VICTORIA
TOLLCROSS CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
1134, Tollcross Road, Tollcross
Victoria
Tollcross has its origin as a Free Church congregation.
A similar congregation had been established at Shettleston following the
Disruption of 1843, which continues today as Sandyhills Church of Scotland, but
there were insufficient numbers in the Tollcross area sympathetic to the new
Church to warrant a separate building. However,
as the population of the village grew in the following decades, the
situation changed.
Following a meeting in Carmyle in 1858 a decision was reached to hold regular services, conducted by laymen, in whatever facilities could be obtained locally. Initially, a weaver's shop in the Calton of Tollcross (now Dalness Street) was used. “The weaver was a widow woman who went barefoot, a kindly Methodist who believed there was room in the Kingdom for all.” (Lees, 1952)
The worshippers moved to Fullarton School by 1860 and were served by a number of missionaries - usually students or probationers awaiting a call to a parish of their own. The impermanence of their placements was soon reflected in the decline of attendance at services - by 1866, only a dozen were still attending. The situation was saved by the appointment of a minister as the missionary - James Drysdale.
As
a result of Reverend Drysdale's efforts, Tollcross Free Church was built in
Causewayside Street by 1867. When
this “Tollcross Station” was sanctioned in 1869 the congregation exercised
its privilege of calling its first minister, Reverend Drysdale, who served the
church until his death in 1892. It
was also as a result of Tollcross' s minister that a Mission Station was
established in Carmyle, which eventually led to separate provision for that
village.
In 1900 both Tollcross Free Church and Tollcross Main Street United Presbyterian Church were involved in the union to form the United Free Church, with the former becoming Tollcross Victoria U.F. Church by taking the name of the very long-reigning monarch of the day. The other congregation became Tollcross Central U.F. Church. The union was not without some dissent. Some of the congregation from both Shettleston Free and Tollcross Free joined together and built their own church - Wellshot Road or Shettleston Free Church, latterly Shettleston Free Church (Continuing).
By the last decade of the 19th century the Victoria congregation had almost doubled, necessitating a larger place for worship. A plot of land at the corner of Causewayside Street and Main Street (later Tollcross Road) and contiguous to the church had been acquired in 1895 with this eventuality especially in mind. The eight single storey miners' cottages there were taken down and, under the supervision of ex-stone mason and current minister John Leighton, work began on a new edifice in 1901.
Construction progressed rapidly but on the night of 12th November, 1901 a gale blew the gable of the new building onto the roof of the old one, damaging both. The congregation used their sister U.F. church until it managed to effect the restoration of the wrecked buildings by 1902. The old building was then used as a hall for the newly named Victoria Church.
This church, by R.A. Bryden, was built in red sandstone with many features in the style of Gothic architecture known as Perpendicular. Externally, this is most evident in the window and door four-centred arches, the main entry being executed in this manner and flanked by twin gallery stairtowers. A very large window in the same style occupies the façade above the entry. This window was fitted in 1968 with highly colourful stained glass by T.B. Milligan in celebration of the church’s centenary. On occasion, this window has been backlit at Christmas to illuminate it to the street.
Internally, attention is almost immediately drawn to both Milligan’s window and that in the end wall of the shallow chancel. This latter is the Children's Window which was gifted to the church on its completion in 1902 by the children of the Sabbath School. It had been an exhibition piece made by a Belgian artist. Beneath this window, the pulpit remains centrally positioned and elevated to command the congregation’s attention. An organ fitted in 1912 is discreetly located within the chancel, but hidden from immediate view. The chancel panelling is also in the Perpendicular style.
The Children's Window
With the 1929 union, Victoria Church once again added the appellation of Tollcross to its title and acquired the name it currently possesses. Given its proximity to two other Church of Scotland representatives in the immediate area, its long term survival was always problematic with the general decline in church attendance. However, it was joined by many members of Tollcross Central when that church finally closed its doors, with the remaining members going to St. Margaret’s Tollcross Park.
In June, 2001 the
original church building in Causewayside Street was all but destroyed by fire,
but the later building survived relatively unscathed.
The hall was rebuilt and now provides the congregation with the most
modern facilities.
Lees, Rev. James G. (1952); “Victoria Tollcross Church 1902 - 1952.” Glasgow, Victoria Tollcross Church.
© 2005 Gordon Adams
GALLERY:
Milligan's
Window