1756 Willliam Boyd
In April 1754 Thomas Gordon of Earlston made a presentation to the Presbytery in favour of William Boyd, preacher at Dalmellington, becoming the next minister. However, Thomas Gordon’s right to the patronage of the parish was questioned. The matter was delayed, and in August a petition was presented, by Alexander Kennedy of Knockgray, from all the residing heritors, the whole Session and a considerable number of the heads of families of the parish, asking that Presbytery would grant a hearing to William Donaldson, preacher of the gospel at Balmaclellan.
The Presbytery returned to considering Thomas Gordon’s right of patronage and decided by a large majority that the patronage instead belonged to the king; and as he had not exercised his right, it had fallen back upon the Presbytery. The Presbytery therefore decided to grant a hearing to William Donaldson. He was well received, and, in October, a petition came from the residing heritors, the Session and the parish of Carsphairn asking that a committee be appointed to moderate a call to Mr Donaldson.
This was opposed by a petition from Thomas Gordon, Lord Cathcart and seven other non-residing heritors and one indweller of the parish asking for a hearing of William Boyd. The Presbytery decided to proceed with a call to William Donaldson. The supporters of Mr Boyd then appealed to the Synod, the higher court. Later that month the meeting of the Synod of Galloway in Wigtown decided to take the easiest course and refer the matter on to the General Assembly. At the General Assembly meeting in Edinburgh in May 1755, where Lord Cathcart was Lord High Commissioner, the Presbytery’s decision was reversed and the Presbytery was instructed to moderate a call to William Boyd, probationer, to be settled as the new minister of Carsphairn.
Mr William Boyd was duly ordained as the new minister of Carsphairn on 24th February 1756. Unfortunately, most of the Presbytery minutes between 1756 and 1767 have not survived and there are no Kirk Session minutes for this period. But it is not hard to imagine that the congregation were unhappy with the decision of the General Assembly.
It would seem that the majority of the congregation boycotted the parish church during Mr Boyd’s ministry. In the ‘History of the Congregations of the United Presbyterian Church 1733-1900’ by Rev Robert Small we read, ‘The congregation was dispersed, and during the ministry of sixteen years which followed the Lord’s Supper was never dispensed.’ We read further that, from about 1758, a link developed with the Anti-Burgher Presbytery of Sanquhar and a number of men and women identified themselves as members of the Associate Congregation of Carsphairn.
Pulpit supply was provided to Carsphairn from time to time, the last recorded time being on 1st April 1772. (In 1733 there was the First Secession from the Church of Scotland which resulted in the creation of the Associate Presbytery. This church split in 1747 over the issue of the Burgher Oath, which required holders of public office to profess approval of the religion ‘presently professed in this kingdom’. The issue was civil compulsion in religious affairs, and opponents of the Burgher Oath on theological grounds became known as the Anti-Burghers, showing a distinctive independence of conviction and unwillingness to compromise on sincerely held beliefs. It is easy to see how the people of Carsphairn were attracted to this church offshoot after having an unpopular minister imposed on them against their wishes by largely non-residing heritors.)
Although the congregation were reluctant to accept Willliam Boyd, he seems to have played a full part in the life of the Presbytery. By the end of 1756 he was already serving as Moderator of Presbytery. The following year he represented the Presbytery at the General Assembly and in the succeeding years he regularly provided pulpit supply for different congregations. At the end of 1768, when fuller Presbytery minutes commence again, he appeals for help on behalf of some of the heritors for rebuilding the church and manse, and the impression is given that there is a greater degree of harmony in their relationships.
William Boyd died on 5th February 1772.