Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

Tickets and Checks (Post-1830), Douglas, Scottish Church, lead, 1835, legend, rev. legend around date, edge plain, 24mm, 5.00g/12h (Burz. 2056; GRW 203; Quarmby 124; Mackay –). Very fine but harshly lacquered, extremely rare £300-500

Provenance: H.F. Guard Collection, Spink Auction 182, 29 June 2006, lot 543.

The Presbyterian movement on the island was founded in March 1825 and a church was built in Finch road, Douglas, which opened in April 1832 under the ministry of David Barclay Mellis (1800-61), from Newhall, Perth. He was succeeded by Revd. Walter Maclean (1798-1843), from Monteith, Perthshire, who was inducted on 19 September 1833 and was replaced by Revd. William Wilson (1796-1851), from Kells, Kirkcudbrightshire, in 1841. Wilson was taken seriously ill in August 1843 and resigned, but it was not until May 1844 that his replacement, Revd. James Cleland (1803-88), from Calton, Lanarkshire, arrived on the island to take up the post, which he held until 1865. By 1867 the church was deemed to be too small to accommodate the congregation, so it was demolished and a new edifice, St Andrew’s, built on the site (Alan Kelly, pers. comm.)