As it’s St Fillan’s 900th anniversary I’m looking at Rev. Rutherford’s children’s address, where he talks about the history of the church. He has finished his series on names on the brass memorial – but there are a few others of note – Robert Liston 1764.
Rev. John Liston (1687-1764) was minister from 1723-1764, he was imposed on the church by Lord Morton against the wishes of the congregation – this patronage was objected to and a movement led by Ebenezer Erskine led to a split in the Church of Scotland and the formation of Erskine churches. Feelings must have abated as his son Rev. Robert Liston (1730-1796) became an assistant, then minister from 1764-1796. He had considerable ability and became Moderator of the General Assembly in 1787. It was during his ministry that the St Fillan’s was unroofed and moved what is now the Church Hall.
Two of Robert’s sons were Rev. Henry Liston (1771-1836) and Rev. William Liston (1781-1864). Henry declined the offer to become the minister in Aberdour as he felt family dynasties in the church were not right so became minister at Ecclesmachan – he invented a special organ. William was a keen botanist and studied medicine, he was minister at Redgorton.
Two of Henry’s sons were Sir Robert Liston (1794-1847) and Rev. David Liston (1799-1881). Robert was a famous surgeon noted for his speed and skill in amputation in the days before anaesthetics – “the fastest knife in the West End”. David was professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages at Edinburgh University.
One of William Liston’s sons was Rev. William Alexander Liston. He was a chaplain in the Indian Army in Madras and later became minister in Cardonald – he along with his brother Thomas Liston a London merchant, were responsible for the Liston window. His son was Lt Col William Glen Liston (1872-1950) a British Army doctor and medical entomologist who worked in the Indian Medical Service and was among the first experimenters to demonstrate that plague was transmitted by rat fleas and was involved in developing a plague vaccine. He was present at the restoration of St Fillan’s in 1926.
It was during Robert Liston’s time that St Fillan’s was unroofed – I can find no record of what the congregation thought – was it seen as progress moving from an old dark church to a new bright church?
The Liston family have played an important part in the history of St Fillan’s for five generations from 1764 to 1926, they show the importance of family.