Friday November 23 2018

Looking Back: One Manse Family Since Waterloo

A story from November 1948 about a manse occupied by the same family through three generations.

ONE MANSE FAMILY SINCE WATERLOO

Son succeeded father and grandfather

The Rev. P. L. Gordon’s death at Glenbervie Manse closes a unique chapter in the domestic annals of the Church of Scotland, his family having occupied the Manse of Glenbervie without a break since the year of the Battle of Waterloo.

The family connection with Glenbervie began with the presentation of his maternal grandfather, the Rev. James Drummond, who was ordained minister of the parish on 24^th September, 1815. A daughter of his, Helen Drummond, married the Rev. William Gordon, then minister of Glenbuchat Parish, in 1862, and in the following year, on 10^th June, 1863, Mr. Gordon was inducted as assistant and successor to his father-in-law.

William Gordon and Helen Drummond had three sons, all ministers of the Church of Scotland, and it was the eldest of these, Patrick Lindsay Gordon, who on 17^th October, 1894, was ordained assistant and successor to his father.

There was thus no vacancy in the charge during the three ministries, those of Mr. Lindsay Gordon and his father and his maternal grandfather, so that the family occupied the Manse of Glenbervie for the long period of 133 years, from 1815 to 1948.

Glenbervie was linked with Fordoun in 1969 and then Fettercairn in 1980. The three parishes united to become West Mearns in 1994.

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