Glasgow Nonconformist Church Records

Scotland

Lanarkshire

Glasgow

Nonconformist Records

A nonconformist church is one that did not belong to the Established Church of Scotland. Seceders are those Presbyterian groups who broke from the Established Church and Dissenters are those groups who were of another denomination.

Only churches founded before 1855, with surviving pre–1855 records, are listed below.

Seceders

An index to baptisms of many of the Seceding Presbyterian Churches in the Glasgow area is found at https://www.glasgowfamilyhistory.org.uk/ExploreRecords/Pages/Online-resources.aspx

Glasgow Associate Secession Congregations later United Presbyterian

Greyfriars, formerly Shuttle Street

History—
The Act of Assembly of 1737, concerning the election of ministers, gave great offence to a portion of the inhabitants of Glasgow. Several praying societies had formed in various towns in and around Glasgow, and they eventually joined together to form a “Correspondence” meeting group. In December 1738 they petitioned the Associate Presbytery to be taken under their inspection, which was granted. They were organized as a congregation in April 1739 and built a church on Shuttle Street in 1742. In 1821 they built a nicer church on North Albion Street, which they named Greyfriars after a monastery that used to stand at that location. Their first minister was James Fisher, one of the Four Brethren honored as founders of the Secession Church.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— FS Library Film Number
Baptisms 1729–1783, 1834–1870 0889485 item 1
Proclamations and Marriages 1743–1779 ditto
Session Minutes 1739–1755, 1801–1823, 1827–1836 1485255 - in vault
Other:
Communion Rolls 1841–1951
Congregational Register 1830–1844
Sabbath School Roll of Members 1839–1951
Various Minutes 1769–1962
Various Accounts 1801–1852, 1856–1909
Seat Letting Books 1839–1951
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow record CH3/469.

Cambridge Street United Presbyterian

History—
This congregation originated in 1834 with members of different Secession congregations in Glasgow, desirous of extending the interests of their denomination in the city. They selected a site for a Secession place of worship at the boundaries of barony and St George’s parishes and built a church.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FamilySearch Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Years FS Library Film Number
Baptisms, 1835–1876 0889486 item 9
Minutes, 1835–1863 1886221 items 4–5
Manger’s Minutes, 1833–1861 1886222
Communion Roll, 1834–1876 1886222
Other:
More Communion Rolls 1834–1898
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow record CH3/535.

Duke Street, General Associate Congregation

History—
This congregation originated in the Breach in 1747. The majority of Shuttle Street, now Greyfriar’s congregation, adhered to the Associate Burgher Synod and retained the property, while the minority adhered to the General Associate Anti–burgher Synod and formed the congregation of Duke Street. They first met in a hall in Queen Street until 1754 when they moved to a newly built building on the corner of Duke and Havannah Streets. Newer churches were built at the same location in 1801 and 1871. A split in the congregation occurred in 1837 when the minister was deposed and another place of worship was built in Parliamentary Road in 1839. Another separation occurred in 1840 which led to the formation of the Montrose Street congregation.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—
No pre–1855 records are on deposit at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh.

London Road

History—
This congregation originated with members of different religious denominations in the eastern suburbs of Glasgow who were desirous of supplying that locality with church accommodation. After the place of worship was erected, the persons taking interest in the movement met and deliberated in reference to the religious denomination under whose inspection it should be placed, when the United Secession Church was preferred. The church opened in 1837.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Years FS Library Film Number
Baptismal Register 1838–1887 1485046 items 1–3
Session Minutes 1853–1868 1485046 items 1–3
Communion Roll 1837–1866 1485046 items 1–3
Other:
Session Minutes 1838–1853, 1868–1950
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow record CH3/160.

Parliamentary Road

History—
A split in the Duke Street congregation occurred in 1837 when the minister was deposed and another place of worship was built in Parliamentary Road in 1839. Duke Street was a General Associate, Anti–Burgher congregation and presumably this was also. This congregation remained somewhat independent until it and its minister joined the United Presbyterian Church in 1863.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—
Various Minutes 1837–1931
Cartulary 1838–1866
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow record CH3/973.

Original Secession Church

History—
Unavailable

Records— FS Library Film Number
Session Minutes 1808–1812, 1823–1829,
1837, 1841 1562981 items 1–6 in vault
Accounts 1807–1817, 1828–1829 same
Minutes 1829–1841 same
Baptisms 1847–1963 same
Communion Rolls 1826–1957 same

Regent Place

History—
This congregation, of 192 members and 69 adherents, were disjoined from the Duke Street congregation in 1819. A church was built in the same year. In 1849, the minister and a large portion of the congregation removed themselves and formed the Renfield Street church. A portion of the congregation remained at Regent Place and called a new minister.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— FS Library Film Number
Baptisms 1825–1960 0559522 item 11
Session Minutes 1819–1863 1562982 items 9–10 in vault
Congregational Minutes 1819–1865 1562983 items 1–8 in vault
Other:
Various other Minutes 1833–1871
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow record CH3/354 also see catalog CH3/354 and CH3/354/1-38 from National Archives of Scotland

Reference Title Date Access status
CH3/354 Glasgow, Regent Place United Associate Session (later United Presbyterian, United Free and Church of Scotland, united with Cathedral Square in October, 1941) 1819-1963 Not Held
CH3/354/1 Session Minutes 1819-1845

CH3/354/2 Session Minutes 1845-1863
CH3/354/3 Session Minutes 1863-1881
CH3/354/4 Session Minutes 1880-1888
CH3/354/5 Session Minutes 1888-1905
CH3/354/6 Session Minutes 1905-1915
CH3/354/7 Session Minutes 1915-1926
CH3/354/8 Session Minutes 1926-1940
CH3/354/9 Session Minutes 1940-1951
CH3/354/10 Congregational and Managers' Minutes 1819-1844

CH3/354/11 Congregational and Managers' Minutes 1844-1865

CH3/354/12 Congregational and Managers' Minutes 1910-1944

CH3/354/13 Christian Instruction Society Minutes 1833-1843
CH3/354/14 Christian Instruction Society Minutes 1844-1857
CH3/354/15 Christian Instruction Society Minutes 1857-1871
CH3/354/16 Centenary Committee Minutes 1918-1919
CH3/354/17 Foreign Mission Committee Minutes 1834-1845
CH3/354/18 Missionary Society Minutes 1910-1924
CH3/354/19 Missionary Society Minutes 1924-1940
CH3/354/20 Literary Association Minutes 1880-1885
CH3/354/21 Music Committee Minutes 1896-1911
CH3/354/22 Treasurer's Account Book 1943-1955
CH3/354/23 Baptismal Register 1825-1840

CH3/354/24 Baptismal Register 1825-1831
CH3/354/25 Baptismal Register 1832-1837
CH3/354/26 Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths 1836-1840
CH3/354/27 Baptismal Register 1841-1874
CH3/354/28 Baptismal Register 1874-1960
CH3/354/29 Marriage Proclamation Register 1933-1958
CH3/354/30 Communion Roll 1851-1861
CH3/354/31 Communion Roll 1860-1888
CH3/354/32 Communion Roll 1885-1888
CH3/354/33 Communion Roll 1889-1898
CH3/354/34 Communion Roll 1898-1946
CH3/354/35 Packet containing Missionary Society correspondence, etc. 20th century
CH3/354/36 Account Book 1956-1963
CH3/354/37 Box containing vouchers, bank books, cheque books, etc. 20th century
CH3/354/38 Minutes of Home Mission Committee 1836-1843

Sydney Place

History—
Conditions at the Shuttle Street, later Greyfriars, church were so crowed that in 1789, 148 members disjoined themselves from that congregation and formed another in East Campbell Street with the sanction of the Relief Presbytery. That building was later sold and a new church built in Sydney Place, Duke Street, in 1857. This was a Burgher church.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—
Minutes 1788–1949
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow record CH3/847.

Associate Secession churches with no known pre–1855 records:

Wellington Street General Associate

This Church originated in 1792 with members of the Duke Street congregation who lived in the western suburbs of Glasgow).

Glasgow Relief Presbyterian Churches

Anderston Relief Church

History—
This congregation was formed in 1769 by elders from the Albion Street and Duke Street congregations. The church was built the following year. A new church was opened in1840. The congregation celebrated its centenary in 1870.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— FS Library Film Number
Minutes,1847–1866 1886223 item 3
Other:
Baptismal Register 1827–1856
Register of Interments 1840–1892
Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, Glasgow record CH3/591.

Hutchesontown Relief Presbyterian Church

History—
This congregation began with friends of a minister who was called to the Dovehill congregation but declined. They separated from Dovehill and built a church in Hutchesontown in 1799.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— FS Library Film Number
Baptismal Register 1820–1854 1485046 items 4–5
Baptismal Register 1820–1872 1485260 items 1–3 in vault

Relief Churches with No Known Surviving Pre-1855 Records

Cathedral Street, formerly Dovehill (founded 1764), East Campbell Street (branched off of Dovehill in 1791), and John Street (founded in 1798 with members from both Dovehill and East Campbell Street congregations).

Glasgow Free Presbyterian Church Congregations

For a list of Glasgow area Free Presbyterian Churches, with histories and records, click here.

Reformed Presbyterian Churches

Great Hamilton Street

History—
The congregation in Glasgow and neighborhood dates back traditionally to the time of the institution of the Praying Societies in 1681. After the division of the various societies into two congregations in 1763, it was constituted a part of the Northern congregation. In 1787 the Glasgow members were included in the west congregation that met first in Sandhills then acquired a building in Calton. The congregation grew and a new church was provided on Great Hamilton Street and opened in 1819. A mission was conducted from this church beginning in 1840 and eventually obtained its own premises. A day school was also begun the same year, which was handed over to public authorities in 1870. At that time it was the second largest school in Glasgow. During the nineteenth century Great Hamilton Street was the most influential church in the denomination. It has rightly been called Aa mother of churches, for most of the Reformed Presbyterian congregations in the west of Scotland drew their origin from it. Those in the Glasgow area include: West Campbell Street (later Dover Street) formed in 1835 it became St. Vincent’s Church of Scotland in 1876 while most of the Reformed congregations joined with the Free church in that year. Southern Cumberland Street formed in 1853 it later became Renwick Free Church. St. George’s Road was formed in 1859 and it later became Grant Street Free Church. Landressy Street formed in 1863 it later became Barrowfield Free Church.
Source: The Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland, by W.J. Couper, pub. 1925. FS Library Book941 K2c. This book includes a list of ministers.

Records— FS Library Film Number
Baptisms 1794–1861 0304671 item 6

Dissenters

For a list of Glasgow area dissenting churches, with their histories and information on their records, click here.