BIRTH OF THE RT. REV. ANDREW CARRUTHERS—CHOOSES THE ECCLESIAS­TICAL STATE—STUDIES AT DOUAI—HIS RETURN TO SCOTLAND—PREFECT AT SCALAN—COMPLETES HIS STUDIES AT ABERDEEN—ORDAINED PRIEST ON 25TH MARCH, 1795—IN CHARGE OF BALLOCH MISSION—CHAPLAIN AT TRAQUAIR, AT MUNSHES AND DALBEATTIE—MUCH REVERED—EXTENDS THE MISSION—HIS GARDEN—AN AMATEUR CHEMIST—CLASSICAL STUDIES— RETIRED LIFE—ATTENDS A MEETING—VICAR—APOSTOLIC OF THE EASTERN DISTRICT—NINE MISSIONS; AND TEN PRIESTS—BUILDS ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH, EDINBURGH—MORE CHURCHES—ANNAN—CHURCHES AND CLERGY MORE THAN TREBLED—ST. ANDREW’S SOCIETY.

Bishop Paterson was succeeded in the Eastern Vicariate by the Right Reverend Andrew Carru­thers, This Prelate was born at Glenmillan near New Abbey in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the 7th of February, 1770. He was of a highly respectable ancient family that had persevered in the Catholic Faith amidst all the trials and persecutions of the last and preceding century. His early education was acquired in the quiet and retired village near which he first saw the light— a village famed for the romantic scenery around it, and for its time honoured abbey which still remains in its ruins a noble monument of the glories of a bygone age. As if catching inspiration from the mouldering pile, young Carruthers was wont in his boyhood to wander up and down the shattered aisles and to explore every hidden nook of the sacred place. This remarkable taste, together with the thoughtful and serious turn of mind which he so early displayed, won for him among his playmates the name of the “young priest.” The grace of Heaven crowning his natural disposition, his future destiny may be said to have been then determined on; and so, his devout parents consenting, he made his choice and dedicated himself to the service of God in the Eccle­siastical state.

With a view to carrying out his laudable purpose and after having acquired some knowledge of the Latin and Greek classics, he entered in the sixteenth year of his age the Scotch College of Douai. In the course of the six years that he remained there he gave proof in the public schools of the University of that place astonishing progress in every branch of literature and science. He was already well advanced in his theological studies when the terrible Revolution, which broke out in France in 1792, obliged him to abandon them for a time, and to make his escape along with others of his fellow-students to his native land. He arrived there, at length, in safety, after having encountered great difficulties and incurred much danger. On his return to Scotland he was appointed Prefect of Studies at Scalan. He was noted there for the perfect order and disci­pline which he maintained, and after a short term of office he went to complete his theological studies at Aberdeen, under the guidance of the Rev. John Farquarson, formerly Rector of Douai College. In due time he was advanced to the priesthood by Bishop Hay. His ordination took place on the festival of the Annunciation, 25th March, 1795.

Mr. Carruthers, immediately after his ordination, was placed in charge of the laborious mission of Balloch. Within the range of this mission were Drummond Castle, so long the residence of the Dukes of Perth, and the town of Crieff, together with the Highlands of Perthshire. The Cath­olics, although few in number, were widely scattered throughout these mountainous regions; and, notwithstanding the difficulties they had to contend with in fulfilling the duties of their reli­gion, had faithfully adhered to it during the most trying times. The young priest was most zealous in the discharge of his duties towards this devoted remnant of his fellow-Catholics. He afforded them the consolation of numerous visits and frequent administration of the sacraments of the Church, travelling on foot from house to house, through the beautiful glens and mountain passes of the country.

In 1797 he removed to Traquair in Peebles-shire. There his duties were less onerous, but not less faithfully fulfilled. He acted as chaplain to the noble family of the Stewarts, Earls of Traquair, and as missionary priest among the Catholics of the neighbouring country.

It appeared to be the destiny of Mr. Carruthers to move southwards. In three years more towards the end of 1800, he was appointed to the mission of Munshes, in his native county. Munshes was the seat of an ancient family, still Catholic, at the time of this appointment. There were to be exercised not only the duties of family chaplain, but at the same time the more laborious charge of the numerous Catholics of the neighbourhood who assembled for the public offices of religion in the chapel of Munshes House. There the priest resided until some years later, the property falling to Protestant heirs, and the domestic chapel besides, being too small for the congregation, he removed to the neighbouring village of Dalbeattie where, in 1814, he expended a portion of the fund left to the mission by Miss Agnes Maxwell, the last Catholic who held the estate of Munshes, in building a church and house on a piece of ground which he had acquired for the purpose.

As may be well supposed Mr. Carruthers quitted with regret the hospitable mansion of Munshes, where he and his predecessors had been so kindly maintained for generations, and the cause of religion encouraged and upheld. During the two and thirty years that he presided over the mission in his new home, he was a most assiduous but unostentatious labourer in the spir­itual field confided to his care. He was diligent, particularly in instructing the young and causing the members of his congregation generally to fulfil the duties of religion. He had a certain stern­ness of manner, which, instead of being, a hindrance, rather facilitated the maintenance of disci­pline. His horror of all wickedness was so well known that his very frown was a terror to evil doers. Meanwhile he failed not to cultivate the amenities of social life; and hence became a favourite among the leading characters of the country and the people generally. Such were the reverence and propriety that he caused to be observed in the house of God that perfect silence prevailed during the celebration of Mass; so much so that not even a cough came to disturb the solemnity of the holy service. His mission extending during twenty-five years, to the whole Stewartry of Kirkcudbright with the exception of a small portion near Dumfries, and as far into the county of Wigton as the Irish channel, it may be conceived what a load of duty was imposed upon him. In so wide a district, there were several congregations requiring his attendance. There were stations which he formed at Kirkcudbright, the county town, at Gatehouse and Parton in the one county, and Newton Stewart in the other. All these stations he visited regularly during his incumbency, with the exception of Newton Stewart, to which the Rev. Dr. Sinnot was appointed in 1825. An idea of his arduous labours may be conceived when it is stated that one of the stations was forty miles distant from his home, another twenty miles, and none of them less than twelve miles, and that now, four priests are employed in attending to the duties which it fell on him so long to fulfil alone.

Mr. Carruthers, notwithstanding his multifarious spiritual occupations, found leisure to improve the rugged piece of land around the church and house which he had built, In this he was eminently successful. In the rocky parts he planted shrubs and plants of various kinds; and, the more level places, where there was any soil, he adapted for flowers and vegetables. He was an excellent botanist and took great delight in cultivating a variety of the most beautiful flowers. Every portion of his garden was very tastefully laid out, in so much that he acquired in the neigh­bourhood the two-fold reputation of being an admirable gardener and landscape gardener. His work became an object of curiosity and attraction throughout the country; and whenever there was a pleasure ground, a plantation, an avenue, a shrubbery or garden to be planned he was invariably consulted.

He had in early life acquired a knowledge of experimental philosophy. Chemistry, in particular was his favourite study; and he failed not at intervals to cultivate this science during his missionary career and indeed, throughout his whole lifetime. He was generally very successful in the chemical experiments, which he made, as often as he had time for them. He took care to acquire the most recent publications on the subject of his favourite study. He thus became aware of every discovery at the earliest moment. When resident at Blairs College, he took pleasure in imparting to the students a taste and liking for the philosophical pursuits in which he himself took so much delight.

It might be supposed that so practical a man cared little for literature. Letters, nevertheless, were an additional source of pleasure to him. The. ancient Greek and Latin classics, as well as the modern literary authors, were quite familiar to him; and he possessed that refinement of taste which adds so much to the pleasure of such studies. He wrote Latin with ease and elegance. Nor did he ever forget the French language, which he had learned so well during his earlier years in France. Although he never revisited that country, he could still speak French with ease and fluency, his diction and pronunciation being singularly correct. He was possessed of remarkable conversational power, and varied information, and an inexhaustible store of anecdote caused his society to be much sought. When called upon unexpectedly to speak on public occasions, his remarks were always happy and to the purpose. During his long sojourn in Galloway he enjoyed the esteem of Protestants as well as Catholics. The former, notwithstanding his different creed and uncompromising, though unobtrusive defence of it, sought and courted his acquaintance and society.

Mr. Carruthers lived quite retired during the long period of his missionary career, and was in consequence little known beyond those portions of the country where duty required his pres­ence. He had scarcely any acquaintance with his brother priests, especially in the northern part of the country, which, at the time, constituted the Lowland District. The remoteness of his resi­dence in great part accounts for this. It is no matter of surprise, therefore, that he took no part in the questions which concerned the general state of the missions; nor that he did not attend any of the meetings of the clergy till the year 1827. In that year he was present at the annual meeting of the friendly society which was held at Huntly. On that occasion, by the judicious and timely remarks which he made on the various subjects that came under discussion, he produced a particularly favourable impression on the meeting and won the esteem of many to whom he had hitherto been quite unknown. He resumed, on returning home, his, usual routine of duties, little imagining that he was to be torn from his beloved retirement and placed in a more prominent position, exchanging the care of a comparatively small portion for the charge of the whole Eastern district.

There was now a delay of two years in filling the place vacated by the death of the much regretted Bishop Paterson, who, in 1827, had obtained from the Holy See a new partition of the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Scotland and the establishment of a third Vicariate. The seat of this Vicariate remained vacant, until 1832, when the Vicars-Apostolic of the Western and Northern Districts, with the unanimous concurrence of the clergy, addressed a supplication to Pope Gregory XVI., requesting the appointment of Mr. Carruthers to the vacant Vicariate. Briefs, accordingly, were issued on the 13th of November, 1832, nominating him Bishop of Cerantis in partibus infidelium, and Vicar-Apostolic of the Eastern District. The consecration took place in St. Mary’s, Edinburgh, on the 13th of January, 1833, the Right Reverend Dr. Penswick, at the time Vicar-Apostolic of the Northern District of England, officiating as consecrating Bishop, assisted by the Right Reverend Drs. Scott and Kyle, Vicars-Apostolic of the Western and Northern Districts of Scotland.

Mr. Carruthers was far from coveting the dignity to which he was now raised. On the contrary he accepted it reluctantly and only from obedience. His first care was to make himself acquainted with the circumstances of the flock to the charge of which he was appointed. There were but few missions in his district and few clergy. The number of the former was nine; and that of the latter ten. There were only eight chapels or churches, and no reasonable hope of any immediate accession to the ranks of the clergy. Funds, besides, were wanting for the erection of additional churches. The Catholics, meanwhile, were increasing in numbers, although not much in opulence. The prospect was anything but bright. Nevertheless, the new Bishop, relying on the grace of Heaven, did not shrink from the arduous duties that lay before him, and zealously applied to the task of improving the various missions, as far as circumstances and the means at his disposal would permit. His labours began in the capital. There, with the aid of a gift of money from the late Mr. Menzies of Pitfodels, a munificent benefactor of the missions gener­ally, he erected the handsome church of St. Patrick, chiefly for the accommodation of the Cath­olics resident in the “old town.” The clergy, meanwhile, were not idle. Sustained by the encouragement which the Bishop, gave them, and not unfrequently by his active co-operation, they succeeded in raising churches in several important centres. Among these were St. Andrew’s (1836) and St. Mary’s (1851). Dundee. Stirling and Falkirk were favoured with churches and houses for the clergy, chiefly through the exertions of the late Rev. Dr. Paul McLachlan, distinguished as a controversial writer, with all the aid the Bishop could afford. The churches of Lennoxtown, of Campsie and Arbroath were built under the immediate superin­tendence of the Bishop himself. He also caused an ex-Episcopal church to be purchased at Portobello, and houses that were converted into temporary churches, at Forfar and Kirkcud­bright while a site for a church was acquired at Leith. Annan, an outpost of the mission of Dum-

fries, was not forgotten. The writer of these sketches being at the time assistant priest at the latter place, it was his duty to visit its dependencies. At Annan there was no better place of worship than a room at an inn. There was in the place an unoccupied church which the writer thought might be acquired. The Rev. William Reid, the senior priest, concurred in his view; the Bishop gave his countenance, and several Catholics their money. Mr. Marmaduke, Constable Maxwell, of Terreagles, subscribing £50, his brothers, William, Peter, Henry, Joseph, also giving hand­some sums. Funds were thus provided, the church, a substantial stone and lime building, purchased, and adapted to the purposes of Catholic worship. A projection from the south side was converted into a house, according to a plan made by Mr. M. Maxwell, of Terreagles. All this, although there had never previously been any attempt to setup a Catholic establishment at Annan, appeared only to give pleasure to the inhabitants, who, it may be mentioned here, were well known to entertain liberal and tolerant sentiments. Of this they gave additional proof on the day of the opening when they attended in great numbers, listening attentively to the sermons that were delivered by the coadjutor Bishop (Right Reverend Dr. Gillis), and the assistant priest. The day of opening was a memorable one at Annan. There never before had been so many Prot­estants at a Catholic celebration. The Catholics were also fairly represented. The Laird of Terreagles and other friends, together with the eminent Bishop Gillis, in these days coadjutor of the Eastern Vicariate, being present.

Annan is here mentioned at some length as it is a place of no slight celebrity. It was the parish, according to Presbyterian forms, of the renowned Edward Irving, who being deprived for enter­taining non-Presbyterian views, formed a congregation for himself in London, and astonished that capital and the Empire by his extraordinary eloquence. The non-Presbyterian Church which he established still exists, and is known as “the Catholic Apostolic Church.”

Annan, after some time, became a separate mission. The house planned by Mr. Maxwell is still used as the priest’s residence. The Reverend Lord Archibald Douglas, of the Queensbury family, is the present incumbent.

Thus was the state of the district slowly but very materially improved. The number of the clergy and churches or temporary buildings where the faithful could assemble, was more than trebled. In all this important work the Bishop was substantially aided by charitable grants from “St. Andrew’s Society.” The object of which was to afford support to the poorer missions. Its funds were maintained by collections in the churches and donations by all who took an interest in its work.