Donald Mackinnon Macalister (1832–1909) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1902/03.

Life

He was born in 1832 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

the son of Rev John Macalister (1789–1844), a

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

minister, originally from the

Isle of Arran The Isle of Arran (; sco, Isle o Arran; gd, Eilean Arainn) or simply Arran is an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh-largest Scottish island, at . Historically part of Butesh ...

, but then serving in the Gaelic Church in Edinburgh. and his wife Margaret Cuthbertson, living at 4 Sylvan Place in the

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austral ...

. The family moved to Nigg in

Ross and Cromarty Ross and Cromarty ( gd, Ros agus Cromba), sometimes referred to as Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use, the latt ...

in 1837. His father joined the Free Church of Scotland following the

Disruption of 1843 The Disruption of 1843, also known as the Great Disruption, was a schism in 1843 in which 450 evangelical ministers broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland. The main conflict was over whether the Church of S ...

and they moved to Kilbride in 1844. His father was killed in an accident later that year. He took an initial degree at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

from 1846 then studied divinity at

New College, Edinburgh New College is a historic building at the University of Edinburgh which houses the university's School of Divinity. It is one of the largest and most renowned centres for studies in Theology and Religious Studies in the United Kingdom. Student ...

, from 1850 to 1854. He was licensed to preach by the Free Church of Scotland by the Presbytery of

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in 1854. His first role was as assistant to Rev Andrew Grey of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

. He then assisted Rev Robert Craig of

Rothesay Rothesay ( ; gd, Baile Bhòid ) is the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies along the coast of the Firth of Clyde. It can be reached by ferry from Wemyss Bay, which offers an onward rail ...

and then Rev Samuel Miller of St Matthew's Free Church in

. He was ordained as minister of

Kennoway Kennoway is a village in Fife, Scotland, near the larger population centres in the area of Leven and Methil. It had an estimated population of in . It is about three miles inland from the Firth of Forth, north of Leven. This position gave it i ...

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

in August 1858. In 1878 he was translated to Old Machar Free Church in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

. In 1886 he moved to Greyfriars Free Church in

, replacing Rev Archibald Smellie (1826–1886). At the Union of 1900 he remained in the Free Church. In 1900 he was living at 32 Mansionhouse Road in the Grange district. In 1902 he succeeded the Very Rev

James Duff MacCulloch James Duff McCulloch or MacCulloch (1836–1926) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1901/02. Life He was born on 28 April 1836 at Logie Easter in Ross and Cromarty, the son of A ...

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator. The Oxford Dictionary states th ...

, the highest position in the Free Church of Scotland. He was succeeded in turn in 1903 by Rev

Angus Galbraith Angus Galbraith (1837–1909) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly at the end of his career in 1903/04. Life He was born in Torrisdale in Kintyre on 28 December 1837 the son of Neil Ga ...

. He died in

Auchterarder Auchterarder (; gd, Uachdar Àrdair, meaning Upper Highland) is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Th ...

on 24 September 1909.

Family

In August 1864 at 40 Skene Terrace in Aberdeen, he married Katharine Anne Maclagan (1839–1925) daughter of Rev James McLagan (sic) of

Kinfauns, Perthshire Kinfauns is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, at the western end of the Carse of Gowrie, east of Perth.Corstorphine Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...

in 1925. They had eight children, mainly born in

.http://ecclegen.com/ministers-mac/#MACALISTER DONALD MACKINNON

Publications

*''Gaelic and English Sermons by the late Rev John Macalister'' (his father)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macalister, Donald MacKinnon 1832 births 1909 deaths Clergy from Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland 20th-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland