| Notes |
- PRIVATE
- Grave stone in Old East Bank Cemetery in East London reads:
In loving memory of James M Auld
Missionary of Columba Kentani
Born at Tollcross Manse
Glasgow 2nd April 1848
Died at East London 5th Dec 1932
«i»I have fought (in) a good fight«/i»
and his beloved wife Margaret
nee Meikle Born in Glasgow 20-9-1850
Entered into rest 4-7-1945
"«i»In Thy presence is fullness of joy"
«/i»
Missionaries at Columba Mission near Kentani, Cape, South Africa.
Source: Mary Lundie. E-mail of 31 Mar 2007
«u»Notes on the Auld Family
«/u»These notes were compiled by Meg Hardman in her 84«sup»th«/sup» year.
1.«tab»The Rev. James MacDonald Auld was born in 1848 at the Parkhead Manse Glasgow where is father was the Presbyterian Minister. James studied at Glasgow University, and Divinity College and was ordained by the Glasgow United Presbyterian on 22«sup»nd«/sup» February 1875. He married in April 1875 Margaret Meikle whose father was a stained glass merchant in Glasgow and an elder in the church for 50 years. Immediately after the wedding they came out on the Union "SS Anglian" to East London and went as missionaries to what was then known as Kaffraria (now Ciskei) where they worked at Luijlo mission station. In 1877/78 the 9«sup»th«/sup» Frontier War broke out with the Xhosa tribes, and the family which now including Annie Harvie, had to flee before the mission House was burnt down. Margaret Auld was expecting her 2«sup»nd«/sup» child (William) who was born while they were living in the Vestry of another mission church Emgwali near Stutterheim.
After the end of the war, Rev James Auld was asked by the government to cross the Kei river and become missionary to the Xhosa (Gaika) tribe which had been moved there. This was how the Columba mission, about 25 miles from Butterworth, was founded. It was called after St Columba of Iona, Celtic saint who brought Christianity to the Scots and Picts. The baptismal font in the Columbia church was of Iona marble.
When James and Margaret Auld landed in East London they walked up what is now Oxford Street, picking wild flowers on the grassy slope. East London then consisted of a few buildings on the west bank.
The Aulds spent over 50 years at Columba before retiring to East London in 1927. For a couple of years Rev John Lundie and his wife were with them in the early years before the Lundies went to Malan Mission. Columba mission was beautifully situated in a loop of Kobonquaba River, had a fine garden and was about 20 miles from Ncizele River, where grandpa Auld had a seaside camp with several huts. The family and later grandchildren spent many happy days there.
In 1905 Rev James Auld was made moderator of the South African Presbyterian Church, whose Assembly met, that year, at Kimberly. It was largely due to him that Presbyterians mission work for blacks was started in Rhodesia that year.
In those early days all travel for the Aulds was either on horseback or by ox wagon, and they possessed a very large fully tented wagon which had two double "Kartels" (beds) and was drawn by 12 to 14 oxen. About 1921 James Auld invested in a Ford car - a "Tin Lizzie" and he had many adventures on the Transkei roads. The story is told that when travelling to a synod meeting with Rev John Lundie, his lifelong friend, the car backfired loudly. "What was that Mr Auld?" said Mr Lundie. "I don't know, Mr Lundie, but we will just go on!". In another occasion James and his wife, Margaret, were travelling on a very wet and muddy road when the car skidded and turned completely around, avoiding a muddy puddle, "Oh that was very clever of you James," said the lady!
2.«tab»The Rev James Auld's father, the Rev William Auld (1806-1885) was minister for 53 years at the old historic Tellcross Church in Glasgow and married to Mary Macdonald - "Blessed with a good wife", he studied at Glasgow University. "He had a fine presence and voice and was an authority on Presbyterian Church law." They had 6 sons and 3 daughters, James being the third youngest.
3.«tab»The Rev William Auld (1774-1849) (Father of the above William Auld) was born at Langside near Glasgow and was married to Margaret Maxwell of Dumfrieshire, who bore him 13 children. She was married at 15.
«tab»I had an etching of Margaret Maxwell (wearing ringlet curls to near her shoulders), which was unfortunately burnt in a fire when we Hardmans were transferred from Johannesburg to Cape Town in 1959. The Rev William Auld was a minister of the Relief Church (Presbyterian) in Burnhead Dumfrieshire for 8 years, after which he was called to Sir Michael Street Church in Greenock as its first minister on Nov 17«sup»th«/sup» 1808. After Margaret Maxwell died in 1825, he was twice married, first to Jean Tarbet, and then to Mary Easton. He had a very successful ministry to both old and young and had oversight of a very large Sunday School (about 1000). He was among the last minister in Greenock to wear long black silk stockings and short trousers buttoned or tied with silk ribbon at the knee. In his old age, he was affectionately known as "Daddy Auld".
The above information has been gleamed from old records, two books, and what I remember of the early days. Signed Meg H Hardman (28 April 1989)
*******************
The Church of Scotland Minutes of the South African Mission Council, meeting held in Umtata, 26 and 27th April
Includes an obituary of the late Rev J. M. Auld. The Council adopted the following tribute prepared by the Rev JH Soga:
«i»The late Rev James M. Auld, son of Rev William Auld, minister of Tollgrass U.P. Church, Glasgow, was born at Parkhead, Glasgow, in 1848. On the completion of his school education he entered Glasgow University in 1866, taking the Art course, and along with it extra-mural classes in medicine, after which he attended the Theological course at the Divinity Hall of the U.P. Church in Edinburgh. Completing his theological studies early in 1875 he was licensed, ordained and appointed as a Missionary to Kaffraria during the course of that year. Coming out to South Africa almost immediately, he was first stationed at Lujilo near Emgwali Mission Station, at that time under the care of the late Rev John Cumming.«/i»
«i»Here he laboured for about 2 years when the war of 1877-78 broke out disorganising mission work in that neighbourhood. His manse at Lujilo was burned down; in conseunquence he was rendered homeless, and thus early in his ministerial career he had to endure suffering and hardship, along with his devoted wife, for the cause of his Master.«/i»
«i»In 1878 he crossed the Kei with the Gaikas and settled on the banks of the Kobonqaba River. Here he established the mission station of Columba, and it became the scene of his labours for fifty years. There are few today who can clearly visualise the adverse conditions in which Mr Auld had to carry on his work. The Gaikas were stripped of their country; those of them who had remained neutral along with those who had been in rebellion against the Government were, without discrimination, driven over the Kei onto the abandoned country of the Gcalekas, who were rendered homeless. The Gaikas were sullen, discontented, burning with a sense of defeat, and labouring under a bitter hostility to the White man and to the religion which he introduced. The times were sadly 'out of joint' and needed such work as Mr Auld had consecrated himself to, a man brave and enduring, filled with the spirit and compassion of Christ. Inevitably he shared in the hostility bestowed on all persons and things European. Thwarted
«i»Regardless of the coldness and indifference of man he went steadily forward in that supreme work, the winning of souls for the kingdom of Christ. As we see him battling under these trying circumstances we cannot but realise that there was in him much of the heroic spirit of Browning's optimist, who«/i»
«i»'Marched breast forward,«/i»
«i»Never doubting clouds would break«/i»
«i»Never dreamed though Right were worsted«/i»
«i»Wrong would triumph,«/i»
«i»Held we fall to rise,«/i»
«i»Are baffled to fight better."«/i»
«i»The times needed a spirit and temperament such as Mr Auld possessed, - a man of courage and singleness of purpose, firm in his resolve to bring hope and life through the atoning work of Christ to those living in darkness and the shadow of death. A man of milder type might have found the task too much for him. The whole of his life, , with all its energy and it uncompromising fidelity to truth and purity of life, was wholly given up to the Lord Jesus to be used for his service. Through steadfast reliance on the promise: 'I am with you alway even onto the end' was he enabled to go forward in confident hope; but in addition he had that inestimable blessing which came to his help through his life's partner, who supported him with that quietness and confidence and far-sighted wisdom, which gave him a strength of purpose and peace of mind, whereby the rough places were made plain. So he advanced from strenght to strength till his work was accomplished.«/i»
«i»The Columba Mission started and carried on under the disabilities mentioned above yet, under the fostering care of Mr Auld, steadily grew in numbers and strength until, at his death, it had reached a high state of efficiency. Day schools were established throughout the whole district and at the time of his resignation numbered 22 with over 1200 scholars, while the outstations of the church numbered 26 with a with a membership of about 600. Besides these were other organisations in a prosperous condition: thus spritual and educational sides of the work grew together.«/i»
«i»So it is today that amongst the Gaikas we find men and women drawn together in spritual sympathy who have found life through the preaching of the Cross of Christ, His incarnation and atoning death.«/i»
«i»We may feel assured that so long as the Gaika tribe exists Mr Auld's memory will be kept alive in reverence and love.«/i»
«i»As a mark of the high esteem in which Mr Auld was held throughout South Africa by all Presbyterians he was invited to preside as Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa in 1905. In 1923, when the Missions of the United Free Church were formed into the Bantu Presbyterian Church Mr Auld was asked to become its first Moderator, but he was unable to accept the honour.«/i»
«i»In 1925 was celebrated the jubilee of this beloved father or our Church and his wife at Columba on the 29th of April, when a large gathering of Europeans and Natives assembled to show to them their love and respect.«/i»
«i»His retiral from active work in Columba Mission followed in June 1927. Bidding an affectionate farewell to his beloved Gaikas he went to reside at Cambridge, East London.«/i»
«i»After a residence there of six years he passed to everlasting rest, on December 5th, and his body was laid to rest in the cemetery at East London on the following day. «/i»
«i»Sorrow for the loss of a wise councillor and friend we cannot but feel, yet our note should be rather one of thanksgiving to God for the faithful services of His servant, now received into everlasting glory, that one so specially endowed was enabled to uphold the Cross of Christ as the vital hope of the Gaika tribe, and to bring his life's work to a successful issue. He might well say with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of life."«/i»
«i»To his sorrowing family we could offer the consolations of our humansympathy, but better still we would commend them to Him who heals the wounds of men, and pray that He give them "beauty of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."«/i»
«i»The Mission Council thank God for a life so full and rich in spiritual gifts, and for a devotion so faithful to the extention of Christ's kingdom, and for a personality so "radiant with life and service." «/i»
There is an obituary of James M Auld reproduced at :
http://www.genealogyworld.net/missionaries/missionaries_a.html
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1848 - 1932 (84 years)
