Edward Black (December 10, 1793 – May 7, 1845) was a minister and teacher in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

associated with the

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 ...

. Edward was born in

Penninghame Penninghame in Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, is a civil parish area, 8 miles (N. W.) from Wigtown. The area is approx 16 miles in length, and from 5 to 6 miles' width, bounded on the north and east by the River Cree, and on the ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and received his education at local schools and, latterly, at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. He began to preach as an assistant to his father in 1815 and moved to Canada with his wife after his father's death in 1822. He settled in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, probably because of an old friend,

Peter McGill Peter McGill (August 1789 – September 28, 1860) was a Scots-Quebecer businessman who served as the second mayor of Montreal, Canada East from 1840 to 1842. Biography He was born Peter McCutcheon in the village of Creebridge, Wigtownshi ...

, and Peter introduced him to the minister of that city's Scotch Presbyterian Church. Black's career was a time of growth and unrest within the

Presbyterian Church of Canada The Presbyterian Church in Canada (french: Église presbytérienne du Canada) is a Presbyterian denomination, serving in Canada under this name since 1875. The United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939. According to ...

. His own situation required him to seek another source of income for him and his family. He opened a school and had

James Moir Ferres James Moir Ferres (1813 – April 21, 1870) was a journalist and political figure in Upper Canada. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1813 and studied at Marischal College in Aberdeen. Ferres came to Montreal in 1833 and taught at Edward Bl ...

assist him as a teacher. His tenure in Montreal sparked action that resulted in the establishment of the

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

of the Presbyterian Church of Canada. His early death was deeply mourned and much was written of his contributions to his church and community.

External links

Biography at ''the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
1793 births 1845 deaths Canadian Presbyterian ministers Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec Immigrants to Lower Canada {{UK-Christian-clergy-stub