Nathaniel Paterson

Nathaniel Paterson by John James Napier

Nathaniel Paterson by Robert Adamson and David Octavius Hill

He was born in Kells in Kirkcudbrightshire in 1787, the eldest son of Mary Locke and her husband, Walter Paterson a stone engraver, and grandson of Robert Paterson aka "Old Mortality".

Nathaniel was educated at Balmaclellan. In 1804 he went to the University of Edinburgh to study divinity. Not until 1816 was he licensed by the Church of Scotland, initially being employed as an assistant at Linlithgow.[2] He took some time to find a patron and only in 1821 became minister of Galashiels. In 1833 he moved to St Andrews Church in Glasgow.[3] This church stood on Greendyke Street near Glasgow Green.

In the Disruption of 1843 he left the established Church of Scotland and, together with a large part of his original congregation, created the Free St Andrews Church. They worshipped in a rear hall in the Black Bull Inn while the new church was built. The new church stood on the corner of Hanover Street and Cathedral Street.[2]

In 1850 he replaced Very Rev Mackintosh MacKay as Moderator of the Free Church. He in turn was succeeded in 1851 by Very Rev Alexander Duff.

He lived at 19 Landsdowne Crescent in Glasgow.[4]

He retired to Helensburgh around 1864 and died there on 25 April 1871. He is buried in Glasgow Southern Necropolis on Caledonia Road in Glasgow.[5]

The Free St Andrews Church was demolished in the 20th century.

• The Manse Garden (1836)
• The Cry of the Perishing (1842)
• Popery: The Enemy of the Souls of Man
• Popery Accommodated to Human Corruption

The Moderator and Ex Moderators of the Free Church of Scotland, Assembly; 1860. Pictured, from left to right, are (standing) Dr Smyth, Dr Clason, Dr Henderson, Dr Grierson, Dr N. Paterson and Dr Beith (behind); (seated) Dr Cunningham, Dr Buchanan and Dr Julius Wood.

He was photographed by Hill & Adamson in 1850. He was photographed in 1860 at the foot of the steps to New College with several other ex-Moderators of the Free Church. A coloured version of this photograph has been produced.

In February 1825 he married Margaret Laidlaw (1800-1864), daughter of Robert Laidlaw.[2]

His brother, Walter Paterson (1790-1849) was minister of Kirkurd.[6]

Citations

Sources

• Black, William George (1895). "Paterson, Nathaniel". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 44. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Freer, James (1871). "obituary". The Home and Foreign Missionary Record of the Free Church of Scotland for 1871. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and Sons. pp. 168-169.
• Hall, Robert W. (1898). The history of Galashiels. Galashiels: Published under the auspices of the Galashiels Manufacturer's Corporation [by] A. Walker. pp. 212-215.
• Paterson, Nathaniel (1835). "11 Lecture XI: Who would gain by the destruction of the established church?". Lectures on the Church Establishment Controversy and Subjects connected with it delivered in Glasgow. Glasgow: William Collins. pp. 1-16.
• Paterson, Nathaniel (1851). "Sermon delivered on the opening of the New College". Inauguration of the New College of the Free Church, Edinburgh, November MDCCCL: With Introductory Lectures. Edinburgh: Johnstone and Hunter.
• Ritchie, Lionel Alexander (2004). "Paterson, Nathaniel". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21534. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
• Sanderson, William, ed. (1904). "The Border magazine". 9 (101). Galashiels: A. Walker & son, ltd.: 100-105. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• Scott, Hew (1920). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 434. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Smith, John (1849). Our Scottish clery: 52 sketches, including clergymen of all denominations (2nd series ed.). Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd. pp. 123-128.
• Thomson, James (1905). History of St. Andrew's Parish Church, Glasgow. Glasgow: Printed by R. Anderson. pp. 33-37.