Presbyterian Ministers

[CrichtonD]

Hi does anyone know of a list of when/where ministers were ordained.  I am researching Rev. John Millar who was born in 1798 in Scotland and was a minister in Northern Ireland in 1829.

[jessden]

Do you know for certain that he was ordained in Scotland rather than in Ireland? I don't know anything about the Presbyterian churches in Ireland but in Scotland most of them seem to have published lists - often called "Fasti" - a bit of Latin meaning list.  At the time you mention, if he was in Scotland he might have been a minister of the Church of Scotland, of the Relief Church, of the Associate Presbyterian or possibly the Cameronians or Reformed Presbyterian Church. The information about the Relief Church and the Associate Presbyterian church is held in a large 2 volume set called The History of the United Presbyterian Church (these 2 churches came together to form the UP Church.

I know that published information about the ministers of these churches is available in the Edinburgh Central Library and I would normally offer to check for you but I am unlikely to be going there within the next few weeks.

Sorry its so complicated.  I wondered where in Scotland this minister was born.  If he was born in Galloway (Wigtownshire or Kirkcudbrightshire, he might not have spent much time in Scotland.  This area is very close to Ireland and lots of people went back and forth.

Perhaps you should put a posting on the Ireland board - probably someone could tell you about Irish sources for Presbyterian Ministers

Regards

Jessden

[CrichtonD]

I don't know where he was born which is one reason I wanted this record hoping it might give me a clue.  I think his son had a connection with Largs so have looked wondered if he was born there but so far have found nothing.  Thanks for your help

[scotmum]

This link will explain a bit about the Fasti and where it can be researched.

[CrichtonD]

Thankyou for that link.  I have just found out via a message on the Antrim board that he was ordained 13 July 1828 by the Presbytery of Ayr.

[Roncac]

 

Do you know for certain that he was ordained in Scotland rather than in Ireland? I don't know anything about the Presbyterian churches in Ireland but in Scotland most of them seem to have published lists - often called "Fasti" - a bit of Latin meaning list.  At the time you mention, if he was in Scotland he might have been a minister of the Church of Scotland, of the Relief Church, of the Associate Presbyterian or possibly the Cameronians or Reformed Presbyterian Church. The information about the Relief Church and the Associate Presbyterian church is held in a large 2 volume set called The History of the United Presbyterian Church (these 2 churches came together to form the UP Church.

I know that published information about the ministers of these churches is available in the Edinburgh Central Library and I would normally offer to check for you but I am unlikely to be going there within the next few weeks.


Regards

Jessden

I know that this is a long time after the original post, but there is a resource for researching Scottish Presbyterian ministers that has recently become available.

There is a website ecclegen.com which gives information about Free Church ministers, 1843-1900, but which also contains an index with the names of Presbyterian ministers of all denominations – Church of Scotland, Seceders, Free Church, Reformed Presbyterian – with links to digital resouces containing basic biographical information. For example, the John Millar that these posts are all about is actually recorded as John Miller and there are 4 references to him in two different books. OK, these don’t add anything much to what is now known about him. The point I’m making is that such information is readily available now in the General Index of Scottish Presbyterian Ministers at http://ecclegen.com/general-index-general-index/

I thought this might be of interest to people interested in researching in Scottish ministers' lists.