BRAEHEAD.

Braehead is a village in the parish of Carnwath and upper ward of Lanarkshire, 9 miles south of Longridge, 63 north-east of Lanark, and 11 north-west of Biggar. The members of the congregation of Biggar resident in and about Carnwath were formed, under sanction of the Associate (Burgher) Presbytery of Edinburgh, into a separate congregation in 1796, with its seat in Carnwath. The members residing in the north were desirous of having the seat of the congregation nearer them, and with this view applied to the Associate (Burgher) Presbytery to afford them supply of sermon at Braehead, 4 miles distant from Carnwath, which was granted, 1797. The station at Carnwath was then abandoned, and the persons previously assembling there attended at Braehead, till they also became a separate congregation. A place of worship containing 500 sittings was raised at Braehead, chiefly through the exertions of the late W. Sommerville, Esq. of Cobenhill, in 1798; rebuilt 1846.

Before obtaining a fixed pastor, the congregation called Mr Blackwood, who was appointed by the Synod to Galston; and Mr W. Smart, who was appointed to Paisley.

1st Minister.-WILLIAM HORNE, from Falkirk (East). Ordained 21st September 1802. The members of Braehead resident in and about Carnwath became a separate congregation in 1832, with Mr Horne as their minister.

2d Minister.-JOHN M'LELLAN, from Broughton Place, Edinburgh. Ordained 27th August 1833. Resigned 8th November 1845. Emigrated to America, and became minister of a congregation in Detroit, Canada West.

The congregation called Mr Robert Anderson, afterwards of Kilsyth, the first Relief preacher called by a Secession congregation.

3d Minister.-ALEXANDER BANKS, A.M., from Saltcoats. Ordained 18th January 1848.

ROBERTON.

Roberton is a village in the upper ward of Lanarkshire, 9 miles south-west of Biggar, 12 south of Lanark, and 4 from the well-known hill of Tinto.

The origin of this congregation must be traced to a point more remote than its actual formation. Prior to the year 1772, the village in which the place of worship is built gave name to a distinct parish, and was the seat of the parish church. Upon the death of the Rev. Mr Nimmo, in 1772, the parish of Roberton was united with that of Wiston, which adjoins it on the north and east. The church in Wiston then became common to both parishes, and the one in Roberton was left unoccupied. This union was strongly opposed by the parishioners of Roberton-partly on account of the distance it would cause them to travel, partly because of their dislike to the minister of Wiston, and partly, and perhaps chiefly, because of their cherished attachment to the place where they had been accustomed to worship. These reasons were strengthened by the refusal of Mr Porteous, who had become minister of the united parishes, to open the church at Roberton on Sacramental Fast Days, which he had been strongly urged to do by the people there, who wished to enjoy such occasions as they had been accustomed to in the old church of their parish. Mr Porteous was succeeded in the incumbency of the united parishes by a clergyman orthodox in doctrine and exemplary in conduct, but uninstructive in preaching and haughty in demeanour. To him application was also made for supply of sermon at Roberton

on Fast Days, and again the application was answered by a refusal. This refusal, conjoined with his peculiar mode of preaching, suggested to the people the thought of building a dissenting place of worship in the village. This idea was first mooted at the funeral of Mr Harvey, farmer, Kilpotby, father of the late Mr Harvey of Calton, Glasgow. The proposal was speedily carried into effect. Their first application was to the Rev. Dr Hall, then of Rose Street, Edinburgh, who complied with the request, and preached at Roberton, when a collection was made for the purchase of a tent. Other Secession ministers would have followed, but at the suggestion of some respectable and influential members of the Relief congregation of Biggar, resident in the district, the persons taking part in the movement were induced to make application to the Relief Presbytery of Glasgow for supply of sermon, which was granted in September 1799, and continued afterwards to be regularly supplied. Church built, 1801; sittings, 394. A new church was built in 1872; cost £700; sittings, 225.

Called

1st Minister.-GEORGE CAMPBELL, from Sir Michael Street, Greenock. to Riccarton (now King Street, Kilmarnock), and Roberton. Ordained 12th May 1802. Mr Campbell had a call from Newlands, and another from a congregation in America, both of which he declined. Died 16th November 1847, in the 78th year of his age and 46th of his ministry.

2d Minister.-Robert D. SCOTT, from Sir Michael Street, Greenock. Ordained as colleague to Mr Campbell, 15th April 1845.

DOUGLAS.

Douglas is a village in the parish of the same name, upper ward of Lanarkshire, II miles south of Lanark, 17 south-west of Biggar, and 17 north of Sanquhar.

Douglas is in the mountainous parts of the county of Lanark. The whole district, except towards the north, is uncultivated and sparsely peopled. It is chiefly portioned out in store farms, many of them four miles in length. A praying society in the parish of Douglas acceded to the Associate Presbytery in July 1741, and became part of "The Correspondence of Lesmahago," then formed. The members composing it were subsequently included in the congregation of Cambusnethan, the seat of which is 18 miles from the village of Douglas. Thirty-six years after the accession of that society there were only seven Seceders in the whole parish of Douglas, all of them belonging to the General Associate (Antiburgher) congregation of Hamilton, the seat of which is twenty miles distant. Mr Punton, the minister of that congregation, preached twice or three times a year to this little band, as circumstances permitted; but in process of time the cause became extinct. Sixty or seventy years ago there was only one solitary Seceder in the parish of Douglas, who had previously belonged to Shuttle Street, now Greyfriars, Glasgow. But distance from Secession Churches made him remiss in his attendance upon them, and the parish minister changed his remissness into desertion by making him an elder of the Established Church. So Douglas became what was even then a very rare, if not wholly a special case,-a Lowland parish without a Seceder. The doctrines preached at that time were not evangelical, and in consequence the Rev. John Brown, then of Biggar, afterwards of Edinburgh, was induced to visit the parish, and seek an opportunity of preaching in it. The Mason Hall was granted him; and there, on the 9th of July 1815, he proclaimed the doctrines propounded in the standards of the Secession Church. In the forenoon the audience was small; in

the afternoon larger; and in the evening the house was crowded. The Rev. Mr Fleming of West Calder preached by appointment of the Presbytery on the second Sabbath of October following, and was listened to by an attentive audience convened in the burying-ground. In January 1816, a few persons resident in Douglas applied to the Associate (Burgher) Presbytery of Lanark for supply of sermon once in three weeks, which was granted. In March 1817 the supply was increased to once a fortnight; and in November of that year the persons taking interest in the movement were formed into a regularly organized congregation. Church built, 1817; sittings, 360.

1st Minister.-JOHN JAMIESON, from Mauchline. Ordained 22d August 1820. Mr Jamieson was the last probationer ordained by the Associate (Burgher) Synod, the Union between the two great branches of the Secession, which was then pending, being consummated on the 8th September 1820. Demitted his charge 3d November 1863. Now living in Berwick.

2d Minister-JAMES RONALD, from Glasgow (Cambridge Street). Ordained 3d January 1865. Translated to Annan, 5th December 1871.

The congregation called Mr John Elder and Mr James Drummond, both of whom declined the calls.

3d Minister.-ALEXANDER CRIGHTON ALEXANDER, from Lochee. Ordained, December 1872.

CROSSFORD.

The place of worship of Crossford is situated in the hamlet of that name, in the parish of Lesmahago, upper ward of Lanarkshire, 5 miles south-west of Lanark, and 9 south-east of Hamilton.

The members of the Secession congregation of Lanark, resident in the remoter parts of Lesmahago parish, were formed into a separate congregation, under sanction of the Presbytery, in 1830, chiefly on account of distance from the place of worship they had been accustomed to attend. Church built, 1830; sittings, 350; cost £350.

Ist Minister.-GEORGE ARNOT, from Inverkeithing. 1833. Loosed from his charge 17th June 1840.

Ordained 6th August

2d Minister.-SLOANE S. CHRISTIE, from Belfast. Called to Letham and Crossford. Ordained 5th May 1841. Died 7th May 1842, in the 2d year of his ministry.

3d Minister.-ALEXANDER D. KININMONT, from Broughton Place, Edinburgh. Called to Broughty Ferry and Crossford. Ordained 1st November 1843. Translated to Kirkgate, Leith, 24th July 1849.

4th Minister.-JOHN WEIR, from Cumnock. Ordained 24th April 1850.

CARNWATH.

Carnwath is a village in the parish of the same name in the upper ward of Lanarkshire, 6 miles north-east of Lanark and 7 north-west of Biggar.

The history of this congregation has been already given under that of Braehead, of which it formed a part till 1832, when, under sanction of the Presbytery, 50 members were disjoined and formed into a separate congregation along with their minister. Church built same year; sittings, 300.

1st Minister.-WILLIAM HORNE, previously of Braehead. Removed to Carn

wath 16th October 1832. Resigned 2d April 1833. Went to America and became minister to a body of emigrants from Scotland. Settled in Caledonia, Moorfield, Switzerland County, State of Indiana, and died there 17th December 1848, in the 47th year of his ministry.

The congregation called Mr Inglis, who was appointed by the Synod to Hamilton.

2d Minister.-JAMES BARRIE, from Perth (South). Ordained 2d September 1835. Died 1st February 1864, in the 63d year of his age and 29th of his ministry.

3d Minister.-JOHN BLAIR, from Biggar (North). Ordained 6th September 1864.

CARLUKE.

Carluke is a burgh town in the upper ward of Lanarkshire, 5 miles north-west of Lanark, 4 south-east of Wishaw, and 18 south-east of Glasgow.

The year 1830, and several subsequent years, was a period of great excitement in Scotland, produced by the demand for Parliamentary reform, and the separation of Church and State. The first of these demands was complied with in 1832; the other remained unanswered. The parish minister of Carluke at that time was a man of high church principles, and as such was unfavourable to both demands. He was besides considered by the persons moving in this cause as favouring the views put forth by the Rev. Mr Campbell of Row, for which that clergyman was afterwards suspended from office by the church courts. This combination of circumstances led, in September 1832, to an application to the Relief Presbytery of Hamilton, on the part of certain members of the parish church, to be taken under their inspection as a forming congregation, which was granted. The congregation was organised 9th April 1833. Church built, 1833; sittings, 870.

1st Minister.-JAMES JARVIE, from Glasgow (Anderston). Ordained 28th October 1834. Translated to Kelso 18th April 1837.

2d Minister.-ALEXANDER NEILSON, from Glasgow (John Street). Called to Castle-Douglas and Carluke. Ordained 11th October 1837. Died 25th August 1869, in the 60th year of his age and 32d of his ministry.

3d Minister.-J. R. HOUSTON, formerly of Dysart. Admitted 28th June 1870.

LESMAHAGO.

Lesmahago, more properly Abbeygreen, is a village in the parish of Lesmahago, upper ward of Lanarkshire, 6 miles south-west of Lanark, 5 south-east of Stonehouse, and 23 south-east of Glasgow.

In

In July 1836, the Rev. W. M'Lay of Strathaven stated to the Relief Presbytery of Hamilton, that a promising field for a mission station then presented itself in Lesmahago, where several members of his congregation resided, by whom encouragement would be afforded if a preacher were sent there. A preacher was accordingly appointed to that place, and regular supply continued afterwards. October 1837, the persons taking interest in the movement were organised as a congregation, and of the 70 members then composing it, 12 had been previously connected with the Relief Church, the remainder belonging to other denominations, chiefly to the Established Church. In 1838 they took possession of a place of worship which they had built, containing 724 sittings.

1st Minister.-Alexander LINDSAY, from Tollcross.

Ordained 22d May 1838.

Resigned, 1845. Joined the Free Church. Author of "The Drinking Customs: a Lecture ;" and "Espoused to Christ," edited by Dr A. M'Leod.

2d Minister.-Robert CoRDINER, from Southend. Ordained 16th March 1847.

PRESBYTERY OF LANCASHIRE.

The Presbytery of Lancashire was formed in 1831 by the Associate Synod disjoining, at their own request, congregations from the Presbyteries of London and Carlisle, to which they previously belonged, and constituting them a separate Presbytery.

LIVERPOOL.

Liverpool is the great seaport of the west coast of England, 37 miles west of Manchester, and 38 south of Preston.

MOUNT PLEASANT.

This congregation originated in 1807 with fifteen Scotsmen who had been in connection with the Secession Church before taking up their residence in Liverpool. These persons constituted the whole congregation at the first minister's settlement. They met in a temporary place in Marble Street. Their first place of worship was built in Gloucester Street, 1808, from which they removed in 1827 to one which they had erected for themselves in Mount Pleasant, containing 1200 sittings, at a cost of £6500.

1st Minister.-JOHN STEWART, D.D., previously of Pitcairn, Perthshire. Admitted 25th April 1809. Had the degree of D.D. conferred upon him by Marischal College, Aberdeen, 1812. Died 7th October 1840, in the 72d year of his age, and 42d of his ministry. Author of sermons on "Presbyterian Eldership," 1828; on "The Death of a Young Lady;" and "The death of the Princess Charlotte." 2d Minister.-HUGH CRICHTON, D.D., previously of Duntocher. Admitted as colleague to Dr Stewart 18th April 1838. Had the degree of D.D. conferred upon him by the University of Glasgow, 1842. Died 14th January 1871, in the 75th year of his age, and 46th of his ministry.

3d Minister.-WILLIAM GRAHAM, from Paisley (Abbey Close). Ordained as colleague to Dr Crichton, 4th March 1846. Called to Glasgow (Sydney Place), as colleague to Dr Ker, 1871, but declined the call. Author of lectures on "John Knox:" " "Scottish Covenanters :" "Loyola and Pascal :" and "John Milton ;" and of Sermon on the "Ter-Centenary of Shakspeare." Moderator of English Synod in 1872.

RUSSELL STREET CHURCH (Now EXTINCT).

This congregation originated with certain members of Mount Pleasant congregation, who disapproved of the use of any compositions in the psalmody of the church, except the Psalms of David, and on that account separated from Mount