William Garden Blaikie

William Garden Blaikie

William Garden Blaikie (February 5, 1820, in Aberdeen - June 11, 1899) was a Scottish divine, writer, biographer, and temperance reformer.

:"The following text is from the 11th edition (1911) of "Encyclopaedia Britannica" (now in the Public Domain). Since Blaikie died in 1899, the text is still correct, albeit not entirely relevant. Please edit to make the text more suitable for Wikipedia."

His father, James Ogilvie Blaikie, had been the first provost in Aberdeen of the reformed corporation. After studying at the Marischal College, where Alexander Bain and David Masson were among his contemporaries, he went in 1839 to Edinburgh to complete his theological course under Thomas Chalmers. In 1842 he was presented to the living of Drumblade by Lord Kintore, with whose family he was connected. The Disruption controversy reached its climax immediately afterwards, and Blaikie, whose sympathies were entirely with Chalmers, was one of the 474 ministers who signed the deed of demission and gave up their livings. He was Free Church minister at Pilrig, between Edinburgh and Leith, from 1844 to 1868. Keenly interested in questions of social reform, his first publication was a pamphlet, which was afterwards enlarged into a book called "Better Days for Working People". It received public commendation from Lord Brougham, and 60,000 copies were sold. He formed an association for providing better homes for working people, and the Pilrig Model Buildings were erected. He also undertook the editorship of the "Free Church Magazine", and then that of the "North British Review", which he carried on until 1863. In 1864 he was asked to undertake the Scottish editorship of the "Sunday Magazine", and for this magazine much of his most characteristic literary work was done, especially in the editorial notes, then a new feature in magazine literature.

In 1868 Blaikie was called to the chair of apologetics and pastoral theology at New College, Edinburgh. In dealing with the latter subject he was seen at his very best. He had wide experience, a comprehensive grasp of facts, abundant sympathy, an extensive knowledge of men, and a great capacity for teaching. In 1870 he was one of two representatives chosen from the Free Church of Scotland to attend the united general assembly of the Presbyterian churches of the United States. He prolonged his visit to make a thorough acquaintance with American Presbyterianism, and this, followed by a similar tour in Europe, fitted him to become the real founder of the Presbyterian Alliance. Much of his strength in the later years of life was given to this work. In 1892 he was elected to the chairmanship of the general assembly, the last of the moderators who had entered the church before the disruption. In 1897 he resigned his professorship, and died on 11 June 1899.

Blaikie was an ardent philanthropist, and an active and intelligent temperance reformer, in days when this was far from easy. He raised 14,000 for the relief of the Waldensian churches. Although he took an active part in the affairs of his denomination, he was not a mere ecclesiastic. He had a keen eye for the evidences of spiritual growth or decline, and emphasized the need of maintaining a high level of spiritual life. He welcomed Moody to Scotland, and the evangelist made his headquarters with him during his first visit.

Published works

*"Better Days for Working People"
*"The Work of the Ministry. A Manual of Homiletic and Pastoral Theology", 1873
*"The Personal Life of David Livingstone", 1880, 2nd edition 1881, 525 pages
*"The Books of Samuel" in "the Expositor's Bible Series", 2 volumes
*"The Book of Joshua" in "the Expositor's Bible Series" 1886
*"After Fifty Years", 1893, an account of the Disruption Movement in the form of letters of a grandfather
*"Thomas Chalmers", 1896
*"Recollections of a Busy Life", 1901

External links

*gutenberg author|id=William_Garden_Blaikie|name=William Garden Blaikie
* [http://www.kittybrewster.com/ancestry/blaikie.htm Family tree]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Blaikie — is a surname, and may refer to:* Bill Blaikie (born 1951), the the deputy leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Canada * James Blaikie (1786 1836), Lord Provost of Aberdeen (1833 1836) * John Arthur Blaikie (born 1849), English poet and… …   Wikipedia

  • Blaikie — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Thomas Blaikie (1751–1838), schottischer Gartenarchitekt William Garden Blaikie (1820–1899), schottischer Geistlicher, Autor und Vertreter der Abstinenzbewegung Siehe auch Blakey …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • James Blaikie — James Ogilvie Blaikie of Craigiebuckler (Aberdeen 20 May 1786 3 October 1836). Buried St Nicholas, Aberdeen. Lord Provost of Aberdeen 1833 1836. Married Jane Garden. Father of William Garden Blaikie and others.ee alsoList of Provosts and Lord… …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Murray McCheyne — Robert Murray McCheyne. Robert Murray McCheyne, né le 21 mai 1813, a été pasteur de l Église d Écosse de 1835 à sa mort, le 25 mars 1843. Auteur de poèmes et de nombreuses lettres, il …   Wikipédia en Français

  • David Livingstone — (* 19. März 1813 in Blantyre bei Glasgow; † 1. Mai 1873 in Chitambo am Bangweulusee) war ein schottischer Missionar und ein Afrikaforscher des 19. Jahrhunderts …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • David Livingstone — For other people named David Livingstone, see David Livingstone (disambiguation). David Livingstone Born 19 March 1813(1813 03 19) Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland Died …   Wikipedia

  • Colony houses — on Collins Street, Stockbridge The colony houses of Edinburgh were built between 1850 and 1910 as homes for artisans and skilled working class families by philanthropic model dwellings companies. The first development was the Pilrig Model… …   Wikipedia

  • Luapula River — The Luapula River is a section of Africa s second longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo. It joins Lake Bangweulu (wholly in Zambia) to Lake Mweru …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Dick — Reverend Thomas Dick (November 24, 1774 in Hilltown, Dundee July 29, 1857), was a Scottish church minister, science teacher and writer, known for his works on astronomy and practical philosophy, combining science and Christianity, and defusing… …   Wikipedia

  • Río Luapula — (o Lwapula) País que atraviesa  Zambia …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”