Young Communicants

[searcher 52]

I have been looking at Kirk Session records and have seen references to "young communicants" being examined and certified as fit to receive the sacrament.

Can anyone shed any light on what age this might take place or more correctly might have taken place in the Free Church in the mid to late 19th century?

My own experience from a Catholic background is that in modern times children might receive communion from around upwards, but something suggests to me that it might be a later age in the C of S

Any smart person out there able to comment?

Andrew

[Thrall]

Hi Andrew, at least in farly "modern" times, young communicants being educated into the C. of S. were in their middle to late teens, with a sprinkling of slightly older candidates being persuaded to attend classes prior to their weddings.
I would think that similar ages would apply to the Free Kirks, with the thought of the sacrament being administered more often than once a week, and even bairns being encouraged to come to the altar sending a shiver down the spine of the unsmiling Wee Frees.

If anyone think me prejudiced, I once attended a Wee Free church in the Highlands, where one of the Gaelic (long) prayers was interupted by a special plea in English for the souls of the "foreigners in our midst whae have surely not seen the light". A comment on the bright sunshine outside and good weather was received by a stony stare from the beadle. See the film "Breaking the Waves", starring Emily Watson, directed by Lars von Trier, set in the Highlands of the seventies. Not for the very faint hearted.

Guid hunting,

Thrall

[joette]

If anyone think me prejudiced, I once attended a Wee Free church in the Highlands, where one of the Gaelic (long) prayers was interupted by a special plea in English for the souls of the "foreigners in our midst whae have surely not seen the light". A comment on the bright sunshine outside and good weather was received by a stony stare from the beadle.

May I add that one of my GGG's married a Wee Free man much to the distaste of his family.She was quite the sociable type & may have been one of the attractions for GGGrandpa.She loved to read & dance & sing.
On the only occasion they visited his home she was happilly knitting baby clothes on a Sunday afternoon-not having attended Church due to her "interesting condition"
Well when her Uncle-in-Law(self-styled leader of the family)saw what she was doing he flew into a rage & threw her knitting into the fire.
Thank goodness that GGG had cojones-he immediately packed them up & left vowing never to return to his Mother's hearth until his wife was treated with consideration.
Oh my young romantic heart loved this family tale.Rhett Butler eat your heart out.
My more sceptical mind is now asking where the heck did they go on a sabbath day & how the heck did they have time & money to travel from Glasgow to Nairn??
They never had a particulary happy marriage either maybe too many differences & spent periods apart.

[HeatherH]

Hello Andrew,
Where I grew up children received First Holy Communion ( in the RC Church) between 7-8 years of age. Shortly after First Confession.
This was the practise from long before my time going back to the turn of the century and is still the practice today. However it is my understanding that the Protestant religions prefer for the applicant to be older and of an age of reason and understanding of what they are to partake.
HeatherH

[AnneM]

Hi

As a member of the Church of Scotland I was admitted as a member at the age of 18 and it is the norm for the person to be a young adult. I reckon that the Free Church is the same if my memory of what a friend from University told me only the bar is set higher in terms examination before admission.

Anne