Templepatrick 1619-1969
The
story of the congregation.
by S.E.
Adair.
PREFACE BY THE
Rev. PROF, J M. BARKLEY, D.D.
Congregational
histories provide a mine of information about the customs, traditions and
living conditions of the past. Templepatrick Congregation is extremely
fortunate in that its records are complete, going back to the year 1646. In
addition earlier information about the district and community is well
substantiated.
I
am glad that the Rev. S. E. Adair, M.A., B.D., has seen fit to prepare a short
History of the Templepatrick community during three and a half centuries,
because we cannot appreciate the present and its blessings without a knowledge
of the past. I commend his work to all members of the Congregation, and indeed
to those outside it, for its accuracy and its interesting approach.
JOHN
M. BARKLEY
Secretary
of Faculty,
The
Presbyterian College,
Belfast,
7.
Templepatrick Manse, before Re-building
circa. 1900 Rev. Hamilton and family outside.
CHAPTER ONE
Why Presbyterians came to Templepatrick
in 1619.
Exactly three hundred and fifty years
ago the first Presbyterian families settled in the village of Templepatrick.
The report of the Plantation Commissioners in 1611 records that an officer of
Elizabeth I’s army in Ireland and one of five famous brothers, a certain Sir
Humphrey Norton, had been given permission to rebuild "a fair castle two
stories high with two great flankers or towers" at Templepatrick. In
October, 1619, Sir Humphrey was granted full possession of the Castle and
"the villages and lands belonging thereto," and to that domain he
brought many tenant farmers from Scotland and the West Country of England.
Why did these folk come so far to begin
a new life in Templepatrick? The reason is simple: they came at the invitation
of James I of England. Over many years the English Crown had found great
difficulty in ruling Ireland and matters had come to a head in the reign of
Elizabeth I and at the accession of James I. But in 1607 the natural leaders of
the Province of Ulster, the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell, who had been
foremost in the struggles of the Irish people against the Crown, forsook their
lands and sailed quietly into a Spanish exile. The flight of the earls was a
golden opportunity for King James. According to English law their lands had
become forfeit to the Crown and the King decided to grant the land to people
who would be loyal to himself and maintain the peace of the kingdom.
His plan became known as the Plantation
of Ulster and its purpose straightforward, to colonise Ulster with men from his
two kingdoms of Scotland and England. The Plantation Commissioners divided the
land into lots of 2,000, 1,500 and 1,000 acre estates. On each holding the
owner had to build a fortified enclosure and house for the protection and
security of his tenants. These were called "bawns" and two excellent
examples not far from Templepatrick are Ballygally Castle and Dalway's Bawn
near Carrickfergus.
Templepatrick, because of its previous
history as a Crusader's settlement, offered itself as a highly desirable area,
easily defended. But it was not a Garden of Eden. Ulster had suffered because
of strife and rebellion, and towns, villages, and farmsteads had to be repaired
and rebuilt. Templepatrick was no exception to the rest of the Province and its
condition was described in the Ulster Visitation in 1622 as
"ruinous."
The new-comers were very hard-working
and soon the village began to grow from Kilmakee at one end to Ballymartin at
the other. Indeed at that time Ballymartin was a sizeable village in its own
right and occasionally burned timber has been ploughed up as evidence of its
existence before its destruction, along with Templepatrick, in the 1798 Rising.
The Castle was the natural centre of
the community and in good times the landlord could give employment, and in
difficult times could protect his tenants. The farmer tenants came to the
village to pay their rents at the Castle and they could hire their labourers
and buy and sell at Templepatrick Fair. Had the village escaped destruction, it
is a fair conjecture that today after the Industrial Revolution it might have
grown to a town comparable to Ballyclare.
The homes of these new settlers were
usually built in the "half-timbered" style of England or were more
simply one storied dwellings of stone and thatch reminiscent of Scotland. The
interior of their homes presented a plain and homely appearance. The stone or
earthen floor would be covered in fine straw which was daily swept out with a
broom. Furnishings were hand-carved such as stools, chairs and table and often
in a corner there was a dresser on which were hung the pewter cups and plates
for family meals. In many houses there would have been spinning-wheels and
hand-looms, for the making of clothing was the skilled occupation of the women
of the household.
Family cooking was done over the open fire in the
hearth. An English traveller in Antrim at this time, a certain Sir William
Brereton tells about the food which was eaten and the cost of living.
"Here as in Scotland," says Sir William, "the people eat cakes
called 'kets' which they bake on iron plates over the fire and they do not
spare to cover them thickly in butter or cheese which is only one penny a
pound." The account of this traveller about prices is hardly credible to
modern ears. A full board at an inn cost 6d per day; a barrel of 100 herrings
was 3d and beef or mutton cost Id per pound.
Except for special occupations like the
miller or the blacksmith, nearly all the Plantation folk were engaged in
farming. It was mixed, with the chief crops being oats and potatoes. An early
sign of their quick business sense was the way in which they saw that Irish
cattle were too small and scarce for profit, and consequently they introduced a
sturdier breed from England.
These people had come to stay, and in
every way possible showed that they were in earnest in making a new life in
Ulster. But, as we shall see, it was an intention which was to cost them
heavily in the years ahead.
CHAPTER TWO
The Worship of the Presbyterians and
their First Minister
The Christian religion was the
foundation of the life and morality of the Presbyterian Plantation farmers.
They had accepted the renewal of the Church at the Reformation and their Church
government and worship reflected the insights of the Reformers. They realised
full well the truth of their Saviour that men cannot live by bread alone and
for them Christianity was the comfort and strength of their living.
It was therefore natural that the
settlers should bring with them the faith and traditions in which they had been
reared. The result was that in Ulster there were three streams of religious
belief: the native Irish who remained faithful to the Church of Rome, the
Scottish Presbyterians who remained faithful to their National Church of
Scotland and the English, who were either Independents or Episcopalians, in
conjunction with the Church of England.
Because Ireland had become a state
under the English Crown, the authorities established a State Church of Ireland
modelled along the lines of its English Sister Church. But with this difference;
never did it minister to the majority of the people as it did in England.
Although Roman Catholics and Presbyterians paid for the upkeep of the State
Church and its clergy, usually a tenth of their earnings, they maintained a
separate witness to their own historic traditions from Rome and Scotland.
Yet at the time of the Plantation,
relationships were excellent amongst the Protestant settlers. The State Church
accepted the services of Scottish Presbyterian clergy and some like Knox of
Raphoe and Echlin of Down were to become bishops without denying the Reformed
doctrine. The Irish Articles of 1615 of the Episcopalians were close to the
Westminster Confession of the Presbyterians. The University of Dublin was open
to all Protestants and indeed a Presbyterian, Walter Travers, had been Provost
of Trinity near the end of Elizabeth's reign. In this happy situation
Templepatrick had its own part to play, for it was a parish of the State Church
with the majority of its congregation Presbyterians by tradition. Like many
such congregations it was not surprising that it should seek a minister amongst
the Scottish clergy.
In the “common-place book of an old
inhabitant of Templepatrick1” dated 1755 this record of how the first
Presbyterian minister came to the church is written. It appears that a grandson
of the Reformer John Knox, a Mr. Josias Welch had come to Ulster as a tutor. He
had been educated in the universities of Glasgow and Geneva and for a time had
been a university don.
About 1625 he had been ordained a
Presbyter after the manner of the Church of Scotland by a relative, Bishop Knox
of Raphoe. He permitted Welch, as with other Presbyterian ordinands, to omit
any part of the Ordination Service "at which he scrupled." There was
a tradition that Mr. Welch ministered for some months at Killead, but it was in
Templepatrick that most of his life's work was to be done. The
"Common-place Book" describes his induction into the church. He had
evidently pleased two important families, the Shaws of Donegore and the
Nortons, and Captain Norton determined to have him as minister of
Templepatrick. The patronage of the parish had passed to the Castle land-lord,
and "Captain Norton came to the church with Mr. Welch at his back . . .
ordered the curate to come down from the pulpit, who came down with reluctancy:
Captain Norton ordered Mr. Welch to go up ... and continued him on the work of
the ministry."
How did Presbyterians worship in those
days? Certainly the Service was longer, as Robert Blair of Bangor related,
"the sermon exhausted the hour-glass in the little church at
Templepatrick." Organs were too expensive for most churches and a
precentor who stood under the pulpit was the person who "raised the
singing" and gave the lead to the congregation. Following the teaching of
the Reformers, worship was conducted in the language of the people and their
praise taken from the ancient hymnary of the Jewish Church, the Book of Psalms.
However, because all could not read and books were precious, the Psalms were
put into the rhymed metres of the Metrical Psalter so that they could be more
easily taught and learned. A feature of worship was that the congregation
remained seated for singing and stood for prayer. This practice is still
followed in the Presbyterian Church in Holland and Alsace. Perhaps because of
the length of prayers the old and infirm stayed near the walls for support, the
possible origin of the phrase, "the weakest to the wall"? The custom
of standing at prayer may be due to a fear of possible idolatry which the
Reformers feared in the Medieval Church. Or it may have been due to the usage
at the King's Court. Before God, as before the King it was disrespectful to remain
seated while speaking. Preaching the Word was important; for the Reformation
had given the people access to the Scriptures in their own tongue and it was
important that the whole counsel of God should be set before them and that they
should be correctly instructed in the doctrines of the Faith.
The Two Sacraments of the Gospel,
instituted by Christ, were observed. Baptism which was the admission of
children into the Church was done before the whole congregation as a sign of
the Church being the family of God. The practice of Baptising in the home was
restricted to situations of special difficulty like illness.
The Communion season was a great
occasion for the people and was observed over several days. Fast days were the
days prior to Sunday when people abstained from work and came in from the
fields to prepare themselves for the Sacrament; this is the origin of our
Thursday Pre-Communion Service, and Monday was kept as a Thanksgiving Day for
the joy and privilege of Communion. Communion tables covered in linen were
placed in the aisles to which the people came forward singing the Communion
Psalm, "I'll of salvation take the cup." Tokens in lead were
presented by each communicant so that a record could be kept of those who were
faithfully following Christ's command. Then minister and elders served bread
and wine as the symbols of the Saviours body and blood. In Mr. Welch's ministry
it is recorded that his preaching "had a rousing and wakening"
effect—he was the "cock of conscience" says Blair and over 1,500
communicants came forward to take Communion. It must have been an inspiring
testimony to the earnestness of the Presbyterians in the Six-mile Water valley
to see the little church sitting in the old-burying ground at the castle
thronged with so many at worship.
However, the happy relationships within
the State Church of Ireland were to end. The growing tension between Scotland
and England had its effect even in Templepatrick. For in 1634 the new Lord
Deputy, Sir Thomas Wentworth, under the guidance of Archbishop Laud of
Canterbury, determined to impose a uniformity of worship and practice according
to the doctrine of the English Thirty-Nine Articles. In May of that year Welch
and other Scottish clergy, were deposed from their ministries. He did continue
ministering to his huge flock in the open air but in June his health gave out
and he died of a fever.
His grave is beside the Mausoleum of
the Templeton family and according to a local historian, Dr. Stevenson, the
original stone had a Latin inscription which summarised aptly his life and
work.
'Here
lies interred under this stone, Great Knox's grand-child and Welch's son;
Born
in Scotland brought up in France, He came to Ireland the Gospel to advance.'
It would be sufficient to say that if Sir Humphrey
Norton was the founder of Templepatrick as a Plantation parish in 1619, it was
the Rev. Josias Welch who built the people up in their most holy faith. He laid
the foundations of Presbyterian doctrine and practice upon which his successor was
to build after the removal of Presbyterians from the State Church of Ireland.
CHAPTER
THREE
The Second Minister, Rev. Anthony
Kennedy and his Kirk Session
Over ten years were to pass before
Templepatrick found a successor to Mr. Welch. Presbyterianism had to lie
dormant because of the policy of the State Church towards Scottish clergy and
then in 1641 the dreadful rebellion of the native Irish almost obliterated
Protestantism from Ulster. During this time Templepatrick and its village
church were destroyed. Anxious about the fate of their kinsmen and
co-religionists, an army from Scotland landed in the following year at
Carrickfergus. A local story of this time expresses the terrible animosity
which was felt towards the Plantation settlers. A Miss Upton of the Castle had
married a local Irish landlord named Dunn from Dundrod. In the rebellion Dunn
tried to convert his wife from her Protestant faith. Failing to do so, the
husband then put her and their children into an upstairs room in the castle and
burned them to death. To this day it is said that her spirit walks the castle
in a lonely place and the icy coldness of her passing can be experienced still.
Dunn was later caught by the Uptons and executed at Dundrod.
However the troubles of this period meant
for Presbyterians that they had to organise themselves and in 1642 the
chaplains and elders of the Scottish regiments formed the first Presbytery in
Ireland at Carrickfergus. The Presbytery consisting of ministers and elders had
to shepherd the distressed Ulster folk and they were ministered to until such a
time as each congregation could have a settled ministry.
In 1646 the Session minute book of
Templepatrick records that the Rev. Anthony Kennedy was admitted to the
congregation Four ministers took part, Rev. Archibald Ferguson, of Antrim,
Moderator; Rev. Patrick Adair, of Cairncastle, and a noted historian of the
Church; Rev. David Boswell, of Ballymena; and Rev. Robert Cunningham of
Ballycarry. Among licentiates who were at the service was an interesting
inhabitant of Templepatrick, Rev. Jeremiah O'Quinn. A native Irish speaker and
a Master of Arts, he had been born a Roman Catholic but by this date had become
a Presbyterian and later was to have a distinguished career as minister of
Billy.
The names of the Session are
interesting for they are names familiar to the Six-mile Water until modern
times. Names of the Session: Major Edmond Ellis, Lieutenant James Lindsay,
William Hall, Adam McNeily, John Petticrew, James Windrume, Hugh Kennedy, John
Inglis, William Wallace, Alexander Coruth, Gilbert McNielie, Thomas Logan,
Thomas Taggart, Alexander Pringle, and with their names is a short list of four
Deacons or members of committee: Hugh Sloane, William McCord, Guian Herbison,
Gilbert Bellihill.
The Session then, as today, had the
duty of assisting the minister in the pastoral oversight of the church. But in
a day with no police in the community, the Session also had the duty of being
the guardians of public and private morality. If anyone committed an offence
they had to stand before the congregation and admit their repentance. The
session book states: "That all persons standing in a public place of
repentance shall pay the church officer one groat" and a typical entry is
one which tells of the strict reverence which the people had for the Lord's
Day: "it is enacted that if parents let their children wander or play on
the Lord's day, that they shall be censured as profaners of the Sabbath."
It must not be supposed however, that
the Session and Deacons were simply censorious. On the contrary, they helped
widows and orphans, paid a schoolmaster to bring on promising children, buried
at their own expense any who died alone and poor, and generally tried to fulfil
the love of Christ as best they could in the circumstances of three centuries
ago.
The Rev. Anthony Kennedy's ministry was
to last from 1646 until 1697. He re-built the church which had a bell, was
ceiled inside, enlarged with a gallery and had pews allocated to each family
who rented them. Often Mr. Kennedy conducted week day services and travelled on
horseback to outlying areas even going beyond the River Bann. As in Mr. Welch's
ministry he had crowded communions at which it is recorded, "one bushel of
flour and forty bottles of claret were consumed."
This
second ministry had of course to contend with changing crises in Ireland. The
Presbyterians remained loyal to the King's person though their democratic and
liberal sentiments were with the Parliamentarians in their dispute with Charles
I as to who should rule England. For this loyalty they earned the dislike of
Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans. Milton describes Presbyterian Ulster as a
"barbarous nook" and had scant respect for the "blockish
presbyters of Clandeboye," that is those Presbyterian ministers who
refused to support the republican regime of the Puritans. Unfortunately in the
Restoration of Charles II to the throne, the loyalty of the Presbyterians was
forgotten and in 1660 Kennedy was ejected from his pulpit by Bishop Jeremy Taylor
of Down and he had to take to the fields and glens to continue his ministry. It
was not until the reign of William of Orange that Mr. Kennedy was able to enjoy
a settled pastorate with a generous stipend being paid by a grateful King, the
"Royal Gift" as it was termed. This was about £100 per annum a truly
magnificent income in those days and when he died an old man of 83 years
Anthony Kennedy could survey a life-time of devoted loyalty to his flock and at
the end see their prosperity greater than they had ever known. He was buried in
1697 beside his predecessor in the Burying-ground at Templepatrick.
CHAPTER
FOUR
The years of peace and progress until
the Rising of 1798
On the eve of a new century in August,
1699, the Congregation saw its third minister installed. He was the Rev. James
Kirkpatrick whose ministry was to be quiet and uneventful. A son of the manse,
his father, Rev. Hugh Kirkpatrick was minister of Ballymoney. By nature Mr.
Kirkpatrick appears to have been a man of some scholarship and he was to attain
a distinction which few achieve, in becoming a doctor of medicine and a doctor
of divinity in the University of Glasgow. He was the first minister of Templepatrick
to become an author and published several sermons on the deaths of William III
and the local landlord, one of his esteemed elders, Arthur Upton of the Castle.
His main literary work was "The Loyalty of Presbyterians" in which he
vindicated the traditional position of the Presbyterian Church in maintaining
loyalty to the Crown without having it interfere with the life of the Church.
He was called to First Belfast in 1706 and it was with great reluctance that
Templepatrick Congregation let him go.
Templepatrick had some difficulty in
calling a successor. It appears that at that time Ballylinney was part of the
parish area and the people there had not paid their contribution to the
stipend. Now according to the law of the Church a new minister could not be
called until all debts were discharged to the outgoing pastor. At length Mr.
Kirkpatrick generously forgave the debt "out of affection to that
people," to quote his own reason, and the way was clear for another
ministry.
The next minister was to have a long
ministry, he was the Rev. William Livingstone and he worked in Templepatrick
from 1709-1758. His installation marked a change in the life of the church for
it was transferred from the Belfast Presbytery to the Antrim Presbytery at the
express desire of the Session. In its petition for the change, the Session
complained that there were "many crazy members" in Belfast
Presbytery, and it was therefore difficult to obtain supplies during the
vacancy. It should be added that by "crazy" the Session meant the
usual understanding of the word then which was "old and infirm."
During Mr. Livingstone's half-century
there were two important events. The first was the beginning of the
non-subscription controversy. It is one of the historic characteristics of
Presbyterians that against opposition they can make a united and courageous
stand, but when they get into more peaceful times, their inherent love for
theological controversy makes division among them.
The essential dispute in the
non-subscription controversy was whether the Church should have its
authoritative interpretation of the teaching of Scripture or not. The action of
the State Church of Ireland in imposing uniformity had left a distaste amongst
Presbyterians for compulsion in matters of belief. This had grown in the more
tolerant atmosphere of the 18th century and a substantial party in the Church
were non-subscribers by conviction. It was not until the next century that when
such a fundamental doctrine as the Trinity was called into question that there
was the regrettable break within the Church.
Mr. Livingstone was an ardent upholder
of Church authority and an advocate of subscription to the articles of the
Westminster Confession of Faith. His orthodoxy commended itself to the Church
at large and in 1727 he was elected Moderator of the Synod of Ulster at its
meeting in Dungannon.
Strangely enough, the second event in
his ministry seems to have contradicted his orthodox belief. This was the
erection of Lylehill congregation in 1746. Ostensibly it arose over a farm
lease which went to a son of Mr. Livingstone, but, in fact, there were a number
of families who wanted an even stricter minister and they called in the
Seceding Synod of Scotland and Mr. Isaac Patton became their first minister.
Nonetheless the pastorate of Mr.
Livingstone was a happy one for Templepatrick and at a time when many
Presbyterians were emigrating to America for social and economic reasons the
congregation steadily increased in numbers.
After Mr. Livingstone's retirement in 1755
he continued for three years as the senior minister and helped his successor
into office. This was the Rev. Robert White, a schoolmaster in earlier days and
a native of Larne. His kindly influence was noted in the Presbytery Visitation
of 1759 when Templepatrick was described as "a very discreet, sober,
well-behaved and affectionate people." Classon Porter makes a wry comment
about his call to Templepatrick. It appears he had at the same time a call from
Islandmagee and the General Synod gave him a month to decide. Islandmagee
offered him "a stipend of £40 and ten bolls of oats." Templepatrick's
offer is not known, but, says Porter, "ministers and other sensible
persons usually close with the larger offer."
Mr. White carried on his gift for
teaching and he tutored two famous pupils, David Manson, the education
reformer, and the Rev. Steel Dickson. In addition to this he had a considerable
knowledge of medicine and, like a later minister of the district in the 19th
century, Henry Cooke, he would treat his flock in illness as well. Two years
after Mr. White's death, the congregation called a local man, the son of an
elder in Templepatrick, the Rev. John Abernethy, in 1774. He was to have a
short stay and during that time he showed an aptitude for practical affairs. It
was during his time that the present building in the grounds of Castle Upton
was erected with the help of the first Lord Templeton. His sympathies with the
United Irishmen and the liberal tendencies amongst men like Henry Joy
McCracken, led to his resignation at the request of Lord Templeton in 1796. In
1820, Thomas Moat, the weaver poet of Ballyclare, wrote a poem in his memory
which caught the spirit of the man.
"For few were found so very pithy
As was old learned Abernethy."
The climax of the century came in the
Rising of 1798. The vast majority of Presbyterians were farmers and had been
oppressed by the heavy rents of landlords. In addition, like Roman Catholics,
they were unable to hold responsible offices in Ireland because they were not
members of the State Church of Ireland. A movement was started to win
independence for Ireland following the example of the American colonies. It was
to usher in a new age of tolerance, based on the concepts which had initiated
the French Revolution. The movement took the name of "United
Irishmen" and Templepatrick was a stronghold of the society. Brass cannon
were hidden under the floor of the church and taken out at the battle of Antrim
when the Rising began. It was a failure and as a consequence Templepatrick was
again burned down. An amusing incident occurred when the English
"Redcoats" came looking for a local leader, James Hope, a weaver.
They offered a reward for his capture and the story goes that James Hope joined
the crowd in the hunt, took his meals from the soldiers for the day's search
and then, winking at the crowd, slipped off to Crumlin for safety. It was
during this exciting period that the Rev. Robert Campbell came to the
congregation in 1796. His liberal outlook extended to theology and for the
first 30 years of the next century he openly supported Dr. Henry Montgomery
against Dr. Henry Cooke. But a strong reaction had set in among Presbyterians
and more and more they realised that in a united Ireland they would be a
minority and perhaps a persecuted one at that. This fear began to harden
attitudes and in the Church, Henry Cooke espoused the cause of subscription as
a means to strengthen the coming generation in their orthodoxy. The more
liberal and non-subscribing advocate of his opposition in the Synod of Ulster,
was Henry Montgomery. It was a battle for the soul of the Church and Henry
Cooke won the day. Subscription to the Westminster Confession was enforced and
the followers of Montgomery left the Synod.
In 1829, Templepatrick, as on other
occasions, reflected the temper of the times. When the unhappy break came in
the Synod the congregation split also. Although the orthodox party were in the
majority, the Rev. Robert Campbell and the remaining non-subscribers were able
to retain the church and its endowments. In 1831 the "Trinitarian and
orthodox congregation of Templepatrick" made out a call to a new minister,
the Rev. John Carson.
For
some years their worship was held at Kirk Hill, the residence of Mr. Carson and
then in 1836 Lord Templeton made them the gift of a church in the village. The
Rev. Dr. Henry Cooke, Moderator of the Synod of Ulster, dedicated the building
on Thursday, 22nd June, and the following Communion Sunday over 200 sat down at
the Table.
Their occupation of that church was not
to be a lone one, as we shall see in the final chapters.
CHAPTER
FIVE
How the Church came to Kilgreel and its
recent ministries
Mr. Carson's ministry was progressing
uneventfully until, in the year 1845, he records in the Minute Book of the
Session, these moving words: "On the last Sabbath in June the Lord's
Supper was held in the open air ... and not withstanding the constant rain, the
people attended with great reverence. A strange sight in Presbyterian Ulster to
behold a congregation without a roof over their heads, the doors of their
meeting-house being closed against them ... At this Communion an old man of 91
years was drawn in a cart for six miles, his locks dripping with rain as he
came and took the sacramental bread and wine in his hands to testify his
adherence to his Saviour and His Church."
Those who know the true reason for Lord
Templeton closing the Presbyterians out of their church are now long since
dead. No written documents are in the possession of present Session, but
suffice it to say that, despite several deputations, even to London, he would
not alter his decision. The most probable explanation is that the tenant
farmers were not in favour of his political outlook at that time and refused to
comply with his wishes at the elections. It is only fair to say that his heir
made an offer to return the church, but by then it was too late. The church
subsequently was used by the Episcopalian rector and eventually became the
village school.
Thanks to the kindness of Sir Robert
Pakenham, the first plot of land outside the Templeton estate at Kilgreel came
to the congregation. David Speirs of Carnanee; Samuel Bill of Bally-martin;
Ezekiel Wiley of Ballycushan, Archibald McComb of Carmavey; and William Cowan
of Kilgreel, became the first trustees. Donations poured in from Cork, Dublin,
Londonderry and Belfast to the congregation, and within the year they were able
to open their church and manse at Kilgreel. It was not a day too soon, for the
Famine occurred in the following spring and there just would not have been the
same generosity.
In fact, each year of Mr. Carson's
ministry saw a drop in numbers as families left Ulster for good. In 1859 he
passed away, tired and worn out.
An outstanding ministry then began, with
the Rev. Hugh McCurdy Hamilton,
which was to last until 1907. A man of gentle spirit, one of his contemporaries
quotes Goldsmith's lines to describe him, "a man he was to all the country
dear."
After the stormy years up to the Famine
in Ireland, Mr. Hamilton was to inaugurate a period of calm. He travelled about
the parish on foot or in his pony and trap. His portrait is still kept in
several homes and older people can remember his visits when he would come to
instruct the children in the Shorter Catechism. They were gathered in from play
or work and the family would worship together with him. His ministry was the
last to reflect the more traditional ministry of the Church. In his day there
were not the varied activities which kept the church buildings open in the
course of the week. The church was used only for Sabbath worship or for very
special occasions. The joys and sorrows of the congregation were largely
experienced in their own homes. Sickness was nursed there, children were born
at home, and death was no stranger to their hearths. The modern use of
hospitals had not yet begun to take hold. It was during Mr. Hamilton's early
years that the National School, Templepatrick No 1 School, as it was called,
was erected beside the church. On the whole, his ministry saw a rising
prosperity amongst the congregation.
The British Government, under Mr.
Gladstone, passed a number of Land Acts which enabled tenant farmers to buy
their own land and brought to an end the absentee landlords who took little
responsibility for their rented holdings. As well, in 1870, the State Church of
Ireland was disestablished, which meant that neither Presbyterians nor Roman
Catholics were any longer obliged to pay tithes for its maintenance. In
Templepatrick, about this decade, employment was diversified with the coining
of the limestone workings and at Roughfort and Dunadry, the linen industry
brought new mills.
The terrible Famine had impoverished
many families and it was characteristic of Mr. Hamilton that, in his will, his
last thoughts should be for his congregation. In 1907 he left £500, or the
equivalent in our modern values about £7,000, for the general income of the
congregation. He did not forget his successors; he purchased and left for them
a five-acre manse farm for the use of the minister of Templepatrick.
The
Rev. Luke McQuitty came in 1907.
Educated at Ballymena Academy and Queen's University, he had been
licentiate-assistant at St. John's Church, Newtownbreda. The congregation
rebuilt the manse in 1908 under the supervision of a local builder, Mr. Laird
of Ballyclare. It had formerly been a single-storied house and Mr. Laird
reconstructed it as it is today in the Georgian style of architecture.
One of the interesting highlights of
the congregation's life was the famous three-day Bazaar which took place
frequently. The congregation would plan for the whole year what would be done
at the Bazaar. The ladies would sew and embroider; the men-folk arrange the
entertainment, like the bicycle races on the great penny-farthing cycles. Trams
were specially run out to the Cavehill and crowds would walk from there to
Kilgreel for the Bazaar. In April, 1915, Mr. McQuitty received a call to Castle
Douglas and he resigned his charge at Templepatrick. The present pulpit Bible
was given by him as a token of his high regard for the church.
He was followed by the Rev. John Mcllwrath, a graduate of
Queen's University. He was not to remain very long. In 1917 he volunteered to
join the Forces in France as an Army chaplain. When the war was over, he
decided to serve the Church of Scotland and gave outstanding service as a
parish minister on the east coast.
While he was on active duty, his place
had been taken by a temporary assistant, the Rev. Samuel Blair. A native of Cullybackey, he was subsequently
ordained to the oversight of the congregation in 1919, after Mr. Mcllwrath had
decided not to return.
Mr. Blair was a person of many
practical gifts. He was responsible for the electrification of the manse and
the church. A keen sportsman, he was captain of Antrim Golf Club, he urged the
building of the present tennis court for the use of the young people. During
the first years of his ministry he saw the need for a modern pipe organ and
with the committee he went round the congregation, who gave £500 towards its
purchase. In 1936 there was a plan drawn up to build a church hall for the
growing needs of the people; but, unfortunately, the war intervened and it was
never realised. Concerned about the plight of the evacuees from the Belfast air
raids, Mr. Blair strained his health and suddenly, in 1941, he died at the
manse.
His successor, who came from
Greenisland, was the Rev. Samuel Duff.
He had decided, as a mature candidate, to study for the ministry. Despite being
in his thirties, he undertook to do the full university and theological course
of six years. With commendable work, he graduated in Arts and, had it not been
for poor health in later years, would have crowned his studies with a higher
degree from London University. Mr. Duff was a gifted preacher, whose humour and
language were vivid and memorable. Having been assistant minister in Macrory
Memorial Church, Belfast and High Kirk, Ballymena, he came with an eloquence
which marked him out as a fine orator in the Presbytery and elsewhere. During
his time in Templepatrick he had the pleasure of seeing the two companies of
the Girls' and Boys' Brigade being formed. In addition, it was near the end of
his pastorate that the old stables were demolished and the modern rooms and
kitchen added. Ordained in 1941, he passed away after a period of illness in
1964, in the sixty-third year of his age. His ministry saw the congregation
through the war and the post-war years and virtually brings our story up to the
present day.
In May, 1969, the Rev. Stewart Adair was installed by the Presbytery of Templepatrick
as the present minister of the congregation.
TEMPLEPATRICK
CONGREGATION TODAY AND
TOMORROW
Today the congregation has grown to
over 250 families and in the words of a recent Visitation of Presbytery
"is continuing to witness faithfully to the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
A congregation is like a family and has
to try and meet the needs of many age groups and interests of its members.
Today, just as in 1646, the Kirk Session overseas, with the minister, the
spiritual growth of the people. Districts have been allocated to the Session
and at May and November the tokens for Communion are given in to each home on
the Elder's list. This has helped to bring the need for regular worship and
communion before the congregation and for the first time in a century the
number at the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper has reached almost 200.
The present members of Session are as
follows: Thomas Bill (Clerk), James Hewitt, Samuel Scott, William Carmichael,
Samuel Dundee, Ingram Bill, B.Sc., and Norman Thompson. At the moment of
writing this chapter the Session lost a kindly and upright member in the death
of Mr. Joseph Mawhinney.
The fabric and finances of the
congregation are still the concern of the Committee or the Deacons as the first
members were more Scripturally named. Today they are, William H. Adair, Austin
Alien, John Anderson, Ian I.T. Beattie, Thomas Bill, B.Sc., William Dundee,
James Mawhinney, James Morrison, Brian McCullough, M.P.S., Norman McKee, Andrew
Thompson, John Wilson; and James Hewitt acts as secretary to the committee.
During the vacancy the committee did a
thorough renovation of the manse and made it one of the most modern in
Templepatrick Presbytery. It keeps a lively interest in ways in which the
church property can be improved and kept efficient.
But the Church is really people. Today
the Sunday School work for 180 children is done under the guidance of a willing
group of teachers. In winter the work is done at the church with Mr. Hewitt as
superintendent and at the Palantine School under Mrs. H. McWilliam. In summer
from May to the Harvest an afternoon school is held in the village, in the hall
kindly granted by the local Orange Lodge. This school, supervised by Mr. Ingram
Bill, is open to all denominations who wish to come and he is assisted by Miss
Patterson and Mr. Seymour, Principal of Templepatrick No. 2 Primary School.
This
work is basic if parents are to honour their promises made at Baptism. It is
sad sometimes to see parents who would never starve their children of food,
being quite indifferent about the
spiritual growth of their children.
In addition to Sunday School there is
now the Children's Church held during Morning Worship for some sixty children
whose parents should accompany them to worship. For the family that learns to
pray together can always stay together.
As the children grow, there are two
thriving Companies for girls and boys. First Templepatrick Boys' Brigade
Company now stands at over 50 members under the captaincy of Mr. David
McCullough, its work being divided amongst Senior, Junior and Robins sections.
This past year it had the honour of seeing one of its members, Mr. Kenneth
Graham, being awarded the Queen's Badge Award. A comparable number of girls are
members of the 149th Girls' Brigade Company (N.I.) and are under the leadership
of Mrs. Olga Ross. Her interest in the Brigade has recently led to her
appointment as secretary for Loughabbey District.
Along with the uniformed organisations
many young people have joined the Youth Association, and the Presbytery Youth
Movement. The Youth Movement links all the congregations in a common purpose,
to challenge our rising generation with the needs of Christian service. At
present Templepatrick has a large number of young folk in the Movement, not
least being Mr. Andrew Orme the choirmaster of the Youth Choir.
Missionary needs and interests are met
in the work of the Women’s' Missionary Association under the president, Mrs.
Hilary Adair and aided by their efficient secretary Mrs. Norman McKee. This
Anniversary Year the W.M.A. had the joy of seeing the Presbytery commission
Miss Marie Morrison as a medical missionary to Malawi. Marie had grown up in
Templepatrick and had been a member of their branch.
Recreation still plays an important
part in promoting friendship. In addition to the Tennis Club, there is now a
mixed Bowling Club captained by Mr. Ian Beattie. Friendships have been cemented
with other congregations as well as within the club itself.
But at the end of the day the most
important element in the congregation must be worship. Just as in Patrick's
day, just as at the Plantation, modern men still need the mercy and grace of
God to save them from self-centred lives which lead to sin. The Congregation
has in addition to its regular Noon Service, an Evening Service at 7.00 on the
first Sunday of each month.
Special occasions and events are added
to the regular diet of worship. Occasions like Harvest Thanksgiving, Christmas,
St. Patrick's Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Day with a Dawn Service at Donegore
Hill. Special events like Remembrance Sunday or Services for Charities, find
members of the B Special Constabulary, Orange and Masonic Orders at worship in
the church. In all this, the congregation owes a debt of gratitude to Mr.
Robert Allen and the church choir. Loyalty and hard work have been
characteristics of the choir during the secretaryship of Miss Elsie McKeen.
To worship God in the beauty of
holiness has always been the counsel of the Psalmist. In recent years the
simple beauty of the Sanctuary has been enhanced by the sensitive work of Mr.
John Millar of Templepatrick. Memorial gifts like the tablet in Italian Marble,
the blue carpet in memory of the late John and Mary Bill, the choir chairs
given by the late Joseph and Mrs. Barrett, the Baptismal Font presented by Mrs.
Margaret McCrum, the minister's Chair donated by Mrs. Henderson Smith, formerly
of Castle Upton, have all added to the loveliness of God's House.
To keep that beauty means constant work
and both the Church officer and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Johnston, have
been outstanding in caring for the fabric of the church buildings. Flowers in
their season have always adorned the Communion Table and reminded those at
prayer that God is indeed the Creator of the ends of the earth. Mrs. John Bill
of Cloughanduff has been a dedicated worker in this task and has been ably
helped by Mrs. Gretta Davidson and Mrs. Grace Coleman. The influence of worship
upon living is important. Today Templepatrick has one student going forward for
the Ministry of the Church, Mr. Wilbert Lindsay, and is looking forward to his
career in serving Christ and His Church.
Worship however must have its
complement in practical issues. There is a constant need to keep informed about
the work of the whole Church in Ireland and overseas. Our Agents for the
"Presbyterian Herald" and the "Woman's Work" are Mrs. Hugh
Beattie and Mrs. Hal Thompson respectively. Through them copies of each
publication are distributed to members of the congregation. Even in a Welfare
State, the Church has always had a deep concern for the widow and orphan. Mrs.
Thomas Bill has quietly raised the givings of the congregation over many years
to this worthy object. An untold story, behind the scenes, is the weekly work
of the Treasurer and those who assist in collecting and recording the Freewill
Weekly Offering. Without this faithful duty being well done the extension of
the Church's life and witness would not be able to continue in the form and
extent which we know in 1969.
And what of the future of Templepatrick
congregation? Today we see a new Ulster growing up around us and nothing is
surer than that a wholesome Christian influence will be needed in the future as
much as in the past. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, with its particular
democratic traditions and respect for sound learning, has much to contribute in
making our community a happy one for our children. In the congregation in
Templepatrick, in order that we might give of our best to that vision.
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