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Largo St David's Parish Church Bicentenary 1971

7/6/2019

9 Comments

 
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In 1971 Largo St David's Church marked 200 years since its first church building was completed. A Bicentenary Social was held on 26th February followed by special services on Sunday 28th (see programme above). In addition to the minister at the time - Rev. Angus H. Haddow - three former minsters of the church were also involved in these events: Rev. J. Stewart Rough (minister 1925-32); Rev. J. Graham (minister 1948-56) and Rev. G Watt (minister 1956-63). The four men are shown in the photograph below (from the following week's East Fife Mail). Incidentally each former minister had paid tribute at the events to the 1933-47 minister the late Rev. D. Auchinvole Dick.

It was noted that the church's last 200 years had "proved less turbulent than its dramatic origins", which saw a lengthy disagreement over a proposed new minister at Largo Kirk (Upper Largo) result in several members 'lifting their Bibles and quitting the Establishment' to form a new congregation. Initially the new church was known as 'Largo Relief Church', then it became 'Largo United Presbyterian Church' but an interesting scenario occurred in 1900. The United Presbyterian Church united with the United Free Church and so left two churches in Largo Parish potentially having the same name of 'Largo United Free Church' (i.e. Lower Largo's Church and the Church on Upper Largo's Main Street where a garage now stands). A vote was taken at the AGM of the Lower Largo congregation to select between the names 'Largo, St David's' and 'Largo South United Free Church'. The former winning out and likely chosen as a mark of respect to the long-serving late minister, Rev. David Malloch. The centenary of the Church in 1871 had coincided with the building of the existing church. 

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The photograph above shows the Kirk Session at the time of the Bicentenary. The oak communion table featured was donated by Mrs Daysh in memory of her mother in 1938. The distinctive purple wall design with the crosses was added as part of a redecoration of the Church in February 1960. Below is a list of the ministers of the Church and the dates of their service. Those listed below were followed by Rev. T.J Dyer (1972-79), Rev. James A.R. MacKenzie (1979-1987), Rev. Rosemary Frew (1988-2005) and Rev. John Murdoch (2006-2016). 
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9 Comments
John Band
15/6/2019 11:45:42 pm

My G G G grandfather William Bethune, miner was an Elder in the U.P. Church up to June 1852 when he was killed in a rock fall at Curlhurlie pit, Largo. His wife Margaret Bethune (midwife) is recorded in my family history as being a god fearing Christian and was a great friend of the minister Mr Malloch. After a sermon one Sunday Margaret said "you'll no dae Mr Malloch, cauld kail (cold soup), yet again". He had repeated the sermon from the week before.

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COLIN BALLINGALL
27/10/2019 11:55:30 am

Can anyone tell my why the Rev Spence Oliphant is not on the list, he was minister of Largo, and died at largo manse in 1822, would he be minister of upper or lower largo?

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Vintage Lundin Links
27/10/2019 12:06:07 pm

Spence Oliphant was minister at Largo Kirk (Upper Largo) from 1771. His successor was Robert Lundin Brown on 28 June 1821. Oliphant died 8 March 1822.

Info from Largo Kirk History (2017)

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Emma-Louise Moir
21/8/2020 03:59:42 am

Do you have the picture from the last service/congregation at St Davids 2017

Matthew Rutkin
4/8/2023 03:29:59 am

I've located a page from the baptism register for "Largo" in 1802. Not sure whether upper or lower.

Some entries state baptisms by Mr Stuart, witnessed by Relief Congregation. (Maybe this is Lower Largo?)

Other entries state baptisms by Mr Oliphant, witnessed by the Congregation. (Maybe this is Upper Largo?)

Does this mean both congregations were using the same register?

Emma-Louise Moir
21/8/2020 03:59:00 am

I did wonder mysrlf

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Vintage Lundin Links and Largo
21/8/2020 07:34:02 am

I've had a dig around for a photo of the last service at St David's with no luck. If something turns up I will post it onto the blog.

Vintage Lundin Links and Largo
4/8/2023 08:26:39 am

According to Scotland's People "The Old Parish Registers (OPRs) comprise the records of births and baptisms, banns and marriages and deaths and burials kept by individual parishes of the Established Church (Church of Scotland) before the introduction of civil registration in 1855. Registration in the Church of Scotland's registers was costly and unpopular, so many people did not bother to register events at all. Although details of some non-conformists can be found in Established Church registers, many members of other religious denominations chose to have events registered in their own churches.

So it sounds like members of the newer Relief Church in Lower Largo could elect to use the Parish Register used by the Established Church in Upper Largo if they wished to do so. The Parish of Largo covered the both villages.

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Matthew Rutkin
4/8/2023 09:20:49 pm

Thank you for clarifying. This is fascinating history and I'm happy to learn about it.

So in essence the members of the newer Relief Church in Lower Largo did not form their own parish, they remained in the existing parish and merely formed their own church. I bet this caused some animosity.

Incredible that many people did not bother to register events at all (because it was costly and unpopular), but there it no suggestion they declined to have the event itself in the first place. This implies they paid for (say) a baptism, but declined to pay extra for registration. Or perhaps the baptism was free and only the registration cost money. My assumption was that a fee to have your child baptised would also include registration, and also that anyone bothering to be a member of the church would definitely want their child baptised, regardless of the cost or inconvenience. But then again, if you were so incensed by the choice of a new minister that you would leave the church and move down the road to build your own church, then who knows how things would play out for baptisms. It must have been such a big deal at the time.

Many thanks again.

My ancestors in this area in the late 1790s and early 1800s seem to be Leitch and possibly Hogg.

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