History of Presbyterianism

James Simpson. These good men, in the absence of a regular minister, conducted the Sabbath services themselves with much acceptance and profit to the people. Until 1816 all the services were conducted in private houses and in the schoolhouse. In that year the first church was built. It was a log church and stood on Yankee Hill, near the harbor.

Rev. Hugh Dunbar was the first minister settled in this congregation. That event took place in 1826 and in 1835 his resignation was accepted. About this time the population of New London was largely increased by the arrival of a large body of new set- tlers from the Highlands of Scotland, and the old log church was too small for their accommodation. The result was that two new churches were erected; one on the north side, which is still standing, and. is known as the “old church” (a fine new church hav— ing been erected a few years ago in Long River), and the other on the south side, called St. John’s church. This church is also still standing, though unoccupied, a new church, large, comfortable and commodious, having lately been erected near by. The church on the north side still retained its con— nection with the Presbyterian Church of Nova Sco— tia, or the Antiburgher church, as it was called by some; while that on the south became connected with the established church of Scotland, and was formally opened in the year 1833 by Rev. John Mc- Lennan, the Kirk minister of Belfast, P. E. l. Though Mr. McLennan’s residence in Belfast was nearly fifty miles distant from New London, he,

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