 1784 John Drysdale FRSE DD (Edinburgh: Tron)
  • 1774 Robert Henry DD (Edinburgh: New Greyfriars')
  • 1775 David Shaw DD (Coylton)
  • 1776 John Ker DD (Forfar)
  • 1777 James Brown AM (Edinburgh: New Church)
  • 1778 Patrick Grant DD (Urray)
  • 1779 James Gillespie (St Andrews)
  • 1780 Harry Spens DD (East Wemyss)
  • 1781 William Dalrymple DD (Ayr)
  • 1782 Joseph McCormick DD (Prestonpans, later Principal of St Leonard's College, St Andrews)
  • 1783 Henry Grieve DD (Dalkeith)
  • 1785 Sir Henry Moncrieff-Wellwood, Bart., DD (Edinburgh: West)
  • 1786 Duncan Shaw DD (Aberdeen)
  • 1787 Robert Liston (Aberdour) (last to be elected without DD)
  • 1788 Archibald Davidson DD (Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1789 George Hill DD Professor of Divinity, St Andrews University)
  • 1790 John Walker MD, DD (Professor of Natural History, Edinburgh)
  • 1791 Robert Small DD (Dundee, St Mary's), Mathematician and Astronomer
  • 1792 Andrew Hunter DD (Professor of Divinity, Edinburgh)
  • 1793 Thomas Hardy DD (Professor of Church History, Edinburgh)
  • 1794 Robert Arnot DD (Professor of Divinity, University of St Andrews)
  • 1795 James Meek DD (Cambuslang), Historian and Meteorologist
  • 1796 William Greenfield DD (Edinburgh: High Church, also Professor of Rhetoric at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1797 John Adamson DD (St Andrews) Professor of Civil History in the United College, St Andrews
  • 1798 William Taylor DD (Glasgow: High, also Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1799 William Moodie DD (Edinburgh: St Andrew's, also Professor of Hebrew at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1800 George Baird DD (Principal, University of Edinburgh)

19th century

  • 1801 William Ritchie DD (Kilwinning)
  • 1802 James Finlayson DD (Edinburgh: High Church, also Professor of Logic at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1803 Gilbert Gerard DD (Professor of Divinity, University of Aberdeen)
  • 1804 John Inglis DD (Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh)
  • 1805 George Hamilton DD (Gladsmuir)
  • 1806 William Taylor DD, jr. (Glasgow)
  • 1807 James Sherriffs DD (Aberdeen)
  • 1808 Andrew Grant DD (Kilmarnock)
  • 1809 Francis Nicoll DD (Mains and Strathmartine)
  • 1810 Hugh Meiklejohn DD (Abercorn, also Professor of Church History at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1811 Alexander Rankin DD (Glasgow: North West Church)
  • 1812 William MacMorine DD (Caerlaverock)
  • 1813 Andrew Brown DD (Edinburgh: Old Church, also Professor of Rhetoric at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1814 David Ritchie FRSE DD (Edinburgh: St Andrew's, also Professor of Logic at the University of Edinburgh)
  • 1815 Lewis Gordon DD (Drainie)
  • 1816 John Cook DD (Professor of Divinity, St Andrews)
  • 1817 Gavin Gibb DD (Glasgow: St Andrew's, also Professor of Hebrew, University of Glasgow)
  • 1818 John Campbell DD (Edinburgh)
  • 1819 and 1843 Duncan Macfarlan DD (Drymen, later Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1820 Thomas MacKnight DD FRSE (Edinburgh: Old Church)
  • 1821 Duncan Mearns DD (Professor of Divinity, Aberdeen)
  • 1822 David Lamont DD (Kirkpatrick-Durham)
  • 1823 Alexander Brunton DD (Edinburgh: Tron Kirk, also Professor of Oriental Languages, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1824 Andrew Duncan DD (Ratho)
  • 1825 George Cook DD FRSE (Laurencekirk)
  • 1826 Thomas Taylor DD (Tibbermore)
  • 1827 Robert Haldane DD (Principal, St Mary's College, St Andrews)
  • 1828 Stevenson McGill DD (Professor of Divinity, Glasgow University)
  • 1829 Patrick Forbes DD (Oldmachar)
  • 1830 William Singer DD (Kirkpatrick-Juxta)
  • 1831 James Wallace DD (Whitekirk)
  • 1832 Thomas Chalmers DD LLD (Professor of Divinity, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1833 John Stirling DD (Craigie)
  • 1834 Patrick MacFarlan (West Kirk Greenock)
  • 1835 William Aird Thomson DD (Perth)
  • 1836 Norman Macleod DD (The Highlanders' Friend) (Glasgow: St Columba)
  • 1837 Matthew Gardiner DD (Bothwell)
  • 1838 William Muir DD LLD (Edinburgh: St Stephen's)
  • 1839 Henry Duncan DD (Ruthwell)
  • 1840 Angus Makellar DD (Pencaitland)
  • 1841 Robert Gordon DD (Edinburgh: High Church)
  • 1842 David Welsh DD (Professor of Church History, University of Edinburgh)

Post Disruption

The "Disruption" in the Church of Scotland took place in 1843, with approximately one-third of the ministers leaving to form the Free Church of Scotland. The Moderator in this critical year was Duncan Macfarlan DD (High Church of Glasgow)

  • 1844 John Lee DD LLD MD (Principal, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1845 Alexander Hill DD (Professor of Divinity, Glasgow)
  • 1846 James Paul DD (Tullynessle)
  • 1847 John Paul DD (Edinburgh: West Kirk)
  • 1848 George Buist DD (Professor of Church History, St Andrews)
  • 1849 Alexander Lockhart Simpson DD (Kirknewton)
  • 1850 John Graham DD (Killearn)
  • 1851 John Macleod DD (Morven)
  • 1852 Lewis William Forbes DD (Boharm)
  • 1853 James Barr DD (Glasgow: St Enoch's)
  • 1854 James Grant DD DCL (Edinburgh: St Mary's)
  • 1855 Andrew Bell DD (Linlithgow)
  • 1856 John Crombie DD (Scone)
  • 1857 James Robertson FRSE DD (Professor of Church History, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1858 Matthew Leishman DD (Govan)
  • 1859 Prof John Cook DD (Professor of Church History, St Andrews)
  • 1860 James Maitland DD (Kells)
  • 1861 Colvin Smith DD (Inveraray)
  • 1862 James Bisset DD (Bourtie)
  • 1863 James Craik DD (Glasgow: St George's)
  • 1864 William Robinson Pirie DD (Principal, University of Aberdeen)
  • 1865 James Macfarlane FRSE DD (Duddingston, near Edinburgh)
  • 1866 John Cook DD (Haddington)
  • 1867 Thomas Jackson Crawford DD FRSE, (Professor of Divinity, University of Edinburgh)
  • 1868 James Strachan Barty DD (Bendochy)
  • 1869 Norman MacLeod DD (Glasgow: The Barony)
  • 1870 George Ritchie DD (Jedburgh)
  • 1871 Robert Horne Stevenson DD (Edinburgh: St George's)
  • 1872 Robert Jamieson DD (Glasgow: St Paul's)
  • 1873 Robert Gillan DD (Inchinnan)
  • 1874 Samuel Trail DD (Professor of Divinity, Aberdeen)
  • 1875 James Sellar DD (Aberlour)
  • 1876 George Cook DD (Borgue)
  • 1877 Kenneth Macleay Phin DD (Convener of the Home Mission Committee)
  • 1878 John Tulloch DD LLD (Principal, St Mary's College, St Andrews)
  • 1879 James Crystal DD LLD (Auchinleck)
  • 1880 Archibald Watson DD (Dundee)
  • 1881 James Smith DD (Cathcart)
  • 1882 William Milligan DD (Professor of Biblical Criticism, Aberdeen)
  • 1883 John Rankine DD (Sorn)
  • 1884 Peter M'Kenzie DD (Dingwall: Urquhart)
  • 1885 Alexander Ferrier Mitchell DD (Professor of Church History, St Andrews)
  • 1886 John Cunningham DD LLD (Principal, St Mary's College, University of St Andrews)
  • 1887 George Hutchison DD (Banchory-Ternan)
  • 1888 William Henry Gray DD (Liberton)
  • 1889 Paton James Gloag DD LLD (Galashiels)
  • 1890 A. K. H. Boyd DD LLD (St Andrews)
  • 1891 James MacGregor DD (Edinburgh: St Cuthbert's)
  • 1892 Archibald Charteris DD LLD (University of Edinburgh)
  • 1893 J. Marshall Lang DD LLD (Glasgow: The Barony)
  • 1894 Robert Herbert Story DD LLD (Principal of the University of Glasgow)
  • 1895 Donald Macleod DD (Glasgow: Park Church)
  • 1896 Archibald Scott DD (Edinburgh: St George's)
  • 1897 William Mair DD (Earlston)
  • 1898 Thomas Leishman DD (Linton)
  • 1899 John Pagan DD (Bothwell)
  • 1900 Norman Macleod DD FRSE (Inverness)

20th century

  • 1901 James Mitchell DD (South Leith)
  • 1902 James Curdie Russell DD (Campbeltown)
  • 1903 John Gillespie LLD (Mouswald)
  • 1904 John McMurtrie FRSE DD (Convener, Committee on Foreign Missions)
  • 1905 Andrew J. Milne LLD (Fyvie)
  • 1906 Thomas Brown William Niven DD (Pollokshields)
  • 1907 James Robert Mitford Mitchell DD (Convener, Colonial Committee)
  • 1908 Theodore Marshall DD (Convener, Home Mission Committee)
  • 1909 James Robertson DD (Whittinghame)
  • 1910 Pearson McAdam Muir DD (Glasgow Cathedral)
  • 1911 Alexander Stewart DD (Principal of St Mary's College, University of St Andrews)
  • 1912 Samuel Marcus Dill DD (Alloway)
  • 1913 Andrew Wallace Williamson DD (Edinburgh: High Kirk (St Giles’ Cathedral))
  • 1914 Thomas Nicol DD (Professor of Biblical Criticism, Aberdeen)
  • 1915 David Paul LLD FLS (Edinburgh: Robertson Memorial Church)
  • 1916 John Brown DD (Glasgow: Bellahouston)
  • 1917 James Cooper DD DCL DLitt (Professor of Church History, Glasgow)
  • 1918 James Nicoll Ogilvie DD (Edinburgh: New Greyfriars')
  • 1919 William Paterson Paterson DD LLD (University of Edinburgh)
  • 1920 Thomas Martin DD (Peebles)
  • 1921 James A. McClymont CBE DD (Convener of the Committee on Chaplains to H. M. Forces)
  • 1922 John Smith (1854-1927) DD (Glasgow: Partick)
  • 1923 George Milligan DD DCL (University of Glasgow)
  • 1924 David Cathels DD (Hawick)
  • 1925 John White DD LLD (Glasgow: The Barony)(also served in 1929)
  • 1926 John Donaldson McCallum DD (Larkhall)
  • 1927 Norman Maclean DD (Edinburgh: St Cuthbert's)
  • 1928 James Montgomery Campbell DD (Dumfries)
  • 1929 Joseph Mitchell DD (Mauchline)

The union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland occurred in 1929, the newly reunited church henceforth being known as the Church of Scotland.

21st century

  • 2001 John Miller BA BD DD (Glasgow: Castlemilk East)
  • 2002 Finlay Macdonald MA BD PhD DD (Principal Clerk to the General Assembly)
  • 2003 Iain Torrance TD MA BD DPhil DD (Professor, University of Aberdeen)
  • 2004 Alison Elliot OBE MA MSc PhD LLD DD (Elder, Session Clerk at Edinburgh: Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, Associate Secretary of the Centre for Theology & Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh, first woman to be Moderator and first non-minister to be Moderator since the 16th century)
  • 2005 David Lacy BA BD DLitt (Kilmarnock: Henderson)
  • 2006 Alan McDonald LLB BD MTh DLitt (Cameron linked with St Andrews: St Leonard's)
  • 2007 Sheilagh M. Kesting BA BD DD (Secretary of the Committee on Ecumenical Relations)
  • 2008 David W. Lunan MA BD (Clerk to the Presbytery of Glasgow)
  • 2009 William C. Hewitt BD DipPS (Greenock: Westburn)
  • 2010 John Christie BSc BD (Interim Minister at West Kilbride: St Andrews and the Scots Kirk, Lausanne)
  • 2011 A. David K. Arnott MA BD (retired, formerly at St Andrews: Hope Park linked with Strathkinness)
  • 2012 Albert O. Bogle BD MTh (Bo'ness: St Andrew's)
  • 2013 E. Lorna Hood OBE MA BD DD (Renfrew: North)
  • 2014 John Chalmers BD DD (Principal Clerk to the General Assembly) (Angus Morrison MA BD PhD (Orwell and Portmoak) was initially nominated but withdrew on health grounds)
  • 2015 Angus Morrison MA BD PhD (Orwell and Portmoak)
  • 2016 Russell Barr BA BD MTh DMin (Edinburgh: Cramond)
  • 2017 Derek Browning MA BD DMin (Edinburgh: Morningside)
  • 2018 Susan M. Brown BD DipMin (Dornoch Cathedral)
  • 2019 Colin Sinclair BA BD (Edinburgh: Palmerston Place)
  • 2020 W. Martin Fair BA BD DMin (Arbroath: St Andrew's) [3]
  • 2021 Moderator-designate Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness PC QC FRSE (Elder at St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall)

Family Connections

It is noted that several Moderators have family connections:

  • William Wishart (1706,1713,1718,1724,1728) - father of George Wishart (1748)
  • William Hamilton (1712,1716,1720,1727,1730) - father of Robert Hamilton (1754,1760)
  • Alexander Gerard (1763) - father of Gilbert Gerard (1803)
  • Robert Liston (1787) - father-in-law to Hugh Meiklejohn (1810)
  • George Hill (1789) - father of Alexander Hill (1845) and maternal uncle of George Cook (1825)
  • James MacKnight (1769) - father to Thomas MacKnight (1820)
  • John Cook (1816) - brother-in-law of George Hill (1789), father of George Cook (1825), grandfather of John Cook (1859)
  • Matthew Leishman (1858) - father to Thomas Leishman (1898)
  • Thomas F. Torrance (1976) - father to Iain Torrance (2003)
  • John Rankine (1883) - father-in-law of Archibald Scott (1896)

Moderators who were later Moderators of the Free Church

  • Thomas Chalmers (1832) - Moderator of Free Church in 1843
  • Patrick MacFarlan (1834) - Moderator of Free Church in 1845
  • Angus Makellar (1840) - Moderator of the Free Church in 1852

See also

  • Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

References

  1. ^ www.debretts.com Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ https://archive.org/stream/fastiecclesiaesc00scot/fastiecclesiaesc00scot_djvu.txt
  3. ^ https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/2019/rev_dr_martin_fair_is_moderator_designate_for_2020-21?t=1571653241

Sources

  • Church of Scotland Yearbook 1908 edition, 1933 edition, 1966 edition and 2003-04 edition ISBN 0-86153-353-4. The 1908 yearbook entries (1560-1908) were compiled by the late Rev Dr Robert W. Weir.

Note

External links

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