Thomas Niven
{{Short description|Scottish minister}}
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Thomas Brown William Niven (15 March 1834 – 17 December 1914) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1906–1907. He was a minister for more than 50 years and was also an author.
Life
File:38,40 Northumberland Street, Edinburgh.jpg
Thomas was born in the manse at Balfron on 15 March 1834 the son of Rev Dr Alexander Niven, the local minister since 1825.Strathendrick and Its Inhabitants: John Guthrie Smith He came from a long line of Scottish clergy. He was educated privately then studied divinity at the University of Edinburgh.
He began his ministry in May 1858 at the Mission in Renton, West Dunbartonshire but within a year moved to assist at St George's Church in Edinburgh.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uvw9AAAAIBAJ&pg=5784%2C2371056 |title=Retirement of Rev. Dr Niven |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=21 November 1910 |pages=8 |access-date=28 September 2024}} Through a connection to the Earl of Stair he was ordained to preach at Cranston, Midlothian in October 1859. In 1868 he moved to the Glasgow Tron Church.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zOBEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3178%2C3227252 |title=Ecclesiastical. Induction of the Rev T. B. W. Niven to the Tron Church |work=The Herald |date=4 September 1868 |pages=4 |access-date=28 September 2024}} In 1870 he turned down an offer of a post at St. Andrew's Church in Montreal, Canada.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vJtEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1226%2C2533875 |title=St Andrews, Montreal |date=13 June 1870 |pages=4 |access-date=29 September 2024}} In 1872 he moved again to Linlithgow{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ddQAAAAIBAJ&pg=4564%2C5279648 |title=The Call to Mr Niven to Linlithgow |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=28 March 1872 |pages=3 |access-date=28 September 2024}} On leaving the Tron, he commented that such a post required all a man's youthful energy and vigour.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wJJEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1677%2C91302 |title=Ecclesiastical. Glasgow Established Presbytery |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=2 May 1872 |pages=5 |access-date=29 September 2024}} At Linlithgow he found the manse pleasing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pollokshieldschurch.org.uk/the-church/history/ministers-of-pollokshields/the-rev-thomas-b-w-niven.php|title=Pollokshields Church of Scotland {{!}} The Rev. Thomas B. W. Niven|website=www.pollokshieldschurch.org.uk|access-date=2019-05-26}} However, his puritanical spirit called him to a more humble life, and he moved back to do Mission work in 1876, this time in Pollokshields one of Glasgow's poorer districts. The small congregation were meeting in temporary accommodation when he arrived, but within a couple of years numbers increased and £25,000 was raised to build a church building.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qOBAAAAAIBAJ&pg=1252%2C5066161 |title=An Ex-Moderator. Death of a prominent Glasgow Minister. The Very Rev. Dr Niven |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=18 December 1914 |pages=9 |access-date=29 September 2024}} He stayed here for the remainder of his working life, living at Coldstream House on Albert Road.Glasgow Post Office Directory 1880-81
He wrote a volume of the historical series edited by Robert Story- Church history of Scotland past and present. volume III. From the Revolution to the Present Time.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ANVEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2793%2C535000 |title=Literature. Minor books and new editions. The Church of the revolution settlement |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=8 January 1891 |pages=5 |access-date=28 September 2024}} In 1893 the University of Edinburgh awarded him an honorary doctorate, Doctor of Divinity (DD), in recognition of his preaching and his literary work.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pZJEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5082%2C5252805 |title=Edinburgh University|work=The Glasgow Herald |date=1 March 1893 |pages=8|access-date=28 September 2024}} In 1868, while at the Tron, he was installed as a Freemason{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=J-FEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5475%2C9096319 |title=Lodge Glasgow St John |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=26 December 1868 |page=5 |access-date=29 September 2024}} and became a Grand Officer at the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1893.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=orFEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2155%2C5342435 |title=Grand Lodge of Scotland - Annual election and festival |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=1 December 1893 |pages=8 |access-date=28 September 2024}} He was also secretary of the West of Scotland Bible Society.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WLhhAAAAIBAJ&pg=4355%2C242939 |title=Appreciation of the Bible |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=3 March 1908 |pages=12 |access-date=28 September 2024}}
In May 1906, Moderator Andrew J. Milne died in office and on 22 May Niven succeeded him.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QtNAAAAAIBAJ&pg=1586%2C2558568 |title=Wednesday, May 23, 1906 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=23 May 1906 |pages=22 |access-date=29 September 2024}} Niven celebrated his fifty years of ministerial work in 1909 and was gifted a portrait.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=19pAAAAAIBAJ&pg=2786%2C6700802 |title=The Jubilee of Dr Rev Niven |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=30 October 1909 |pages=10 |access-date=28 September 2024}} In November 1910, he announced his intention to retire from Pollockshaws Parish Church. He retired in 1911 and was succeeded by Rev Norman Caie DD.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y85AAAAAIBAJ&pg=5775%2C4736268 |title=Vacancies and Calls |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=11 August 1911 |pages=10 |access-date=29 September 2024}} He retired to the New Town in Edinburgh living at 40 Northumberland Street.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1911-12
He died on 17 December 1914.{{cite web |title=Niven, Very Rev. Thomas Brown William, (1834–17 Dec. 1914), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 1906–07 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U189440 |website=Who Was Who |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=27 September 2024 |language=en |date=1 December 2007|url-access=subscription}}
References
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External links
- [https://archive.org/details/thechurchofscotl03storuoft/page/n29/mode/2up The Church of Scotland, past and present : its history, its relation to the law and the state, its doctrine, ritual, discipline, and patrimony] at archive.org
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Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Category:19th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland
Category:19th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers