Open Writing

What is the connection between Jarrow Chemical Works and the growth of the Presbyterian Church in South Shields? According to Hodgson (1903), the answer is James Cochran Stevenson.

The eldest son of a merchant, he was born in Glasgow in 1825 and started work at Jarrow Chemical Works in 1844 where his father was a partner. After becoming a magistrate in South Shields in 1860, his political progress was remarkable. He became a town councillor in 1862, an alderman three years later and mayor in 1867. His year as mayor was even interrupted when he was elected M.P. for the town in 1868, a position he was to hold for 27 years.

James Stevenson was also a committed member of the Presbyterian Church and was very active in the establishment of a church at Laygate in the mid-nineteenth century. As the population of the town expanded and houses were built away from the river, another church was born in the west end of the town. Services were first held in Stanhope Road schools, and supervised by the Elders from St Paul's Church before a site was found in nearby Talbot Road in 1903.

A few years later, St Andrew's Presbyterian Church was opened with the Rev J.R. McLean as the first minister.During the following decades the Church was well attended and active in the local community.

About 1930 a Boys' Brigade (B.B.) Company was formed. It was captained first by John Young and then by Stewart Blenkinsop. The latter became well known in the town as a local head teacher, musician and football referee.

In 1938, Bill Barron took over the leadership of the Company. St Andrew's Church also had a well-known football team. In 1936, it won the South Tyne Alliance League Cup. A notable member of that team was Ben Darling - a Stanhope lad who later went on to manage South Shields Ex-Schoolboys.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the B.B. Company was disbanded, and the Church taken over as an A.R.P. Emergency De-contamination Centre. A small congregation continued to meet on Sundays in the upstairs anteroom.

After the end of the war, the church was re-opened in 1945. The Rev W A Rodgers was appointed minister responsible both for St Andrews and and St Margaret's at Cleadon. The following year, Bill Barron returned from the services and re-started the Boys' Brigade Company.

During the next fifteen years, both the Church and the Boys' Brigade were to play a major role in my life.

On our return from Fence Houses in the Autumn of 1946, my involuntary attendance at Stanhope Road School - instead of the Dean Road equivalent - seemed to endorse my family's history of growing up in the west end of the town. My sister and aunt lived in Cranford Street and my mother's life-long friend Ethel Halliday lived in Gordon Road about 100 yards from St Andrew's Church. Her son Cyril was about two years older than me.

Out of one of the many conversations between Ethel and my mother, came the fact that Cyril was a member of the Boys Brigade at St Andrew's. "Why doesn't Robert join?" was her question.

As they had a football team, I didn't take much persuading. So, one Friday night in October 1946, I went with Cyril to join the 18th South Shields Company of the Boys' Brigade at St Andrew's - a night that greatly influenced the coming years.

Company night, as it was called was held in the Church Hall and attended by about twenty youngsters aged between twelve and sixteen. They all wore a uniform of a belt and cap and were supervised by three officers in dark suits. I watched with interest as a brief religious service and a military-like inspection took place. Then, as the company progressed to some elementary drill, I was interviewed by the Captain, Mr Bill Barren.

He was a tall, fit looking gentleman of about thirty years of age and wore glasses. I found out later that he played rugby for the Marine School.
One of his first questions was, "How old are you Robert?"

"Eleven years and seven months," I replied, although I knew I looked older.

"The minimum age to join is twelve, so you will not be able to join officially until next April," he explained.

My look of disappointment must have been very apparent, because he quickly added, "But you are welcome to join unofficially until then."

"Does that mean I can play for the football team?" I responded, showing my priorities.

"Yes." he replied.

I was in!

Bill Barron respected the regulations and I didn't get my uniform until the following April. I remember having to remind him about it because I wanted my hat, haversack and belt for my first-ever Good Friday Parade.

Later that night I found out that the Boys' Brigade had been founded by William Smith in Glasgow in 1883 for boys between 12 and 18 years of age, nearly a quarter of a century before Baden Powell started the Boy Scouts.

It was built on the twin pillars of religion and discipline with the motto 'Sure and Steadfast'. Membership required regular attendance at Sunday Bible Class and on a Company Parade Night. Other various activities and classes during the rest of the week were voluntary.

I later learnt that the South Shields Battalion was born at St Paul's Church in 1891 and by 1946 had grown to a membership of over 20 Companies, with 500 boys attached to various churches throughout the town. Also that the Boys' Brigade existed in numerous countries throughout the world.