Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

42
HISTORY OF STRATHENDRICK
Thomas Mair joining it shortly afterwards, and thereafter a congregation in
sympathy with it was gradually formed at Balfron.
It is unnecessary to explain in detail the origin of the Associate Presbytery,
but it may be said in a word that it was mainly brought about by the course
the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland took in the matter of Mr.
Ebenezer Erskine's famous sermon at Perth, in which he protested against the
way the church was acting in cases of violent settlements of ministers. In fact,
patronage was the real reason for the first secession from the Church of Scotland.
The congregation at Balfron, which was presently joined by the like-minded in
Port, Kippen, Killearn, Kilmaronock, Drymen, Gartmore, Fintry, and even in
Kilpatrick and Strathblane, was for long without either a settled minister or a
church. Their place of meeting was for many years at the Honey Holm, on
the edge of the burn that there flows into the Endrick, and a little above the
old farm house. There, when they succeeded in getting a minister to conduct
service, preach, and baptize — and it was but seldom they did so, for the Asso-
ciate Presbytery was for some time but a small body — the congregation sat on
the gently sloping bank, and listened to the preacher and witnessed the baptisms
in the burn below, on one occasion the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine christening so
many as thirty children at once. On the 28th September 1737, the Rev.
Ebenezer Erskine and the Rev. Ralph Erskine met the congregation of the
Honey Holm and formally took them under the inspection of the Associate
Presbytery; but it was not till 1742 that they had a minister of their own, the
congregation, or at least the Balfron part of it, when there was no preaching in
the Holm Kirk — for so the original church was called which was built at Eden-
belly about 1739 — travelling to Stirling to attend the ministry of the Rev.
Ebenezer Erskine.
In 1742 the Rev. John Cleland was settled as the first minister of this
interesting congregation, and the following extracts from their Session Book
give the succeeding history for many years of these good simple folk :
"This Session Book Belongs to the Associat Session of Balfron, Jun the
9 day 1742."
"At Honey Holm, in the parish of Balfron, Jun the 8 day 1742. The
which day the Associat Presbetry at the saids place met and ordained Mr. John
Cleland to be Minister of the Associat Congregation in and about Balfron, the
said person was ordained by Mr. Thomas Mair, Minister of the Gospell at
Orwell, together with Mr. James Fissher, Minister of the Associat Congregation
at Glasgow, and Mr. David Smyton, Minister of the Associat Congregation at
Kilmars."
" At Meeting house of Balfron, Aug'- the 4 day, the Session meet ut supra,
and being constitute with prayer. The which day, John M'Lintock, in the