Period of church building

“In 1841, Dundee had a population of 63,732,” writes Donald Abbott of Invergowrie. “By 1881, that number had risen to 140,054.

“A great number of churches were built in the city, following on the Disruption of 1843 and the formation of the Free Church of

Scotland. Included was Free St Johns, built in Smalls Wynd in 1844. The first meeting of that congregation of 1843 was held in a spinning loft at Seabraes, in which my greatgreat-grandfather Peter Abbot (one ‘t’), a shoemaker, participated.

“Minutes of 1843/1844 show that on October 2 1843, 750 applications were received from those wishing to become communicants. The minute of June 28 1843 confirms that Rev John Roxburgh, moderator, intimated that he had appointed Peter Abbot to be church officer.

“Free St John’s was a breakaway from the Established Church of St John’s Dundee, whose minister had joined the embryo Free Church of Scotland, together with around one third of his former colleagues.

“The plain structured Free St John’s Kirk and its manse, Whiteleys, on the Perth Road were purchased ultimately with all of the houses neighbouring the manse between Park Place and Smalls Wynd, and fronting the Nethergate; this to help form the embryo University College of Dundee. The sum of £35,000 had been gifted in 1882 by a Miss Baxter and Dr J B Baxter (not related) to purchase the properties for college purposes.

“The congregation of St John’s was

now displaced from its first kirk, but soon constructed the wonderfully spired Free St John’s in Perth Road at the top of Roseangle (today’s Dundee West Church of Scotland).

“Meanwhile, the Smalls Wynd former Free St Johns became the first College Hall, but is now long demolished and the site redeveloped.”