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BOYD, The Rev. Andrew Kennedy
Hutchison, D.D., born at Auchinleck, in Ayrshire, of which parish his father
was incumbent, Nov., 1825, was educated at King's College, London, and at
the University of Glasgow, where he obtained the highest academic honours in
philosophy and theology, and was author of several prize essays. He was
ordained in 1851, and was incumbent successively of the parishes of
Newton-on-Ayr, Kirkpatrick-Irongray, in Galloway, St. Bernard's, Edinburgh,
and of the University city of St. Andrew's, which he still holds. He first
became known as a writer, by papers which appeared in Fraser's Magazine,
under the signature of A.K.H.B. Of these, the most important have been
reprinted in a substantive shape, under the titles of "The Recreations of a
Country Parson" (first and second series); "Leisure Hours in Town, being
Essays, Consolatory, Æsthetical, Moral, Social, and Domestic;" "The
Commonplace Philosopher in Town and Country," and "The Autumn Holidays of a
Country Parson." Dr. Boyd, who is also the author of several volumes of
sermons, under the title of "The Graver Thoughts of a Country Parson," and
"Counsel and Comfort spoken from a City Pulpit," "Present-day Thoughts:
Memorials of St. Andrew's Sundays," 1870; "Landscapes, Churches, and
Moralities," 1874; received the degree of D.D. from the University of
Edinburgh in 1864.
BOYD, ANDREW KENNEDY HUTCHISON (1825–1899), Scottish divine, son of Dr.
James Boyd, was born at Auchinleck Manse, Ayrshire, on 3 Nov. 1825. After
receiving his elementary education at Ayr, he studied at King's College and
the Middle Temple, London, with thoughts, apparently, of being an English
barrister. 'I am the only kirk minister,' he once said, 'who is a member of
the Middle Temple.' Returning to the university of Glasgow, he qualified for
the ministry of the national church, gaining high distinction in philosophy
and theology, and securing several prizes for English essays. He graduated
B.A. at Glasgow in April 1846, and at the end of 1850 was licensed as a
preacher by the presbytery of Ayr. For several months he was assistant in
St. George's parish, Edinburgh, and on 18 Sept. 1851 he was ordained parish
minister of Newton-on-Ayr, where he succeeded John Caird. In 1854 he became
minister of Kirkpatrick-Irongray, near Dumfries. Here he remained five
years, maturing his pulpit style, and, writing under his initials of 'A. K.
H. B.,' steadily gaining reputation in 'Fraser's Magazine' with his
'Recreations of a Country Parson.' Both his excellence as a parish minister
and his literary distinction soon attracted attention, and he was sought
after for vacant charges. In April 1859 he was appointed to the parish of
St. Bernard's, Edinburgh, and found the presbytery much exercised on the
question of decorous church service, raised by the practice and advocacy of
Dr. Robert Lee. Boyd seems to have intermeddled but little in the
controversy, but he sympathised with the desire for a devout and graceful
form of worship, and he was afterwards a prominent member of the Church
Service Society. In 1864 the university of Edinburgh conferred on him the
honorary degree of D.D.
In 1865 Boyd succeeded Dr. Park as minister of the first charge, St.
Andrews, finding in the post the goal of his ecclesiastical ambition. 'Never
once, for one moment,' he said, 'have I wished to go elsewhere' (Twenty-five
Years of St. Andrews, i. 10). Boyd at St. Andrews was probably better known
beyond Scotland than any other presbyterian divine of his day. He had
numerous friends among the leaders of the English clergy and eminent men of
letters, and, popular as his writings were at home, they were even more
widely read in America. Soon after settling in St. Andrews he began to urge
the question of an improved ritual in the services of the national church,
and in 18G6, on the initiative of his presbytery, a committee was appointed
by the general assembly to prepare a collection of hymns. The hymnal
compiled by the committee, with Boyd as convener, was published in 1870, and
enlarged in 1884. This work brought Boyd prominently forward in the church
courts; he amply proved his judgment and discrimination as a critic of
sacred song, and his business capacity and unflagging diligence as convener
of his committee. St. Andrews University conferred on him the degree of
LL.D. in April 1889. In May 1890 he was appointed moderator of the general
assembly. He performed his duties assiduously and well, and, as was said at
the time, 'with archiepiscopal dignity.' His introductory and closing
addresses — notably the latter, on 'Church Life in Scotland: Retrospect and
Prospect' (Edinburgh, 1890), with its touching reminiscences — were fine in
feeling and graceful in form. In his moderator's year he was much occupied
throughout Scotland, reopening churches, introducing organs, and so on,
showing everywhere unfailing tact, urbanity, and sincerity. One of his last
public services was the reopening, on 11 July 1894, of the renovated church
of St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh — one of the oldest ecclesiastical edifices in
Scotland — his address on the occasion being adequately archaiological, and
graced with a fine literary flavour. Early in 1895 he was seriously ill, but
recovered, only to lose the devoted wife who had nursed him back to health.
In the winter of 1898-9 he had a recurrence of ill-health and went to
Bournemouth to recruit. Here he resumed work on sermons and essays, but in
the evening of 1 March 1899 he died of misadventure, having taken carbolic
lotion in mistake for a sleeping-draught. He was interred in the cathedral
burying-ground, St. Andrews.
Boyd married, in 1854, Margaret Buchanan, eldest daughter of Captain Kirk
(71st regiment) of Carrickfergus, Ireland. She predeceased him in 1895. In
1897 he married, for the second time, Janet Balfour, daughter of Mr. Leslie
Meldrum, Devon, Clackmannan, She survived him, with five sons and one
daughter of his first wife's family.
Clear, precise, and definite in his habits, Boyd, both professionally and
socially, was entirely unconventional and independent. A close and shrewd
observer, with quick grasp of character and a humorous sense tinged with
cynicism, he was always fresh and attractive — and not seldom brilliant — as
preacher, writer, or conversationalist. His sermons were literary and
practical rather than dogmatic; his essays, although often commonplace in
thought and expression, caught the attention by their common sense, their
easy allusiveness, and transparency of style; and his brisk unflagging talk
was enriched with endless and apposite anecdotes, although it was not devoid
of a certain overbearing element. 'I came to the conclusion,' says Sir
Edward Russell, 'that he was almost, if not quite, the greatest raconteur I
had ever known' (That reminds Me, p. 138). His best books resemble his
conversation, and his autobiographical reminiscences are exceptionally
realistic and outspoken.
Boyd wrote and published much. The following volumes contain his most
notable literary and didactic work: 1. 'Recreations of a Country Parson,'
three series, 1859-61-78, each running into many editions. 2. 'Graver
Thoughts of a Country Parson,' three series, 1802-5-75. 3. 'Leisure Hours in
Town,' 1862. 4. 'The Commonplace Philosopher in Town and Country,' 1862-4.
5. 'Counsel and Comfort spoken from a City Pulpit,' 1863. 6. 'Autumn
Holidays of a Country Parson,' 1864. 7. 'Critical Essays of a Country
Parson,' 1865. 8. 'Sunday Afternoons in the Parish Church of a University
City,' 1866. 9. 'Lessons of Middle Age, and some Account of various Cities
and Men,' 1868. 10. 'Changed Aspects of Unchanged Truths,' 1869. 11.
'Present-day Thoughts,' 1871. 12. 'Seaside Musings on Sundays and
Week-days,' 1872, 13. 'Scotch
Communion Sunday,' 1873. 14. 'Landscapes, Churches, and Moralities,'
1874. 15. ' From a Quiet Place,' 1879. 16. 'Our Little Life : Essays
Consolatory,' two series, 1882-4. 17. 'Towards the Sunset; Teachings after
Thirty Years,' 1882. 18. 'What set him Right; with Chapters to Help,'
1885-8. 19. 'Our Homely Comedy and Tragedy,' 1887. 20. 'The Best Last; with
other Papers,' 1888. 21 and 22. 'To meet the Day, and East Coast Days and
Memories,' 1889. In 1892 Boyd published, in two volumes, the first
instalment of his reminiscences, or transcripts from his minute and faithful
diaries, entitled 'Twenty-five Years of St. Andrews.' This was followed in
1894 by a similar work, 'St. Andrews and Elsewhere.' In 1895 appeared a
volume of the earlier style, with the characteristically descriptive title,
'Occasional and Immemorial Days.' The record closes in 1896 with the 'Last
Years of St. Andrews,' a continuation of the autobiographical series, with
its curious personal revelations and frank character sketches.
CONTENTS
Chapter I
Concerning the Country Parson's Life
Chapter II
Concerning the Art of Putting Things; Being Thoughts on Representation and
Misrepresentation
Chapter III
Concerning two Blisters of Humanity; Being Thoughts on Petty Malignity and
Petty Trickery
Chapter IV
Concerning Work and Play
Chapter V
Concerning Country Houses and Country Life
Chapter VI
Concerning Tidiness; Being Thoughts upon an Overlooked Source of Human
Content
Chapter VII
How I mused in the Railway Train: Being Thoughts on Rising by Candle-Light;
On Nervous Fears; and on Vapouring
Chapter VIII
Concerning the Moral Influences of the Dwelling
Chapter IX
Concerning Hurry and Leisure
Conclusion
See also...
A. K. H. B.
A Volume of Selections edited by his son (pdf)
Most of his work is available on the
Internet Archive |
