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history |
The origins of the congregation of Newlands United Presbyterian Church, which belonged to the Relief Branch of the Secession Church, can be attributed to the transferal of the Rev. Charles Findlater from the neighbouring parish of West Linton to the parish of Newlands. There were some objections raised towards his ordination , which took place in 1790, and as a result a group broke away from the Parish Church and set up a Relief congregation. The exact date of the establishment of the congregation is unclear however it is recorded that the group were receiving sermon prior to March 1791 and in July 1793 the Presbytery requested that they provide details of steps taken towards building a church in the area. A church to house the congregation was opened in 1793 and the first minister of the charge, William Familton, was ordained in 1795. In 1900, upon the union of the Free Church and the United Presbyterians, Newland United Presbyterian became Newlands United Free Church and in 1910 Newlands United Free joined with the congregation of West Linton United Free Church. The two charges united under the name of West Linton and Newlands, and in 1929, following the union between the United Free Church and the Church of Scotland, West Linton and Newlands was renamed West Linton Trinity Church of Scotland. The charge of West Linton Trinity, which sat within the Presbytery of Peebles, was reduced in status in 1943. |