HISTORY OF WHYTESCAUSEWAY
1852 - 1952

It is no easy thing for one comparatively new to a Church to attempt the writing of that Church history. The difficulty lies, not so much in collecting the necessary data-though that in itself is a big job-and weaving it into a readable story, as in trying to enter into the spirit of the past and the men and women who peopled it. I was fortunate to borrow a copy of this book from one of our deacons, taking this shortened version of the Foreword written by Rev M McLachlan.
 
1852-1877
One elder, three Deacons and thirty members hardly seem a sufficient nucleus around which to build a Church. Yet these thirty-four men and women who withdrew from the Scotch Baptist Church worshipping in Rose Street and gathered in Abbotshall Parish School on Wednesday, 14th July 1852, revealed that they had among them the stuff of which Churches are built. They had vision, courage, perseverance and above all a strength of conviction and faith in God that worked himself or herself into the foundation of the Church through its fabric.

Baptist witness in “The Lang Toun” did not, of course, start with the thirty-four. A Baptist mole catcher who worked on Raith Estate maintained an influential witness about 1786 and in the last decade of the 18th century a Baptist Society was “set in order” with William Peddie and Hugh Cameron its elected Elders. This Church continued its work under the devoted and capable leadership of Charles Arthur. Their meeting place was in Kirk Wynd but later they moved into the Chapel in Rose Street where they still worship. It was from this latter meeting place that the thirty-four seceded.

The little company began at once to set its house in order and prepare for the proper continuance of worship and witness. At that first meeting it was unanimously agreed “to meet next Lord’s Day, in the room formerly occupied by Philp’s School, to observe the Ordinances appointed by the Head of the Church, and that the Elder and Deacons who have come with us shall fill the same offices in this Church”

It was vigorous and wise leadership they gave to the little community and the first matter suggested for consideration was the provision of a suitable building in which to meet. The Church Minute of 25th July 1852, states that “several brethren thought something should be done towards getting a larger and permanent place of meeting.” The members were unanimous in their agreement that a House should be built for the accommodation of the Church and a Committee, under the convenership of Robert Herriot, was immediately set up to deal with the matter. By the end of November were able to report having secured a suitable site in Whytescauseway. Work begun almost immediately and by summer 1854 the Chapel was built, at a cost of £2000, and opened for worship. The Rev. James Haig continued in the Ministry of Whytescauseway Church from 1859-1871. It was a period of steady consolidation and building up. In these first two decades of the Church’s life the faith of the thirty-four had been vindicated and their courage rewarded.

The history of the Ministers may form convenient waymarks to guide us along the road of the Church’s progress. Rev. James Douglas of Darlington was inducted to the Pastorate of Whytescauseway Church on 23rd November 1871. His ministry was very short two years to be precise. Rev. John Landels succeeded to the Pastorate in May 1874. The Missionary Working Society was the product of Mr Landels planning and its activities continue to the present time. In his three years he was instrumental in gathering into the Church a large number of the young of the Congregation, and in organising and sustaining various schemes of Christian work. The Rev. John Urquhart consented to fill the vacancy for three months and later on 19th May 1878 he was inducted to the Pastorate. The Church was now entering a period of increasing prosperity. Whitsunday 1877 had cleared the debt on the original building, and now, with congregations steadily increasing in numbers, it was decided to enlarge the seating capacity of the Chapel. The Church increased its impact upon the community and continued to do so after Mr Urquhart resigned in 1883.

Rev. Alex Bisset of Peterhead succeeded to the Pastorate in 1883 till 1887. Two more Ministries bring the history of the Church up to the turn of the century. The first was that of the Rev. William Stevenson who came from the sister Church in Irvine and began his Ministry in Kirkcaldy on 1st July 1887 to 1892.
He was a preacher of some eloquence and maintained the high standard of pulpit work set by his predecessors. For the second time within a decade the Church has to face a building extension. It tackled the problem at once, indeed forethought had been given to it and plans were submitted on 16th October, for an increase of some two hundred sittings. After further consideration it was decided, in January 1890 not only to enlarge the Chapel but also to build a hall, Minister’s rooms, Ladies’ room and kitchen. These enlargements, costing some £1449, completed the Church building as it now stands with the exception of the small hall, which was added about 15 years later. The other Ministry was that of Rev. William J Hunter of Manchester who succeeded Mr Stevenson on 8th April 1893. Mr Hunter blended happily in his personality homely humour and high seriousness. During Mr Hunter’s Ministry 1893-1898 no great changes took place in the Church and no large schemes were set out. In February 1895 Mrs Herriot presented to the Church the stained glass window behind the Pulpit in memory of Mr Herriot and his long service to Whytescauseway Baptist Church.

There now followed the longest vacancy in the history of the Church, from September 1898 till March 1900.On 9th July 1902 arguments were put forward for the abandonment of the Common Communion Cup in favour of the individual cup, not until 16th July 1905 was the Individual Cup introduced to the Church. The long vacancy was at last terminated by an invitation to the Pastorate being sent to Rev. W. H. Spinks. He was ordained to the Ministry on 11th March 1900-1905.

The Jubilee of the Church was celebrated by special services on Sunday 6th July 1902. It was a happy inspiration to have Mr George Gourlay one of the original thirty-four give a historical survey of the Church. In fifty years its membership had grown from 34 to 289 and its influence on the community was out of all proportion to its size.

A new Ministry that of Rev. E. B. Woods from Leicester began on 17th December 1905. It was a vigorous Ministry and one which, drawing upon the consolidated strength of previous years led the Church in steady advance and new enterprise. The membership rose steadily until by 1912 it had reached its peak of 328. One of the first tasks to be undertaken was the building of the small hall.
The project was agreed to in August 1906 and work began forthwith. The hall was finished in mid 1907 and its erection completed the Church buildings as they now stand. The Ministry of Mr Woods, so full of successful enterprise, closed, amid international tension on 11th May 1913. During the 12 month vacancy that followed the world situation worsened and the Ministry of the Rev. A. T. Richardson formerly of George Square, Greenock began on 17th May 1914 was only a few months old when the storm of the first World War broke. The end of the war brought relief but the Church had suffered irreparably, as it was to suffer again two decades later, by the loss of much of its young men. The War Memorial bears silent but eloquent testimony to what might have been, for in these young lives lay much of the promise, hope and life of the Church’s future

Church work recovered slowly from the years of dislocation. In December 1919, the Manse at 25 Whytehouse Avenue was purchased; and on 31st March 1924 Mr Richardson’s Semi-Jubilee in the Ministry was celebrated. The Church continued its witness under the leadership of Mr Richardson until 2cnd March 1930 when he tendered his resignation from the Pastorate.

The Trustees of the late Mr A. H. McIntosh gave a gift of £450 and a gift of the beautiful solid oak Communion Table. This gift was used for the first time on Sunday 18th November to complete the furnishing of the Choir area. In January 1926 the installation of a new heating system was introduced.

On Sunday 18th January 1931, there began the longest Ministry so far in the history of Whytescauseway, that of the Rev. R. J. Smithson from Glasgow from 1931 to 1949. The work of the Church was again upset by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Again vacant places began to appear in the Congregation as young men and women were called to serve in H.M. Forces.
War honours came to three of our members. Miss Isobel M Herriot was awarded an O.B.E. in recognition of her work as Red Cross County Director for Fife. Colonel A. H. McIntosh was awarded the O.B.E. and the American Bronze Star. Mr W. D. Beaton was awarded the M.B.E. in recognition of his work as Civil Defence Executive Officer for the burgh of Kirkcaldy.

Rev. M. McLauchlan began his Ministry in May 1950.
The Lang Toun has always had a healthy regard for the Baptists of Whytescauseway who have constantly maintained a lively interest in civic affairs. A number of its members have given valuable service to the Community on the Town Council and several have served as Magistrates.

In Conclusion the story of the first hundred years of Whytescauseway Baptist Church’s history has been told, even if sketchily and with many an omission. The Church that has no sense of history is dead, but the Church that has only a sense of its history can hardly be said to be alive. We give God thanks for our past and for all the way in which He has led our Church. We give thanks for the faith and courage of its founders; for the loyalty and devotion of its Ministers; and for the sincere piety of its members. We have entered into a great heritage; by God’s grace may we be worthy of it. If we gain wisdom and receive inspiration from the record of past years and generations our eye must ever be upon our future. To that we turn, and, given such a faith and consecration as characterised our forefathers in the Faith, God may yet do for us and through us mightier things than ever before.

HISTORY OF KIRKCALDY

Kirkcaldy is known as The Lang Toun in Scots. This name derived from the original expansion of the town in a thin strip parallel to the sea front. The town has since developed further up and down the coast, encompassing formerly separate communities, but also extensively inland, so the term “The Lang Toun” is now only a reference to its historical shape.

Kirkcaldy is the largest town in Fife, Scotland. The population of the town according to the 2001 Census stands at 46,912.

The name Kirkcaldy is now generally believed to derive from the Welsh word caer, meaning fort, and caled, meaning hard, and the Gaelic word dun, also meaning fort hence the modern GaelicCathair Challdainn. Other theories involving the Scots word kirk-meaning church and the Culdees are less favoured now.

The town lies on the north shore of the Firth of Forth. The former burghs of Dysart, Linktown and Pathhead, and the villages of Sinclairtown and Gallatown are now incorporated into Kirkcaldy.

Kirkcaldy’s size reflects its historical importance as the largest east coast settlement between Edinburgh and Dundee, on a sheltered Firth of Forth, giving it for many years a very large fishing fleet, with a hinterland of some of Scotland’s richest farmland and mineral wealth in coal. Kirkcaldy harbour has since been boarded up with a small housing development with flats being built on the former site as well. The last ship to enter the harbour was in 1991. The Harbour Master’s House had to be demolished following a fatal fire, which destroyed the building two years ago.
It was a noticeable small marble building with a black tiled roof. A housing development firm wishes to recreate the former house. In the past year there have been rumours of a high-speed hovercraft link between Kirkcaldy and Edinburgh, running from the old bus depot on the promenade to Leith although recently these rumours have quietened down. Stagecoach was the firm looking to establish this link.

Kirkcaldy was famous throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries for linoleum manufacturing, notable Cairns, linked with Dundee jute imports; linen produced from local flax; and for it’s annual week-long Links Market – one of Europe’s longest street fairs – that celebrated its 700th anniversary in 2004. The town still has one of the longest developed sea fronts in Europe, overlooking the Firth of Forth. In the 17th century it boasted one of the earliest Latvian consulates, reflecting centuries of trade with Scandinavia, the Baltic States and the Netherlands.

Kirkcaldy was gifted to the monks of Dunfermline Abbey in 1364, on condition of a mutual protection pact against sea-raiders, who had already ravaged the East Neuk. The town’s status as a Royal Burgh was confirmed by Charles 1 (1625-49) in 1644. Kirkcaldy grew up around its harbour near the mouth of the East Burn and expanded rapidly in the 19th century with the development of textile, linoleum and coal industries.

Kirkcaldy was the administrative centre of Kirkcaldy District from 1975 to 1996. Kirkcaldy Town Centre was designated a conservation area in 1980 and amongst many interesting buildings are the Old Kirk with its late medieval tower, 15th century Ravenscraig Castle, 17th century Sailor’s Walk, Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery (1925), the Adam Smith Centre (1894-99),

The Nordic style Town House designed in 1937 by David Carr, Dunnikier House (built in the 1790s and now a Hotel), Balwearie Community School dating from the 1960s, and St Brycedale Church (1877-81), which rises to 60m (200 feet) and takes its name from Kirkcaldy’s patron saint.