Memorial to Rev Andrew Wallace Williamson, St Cuthbbert's Church

Andrew Wallace Williamson KCVO, (29 December 1856 – 10 July 1926) was 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 who was

Dean of the Thistle The Dean of the Thistle is an office of the Order of the Thistle, re-established in 1687. The office is normally held by a minister of the Church of Scotland, and forms part of the Royal Household in Scotland. In 1886 the office of Dean of ...

. He was

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 ...

in 1913.

Life

He was born in Thornhill in Dumfriesshire on 29 December 1856, the youngest son of James Williamson and his wife Margaret Wallace. He was educated at Morton School and Wallace Hall then studied Divinity 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 ...

graduating MA in 1878. He was licensed to preach as a Church of Scotland minister by the Presbytery of Edinburgh in 1881. Beginning as an assistant at

North Leith Parish Church North Leith Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, within the Presbytery of Edinburgh. It is serves part of Leith, formerly an independent burgh and since 1920 a part of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Building The current ...

on Madeira Street in north Edinburgh, he was ordained as full minister there in 1882. He was then translated to St Cuthbert's Church in central Edinburgh in 1883. This was as the collegiate minister alongside Rev James MacGregor in first charge. During this time he was also a

lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...

pastoral theology Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology. Normally viewed as a ...

at his alma mater. He received the

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

'' (DD) from 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 ...

in 1900. In January 1910 he was appointed first minister at

St Giles' Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

and the following year

and

Dean of the Chapel Royal The Dean of the Chapel Royal, in any kingdom, can be the title of an official charged with oversight of that kingdom's chapel royal, the ecclesiastical establishment which is part of the royal household and ministers to it. England In England, ...

. In 1913 he was elected

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...

, the highest position in the Scottish church. Williamson was largely responsible for co-ordinating the huge rebuilding project at St Cuthbert's by architect

Hippolyte Blanc Hippolyte Jean Blanc (18 August 1844 – 17 March 1917) was a Scottish architect. Best known for his church buildings in the Gothic revival style, Blanc was also a keen antiquarian who oversaw meticulously researched restoration projects. ...

in 1892-4. This was partially funded by his predecessor Rev James Veitch. As a somewhat immodest part of the rebuilding he included a plaque to himself on the outer west face and to Rev James MacGregor the first charge minister balancing his memorial on the opposite side of the tower. He lived at 44 Palmerston Place in Edinburgh's fashionable West End. The grave of Rev Dr Andrew Wallace Williamson, Dean Cemetery

The grave of Rev Dr Andrew Wallace Williamson, Dean Cemetery

Honorary Chaplain to the King An Honorary Chaplain to the King (KHC) is a member of the clergy within the United Kingdom who, through long and distinguished service, is appointed to minister to the monarch of the United Kingdom. When the reigning monarch is female, Honorary Ch ...

, he died on 10 July 1926 and is buried on the central path of the northern extension to

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

in western

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 ...

. His position at St Cuthberts was filled by William Lyall Wilson. His biography was written by Lord Sands. His more noteworthy roles included conducting the funeral of Sir

Hector MacDonald Major-General Sir Hector Archibald MacDonald, ( gd, Eachann Gilleasbaig MacDhòmhnaill; 4 March 1853 – 25 March 1903), also known as Fighting Mac, was a Scottish soldier. The son of a crofter, MacDonald left school before he was 15, enl ...

and being on the committee for the design and building of the

Scottish National War Memorial The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and commemorates Scottish service personnel and civilians, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Its chief architec ...

Family

He first married (1883) Agnes Blackstock daughter of Walter Blackstock. They had no children and she died in 1885. He secondly married (1888) Elizabeth Mary Phoebe Croall (1860–1946), daughter of Robert Croall of

Craigcrook Craigcrook is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for Craigcrook Castle. It is fairly affluent, and lies on the north east slopes of Corstorphine Hill. It is near Clerwood, and Blackhall. Davidson's Mains lies to the north, separated ...

Castle. They had two daughters and a son: *Agnes Honor Margaret Williamson (1889-1892), died in infancy *Robert Howard Wallace Williamson (1892-1962), buried in

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping si ...

*Verona Maud Williamson (1896-1980), buried in

Publications

*''The Methodist Church'' (1884) *''The Place and Power of Woman'' (1892) *''Social Unrest'' (1895) *''Ideals of Ministry'' (1901) *''Dr John MacLeod: His Work and Teraching'' (1901) *''A Farewell Message of St Paul'' *''Ambassadors for Christ'' (1910)

References

1856 births People from Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway People educated at Wallace Hall Academy Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 20th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Academics of the University of Edinburgh Deans of the Chapel Royal in Scotland Deans of the Thistle Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Honorary Chaplains to the King Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1926 deaths Burials at the Dean Cemetery Ministers of St Giles' Cathedral 19th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland {{Christian-clergy-stub