James Crombie D.D. (1730–1790) was the founder of

Belfast Academy The Belfast Royal Academy (commonly shortened to ) is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school in north Belfast. The Academy is one of 8 schools in Northern ...

Early life

The eldest son of James Crombie , a mason, by his wife May Johnstoun, he was born at

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on 6 December 1730. In 1748 he matriculated at the

University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

, graduating A.M. in 1752. He studied for a short time at Edinburgh on leaving St Andrews.

Minister in Scotland

Crombie was licensed by Strathbogie presbytery on 8 June 1757 at

Rothiemay Milltown of Rothiemay (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ràth a' Mhuigh'') is a small inland village, built mostly of granite, in the north-east of Scotland and is within the Moray council area bordering neighbouring Aberdeenshire across the river to the s ...

, where he acted as parish schoolmaster for some time. On 1 July 1760 he was presented to

Lhanbryde Lhanbryde (Gaelic: ''Lann Brìghde'') is a village that lies east of Elgin in Moray, Scotland. Previously bisected by the A96, it was bypassed in the early 1990s and now lies to the north of this busy trunk road. It had a population of 1,88 ...

, near Elgin, by the

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, in whose family he had acted as tutor. Having been duly called, he was ordained at Lhanbryde on 11 September by Elgin presbytery. Crombie then immediately applied to the Strathbogie presbytery to give ordination without charge to James Thompson, a licentiate, in order that Thompson might fill his place at Lhanbryde, and release Crombie for winter studies 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 , ...

. The Strathbogie presbytery agreed, and Crombie spent the next four sessions at Glasgow, attending classes himself, and superintending the studies of his pupil. Attempts to bring Crombie back to his duties at Lhanbryde culminated in a formal censure on 1 March 1763. After this he seems to have stayed for some years in his country parish.

Move to Ireland

In February 1768 a colleagueship in the first non-subscribing Presbyterian congregation of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

became vacant on the death of Thomas Drennan. Presumably with the recommendation of Principal

William Leechman William Leechman or Leishman (1706–1785) was a Scottish minister, theologian and academic. He was Professor of Divinity and later Principal at Glasgow University. Early life and education The son of William Leechman, a farmer of Dolp ...

of Glasgow, Crombie was put forward for the post. He received a call in December 1769 , but did not give up his charge at Lhanbryde until 22 October 1770, when he was already settled in Belfast as colleague to James Mackay. On Mackay's death (22 January 1781) he became sole pastor. His congregation, which worshipped in a dilapidated meeting-house, was declining; Crombie met a suggestion for amalgamation with a neighbouring congregation by proposing the erection of a new meeting-house. This was carried into effect in 1783;

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, who preached in the new building in 1789, describes it as "the completest place of worship I have ever seen". In September 1783 Crombie was made D.D. of St. Andrews.

Belfast Academy

Crombie planned a non-sectarian college in Belfast, modifying earlier plans of William Campbell for a university in northern Ireland, and differing from

William Crawford William Crawford may refer to: Entertainment * William Broderick Crawford (1911–1986), American film actor * Bill Crawford (cartoonist) (1913–1982), American editorial cartoonist * William L. Crawford (1911–1984), U.S. publisher and editor ...

Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle marks ...

college by dropping theology from the curriculum. A prospectus for the

, issued on 9 September 1785, had broad support in Belfast, and funds were subscribed. The scheme was ambitious, and included a provision of preparatory schools. The Academy was opened in February 1786; Crombie, as principal, taking on classics, philosophy, and history. The same political complications that led to the collapse of the Strabane Academy frustrated Crombie's original ideas and the Belfast Academy lost its collegiate classes; but as a high school it established itself, with success under Crombie's successor William Bruce.

Last years

Crombie's health declined, but he continued his duties. On 10 February 1790 he attended a meeting of the Antrim presbytery, at which two congregations were added to its roll, and he was appointed to preside at an ordination on 4 March. On 1 March he died.

Works

Crombie stayed out of theological disputes, but he defended Presbyterians from charges of schism. He published: * ''An Essay on Church Consecration'', Dublin, 1777, (published anonymously in February); 3rd edit. Newry, 1816, (a defence of the Presbyterians, who had lent their meeting-house to episcopalians during the rebuilding of the church, against a charge of schism). * ''The Propriety of Setting apart a Portion of the Sabbath for the purpose of acquiring the Knowledge and use of Arms'', Belfast 1781; countered the strict

sabbatarian Sabbatarianism advocates the observation of the Sabbath in Christianity, in keeping with the Ten Commandments. The observance of Sunday as a day of worship and rest is a form of first-day Sabbatarianism, a view which was historically heralded ...

standpoint by advocating Sunday drill for volunteers, in time of public danger and answered by Sinclare Kelburn in ''The Morality of the Sabbath Defended'', 1781. * ''Belfast Academy'', Belfast 1786, an enlarged issue of the original newspaper prospectus. *Two ''Volunteer Sermons'', Belfast, 1778 and 1779.

Family

Crombie was married on 23 July 1774 to Elizabeth Simson (d. 1824), and left four sons and one daughter.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Crombie, James 1730 births 1790 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Scottish educators People from Perth, Scotland Irish non-subscribing Presbyterian ministers