Former Ministers
Bellie and Speymouth Parish Church
Rev Seòras was ordained and inducted into the charge of Bellie and Speymouth on 14 January 2018, after studying theology at the University of St Andrews. Throughout his ministry he was the youngest minister in the Church of Scotland. He demitted office on 31 December 2023.
Rev Alison was ordained and inducted into the charge of Bellie linked with Speymouth on 31 October 2003. Having felt a call to the Ministry from her teenage years and earning her BD at Aberdeen University (graduating in 1982), she served the united charge until translating to Nairn Old Parish Church on 30 October 2015.
Former Ministers of the former Bellie Parish Church
Rev George Hay (1567 – 1588) – Served as minister at Bellie in conjunction with Rathven. Robert Grant was his Reader between 1574 and 1588.
Rev John Knox (1590 – 1599) – Presented by James VI as Reader at Dundurcas in October 1576, which he held until 1580. In 1585, he became Minister at Keith before translating in 1586 to Ruthven and then to Bellie in 1590.
Rev Thomas Hay (1601 – 1607)
Rev William Sanders (1607 – 1663) – Reputed to have served for 77 years, dying at age 107. His assistants included Alexander Innes (1643–1655) and James Horne (1656–1659).
Rev William Annand (1663 – 1699) – Originally called in 1659, his settlement was delayed until Mr Sanders demitted. Born in 1635, he was the son of John Annand, minister at Inverness.
Rev Charles Primrose (1702 – 1708) – Ordained to Bellie in February 1702 and later translated to Forres in 1708.
Rev Thomas MacCulloch (1709 – 1750) – Born in Cromarty in 1670 and educated at Edinburgh University. Licensed in 1707, he was ordained at Birnie in July 1708 and translated to Bellie in May 1709.
Rev Patrick Gordon (1751 – 1769) – Born at Denend, Keith in 1705 and educated at King’s College, Aberdeen. He was Schoolmaster of Aberlour (1720–1725) and minister at Bellie (1725–1731), a missionary at Enzie (1731–1738), and was presented by the Duke of Gordon to Bellie in October 1751.
Rev John Rose (1769) – A former minister of Leswalt, presented by Alexander, Duke of Gordon, though he revoked his acceptance.
Rev James Gordon (1771 – 1809) – Born in 1727 and a graduate of King’s College, Aberdeen (M.A. 1747). He served as chaplain to the Royal Scots Fusiliers in Gibraltar and became the first incumbent minister of the new Bellie Church in Fochabers.
Born in 1759 to local farmer George Anderson and Helen Shand, he was ordained in Kingussie in July 1782 and admitted to Bellie in September 1809. Appointed Commissioner to the Duke of Gordon in 1819, he later demitted the charge.
Rev William Rannie (1819 – 1837) – Born in 1788 at Boyndie and educated at King’s College, Aberdeen, he succeeded as minister after serving as an assistant to Rev Anderson.
Rev David Dewar (1837 – 1843) – Born in Tillycoultry in 1796 and educated at Edinburgh University, he was appointed master of the Duchess of Gordon’s private school and chaplain at Gordon Castle before being ordained in 1837. When the Church split over patronage, he left to form the Free Church; he died in 1885.
Born in 1810 and educated at Marischal College in Aberdeen, he had previously served at Insch from 1836. Introduced by the Duke of Richmond, he translated to Bellie in 1843 and served until his death in March 1881 at age 70.
Born in 1852, son of Rev William Watt of Foveran, and educated at the University of Aberdeen, he served at Hogganfield Chapel in Glasgow before translating to Bellie in July 1882. He demitted office in October 1898 and died in June 1899.
Born in May 1868, the son of John Venters (a collector of Inland Revenue), he graduated M.A. from Glasgow in 1890 and B.D. from Edinburgh in 1894. He served as assistant minister at Greyfriars, Dumfries before being ordained and admitted in March 1899.
Transferring to Bellie in September 1934, he served as a forces’ chaplain in Aldershot (1939–1943) and in North Africa, Sicily and Italy (1943–1945) before translating to Dundee, Hilltown in May 1947.
Born in March 1907 and a graduate of the University of Glasgow (M.A. 1929), he ministered at Haverton Hill, Rochdale Trinity and Walford St Stephen’s, also serving as an officiating chaplain to HM Forces. He died in August 1973.
Ordained and admitted to Stobhill in 1933, he served at Glasgow Wilton, Iona and Ross of Mull, as well as at Balquihidder and Kilarrow before being inducted to Bellie in February 1953. He died in April 1954.
Born in May 1912, he ministered at Kirkcaldy St John’s (from 1941) and the English Reformed Church in Amsterdam (from 1949) before his induction to Bellie in September 1954. He transferred to Falkirk Laurieston in September 1958.
Born in June 1916 and a graduate of the University of Glasgow (M.A. 1937), he served during the war with Church of Scotland Huts and Canteens and as a forces’ chaplain. He ministered at Ullapool before becoming the first minister of Bellie linked with Speymouth in 1959. He retired in June 1981 and died in February 2011.
Born in March 1936, he served as assistant minister of Glasgow Possilpark (1965–66), was ordained and inducted to Tingwall in 1966, translated to Motherwell Crosshill in 1972, and served as minister of Bellie linked with Speymouth from March 1982 until March 2001. He died in January 2022.
Translating to Bellie linked with Speymouth in November 2001 after previous ministry at Ordiquihill and Cornhill linked with Whitehills, his early career also included several years’ naval experience. He retired in 2003 and died in October 2016.
Ordained in October 2003, she became the first minister of the united charge of Bellie and Speymouth from 1 January 2015.
Former Ministers of the former Speymouth Parish Church
| Year | Name & Details |
|---|---|
| 1731 | Robert Miln |
| 1758 | Thomas Gordon, who translated from Dundurcas |
| 1785 | James Gillan D.D., who translated from Kinloss |
| 1829 | John Gordon |
| 1848 | John Cushny M.A., who translated to Huntly |
| 1872 | Peter Dunn, M.A. |
| 1890 | George Birnie, D.D., first minister appointed by the congregation |
| 1941 | Richard Noble, M.A., who died in office |
| 1955 | Robert Campbell, M.A., who translated to Kirkcaldy |
| 1959 | Alick Hugh Macaulay, M.A., first minister of Bellie linked with Speymouth. He retired in June 1981 and died in February 2011. |
| 1982 | David Ferguson, who oversaw the re-union of Speymouth with Garmouth in 1988. He retired in March 2001 and died in January 2022. |
| 2001 | Gordon Henig, BSc BD, who retired in 2003 and died in October 2016. |
| 2003 | Alison C Mehigan, BD DPS, who became the first minister of the united charge of Bellie and Speymouth in January 2015 |
Bellie and Speymouth Parish Church of Scotland is a registered charity in Scotland: charity number SC005310
