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1st Islandmagee Presbyterian Church

Privacy Level: Public (Green)
Date: 1613 [unknown]
Location: Islandmagee, County Antrim, Irelandmap
Surname/tag: DNA, Island Magee, Islandmagee, Ireland, Northern Ireland
Profile manager: Anne Johnston private message [send private message]
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History

The first Presbyterian minister at Islandmagee was Rev. Edward Brice who preached in Ballycarry, Islandmagee and Kilroot for over 23 years and who died in 1636. He had been invited over by William Edmundstone, Laird of Duntreath in Stirlingshire, who had been granted 2,870 acres of land in County Antrim and as Brice was under pressure to leave Scotland because of his opposition to Episcopacy he came over in 1611 and officially began his ministry in the old church in Ballycarry in 1613. In 1636 Mr. Brice and others were summoned to meet Bishop Leslie in Belfast because of their refusal to sign the episcopal canons. Brice was "silenced" as a preacher but he died in that year before effect could be given to the sentence.

The Presbyterians of Islandmagee remained without a minister until 1647 when Mr. Henry Main was ordained in 1647. He was however, imprisoned in Carrickfergus in 1650 because of his loyalty to Presbyterian principles and in the following year he was found preaching within the Presbytery of Paisley.

It was again sometime before Mr. William Mill (lic. Aberdeen) who came from Aberdeen settled here in 1658 but as Dr. Killen put it, "like others brought up in that part of Scotland he was of unsteady principles and he was one of the very few Presbyterian ministers in Ireland who conformed at the time of the Restoration".

Nothing more is known of the congregation until in 1671 we find it being supplied by Mr. John Haltridge and he was later ordained to this charge at Ballycarry on 8 May 1672. Previous to this he had been chaplain to Sir William Cunningham of Cunninghamhead in Scotland and after appearing before the High Commission Court at Glasgow in 1668 he was forbidden to preach by the Archibishop of Glasgow. He therefore came to Ireland, survived the Revolution, stayed 25 years in Islandmagee and died in 1697.

Mr. Haltridge's successor was Mr. Robert Sinclair who was ordained at Islandmagee on 10 May 1704 and died while still minister on 5 Jan. 1731.

A much shorter ministry followed but ended shamefully for Mr. Robert Leathes, ordained on 12 Feb. 1732 and deposed on 5 Feb. 1740 for fornication. It was later suggested that he be re-instated to the ministry "as they apprehended he may be useful having given good evidence of his repentance". The Synod referred it back to the Presbytery "to do with that affair as they shall see fit". He was apparently restored in 1749 and his name appears in the Templepatrick minutes until 1751.

The next minister was Mr. George Heron (lic. Aberdeen) who after ordination at Islandmagee on 18 Aug. 1747 was called back to Scotland in 1752.

He was followed by Mr. James Dunbar, another Scotsman, on 14 Mar. 1758 but he died after eight years on 26 Apr. 1766.

Two further short ministries followed. Mr. James McAuley (lic. Dromore) was ordained on 14 Dec. 1769 and was suspended on 22 July 1779 for celebrating marriages illegally.

Then Mr. David Ker (lic. Ballymena), after being ordained on 4 Mar. 1783, removed to America in 1788.

The first really extended ministry in First Islandmagee was that of Mr. John Murphy (lic. Templepatrick 1786) who was ordained at Islandmagee on 15 Aug. 1789. He retired in 1828.

Mr. William Campbell, a Killyleagh man, was ordained his assistant and successor on 14 Apr. 1829. Mr. Murphy died on 12 July 1842 and Mr. Campbell exceeded his predecessor's forty years by seven and died on 17 Aug. 1876.

Mr. David Steen (lic. Belfast) who was ordained on 14 Aug. 1877 did even better, for he did not even retire till 3 Nov. 1928 - 51 years in active service - and he survived three years till his death on 21 Nov. 1931.

Such long ministries gave stability to the congregation but were not continued. Mr. John Knox Elliott (lic. Carrickfergus) came on 4 Apr. 1929 and was called to Railway Street congregation, Lisburn, on 31 Dec. 1938.

Mr. Norman Myer Heaney (lic. Belfast) was ordained on 18 May 1939 and receiving a call to Newington left on 29 Feb. 1944.

Mr. Alfred Desmond Pattison Black (lic. Belfast) son of the Rev. A. P. Black of Castleton, Belfast, was ordained on 5 July 1944 - the sixteenth minister - and he was called to Blackrock, Dublin, on 28 Jan. 1957.

The congregation then called Rev. Robert Sylvanus Ferguson of St. Johnston, Donegal, who was installed on 30 May 1957. He died on 29th September 1985.

Rev. Charles William Roy Robinson (lic. East Belfast) Ordained Assistant in Ulsterville (6th January 1985) was installed on 8th May 1986. He resigned on 1st September 1992 to go to Great Victoria Street.

Rev. Stephen Patrick Moore (lic. N Belfast) ordained Assistant in Rosemary (6th February 1992) was installed on 15th June 1993. He resigned on 19th June 2006 to go to Gilnahirk.

Mrs. Karen Campbell (lic. Dublin and Munster) was ordained and installed on 19th April 2007. She resigned on 17th May 2012 to go to Kilbride.

Mr. Peter Aaron Bovill (lic E. Belfast) was ordained and installed on 5th July 2013. The congregation was linked with Second Islandmagee on 1 September 2017.





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