40 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Mr. James Haldane preached his first sermon in May 1797, in the village of
Gilmerton, near Edinburgh, then a very neglected spot, and, as now, inhabited
by colliers. Mr. Haldane subsequently attracted great attention, and frequently
has been known to address, in the open air on the Calton Hill of Edinburgh, a
congregation of not less than ten thousand persons, attracted by the novelty of
a layman and Captain being the preacher.
In the summer of 1797, Mr. Haldane made a very extended tour, in company
with his friends Mr. Aikman,’ congregational minister, Edinburgh, and Mr.
Rait, minister of Alnwick, through the northern counties of Scotland and the
Orkney Isles. This tour, partly from the novelty of lay-preaching, and partly
Xr. John Aikman, whose death occurred on the 6th February 1834, was born at Bomwstonnne98
in 1770. When quite a youth, he went out to Jamaica, where his uncle-to whose business and
effects he succeeded-had previously been established in a prosperous commercial concern. While
in Jamaica he had resolved upon establishing a circulating library ; and coming home with the view
of making a selection, happened to observe in a catalogue of books the title of “ Cardiphonia, or
Utterance of the Heart,” which he supposed to be a novel ; and, having purchased it, sat down to
its perusaL To this accidental acquaintance with Mr. Newton’s work he ascribed the awakening of
those strong religious feelings which so decidedly inflnenced his future course. He went out again
to Jamaica ; but, no longer relishing society there, and conceiving the mode in which business was
conducted-all days of the week being alike-to be entirely irreconcilable with Christian principles,
he made arrangements with his partner, and returned home, resolving to devote his life to the cause
of the gospel. He entered on his studies at the College of Edinburgh ; and, after attending the
Divinity Hall for a season or two, began to preach in 1797, by delivering, like Mr. Haldane, his
first sermon at the village of Gilmerton. As already mentioned, he was subsequently engaged,
along with Mr. Haldane, in various itinerating tours through Scotland, in the course of which his
visits were more than once extended north to Caithness and Shetland. Although the “Patoral
Admonition ” of the General Assembly had been levelled against itinerant preaching, he has been
often heard to declare that he was in numerous instances treated with great kindness and respect by
clergymen of the Establishment, and has frequently had the doors of the parish church thrown open
to him. At the Circus he continue4 to share with Mr. Haldane in the duties of the pulpit till
1801, when he built, at his own expense, the Congregational Chapel in Argyle Square (now removed).
Here, as a preacher of the gospel, he discharged his duties faithfully to a large and respectable
body, with few interruptions, his itinerating tours having become less frequent, owing in a great
measure to the state of his health, which at no period had ever been robust. While the French
prisoners of war were confined in the Castle of Edinburgh, and at Greenlaw Barracks, near Penicuik,
he preached to them regularly in their own language-in the speaking of which he had acquired
considerable fluency duriug his stay in the West Indies. On their liberation, a deputation of the
prisoners publicly thanked him for his kind and unremitting attention to their spiritual interestu.
He also received complimentary letters, in name of the Government, from the Secretary of State.
In doing good, Mr. Aikman was never weary. His charity was unbounded, and so readily extended,
that the artful and the knavish frequently took advantage of his generosity. Aa an instance, on the
death of an old woman, who had for many years chiefly existed by his beneficence, upwards of 2300
in cash, belonging to her, was found concealed in the bottom of a clock-case ! Mr. Cleghorn, the
co-pastor of the Chapel, was appointed in 1813. Although very much debilitated, Mr. Aikman
preached for the last time within three weeks of his death. His remains were interred in the
Chapel under the deacons’ seat ; on which occasion an address ww delivered by Mr. Haldane. His
funeral sermon was preached by Mr, Ewing from Glasgow, who, in the course of an interesting
panegyric on the deceased, took occasion to state his belief that, dnring the whole course of his
ministry, Mr. Aikman had never pocketed one farthing by his labours. Besides a good many
charitiea, he left the chapel clear of incumbranaes to the members, with these among other stipulations,
that one-fourth of the seats should be free to the poor, and service performed three times each
Sabbath. The
death of Mrs. Aikman occurred in May 1837,
Mr. William Lindsay Alexander, A.M., was appointed his successor in the ChapeL
