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The Anecdotage of Glasgow
Rev. Dr. Gillan the witty minister of St. John's


THIS genial, witty, and humorous divine for some time occupied the position in the parish church of St. John’s, formerly so ably, eloquently, and zealously filled by Dr. Chalmers. As specimens of his ready wit the following may be given :—

When the late Rev. Dr. Cumming, minister of Crown Court Presbyterian Church, London, was at the zenith of his popularity as a preacher, some forty to fifty years ago, he paid a visit to Glasgow, and was both much talked about as well as run after in order to see and hear him. One evening, at that time, Dr. Gillan was present at a party, where a lady was asked to discourse some music for the delectation of the guests. She pled that she did not know what to play, upon which Dr. Gillan, who was near her, remarked:

"Oh! just play ‘Saw ye Johnnie coming,’ as that seems to be all the rage just now."

When the doctor proposed to his second wife, she said:

"I am not able to fill the late Mrs. Gillan’s shoes."

"I ken that fine," replied the Doctor, "but ye mann just do your best."

When he removed from the parish of St. John’s to that of Inchinnan, his predecessor, Dr. Lockhart, left behind him at the manse, among other things, a number of MSS. sermons and lectures, intending to remove them when he returned from a continental tour. In a letter to Gillan he expressed a hope that the MSS. were kept free from damp. Dr. Gillan, in reply, assured him that—

"The MSS. were all very dry, especially the sermons."


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