Tarbert Church

About Tarbert Church

In the Statistical Account of 1791-1799, the Rev. Andrew Campbell (Minister of the parish of Kilcalmonell) records that a Royal Bounty Mission Station had been established at Tarbert in 1775. The first minister of the mission was the Rev. John Smith who went on to become minister of the Church of Campbeltown.

It was however the Rev. Colin Fisher Campbell in 1837 set down the earliest description so far of the Tarbert Church. He estimated the cost of the building at that date would have been £500. The actual cost of the construction in 1775 was not known. With the exception of a small grant from the Synod of Argyll the cost of building the first Church at Tarbert was borne by the Stonefield family. The Church had seating for 400 people (including those at the communion table) let at a seat rent of one shilling and threepence per annum. The seating was apportioned at the 18 inches per person. There were in addition 40 seatings set aside for the poor, and 'stranger' fishermen. The minister goes on to report that during the fishing season, the visiting fishermen were numerous enough to fill the church to the exclusion of the people of the district. He complains of the smallness of the church which could accommodate "...but the half" of the local people who might be expected to attend, and urged that the Tarbert Mission be promoted to a Quoad Sacra Parish.