In 1843, there was a significant split within the Church of Scotland, where around a third of its ministers, broke away to form the Free Church of Scotland. The event became known as the Disruption and was the culmination of years of disagreement over the state's influence on church affairs, including the role of landowners in the appointment of ministers. Reverend Robert Brown, who had been minister at Largo Kirk since 1821, was one of the ministers who broke away.
Brown was present at the signing of the 'Act of Separation and Deed of Demission' at the First General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, in Tanfield Hall Edinburgh on 23 May 1843 (depicted above from the 3 June 1843 Illustrated London News). He was one of the approximately 400 ministers and elders who were signatories of the Act that day. Taking a considerable section of his congregation with him, Brown went on to set up the Free Church in Largo.
Robert Brown was born on 25 May 1792, and baptised on 11th June, in Newbattle, Midlothian. His father Reverend James Brown was Minister of the Parish Church there (see photograph above and plaque above). His mother was Helen Adam and Robert was the second son and one of fifteen children. Earlier in his career, James Brown been minister at Newburn Church between 1784 and 1787, so a family connection to the Largo area had been established even before Robert was born.
Robert came from a long line of clergymen. His paternal grandfather, James Brown (1724-1786), served as the Minister of New North Parish (also known as New Greyfriars) in Edinburgh. He was born in Abercorn and was a prominent figure in the Church of Scotland, even serving as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1777, and was the son of John Brown (1677-1743), the minister of Abercorn, who was in turn the son of James Brown, minister of East Calder, who died in 1691.
Robert studied at St Andrews University and was licensed by the Presbytery of Haddington in 1816. He was presented by Lt. Gen. James Durham to Largo Kirk. On 22 April 1821, according to the Largo Kirk Session minutes, "intimation was made from the pulpit of Largo Kirk by Revered Dr Thomas Laurie, minister of Newburn, that by order of the Presbytery of St Andrews a committee of their members would meet in this place on the 3rd day of May next for the purpose of moderating a call in favour of Mr Robert Brown preacher of the Gospel to be Assistant Minister in this Parish and successor to the Rev. Spence Oliphant who by infirmity is incapable of discharging that duty."
Brown was ordained on 28 June 1821. The following year, on 8 March, Spence Oliphant, who had been minister at Largo since 1777, died. Robert married Elizabeth Lundin, daughter of Christopher Lundin 9th of Auchtermairnie, in Kennoway on 15 June 1827. The notice below appeared in the 20 June 1827 Scotsman.
The pair went on to have the following children:
James Lundin Brown (1828-1872)
Richard Lundin Brown (1829- 1905)
Helen Lundin Brown (1832-1880)
Robert Christopher Lundin Brown (1834-1876)
Emma Elizabeth Lundin Brown (1836-1878)
William Clephane Lundin Brown (1838-1891)
Arthur Brown (1840-1868)
In 1837, while still known as Robert Brown, he authored the New Statistical Account for the Parish of Largo. Six years later he formed the Free Church in Largo. A site for the new church was found at the west end of Upper Largo's Main Street and a wooden structure was constructed. Later a manse was built for Brown on St Andrews Road, which is now known as Lyndhurst. In 1855, Robert adopted the Lundin, when his wife, Elizabeth inherited the Auchtermairnie Estate, upon the death of sister Euphemia. The latter's obituary from the 14 April 1855 Illustrated London News can be seen below. From then onwards he was known as Robert Lundin Brown.
Elizabeth Lundin died on 12 February 1868. On 28 September 1870, Robert remarried, at the age of 77, to Marie Wilhelmina Henriette Pauline Wiersbitzky, who was aged 35. The marriage took place in Marie's home of Breslau in Prussia (now Wrocław in Poland). The following year, Reverend William Bruce was appointed as assistant and successor to Lundin Brown at Largo Free Church and a new church building was erected to a typical Free Church design. The rear of this former church is shown below, as it appears today, having spent decades converted for other uses.
Robert Lundin Brown died on 9 Apr 1877. His widow Marie went on to remarry in 1882, to Donald Fergusson, the recently retired minister of the Free Church in Leven. The following obituary was written by the Reverend Walter Wood of Elie and published in The Free Church Monthly, June 1, 1877, p.15:
Another of our Disruption ministers has passed away from us. Mr. Brown was descended from a long line of clerical ancestors, the last of whom was minister of Newbattle, in Mid-Lothian. He was born in 1792, ordained minister of Largo in 1821, cast in his lot with the Free Church of Scotland in 1843, and died in his eighty-fifth year, on the ninth day of April 1877. He took the name of Lundin in 1855, on the succession of his wife to the estate of Auchtermairnie. The survivors of his family, two sons and two daughters, along with his wife by a second marriage, watched by his sick-bed during the few days through which he survived a stroke of paralysis, and were much cheered by his humble yet confident hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Some memorials of his last hours have been put into our hands, but the space at our disposal will not permit us to insert them. We make room for one saying, which may cheer and strengthen those who know that a similar trial awaits them. “I have not,” he said, “the bright and luminous views I would like to have; but I am trusting on my Saviour, and I sometimes feel even more than that — I sometimes feel overpowered.”
Brown was buried with his first wife Elizabeth Lundin at Kennoway where the following inscription was added to the family tomb:
In Beloved Memory of the Revd. Robert Lundin Brown of Largo
Who Entered Into His Rest 9th April 1877
In the 85th Year of His Age and
56th year of His Ministry
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
If you know of any existing image of Reverend Robert Lundin Brown, please leave a comment or get in touch using the 'contact' link.
RSS Feed
