Previous Ministers

Our Minsters Through the Ages

In the past, five ministers of St Leonard’s have served as Moderator of the General Assembly, plus one who became Moderator after transfer to Edinburgh.

The date of the founding of our parish is unknown. The first mention is in 1413. It appears to have been served by clergy from the Cathedral until the foundation of St Leonard’s College in 1512. Thereafter the church had its own incumbent.

The following are the names of the clergy who have served St Leonard’s parish from 1512 to the present day. (M) and the given year indicates that they were Moderators of the General Assembly.

1512-1550 Thomas Fyffe

1550-1562 John Fyffe

1578-1590 James Wilkie

1591-1611 Robert Wilkie (M) 1600

1611-1629 Peter Bruce DD

1630-1647 Andrew Bruce DD

1648-1662 Walter Comrie MA

1662-1689 James Wemyss DD

1691-1695 William Tullideph MA

1696-1697 George Hamilton MA (M) 1699 (in Edinburgh)

1697-1708 John Anderson MA

1708-1738 Joseph Drew

1739-1777 Thomas Tullideph (M) 1742

1778-1781 Robert Watson LL.D

1782-1799 Joseph McCormick DD (M) 1782

1800-1819 James Playfair DD

1820-1824 Francis Nicoll DD (M) 1809

1825-1845 James Hunter LL.D

1845-1863 John Cook DD (M) 1859

1864-1898 Matthew Rodger DD

1898-1932 Robert W. Wallace MA

1933-1959 William L. Coulthard BD HCF

(1939-1945 George Higgs M.A. Locum Tenens)

1960-1979 Andrew B. McLellan MA BD

1980-1997 Lawson R. Brown MA

1998-          Alan D McDonald DD Dlitt (M) 2006