Bristo Church

About

Bristo Church was a Presbyterian church located in the Bristo area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1741 as a Secession church, it reunited with the Church of Scotland in 1929 before being dissolved in 1937. The University of Edinburgh afterwards used the building as the Pollock Memorial Hall until its demolition in 1967.

A "Praying Society" had seceded from the West Kirk in 1732 over the Crown's right to impose a minister against the congregation's wishes. The seceders joined the Associate Presbytery in 1738 and constructed their own church at Bristo in 1741 with Adam Gib as its first minister. The church played a prominent role in the history of Scotland's seceding churches.

It was the site of "The Breach" between the secession's Burgher and Anti-Burgher factions in 1747. In 1820, the factions reunited at Bristo to form the United Secession Church and the first synod of the United Presbyterian Church was held here in 1847. The church was also active in domestic and foreign mission.

Prominent missionaries to Africa Mary Slessor and Robert Laws worshipped at Bristo. The congregation rejoined the Church of Scotland in 1929 and was dissolved in 1937. The building was then used by the...