KINGSMILLS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
As with most Presbyterian churches in Ireland, Kingmills has its origins in the
plantation of Ulster. Planters setting up estates brought with them Scottish families to
act as tenants and care for the estate. This led to the early formation of a Presbyterian
church in Markethill.
Following years of famine in Scotland there was an influx of Scottish settlers into
the district, swelling the Presbyterian congregation. A split in the Markethill church in
1739 led to the formation of two separate congregations. At the same time
worshippers from outlying areas appealed to the Presbytery for separate preaching in
their own locality. This request was granted and a church was established at
Tullyallen.
Members of this congregation considered the distance from their homesteads to
the church a difficulty and in the 1780’s began to meet in the loft of a corn mill owned
by Alexander King. Indeed this gave the church the name Kingsmills.
The landlord Richard Wilson, for the purpose of constructing a meetinghouse,
granted two acres of land to the congregation. The first church was a simple low-brow
building with a thatched roof and earthen floor. The congregation called its first
minister and in 1792 the Rev.WJ Beatty was installed.
The earliest grave is that of Mrs Harpur who was buried in 1799.
LIST OF CLERGY
- 1792-1825 Rev.William Beatty
- 1826-1863 Rev.Alexander Henry
- 1864-1913 Rev.James Meeke
- 1914-1920 Rev.Edwin Turrie
- 1921-1927 Rev.William Kerr
- 1927-1949 Rev.James Graham
- 1949-1958 Rev.Ronald Adams
- 1958-1965 Rev.DH Thompson
- 1965-1977 Rev.Dr.Robert Topping
- 1978-1979 Rev.James Thompson
- 1979-1985 Rev.TV Patterson
- 1986- Rev.Frank Gibson
Text © MDE Ltd 2002; Photos ©
AMM 2002