James Ingram

James Ingram (3 April 1776 - 3 March 1879) was a Church of Scotland minister who spent most of his life working in the parishes of Fetlar and Unst. At the Disruption he joined the Free Church. His was sometimes known as the Patriach of the Free Church. He is remembered for his long life as he lived till within a few weeks of completing his 103rd year. He came from a long-lived family: his father lived to the age of 100, and his grandfather to 105. Additionally he is remembered as the sitter in works of art, including a painting by Otto Leyde. He was also photographed by Charles Spence of Lerwick. He wrote the New Statistical Account for the parish of Unst in 1831. Early life and ancestry James Ingram of Unst, the north-most island of Shetland, and the most northerly point of Her Majesty’s dominions, was for many years the father of the Free Church. Dr Ingram, the oldest minister of the Gospel in the British Isles at his death, was not a native Shetlander. He was born in Logie Coldston, Aberdeenshire, on 3 April 1776, and lived till within a few weeks of completing his 103rd year. He came of a long-lived family. His father lived to the age of 100, and his grandfather to 105. Both of them spent their long years on the same farm, in the Daugh, parish of Logie Coldston. His mother was Jean Reid, the farm being at Donough-more, Logie-Colstone. Education James Ingram received his early education in the parish school of Tarland, and afterwards in the Grammar School of Old Aberdeen. He entered upon his Arts curriculum in King’s College there, when fifteen years of age, and was a distinguished student, carrying off the highest competition bursary of his entrance session. He commended himself by his diligence and talent to the whole professorial body, and particularly to Dr Jack, then the Principal of the College, and during life the warm friend of his promising pupil. He began his Divinity course at Aberdeen in 1795, and the following year he was appointed tutor to the family of Mrs Ursula Barclay, widow of the parish minister of Unst, obtaining in this way his first introduction to the island where he laboured as a minister for more than half-a-century. He graduated with an M.A. (26 March 1796) and was licensed by the Presbytery on 26 June 1800.