John Paul

John Paul DD (1795–1873) was a minister of the Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1847. A major figure in Edinburgh society, he was linked to both the Balfours of Leith and the Stevenson family of engineers. Life He was born on 12 March 1795 the son of Rev William Paul (1754–1802), minister of the collegiate section of St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh and his wife Susan Moncrieff. He was also nephew of Rev Henry Moncrieff-Wellwood first charge minister of the same church. The family lived at Castlebarns in the Tollcross area south of the church. By 1805 his father had died and he was living with his mother in the West Kirk manse. He was educated at the high school in the Old Town then studied at the University of Edinburgh. In August 1816 he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Edinburgh. He was ordained as minister of Straiton in May 1817. He was translated to Maybole in Ayrshire in September 1823.