Robert Gillan
Encyclopedia
Robert Gillan was a Church of Scotland
minister.
, Roxburghshire
. His father, the Rev. Robert Gillan, son of another minister of the same name, was appointed minister of Ettrick
on May 11, 1787, and transferred to Hawick December 30, 1789. He retired from the ministry of his church on May 7, 1800, and died at Edinburgh
on May 7, 1824, aged 63, having married, on April 4, 1798, Marion, daughter of the Rev. William Campbell.
He was the author of "An Account of the Parish of Hawick" in Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791, vol. viii.; Abridgments of the Acts of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland, 1803, other editions in 1811 and 1821; View of Modern Astronomy, Geography, &c.; A Compendium of Ancient and Modern Geography, 1823; and he edited The Scottish Pulpit, a Collection of Sermons, 1823.
Robert Gillan, the third of that name, studied at the high school and university of Edinburgh, where he was early noted for his extensive scholarship and impressive oratory. On July 7, 1829 he was licensed to preach the gospel by the presbytery of Selkirk, and ordained minister to the congregation at Stamfordham, Northumberland, in October 1830.
He removed to the church at South Shields in October 1833, succeeding to Holytown, Lanarkshire, in 1837, where he continued to 1842. After being at Wishaw
in the same county for six months, he accepted the parish of Abbotshall
, Fife
, on the secession of the non-intrusion ministers in May 1843, and from that place was brought to St. John's, Glasgow, on February 25, 1847. Here he remained during a long period, became very popular, and preached to large congregations. He took an active interest in all religious or social movements, and was an early opponent of the law of patronage. The University of Glasgow
conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1853. The incessant activity of the Glasgow charge at length told on his health, and on January 10, 1861 he accepted charge of the small church of Inchinnan
, Renfrewshire
. He was, however, still able to work, and being appointed one of the first two lecturers on pastoral theology, he prepared an admirable course of lectures, which were on two separate occasions delivered at the four Scottish universities. On 11 October 1870 he was publicly entertained in Glasgow, and presented with his portrait. He was devotedly attached to the established church of Scotland, and as moderator presided over the general assembly of 1873.
He died at the manse, Inchinnan, 1 November 1879. His wife died January 23, 1847. By her he had a son, the Rev. George Green Gillan, a chaplain in the Honourable East India Company's service.
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
minister.
Biography
Gillan was born at HawickHawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
, Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
. His father, the Rev. Robert Gillan, son of another minister of the same name, was appointed minister of Ettrick
Ettrick, Scotland
Ettrick is a small village and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, located around south-west of the town of Selkirk.-Local area:...
on May 11, 1787, and transferred to Hawick December 30, 1789. He retired from the ministry of his church on May 7, 1800, and died at Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on May 7, 1824, aged 63, having married, on April 4, 1798, Marion, daughter of the Rev. William Campbell.
He was the author of "An Account of the Parish of Hawick" in Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791, vol. viii.; Abridgments of the Acts of the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland, 1803, other editions in 1811 and 1821; View of Modern Astronomy, Geography, &c.; A Compendium of Ancient and Modern Geography, 1823; and he edited The Scottish Pulpit, a Collection of Sermons, 1823.
Robert Gillan, the third of that name, studied at the high school and university of Edinburgh, where he was early noted for his extensive scholarship and impressive oratory. On July 7, 1829 he was licensed to preach the gospel by the presbytery of Selkirk, and ordained minister to the congregation at Stamfordham, Northumberland, in October 1830.
He removed to the church at South Shields in October 1833, succeeding to Holytown, Lanarkshire, in 1837, where he continued to 1842. After being at Wishaw
Wishaw
Wishaw is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles south-east of Glasgow....
in the same county for six months, he accepted the parish of Abbotshall
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, on the secession of the non-intrusion ministers in May 1843, and from that place was brought to St. John's, Glasgow, on February 25, 1847. Here he remained during a long period, became very popular, and preached to large congregations. He took an active interest in all religious or social movements, and was an early opponent of the law of patronage. The University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1853. The incessant activity of the Glasgow charge at length told on his health, and on January 10, 1861 he accepted charge of the small church of Inchinnan
Inchinnan
Inchinnan is a small village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The village is located on the main A8 road between Renfrew and Greenock, just southeast of the town of Erskine.-History:...
, Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
. He was, however, still able to work, and being appointed one of the first two lecturers on pastoral theology, he prepared an admirable course of lectures, which were on two separate occasions delivered at the four Scottish universities. On 11 October 1870 he was publicly entertained in Glasgow, and presented with his portrait. He was devotedly attached to the established church of Scotland, and as moderator presided over the general assembly of 1873.
He died at the manse, Inchinnan, 1 November 1879. His wife died January 23, 1847. By her he had a son, the Rev. George Green Gillan, a chaplain in the Honourable East India Company's service.
Publications
- A General Fast Sermon, 1832.
- The Intellectual and Spiritual Progress of the Christian in the Church of Scotland Pulpit, 1845, ii. 13–31.
- Sermons at Glasgow, 1855.
- The Decalogue, a Series of Discourses on the Ten Commandments, 1856.