Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

40
HISTORY OF STRATHENDRICK
THE REV. ALEXANDER NIVEN, M.A., D.D.
J825-1872.
On the 19th July 1824, the Presbytery of Dunbarton being assembled, a
presentation by the Earl of Kinnoul in favour of the Rev. Alexander Niven,
M.A., to the parish of Balfron was laid on the table, and he was ordained on
the 17th March 1825.
Mr. Niven was a son of the Rev. Alexander Niven, D.D., minister of Dun-
keld. He had taken his degree at the University of St. Andrews in 1817, and
had been licensed by the Presbytery of Dunkeld in 182 1. In 1871 he received
the Degree of Doctor of Divinity from an American University.
During Dr. Niven's long incumbency of Balfron, for whose best interests he
was ever anxious, some important improvements took place in the ecclesiastical
condition of the parish. In 1826 he began a week-day class for the religious
instruction of young men and women, and immediately afterwards a Sabbath
school was established, the first in the district, which was productive of good
results to teachers and taught. His classes were continued with occasional
intermission during his whole incumbency. A new church was erected in 1832,
and though Mr. Niven evidently thought that it was not worthy of the place —
for he thus describes it : " It is commodious enough, and is in all respects built
according to the intention of the resolution ' that no ornamental work be per-
mitted, and that every possible expense, consistent with the security of the
sitters, should be avoided " — still it was a decided improvement on the old one ;
and when the foundation-stone was laid, with Masonic honours, by Mr. William
Jaffray of Orchardlands, and the glass bottle containing the coins of the realm
and newspapers and other documents was deposited below it, the ceremony
was witnessed with interest and satisfaction by the minister himself, a number
of the principal heritors, and the greater part of the population of the old and
new villages.
A good deal of money was expended on the manse by the heritors in
1826, 1832, 1838, and 1845, but the repairs and alterations were never thorough,
and the consequence was that in 1859 a great deal required to be again done.
There was some unfortunate litigation before this was effected, and after all the
manse was not a good one. Dr. Niven died on the 14th February 1872, in
the seventy-fifth year of his age, and having nearly completed the forty-seventh
of his ministry. He married Eliza, only daughter of the Rev. Thomas Brown,
D.D. of St. John's Church, Glasgow, and by her he had Alexander T. Niven,
C.A., Edinburgh; the Rev. Thomas B. W. Niven, minister of Pollokshields; the
Rev. Frederick Charles Niven, minister of the North Parish Church, Paisley,
who died in 1883; and one daughter, Eliza Susanna, who died in 1856. Mrs.