Establishment of the Secession Church

1733

The Patronage Act of 1712 gave the local Laird (or landowner) the right to appoint the Minister of his Parish. This went against the tenets of the Presbyterian system which had established the right of elders representing the congregation to make this appointment from the time of the Reformation. By 1733, such was the ill-feeling, that the Secession Church broke away from the Established Church under the leadership of Ebenezer Erskine (1680 - 1754).

The Secession Church soon split further on theological grounds, bringing about the 'Burghers' and 'Anti-Burghers', together with the 'Auld Lichts' and 'New Lichts'.

Patronage became an issue again with the Disruption of 1843.

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