Markinch and Thornton Parish Church
Past Ministers

Past Ministers

The following list was taken from ‘Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae:
The Succession of Ministers in the Parish Churches of Scotland from The Reformation a.d.1560 to the Present Time’
 
 
Date Name of Minister Additional information
1567 Peter Watson Transferred from Ballingry. At this time Kinglassie, Leslie, Portmoak and Kirkforthar were also under the Charge of Markinch. Stipend £6 13/4d sterling.Went to Dumfries before 1574.
1576 William Braidfute Transferred from Kilgour.Transferred to Portmoak 1590.
1590 John Michaelson Transferred from Auchtertool.Transferred to Burntisland 1615
1615 William Watsone Transferred from Burntisland. Died 16 May 1619
1619 Andrew Lawmonth Son of Alan Lawmonth, Minister at Scoonie.Deposed 7 February 1639 for refusing to acknowledge the lawfulness of the General Assembly. He went to England.Died 1663.
Admitted 11/06/1640 Frederick Carmichael Transferred from Kennoway. Frequently to be found with the Scottish Army. Died 3 May 1667 aged 70  after 40 years in the ministry.
Admitted 06/05/1668 John Ramsay Transferred from Scoonie. Ramsay was imposed upon the congregation by Archbishop James Sharp under  Episcopalian law rather than by nomination of the members. He died in February 1685.
1684 John Middleton Transferred from Leuchars. He was accused before the Privvy Council of not praying for their  Majesties but for the late King James. The libel was not proven. He was acquitted but demitted office in 1695. He died in 1696.
Admitted 10/02/1698 William Mackay Transferred from Portmoak. Died 24 May 1699.
Admitted 30/04/1701 Joseph Drew Transferred from New Monkland. Transferred to St. Leonards 16 September 1708.
Admitted 23/01/1712 James Dickson Transferred from South Leith. Died July 1730.
Admitted 07/10/1731 Thomas Tullideph Transferred from Dron. Demitted post 17 October 1734 after being appointed Professor of Divinity at  St. Mary’s College, St. Andrews.
Ordained 21/08/1735 George Preston Licensed in Cupar 1 January 1735. Died 24 August 1757. The book states his ministrations were highly popular.
Admitted 07/09/1758 John Pinkerton Born 9 August 1717. Transferred from Dalziel. A plaque in the church in his memory indicates he  died on 16 June 1784 ‘after having spent a very cheerful evening at Balfour House with Mr Bethune and his family, he was found in the morning in his bedroom, sitting in a chair by the fireplace with one  stocking in his hand. Quite dead.’
Admitted 05/05/1785 John Thomson Transferred from Sanquhar. He had a D.D. from the University of Edinburgh. Dr Thomson wrote the First Statistical Account of the Parish. He transferred to Edinburgh Greyfriers Church on 18 September 1800.
Admitted 07/05/1801 George Wright Promoted from Kilmarnock Chapel of Ease. He obtained a D.D. from University and Marischal College, Aberdeen.Transferred to Stirling 9 October 1817.
Admitted 17/04/1818 Dr James Sieveright Baptised on 19 March 1783. Obtained his degree at University and Marischal College, Aberdeen in 1807. Declared himself to no longer be minister of the established Church on 24 May 1843 when he signed the Deed of Demission and joined the Free Church of Scotland where he was appointed Moderator of the General Assembly on 20 May  1847. He was the author of the Second Statistical Account.He died on 29 November 1852 aged 69 and is buried in the Established church yard.
Inducted 09/11/1843 Rev James Landel Rose Died 18 June 1900 having been minister for nearly 57 years.
Inducted 26/07/1899 Rev James Henderson Bryden Appointed initially as assistant and successor to Rev. Rose. He was a graduate of Edinburgh University. Came to Markinch from  Dumfries. Mr Bryden accepted the post of Session Clerk and Treasurer on 8 March 1900 following the death of William F Haxton and was relieved of these duties on 13 January 1902.He resigned in December 1929 due to ill health and conducted his last service on 14 September 1930.  Rev Bryden donated a stained glass window to the congregation and was instrumental in arranging the Kirk Session photograph of 1930. He died in September 1936.
Inducted 01/10/1930 Rev Edwin Maxwell Murray Davidson Resigned 2 July 1962 with a view to leaving by end October of that year. Died 9 May 1977.
Inducted 08/091965 Rev William Macintyre Appointed on a short-term basis prior to the union of St Marks and St Drostans. Retired from post 20 October 1968
Inducted 30/10/1969 Rev William Hastie Miller Transferred from Cleland Parish Church, Hamilton Presbytery.Died 4 April 1972
Inducted 17/10/1972 Rev Ian Dinning Gordon Rev Gordon did National Service in the Royal Army Pay Corps following which he worked for a  shipping company. He graduated from Glasgow University in 1971 as a Licentiate of Theology and was Assistant Minister at Cathcart Old Parish Church, Glasgow from 1971 to 1972 before being inducted at  Markinch. He was appointed Moderator of Kirkcaldy Presbytery in May 1981 and also held the post of Moderator of the Provisional Synod of Fife.
He retired on 28th October 2001.
28/10/2001 to 08/08/2002 Vacant  
Inducted 08/08/2002 Rev Alexander Richard Forsyth Transferred from the Linked Parishes of Edzell/Lethnot, Glenesk, Fern, Careston & Menmuir in Angus Presbytery.

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