Thomas Burns

Written by Claude-3, 25.3.24. Not yet checked.

• 10 April 1796 - Born in Mossgiel Farm, Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland. Raised in a devout Presbyterian family.

• 1812 - entered the University of Edinburgh to study theology. He was taught by Edward Irving.

• 1822 - Licensed by the Presbytery of Haddington, into the Church of Scotland.

• 13 April 1826, ordained as the minister of the parish of Ballantrae.

• 4 January 1830 - married Clementina Grant.

• 1843 - joined the dissenting ministers in The Disruption, leaving the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland.

• 1843 - Appointed as a missionary to the Scottish settlers in Otago, New Zealand by the Glasgow Colonial Society.

• 27 November 1847 - sailed from Greenock on the Philip Laing.

• 15 April 1848 - Arrived in Dunedin, New Zealand aboard the ship "Philip Laing" after a long voyage.

• 16 April 1848 - the passengers of the Philip Laing and the John Wickliffe assembled for Divine Service on the Philip Laing, which was conducted by Thomas Burns.

• 23 April 1848 - preached at Divine Service held in Dunedin.

  • As one of the founding fathers of Presbyterianism in Otago, he worked tirelessly to establish the Presbyterian Church on strict Scottish principles.

  • Burns insisted the Otago settlement adhere to the principles of the Church of Scotland, including Presbyterian church governance, observance of the Sabbath, and widespread provision of education.

• 1868 - Retired from active ministry but remained deeply involved in the Otago Presbyterian community until his death.

• 1869 - Helped found the University of Otago, New Zealand's first university, serving as the inaugural Chancellor, ensuring it maintained a strong Christian foundation.

• 23 January 1871 - Died at the age of 75. His unwavering faith and commitment to Presbyterian principles left a lasting impact on Dunedin.

Key People

Janet Aitken Burns: Rev. Burns married Janet Aitken in 1826. She accompanied him to Dunedin and was a steadfast partner in his ministry work among the Scottish settlers.

Captain William Cargill: Cargill was the leader of the Otago settlement and worked closely with Burns to establish the Presbyterian foundations of the community in line with the Church of Scotland.

James Macandrew: An early Scottish settler, Macandrew was an elder in Burns' church and a close ally in implementing Presbyterian principles in Otago.

John McGillvray: McGillvray succeeded Burns as minister of Dunedin's First Church in 1860 and helped carry on Burns' vision.

James Fergusson: Burns' brother-in-law, Fergusson tutored Burns' children and later became a minister himself in Otago.

Edward Gillies: A lay leader who assisted Burns with the construction of the first Presbyterian church in Dunedin in 1851.

John Dickson: Dickson co-founded the Otago Settlement with Burns and Cargill, helping shape its Presbyterian character.

These individuals worked hand-in-hand with Rev. Burns to establish Presbyterianism as the dominant faith in the Otago region during the settlement's early years.