Norman Macleod (1812–1872)
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Norman Macleod (3 June 1812 – 16 June 1872) was a
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
clergyman and author who served as
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every year. After chairing the Ass ...
in 1869/70.


Early life

Norman Macleod was born in Kirk Street,
Campbeltown Campbeltown (; or ) is a town and former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies by Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre Peninsula. Campbeltown became an important centre for Scotch whisky, and a busy fishing port. The 2018 populatio ...
, to Norman Macleod and Agnes Maxwell; his paternal grandfather, a minister of the parish of
Morvern Morvern ( ; "the sea-gap"), historically also spelt Morven, is a peninsula and traditional district in the Highlands, on the west coast of Scotland. It lies south of the districts of Ardgour and Sunart, and is bounded on the north by Loch Su ...
in
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
shire, bore the same name. His father, at that time minister of Campbeltown, was closely bound to the Highlanders of Scotland, catering to their spiritual and intellectual needs. He was the author of literature described by Professor Blackie as the "great work of classical Gaelic prose....written in a dialogue form, enriched by the dramatic grace of
Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born  BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...
and the shrewd humour of
Lucian Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανὸς ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, 125 – after 180) was a Hellenized Syrian satirist, rhetorician and pamphleteer who is best known for his characteristic tongue-in-cheek style, with which he frequently ridi ...
", and played a major role in the creation of an educational infrastructure for the
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...
and Islands. He was a supporter of the interests of the Highlanders. In 1827, Macleod became a student at the
University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
; in 1831, he went to Edinburgh to study
divinity Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a single ...
under
Thomas Chalmers Thomas Chalmers (17 March 178031 May 1847), was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland (1843—1900), Free Church of Scotl ...
. On 18 March 1838, he became parish minister at
Loudoun Loudoun () is a parish in East Ayrshire, Scotland and lies between five and ten miles east of Kilmarnock. The parish roughly encompasses the northern half of the Upper-Irvine Valley and borders Galston parish, Galston Parish (which encompasses ...
,
Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...
.


Career

At this time the troubles in the Scottish Church were already gathering to a head. Macleod wished the Church to be free to do its proper work, and clung firmly to the idea of a national Established Church, and therefore remained in the Establishment when 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 Sc ...
took place. He was one of those who took a middle course in the non-intrusion controversy, holding that the fitness of those who were presented to parishes should be judged by the presbyteries, the principle of Lord Aberdeens Bill. On the secession of 1843 he was offered many different parishes, and settled at
Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; , ) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1541. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-century castle (now Dalkeith Pala ...
. He was largely instrumental in the work of strengthening the Church. In 1847 he became one of the founders of the
Evangelical Alliance The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a UK organisation of evangelical individuals, organisations, and churches, which is itself a member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the Evangelical Alliance aims to promote evangelical Chr ...
, and from 1849 edited the '' Christian Instructor''. In 1851 he was called to the Barony church,
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, in which city the rest of his days were passed. There the more liberal theology rapidly made way among a people who judged it more by its fruits than its arguments, and MacLeod won many adherents by his practical schemes for the
social reform Reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary movements which reject t ...
of the people. He instituted temperance refreshment rooms, a Congregational penny savings bank, and held services specially for the poor. Despite his relatively liberal stance on some issues, he was one of many clergy who preached against Verdi's '' La Traviata''. In a sermon just after its 1857 Scottish premiere, Macleod argued that 'no woman could hear it without a blush' In 1860 Macleod was appointed editor of the new monthly magazine ''
Good Words ''Good Words'' was a 19th-century monthly periodical established in Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consist ...
'', illustrated by Arthur Hughes, Francis Arthur Fraser (1846–1924), John Leighton, James Mahoney (1810–1879), Francis S. Walker, Townley Green and others. Under his control the magazine, which was mainly of a religious character, became widely popular. Most of his own literary work originally appeared in its pages — sermons, stories, travels, poems. His best work was the spontaneous ''Reminiscences of a Highland Parish'' (1867). While ''Good Words'' made his name known, his relations with the queen and the royal family strengthened yet further his position in the country. He authored "Eastward, Travels in Egypt, Palestine, and Syria", a record of a journey made in 1864, published in 1866, with photographs by James Graham. An abbreviated reprint by his daughter Ann Campbell Macleod was published in 1887 under the title "Half Hours in the Holy Land, Travels in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, With Numerous Illustrations". In 1865, Macleod risked an encounter with Scottish Sabbatarian ideas. The presbytery of Glasgow issued a pastoral letter on the subject of Sunday trains and other infringements of the
Christian Sabbath Many Christians observe a weekly day set apart for rest and worship called a Sabbath in obedience to God's commandment to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Early Christians, at first mainly Jewish, observed the seventh-day (Saturday) S ...
. Macleod protested against the grounds on which its strictures were based. For a time, owing partly to a misleading report of his statement, he became the man in all Scotland most profoundly distrusted. But four years later the Church chose him as moderator of her
general assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
.


Late life

In 1867, along with
Archibald Watson Archibald Watson Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, FRCS (27 July 1849 – 30 July 1940) was an Australian surgeon and professor of anatomy at the University of Adelaide. Early life Watson was born at Tarcutta, New South Wales, the son ...
, Macleod was sent to
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, to inquire into the state of the missions. He undertook the journey in spite of failing health, and seems never to have recovered from its effects. He returned resolved to devote the rest of his days to rousing the Church to her duty in the sphere of foreign missions. He is buried at Campsie. The grave was designed by Glasgow architect
William Leiper William Leiper Royal Institute of British Architects, FRIBA Royal Scottish Academy, RSA (1839–1916) was a Scotland, Scottish architect known particularly for his domestic architecture in and around the town of Helensburgh.
. The funeral was attended by 3000 people. His Glasgow church was named after him, the Macleod Parish Church; and the Macleod Missionary Institute was erected by the Barony church in Glasgow.
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
gave two memorial windows to Crathie church as a testimony of her admiration for his work.


Artistic recognition

Macleod was painted by Tavernor Knott around 1850. The portrait is held by the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland but is rarely displayed.


Family

In August 1851, he married Catherine Ann, daughter of William Mackintosh of Geddes, and sister o
John Mackintosh
sister-in-law of
Sir William Gordon-Cumming, 2nd Baronet Sir William Gordon Gordon-Cumming, 2nd Baronet of Altyre and Gordonstoun FRSE (20 July 1787 – 25 November 1854), was a Scottish Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament. Gordon-Cumming was Member of Parliament (United Kingdo ...
. His daughter, Ann Campbell Macleod (d.1921), married in 1888 Sir James Wilson, and published two books based on her letters to friends and family while they lived in India. Katherine Anne (1858-1880) married
Hardinge Hay Cameron Hardinge Hay Cameron CCS, JP, FRCI (5 August 1846 – 16 September 1911) was the nineteenth Treasurer of Ceylon (1901–1904), and a member of both the Legislative Council and Governor's Executive Council, under the Ridgeway, and Blake admi ...
. His grandson,
George MacLeod George Fielden MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary, (17 June 1895 – 27 June 1991) was a Scottish soldier and clergyman; he was one of the best known, most influential and unconventional Church of Scotland ministers of the 20th century. He ...
was to also become Moderator of the Church of Scotland, having founded the
Iona Community The Iona Community, founded in 1938 by George MacLeod, is an ecumenical Christian community of people from different walks of life and different traditions within Christianity. It and its publishing house, Wild Goose Publications, are headquar ...
.


Notes


References

* John Wellwood (1897), ''Norman Macleod,'' Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier, ( "Famous Scots Series"). * * *


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Macleod, Norman 1812 births 1872 deaths 19th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland 19th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers People from Campbeltown Scottish magazine editors Alumni of the University of Glasgow Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 19th-century Scottish journalists Scottish male journalists 19th-century Scottish male writers