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history |
Glasgow Presbytery was one of the original group of thirteen presbyteries in central and southern Scotland created in 1581 by the General Assembly, as models for a scheme which was to be extended nationwide. The original intention was that there should be 24 constituent parishes (BUK, ii.482, 484-5). By the late 1590s, however, when presbyteries based on Dumbarton, Paisley and Hamilton had been established, all but nine of these had been disjoined from Glasgow. The remaining parishes, in the terminology of 1581, were Glasgow (divided in 1595 into Glasgow and Barony), Campsie, Cadder, Lenzie (later Kirkintilloch or Wester Lenzie), Rutherglen, Carmunnock, Govan, Cathcart and Monyabroch (later Kilsyth). Neilston, one of the original 24, appears to have been transferred to Paisley, then in 1594 back to Glasgow, but soon permanently returned to Paisley (Fasti, iii.157). Eaglesham was transferred from Hamilton Presbytery to Glasgow in 1596. Kirkintilloch was divided in 1649, with the eastern portion, known as Easter Lenzie, or Cumbernauld, transferring to the presbytery of Falkirk. East Kilbride and Torrance, two of the original 24 parishes, were united in 1589. The combined parish transferred from Glasgow to Hamilton presbytery in 1596, back to Glasgow in 1929 and once more to Hamilton in 1976. Eastwood and Mearns were both transferred from Paisley to Glasgow in 1929. Within the parishes there were repeated divisions, disjunctions and secessions. This is particularly true of Glasgow, where the Barony was separated from the city (1595), and the city was divided into four parishes (1649) and later repeatedly subdivided as the population increased. Disjunctions to form quoad sacra parishes of the established church continued in the 19th century, but were greatly outnumbered by congregations formed by various secessions, culminating in the Disruption of 1843 and the formation of the Free Church. These congregations were naturally not members of Glasgow Presbytery; the great majority of the dissenters were Presbyterians with their own structure of church courts. With the successive unions of 1900 and 1929, however, almost all of them joined the Church of Scotland, with the result that in 1929 the number of charges in the presbytery increased from 109 to 305 (Church of Scotland Year Books). The second half of the 20th century saw numerous terminations and amalgamations, especially in the city centre, but with over 150 charges Glasgow is still by far the largest presbytery in the Church of Scotland. It was in the synod of Glasgow and Ayr until 1929, thereafter Clydesdale. |