St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Gibraltar

St Andrew's, Church of Scotland

1853-54

Stone

Governor's Parade

Gibraltar

Many Scots were garrisoned in Gibraltar in the nineteenth century. In May 1852 a deputation headed by the Rev. Adam Cairns met Secretary Sir John Pakington about celebrating Presbyterian marriages there (see "Court Circular"), and the drive for a new church gathered momentum. The foundation stone was finally laid in October 1853, and St Andrew's was then "built by the efforts of Presbyterians who wished to have their own place of worship" ("History"). Services were held from 1854. [Commentary continues below.]

Text and photograph by Jacqueline Banerjee.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]

This was a church where the Scottish could really feel at home. Henry Fields describes how happy its pastor felt when a Scotch regiment came out:

for then he is sure of a large array of stalwart Cameronians, among whom are always some who have the "gift of prayer," and know how to sing the "Psaumes of Dawvid." These brave Scots go through with their religious exercises almost with the stride of grenadiers, for they are in dead earnest in whatever they undertake, whether it be praying or fighting; and these are the men on whom a great commander would rely to lead a forlorn hope into the deadly breach; or, as an English writer has said, "to march first and foremost if a city is to be taken by storm!" [33]

The square in front of the church is used as a parking lot, making it hard to photograph well, and unfortunately it was closed when visited. But, according to the church's website, it has some lovely stained glass windows and the original font, pulpit and pews ("Our Church").

Bibliography

Court Circular. Times 28 May 1852: 5. Times Digital Archive. Web. 14 January 2019.

Field, Henry Martyn. Gibraltar. London: Chapman & Hall, 1889. Project Gutenberg. Web. 14 January 2019.

"History." St Andrew's Church. Web. 14 January 2019.

"Our Church." St Andrew's Church. Web. 14 January 2019.

Created 13 January 2019