First Presbyterian Church

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Mid 18thC church set within churchyard on N side of Newry Street. Aligned parallel to the street with church hall to its right. Church is rectangular in plan with a gallery.

Hipped natural slate roof with lead ridges. Slightly advanced eaves course supports half round cast-iron rainwater goods. Walls are lined rendered and painted with boxed V-channelled quoins in alternating pairs on a moulded base course.

Front elevation is S facing and ground level falls to the left. It is four windows wide to each of its two floors; these openings are grouped towards the centre. All windows are semicircular headed with modern stained timber frames and modern (20thC) leaded and coloured glass: painted granite cills and painted moulded stucco architraves. Those to upper floor are in line with those below but are diminished in height. Ground falls to left.

Right (E) gable is abutted by the lower two storey entrance porch. The exposed portion of the main church has, at ground floor left, a single semicircular headed window with coloured glass (as those to façade but without architrave).

Porch roof is of natural slate, is hipped to E end and has cast iron rainwater goods. Its front (S) cheek has blocked stucco quoins to right on moulded base. Main entrance, at left, consists of a pair of modern painted timber doors, each with four raised and fielded panels. Set above the entrance is slate plaque with painted moulded stucco architrave. It is inscribed. “Congregation erected AD 1662 / Meeting House built AD 1679 / Revd Alex Gordon Minister / Succeeded by / Revd Robert Gordon AD 1711 / Meeting house rebuilt AD 1775 / Revd Samuel Barber Minister / Ceiled and improved AD 1834 / Revd John White Minister”. Centred on wall to right of this plaque is a semicircular window with modern stained timber frame and coloured glazing.

Right (E) cheek of entrance porch has large rectangular window opening to centre. It has a painted cill and is divided into three vertical panels with modern chamfered stained timber frames. Each panel is coloured and leaded. The central one depicts a burning bush (see inside). Modern flue pipe rises towards right end of this elevation.

Rear (N) elevation of entrance porch is similar to the front (S) face, except that doors at right are glazed and the semicircular window above centre is plainly glazed. There is a second modern four panelled stained timber door at left.

Rear (N) elevation of main block is identical to front elevation but without the architraves. The windows
retain their original timber sash boxes but modern leaded lights have been inserted with security glazing over. Ground floor falls to right.

Left (W) gable of main church contains two semicircular headed windows with painted cills (no architraves) at a high level. Both contain 19thC stained glass windows.

The churchyard is small to the front and much larger to the rear. Front is enclosed by a smooth granite coped plastered and painted wall which carries modern (alternating wavy and straight) metal railings and gates.

Set to the right (E) is a 19thC church hall. Single storey, pitched natural roof, cement rendered and painted walls, much modernised and extended (1990s) to the street front. Plaque on left (W) wall reads “Erected 1894 Extended 1997”. Of no interest.

Historical information

Congregation was formed in 1662. The church was built in 1679 rebuilt in 1775 and improved in 1834. The 1834 Ordnance Survey Memoir states: “its original erection is of a very old date but in 1775 it was rebuilt by subscription, cost £700. It is not, however, sufficiently large to accommodate all of that persuastion and it is in contemplation to erect another”.

This is one of the oldest foundations under the jurisdiction of the General Assembly (McCracken). In 1657 Cromwell’s Government gave a year grant of £150 to the minister of Rathfriland. Lord and Lady Clanwilliam gave the lease for the church on 21 May 1768 for a peppercorn rent.

The diarys of Rev. Gordon (whose name is on the plaque above the main doors) are quoted in Stevenson’s book.

Minister, Rev. Samuel Barber (whose name is also on the plaque above the main doors) was a Captain of the Rathfriland Volunteers from 1779, and an early advocate of Catholic emancipation. During the 1798 rebellion he was arrested in the church on 3rd June, convicted of treason and imprisoned at Downpatrick Gaol for two years. He died in 1802 and is buried in the churchyard to the immediate rear of the church. His memorial is one of two raised slabs in an enclosure.

Extensive works were undertaken to the church in 1888, which presumably included the present pews, wainscoting and pulpit. The churchyard extended in 1883 and the lecture hall was erected in 1894 (first appears in 1895 Valuation book).

Primary Source:

1. J. McCracken “First Rathfriland Presbyterian Church” in Rathfriland Public Library, John St.
2. Plaque on church.
3. Ordnance Survey Memoir, Drumballeyroney Parish (1834).
4. PRONI Valuation revision book, VAL 12B/22/20F, p.212.

Secondary Sources:

1. C. Cartmill “Reminiscence in and around Rathfriland” in Rathfriland Public Library, John St.
2. B.Wilsdon “The sites of the 1798 rising in Antrim and Down” Belfast 1997.
3. J. McCracken “Rev. Samuel Barber, Rathfriland” in Rathfriland Public Library, John St.
4. J.Stevenson “Two centuries of life in Down, 1600-1800” (Belfast 1920).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

This typical church, although constructed in 1775, retains few original features, having been remodelled in 1888. Of some local historical interest due to its having connections with, and being the resting place of, Rev. Samuel Barber, a prominent Rathfriland Volunteer in 1798.