By Ron Sharpe
Rev Alexander Kennedy 1804 to 1892 New Cumnock,Trinidad and Canada
Alexander Kennedy was born at Farden Farm, New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, on Sunday 12 May 1804, the third child and the first son of tenant farmer and miller, James Kennedy and his wife Mary Young. As the first born son, Alexander was almost certainly named after his grandfather, in keeping with the Scottish naming tradition. Around 1809 the fledgling Kennedy family moved from Farden to another farm nearby at Dalricket Mill.
According to the Old Parish Records for New Cumnock, Alexander seems to have been part of a mass christening of the Kennedy children which took place on Wednesday 28 May 1817. Alexander would have been 13 years old at the time. Quite why this came about is unknown. The family were deeply religious, and it seems totally improbable that James and Mary would have raised their children to an age, where adulthood in some cases was only a few years off, before having them baptised. It may have been an early administration error in the fact that it wasn't documented at the time, and the minister corrected this error by noting all the children in a mass entry on the same day. Although little is known about Alexander's day to day childhood, it seems to have been happy, although he would have been expected to work at the many jobs around the farm from a young age. But most of all it was definitely deeply religious. Religion in the Kennedy farmhouse formed the mainstay of family life, and James was known to have given religious instruction to all his children around the fireside at Dalricket Mill in the evenings. James was an elder of the Secession Church in the Tanyard area of Old Cumnock, and it's said that he and the minister of the time, the Reverend David Wilson, were chief among the early influences that helped to form Alexander's character.
In 1860 and 1861 Alexander wrote a series of articles for the Canadian United Presbyterian Magazine entitled "Memories of Scottish Scenes and Sabbaths of Forty Years Ago" Although it concentrates mainly on religious life it still gives us an insight into the Kennedy families day to day existence in the early part of the nineteenth century
Alexander describes life on a typical Sunday of the 1820s in the quoted passage below,
In the home of my youth the Sabbath day was wholly reserved for religious exercises, except so far as works of necessity and mercy claimed attention. On other mornings the household were up betimes and busily engaged in the varied employments of the farm, in the house and out of doors. On the Sabbath the inmates did not rise quite so early, but were up in good time to attend to the needs of man and beast and prepare for going to church which was five miles distant. It was necessary that some remain at home to look after the house and the cattle, but those that could be spared "Got ready for the Kirk" and set out the young and vigorous mostly on foot, while the guidman and the guidwife with perhaps an aged neighbour and some of the younger children would ride in a cart.
Alexander also writes about the occasions when the “guidman" went to church without his "guidwife"*
The guidman would ride to church on his hardy little Highland pony, Donald, a beast that was as docile as a lamb when to their cost." The lang man on the wee powny" was a somewhat conspicuous figure on the road, and attracted notice and remark. His master was on his back, but by no means so gentle when some other was in charge, as some occasionally found
The terms ; Guidman and Guidwife are terms in the old Scots language meaning husband and wife. Lang, wee, and powny are again terms in Scots for long, small and pony
Alexander describes the quiet roads going towards Old Cumnock and how as the family approach the town the roads become busier with the farms and cottages off the road releasing great swathes of humanity in search of redemption, salvation and Christian comfort. By the time they reached the confines of the town the road was "thickly dotted with individuals and little groups all going the same way"
At that time Old Cumnock only had two churches, the Parish Church in the square, and the Meeting House, in the Tanyard. Alexander was quite scathing in his condemnation of both the Parish Church and its minister Dr. Miller. He described the Kirk as capacious and dingy and Dr. Miller as moral, but feeble minded and a dreary preacher. The Parish Church enjoyed the patronage of many of Cumnock's worthy families including the Marquis of Bute and the Laird of Logan
The Meeting house had a membership of over 700 and the Sabbath day services, which were all day affairs with a break for lunch, would have been well attended. Alexander tells us that people, many of them elderly travelled ten or fourteen miles on foot to attend this house of God. Poor weather didn't put people off either. Alexander recalls that in twenty years he could only remember two occasions when his family were trapped in their home by the weather. He wrote of one of these instances, when unusually heavy snowfalls and drifts covered the land and travel was impossible. He described the snow thus,
I have never witnessed a snowstorm in Canada that equalled in blinding bitterness what I have often seen and felt in the land of my birth
Alexander speaks of being taken by the hand by a parent or elder sister (probably Jane) when he first entered the Church and saw the figures 1777 painted on a partition behind the pulpit. The year 1777 was the year of the establishment of the church and was of course significant in its history, but it came very close to not being built at all. The local landowners and aristocracy would not sell any land to the Secession and they were not in any way helpful or sympathetic to their cause. This negative attitude was prevalent in many parts of Scotland and those residing in Cumnock had every obstacle placed before them in order to prevent the building of the Church. Alex speaks of a conversation he had with an elderly church member who could remember all of this happening. It seems an unnamed female, who was herself a member of the Established Church, felt pity for the congregation and either gifted or sold them a small piece of land at the "Toun Fit" (Townfoot or end of the town). It was at the meeting point of the two rivers, the Glaisnock and the Lugar.
Now that the congregation had the land the building work on their church could begin, but once again they were to be refused the raw materials by the people who didn't want the church built. All the quarries in the local area were closed to them, and all building materials had to be transported from the neighbouring parish. Building work began and as the labourers started digging out the foundations a quantity of sand was discovered. This sand was removed and allowed them to make the mortar. However it was a limited supply and after the walls had reached a height of about two feet the sand ran out and building work had to stop. It seemed as though they were going to have a long wait and incur great expense to get further supplies of sand. The masons looked out over the river close by and saw a sand bank that had been created by the drought of the summer. Even though it was so close Lord Dumfries claimed the channel and all its contents. He had already refused them any land and he was certainly not going to sell them any sand. All building work stopped for some time and it seemed as if they would have to pay a great deal of money for sand in order to continue. However at this point providence stepped in and lent a hand. A great rain fell and caused the two converging rivers to overflow and the excess waters filled the low walls of the fledgling church. When the flood waters receded it was found that great deposits of sand had been left within the building, enough sand in fact to complete the entire building. Regardless of your religious views you can see why many people would see this as a great miracle and an act of God.
Church singing was unaccompanied by any form of music and no choirs were used, it comprised purely of only the human voice. The singing was conducted by a precentor, he read out every line with "musical monotony" prior to the congregation singing it. It's thought this was to allow the people who couldn't read an opportunity to take part in the service. Alexander describes the singing as "usually of a very cordial character though perhaps not distinguished for the sweetness of its melody" however he frowned upon people who he says took part in "the sinful fashion of sitting mute in Gods house while his praises were being sung" Alexander it seems, was not a man to mince his words, and he was already showing early signs of the strong-willed personality that would manifest itself many times in religious discussions in far off Trinidad.
In order for the children to read and understand the bible it was extremely important for their future and religious well-being that they received some form of an education. James and Mary must have been aware of this and tried to ensure that they all had a working knowledge of the three Rs. One factor that may explain why they were so well educated is that Mary Young’s father was supposedly a teacher, and given that this is true, Mary had possibly learned enough from him to give her own children some basic tuition. It's also known that travelling tutors toured the countryside in the early part of the nineteenth century giving lessons to country children, and James and Mary, regardless of the cost, may well have used the services of these people. Much later a school for country children was established at Daleagles, about a mile from Dalricket Mill farm. It became the place where the next generation of Kennedy children would receive their basic education. An education that was so thorough, that many of these children would leave this small country school for university, and onwards towards a professional life.
In 1827 at the age of 23, Alexander Kennedy went on to study the arts curriculum at Glasgow University under the tutorage of Sir Daniel K Sanford, a noted Greek scholar. He successfully graduated with an Arts degree in the classics, quite an achievement for a son of the soil. It was while Alexander was studying in Glasgow that he shared a room with David McCowan who was another Cumnock student. Both Alex and David's mothers sent provisions to the two men every week by carrier. Student life seems to have changed very little, only now we just send money. David would go on to become a hugely successful businessman and a great benefactor to many causes including the Greyfriars Mission Board. On his passing his obituary described him as “one of Cumnocks worthiest sons”.
Alexander’s listing in the year book reads:
12039 Alexander Kennedy 'Filius Nath Maximus Jacobi Agricol in com de Ayr.
From the Latin this reads as;
Alexander Kennedy ' First born son of James, Farmer, in the county of Ayr
After completing his studies and passing the relevant exams, it was thought he would continue to study at Glasgow University towards obtaining an MA in Classics, as his marks were high in all his subjects. But it seems he felt the expense he would incur in travelling and living costs would be too high. Alexander had decided his future lay in missionary work, and he travelled to Edinburgh where he entered the Divinity Hall of the Secession Church at some point around 1831.
With his ministerial training completed at the Theological College of the United Presbyterian Church, Alexander offered himself for service in the foreign mission field and made an application to the Greyfriars Mission Board in Glasgow. He was accepted and offered the position as the first missionary to Trinidad. Presbyterianism had only arrived in the island the previous year, mainly due to the majority of the British settlers being Presbyterian Scots. A Trinidad Presbyterian Association had been formed in order to petition the Governor to acquire a minister for them. The Missionary Society of Greyfriars Original Secession Church were to provide for this much requested spiritual need. Being the first missionary to be assigned to Trinidad would have meant that a considerable amount of time and effort would have to be spent preparing for a journey into an almost unknown land. He was quickly ordained by the presbytery of Glasgow on 30 September 1835, and was told to prepare for the voyage to the Caribbean.
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Shortly before embarking on the long voyage to the West Indies, Alexander married Mary the 28 year old eldest daughter of John Dalziel, a well to do Glasgow merchant. The couple were married in Govan, Glasgow on the 1st of October 1835. After their marriage they had about eight weeks to prepare for their departure, and would have put some time aside to visit their respected families to say their goodbyes. Around the sixth of December 1835 the newly married couple left Scotland aboard the brig Penelope and passed their well-being into the hands of the ship’s master, Captain Spencer. The voyage to this unknown land that they had read and heard so much about was not an easy one. They encountered many uncomfortable days at sea as the little ship fought a seemingly constant battle with high winds and rough seas, finally arriving in Trinidad on 25 January 1836. The voyage had lasted around fifty days.
On their safe arrival in the islands capital, Port of Spain, Alexander quickly wrote a letter home, in it he wrote;
We gladly record our gratitude to Almighty God for preserving us amidst the dangers of the deep and upholding us amidst much personal affliction. Not many days after sailing, Mrs Kennedy was taken dangerously ill, so that for several weeks we scarcely dared to cherish the hope, that she would survive so long as reach the land whither we went; But he “whose we are and whom we serve” heard our prayers, disappointed our fears, and has now restored her to almost wonted strength. It is God only that can bring back from the gates of death - that can turn the darkness of sorrow and affliction into the light of joy and health.
In 1834 an Act of Parliament had led to the "Abolition of Slavery Act" and on Alexander's arrival the new legislation was proving to be economically disastrous. The islands depended on the sugar trade, which in turn depended on the slave trade. The former slaves, although free, and now paid for the work they carried out, were still treated very badly. It wasn't long until Alexander realised what was happening to the black population and he was veracious in his condemnation of the treatment meted out to them. He believed to the core of his being in the equality of all races and creeds, and that it had been God's plan all along to place him in this land, to ensure the promised freedom of these former slaves. Alexander's eyes were firmly set on the next world, his quest was to save not only the people from exploitation, but to save their very souls. His congregation was mainly made up of white merchants and clerks but there were also many Negroes who fell into his sphere of ministrations. Alexander would undoubtedly have faced vicious opposition to any ideas of change. Former slave owners who now saw what had been, lucrative profits disappearing rapidly, would probably have had little or no time for this interfering Scot. However Alexander, who was known for his strength of will, continued with his mission regardless of any opposition to his views.
The couple’s first home was a hotel in Port of Spain, but soon after this the couple moved into the Cleaver family home on 12 Edward Street. It's unknown if the Cleavers had moved out or the Kennedys were lodgers, but around November 1841 the Kennedys moved into a new manse on Brunswick Square. However as there was no mission hall available, early services were held in the Methodist Hall in the evenings. Although this enabled Alexander to get his mission established it was never really going to be suitable, and on 25 September 1836 Alexander rented a former theatre and had it converted into a place of worship that would accommodate 500 people. Alexander made it known that he didn't believe it was the most convenient building for the praising of God, but he felt it was an improvement on its previous use. No bitterness there then.
The theatre church was never going to be the permanent answer to the missions problems. A stone built church was what was really required and on the 16th of March 1837 Alexander advertised for tenders for the building of just such a church. Plans were drawn up, a plot of land was purchased from the town council for £300, and a fund raising plan was put into action. This proved to be very successful, with just under five hundred pounds being raised from colonists on the island in under a week, and still more from sponsors back in Glasgow. The foundation stone was laid on 10 April 1837 and after ten months of intense labour the Port of Spain Greyfriars church, was completed, and opened as a place of worship on Sunday 21 January 1838. The church was completed for just under £4,900.
By 1840 the couple had been resident in Trinidad for four years and Mary was expecting a child. They were due some sort of a holiday and Alexander petitioned Greyfriars in Glasgow for a temporary replacement. On the 6 April 1840 a ship docked in the harbour, and the Rev George Brodie stepped ashore after a long voyage from Scotland. Alexander lost no time in acquainting George with his duties, but before he left he was called upon by the Anti Slavery Society and presented with this address, and it seems a rather fine snuff box in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the black populous.
REVEREND ALEXANDER KENNEDY
Sir;
The Trinidad Auxiliary Anti Slavery Society beg leave to express to you their sorrow and deep regret at the loss of their worthy President. They request of you to accept as a small token of their respect and gratitude and not as adequate to your desert, a SNUFF BOX, on which, if the time had permitted, they would have engraven, “Given by the Trinidad Auxiliary Anti Slavery Society to their President, the Reverend ALEX. KENNEDY” Your views have been too enlightened and humane for the generality of our community, and for the strong remains of ancient prejudice; and unhappily your just and intrepid efforts in the sacred cause of liberty have not met with zealous support which they merited. May you, by the Blessing of Divine Providence, safely arrive at Great Britain, the land of Liberty; may you enjoy in the bosom of your family, and amongst those who claim as their ancestors a Wallace and a Bruce, that tranquillity and satisfaction of which you were deprived in Trinidad, by the annoyance and vexation of a selfish faction and a corrupt press.
By order of The Trinidad Auxiliary Anti Slavery Society
Thomas Hinde
Secretary
Trinidad, Port of Spain, 14 May 1840
The society must have gave this presentation as Alex and Mary were running up the gangplank as the couple left that same day. They sailed for Greenock on the west coast of Scotland and close to both their respective families aboard the ship “Helen” under the care of Captain Nicholls, It was perhaps just as well, that they left when they did, as they avoided the storm of protest from the editor of the Port of Spain Gazette. No doubt the voyage home on the “Helen” would not be without its concerns but no record of the voyage has survived.
Back home in Scotland at Dalricket Mill, Mary gave birth to a little girl, Margaret Tannahill Kennedy on the first of November, and she was registered in the local Parish records.
Dalricket Mill Kennedy, Margaret Tannahill, lawful Daughter to Rev Alexander Kennedy and Mary Dalziel,
was born 1st and Baptized 2nd day of November 1840.
The child may have been born premature or was sick as she was christened the next day, which was unusual. It is unknown if she was baptized by her own father, although that would seem to be the most logical conclusion. But being baptized so quickly after her birth, would also indicate that she was a weak and sickly baby and not expected to live long.
Around 6 March 1841 the couple and their new daughter left Scotland, sailing again from Greenock on the Arethusa under the command of Captain Lyons. Although it would be some time before the news reached him Alexander's father James Kennedy had passed away on 16 March. Alexander, and his wife and infant daughter had been on the high seas at the time. They arrived back in Trinidad on 22 April 1841. Alexander had visited Scotland just in time to see his father for the last time.
Safely back in Port of Spain. life returned to normal and Alexander returned to his duties, but some concern were being heard from the board of management about the debt owed on the plans for the new manse and the new church.
It seems that while Alex was on holiday in Scotland, he raised £500 in subscriptions towards the payment of the church. To raise this sort of money was a remarkable feat and would most likely be impossible today.
Alexander had bought the land for his new manse back in 1839 for £250 and had the deed of ownership passed to the Greyfriars congregation in Glasgow in 1841.
Little Margaret was now six months old and would have been thriving, but by the time of her second birthday she was taken ill and subsequently died on the 20th of November 1842.
We don't know the cause of death, but yellow fever and many other tropical diseases were rife in this part of the world. She was laid to rest in the churchyard of her father’s church in The Port of Spain. And a small well weathered headstone to her memory was erected.
Even though infant mortality was high in these days, and death was very much a part of life, we can only wonder as to how Alex and Mary coped with this. Their faith in God is one thing, but how did they justify Gods right to take their only infant daughter.
Alexander and Mary had no further children, which is unusual in itself, as it was common for mothers to become pregnant very quickly after the previous birth. This tends to lead our thinking towards the fact that Mary may just barely have survived the birth of Margaret herself.
By 1843 there was some real concerns about the church debt and it was suggested to both Alex and George Brodie, the other island missionary, that their sermons might be written in such a way as to encourage more donations from the congregation. Taking in all the property including the church itself there was still a large sum of money outstanding.
On 16 September 1846 a group of 197 Portuguese refugees sailed into the Port of Spain harbour. In Trinidad, where freedom of worship and religious tolerance had been decreed in the final year of the reign of George III, they were welcomed by Alexander Kennedy and the already established but small Church of Scotland, Many of the Portuguese would be accommodated by the Scottish community of Greyfriars Church. These immigrants became known as the Presbyterian Portuguese and they eventually built their own church in Port of Spain in1854
Alexander is known to have conducted the marriage ceremony for at least two couples although there were probably more. It's unknown if Alexander learned to speak Portuguese although many of the Scottish ministers did learn the language in future years.
At some point around 1848 Alexander's health started to fail and the couple decided to return to Scotland. Fourteen years of living in a tropical climate had taken its toll on Alexander and he had decided to return to his native climes in the hope that any damage he had suffered would be repaired by the northern hemispheres bracing air. Alexander wrote to the Mission board asking to be relieved of his charge. There is no transcript of that letter, but a fading letter from the mission board to Alexander survives to this day in the National Library of Scotland, where it can still be viewed, the writing has faded over the last 160 years and certain portions cannot be deciphered. This is the only surviving correspondence between the Mission Board and Alexander.
The following is a partial transcript of a letter sent at some point in 1848 to Alexander Kennedy from the Greyfriars Mission Board in Edinburgh.
Rev. Alexander Kennedy,1848
My Dear Sir,
Now some six months ago the Rev, Dr. King, intimated to us that you wished to demit your charge of the congregation of Port of Spain and to come home. You requested that we endeavour to obtain a properly qualified person to carry on your work. We put an advertisement in the Record but up to this period none has made application. At the last meeting of the mission board, Messrs John Jamieson and Dr. Said Andrews were present and a deputation from the missionary society of Greyfriars congregation stated to us what had been done by them with regard to the congregation of Port of Spain, the cost of the church and the amount of debt (£1376), the condition of the mission in the Port of Spain constituent and the means by .............
............ would assume the charge and the support of the station housing. The individuals in Greyfriars congregation to whom the property belongs and , the impossibility of the debt that is upon you, but with the understanding that the use of Latta church manse be in reasonable terms given that .............
Unfortunately this is all that I could read from the poorly preserved letter.
Continually active in the community Kennedy, and the church, were involved in a variety of projects during his time in Trinidad. A Sabbath school and weekly prayer meetings were established; Greyfriars Congregational Library was founded at a time when there was no public library on the island; the church donated 100 dollars to help those affected by the earthquake in Guadeloupe in 1843; Kennedy personally provided refuge for Portuguese refugees who fled from Madeira, on account of persecution for their Protestant faith; he also regularly contributed to the Trinidadian press writing columns for the Trinidad Spectator and The Trinidadian; furthermore he taught at the first public school inaugurated by Sir Ralph Woodford on the island.
Kennedy was a fervent opponent of slavery: advocating equal rights and criticising the apprenticeship terms imposed after the Abolition Act in 1833. He never shirked his beliefs in the face of criticism or temptation. His commitment and sympathy with the Black population is evident as Kennedy would rise early on the Sabbath and travel to the countryside to preach to free blacks before fulfilling his duties as minister of Greyfriars. On 1 August 1838 – when the first of the apprenticeship terms were officially concluded – Kennedy made direct reference to this, quoting Exodus: ‘Remember this day in which ye came from Egypt out of the house of bondage’ during a sermon. The service was viewed as inflammatory, by some, and he was accused of trying to create tension between the recently emancipated slaves and their future employers. Despite such censure, and some planters’ attempts to win his support he never abandoned his principles and denounced their efforts. He maintained a sympathetic ear to the plight of the black population and according to his biographer, C. B. Franklin, he was reported to have claimed that once, he was governor of the island, for twenty-four hours, when he prevented a planned revolt on account of his good relationship with them.
Alexander and Mary left Trinidad in December 1849 and decided to visit family and friends in Canada on their way home to Scotland. This was to be a momentous decision on Alexander's part and would determine that their future lay in Canada and not back in Scotland as they had first thought. Reading from the book "Past years in Pickering" it seems that Alexander was so unwell that he may well have thought he was dying. The following paragraph is quoted from the book,
But on reaching Canada he found wide doors of opportunity for service and cast in his lot with the church of Upper Canada for whatever years of labour might remain to him. In the bracing northern air he largely recovered from the ravages which the southern climate had made in his constitution and though never what might be called a strong man, he was spared to give many years of earnest work to the Master's cause.
So going home to Scotland now didn't appear to be an option. Alexander had found his calling in Canada and was quite happy to stay and work there. By September 1850, a mere nine months since leaving Trinidad, Alexander was received as a minister with the Toronto Presbytery. On the 3 December 1850 he accepted a charge as minister to Darlington. He remained there until the spring of 1854 when he resigned the post for some reason. He then took a position at the presbytery of Wellington. While he was there he was offered a charge at Brant, and his old congregation at Darlington requested him to return, but Alex declined them all for whatever reason.
Finally in September of 1854 he was called to a charge in Dumbarton which he accepted. He was inducted into his new charge on the 3rd of October 1854, it was to prove the right choice for Alexander and he would remain there for a further 28 years until his retirement.
By 1863 Alexander (59) and Mary (56) were advancing in years and must have felt a huge longing to see home and Scotland one more time. Unlike many of his siblings who never returned to their home shores, Alex and Mary left Canada and returned to Scotland for three months in the summer of 1863. We know he was back in Scotland and at Dalricket Mill in particular on 21 August 1863. It was here that he officiated at the marriage of his niece Isabella Baird to Robert Cunningham.
Alexander's father, who he always credited as giving him his religious values had died twenty two years earlier, but his 83-year-old mother was still head of the house at Dalricket Mill. It would have been a great meeting but a truly sad farewell when the holiday was over as they would all know that this was to be their last gathering together.
On their return to Canada Alexander and Mary resumed their duties as minister and the equally important ministers wife. By April of 1879 however Alex at 75 years of age was becoming increasingly tired. He had tendered his resignation on more than one occasion in the later years of his ministry, but the congregation had always convinced him to continue. However this time he meant it and he requested that he be released of his charge. The Clerk of Session was John Parker an Ayrshire man and former business partner with Alexander’s younger brother John Kennedy. John Parker read out the following to the congregation,
While regretting very much the loss we will sustain by the pastoral relation being dissolved between Mr. Kennedy and this congregation, yet in the circumstances we offer no opposition to his resignation being accepted, but would petition Presbytery to appoint him stated supply and also as moderator of Session, and if this prayer be granted we promise to pay him the same amount as previously.
Although Alexander wasn't going to be totally retired he would still have a close involvement with the church. This was in the times when no one had a pension and even though he would technically still be retained as a supply pastor and Moderator his duties would be greatly reduced but his salary would be retained.
This arrangement worked well for another three years but by now Alexander was 78 and even the light duties he carried out in his position as "stated supply" was proving too much to bear and he begged to be released of all responsibilities after the last Sabbath of the month. Alexander’s request was finally accepted by the presbytery and he retired from active church life at the end of April 1882. The congregation of course could not let such an auspicious occasion pass without marking it in some way. Alexander was honoured with an address and presented with a purse containing $143 by his close friend and near neighbour Jonathan Holmes. It's thought that the couple left Dumbarton soon after retiring and moved to Newcastle where Alexander could be close to one of his friends, a Mr Drummond, who was the minister there. But Alexander returned to Dumbarton in 1883 when he gave an address at the ordination and induction of his successor, the Rev R. M. Craig. By this time it appears that Mary was gravely ill and on the 22nd of December 1883, Mary, his wife and companion of 48 years was taken from his side. According to her death certificate Mary had been ill for nine months with what appears to have been cancer.
After Mary’s passing, Alexander moved from Newcastle to Welland, Ontario where he stayed with his brother-in-law, Mr Cowper. In 1890 Alexander once again returned to his old charge at Dumbarton. This occasion was when the Rev John Chisholm succeeded the short-lived sojourn of the Rev Craig, who had stayed for only a year. Alexander once again gave the address to the new minister.
In his, now new, home town of Welland, he preached twice on 3rd January 1892. During the following week he contacted influenza and although he was in church on the Sunday morning and at a lecture on the Monday evening he was never himself again. Between the 11th and the 18th he was critically ill but by the evening he had rallied and the doctor thought he would pull through. He fell into a restful sleep and awoke twice with a coughing fit. After the last coughing attack he told the attendant who was sitting with him to go and lie down and get some rest. Alexander then placed his hand across his chest and fell into a restful sleep. When the attendant returned he found Alexander in the same position only this time he was dead. He had quietly passed away.
When Alexander died on the 19 January 1892, at the age of 87 years, he had outlived all of his brothers and sisters in terms of years.
Alexander Kennedy was a man of tremendous faith and compassion, a man who it seems always put others first. As a devoted and conscientious Christian missionary he possessed an energetic and enterprising character, becoming a prominent and well-regarded figure on the island of Trinidad. When he set sail from Glasgow for the Caribbean in 1835, he was akin to one of the great pioneering explorers of the day in many ways. But Alexander wasn't going out from Scotland to plant flags, he was going out to plant ideas, ideas that would help to ensure the total freedom of former slaves, and the rethinking of the idea that one people could claim ownership over another
The following is quoted from the 1899 edition of "The History of Old Cumnock" by Rev. John Warrick M.A.
Alexander Kennedy (New Cumnock) entered the Secession Hall in 1830. He was sent to Trinidad as a missionary in connection with Greyfriars, Congregation, Glasgow. After labouring there for fourteen years, he went to Canada for the sake of his health in 1849, and was called to a charge in Darlington, which he accepted. A few years later he removed to Dumbarton, near Toronto , where he ministered for thirty years. On retiring from active service through old age, he settled in Wellend where he died on 19th January 1892,at the age of 88. Mr Kennedy wrote a series of articles in the Canadian Presbyterian Magazine, describing "Scenes and Sabbaths in Scotland" in his early days.
"After many days"; a memoir, being a sketch of the life and labours of Rev. Alexander Kennedy, first Presbyterian missionary to Trinidad, founder of Greyfriars church, and its pastor for fourteen years: January 1836-December 1849
Franklin, C. B. 1910.
Rutherford, Brian C., ed. Greyfriars of Trinidad 1837-1937: A Historical Sketch of the Congregation of Greyfriars Church of Scotland, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to mark the 150th Anniversary. Port-of-Spain: Greyfriars Church of Scotland, 1987.
The Cumnock Chronicle October 1902
The History of Old Cumnock by Rev. John Warrick MA 1899
Port of Spain Gazette 1837
Alison Moore Sheffield, for Photographs of Greyfriars Church and memorial tablets in Port of Spain
Other Photographs from family stock.
