1866-1932
James was originally from Inverness, a farmer’s son. He was inducted to the South UP Church in 1908, serving for 17 years.
Like Rev George Orr of the North UP Church, he had a strong academic background. Having excelled in Arts and Divinity at the University of St Andrews, he undertook additional theological studies at New College, Edinburgh, and Heidelberg University, Germany. His first ministry appointment was in Dornoch, Sutherland.
During the Boer War, he was chaplain to the 3rd Sutherland Highlanders, stationed in Cairo, Egypt.
In November 1914, he married Ada Graham at Kingmoor House, Carlisle, a dairymaid who worked on her father’s Kingmoor Farm. The South UP Church presented them with a silver tea service.
James was a strong supporter of military service and temperance, as seen in an article entitled ‘The Martial Spirit of the Borders’, published in the E&L on 21st April 1915:
The Rev. J. B. Macdonald, Langholm, at a meeting of the United Free Synod of Merse and Teviotdale at St Boswells, submitted the report of the Committee on Youth. He commented on the splendid response of the young men of the Borders to the call of the Empire in its hour of need. It showed that the old martial spirit of the romantic Borderland was still as strong as ever. The official figures of the young men belonging to the denomination serving with the colours were as follows: Presbytery of Duns and Chirnside, 323; Presbytery of Jedburgh and Kelso, 315; Presbytery of Hawick, 451; Presbytery of Galashiels, 742 – grand total, 1831. If those from the Synod of Dumfries were added to this, it would be patent to all that no part of the Empire had better responded than the Scottish Borderland. From authoritative sources he had learned that they were a stalwart, clean, abstemious lot of men, who had given and would continue to give a good account of themselves.
At the same meeting the Rev. Mr Macdonald moved the following resolution:- “That this meeting of the Synod of Merse and Teviotdale, convened at St Boswells, recognising the detrimental effect of the drink traffic on the supply of the munitions of war, as also the tendency of Indulgence to weaken the moral[e] of the people in this time of national struggle, earnestly and unanimously supports the Government in any step – even the extreme one of total prohibition – it may consider necessary to take in order to cope with this evil.” The resolution as proposed was unananimously carried. Coples were ordered to be sent to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Secretary for War. As the Cabinet was meeting that day, a telegram embodying the resolution was sent to Mr Lloyd George.
James continued his interests in literature, giving lectures in Langholm on writers such as Milton and Burns.
In 1916 the congregation of the Free Church (Chalmers) was added to his remit when its minister Rev Inglis took leave to be an army chaplain. He volunteered as an army chaplain himself three days after the outbreak of war but at age 41 was told he was too old.
James and Ada moved to Caldercruix West UF Church, Airdrie, Lanarkshire on 4th November 1925.
| Born | Boleskin, Invernessshire, 1866 |
| Parents | Donald MacDonald (1814-), Margaret Boyd (1832-) |
| Siblings | Youngest of 2 brothers and 3 sisters |
| Marriage | Ada Graham (1888-1965), Carlisle, 1915 |
| Children | 3 daughters, 2 sons |
| Died | Caldercruix, Lanarkshire, 1932, aged 66 |