COOKSTOWN 1st Co Tyrone NI  (Presbyterian)

The first minister was Mr. John MacKenzie. He was
ordained here in the summer of 1673. He was in the City of
Deny during its famous siege, and published an account of
it, in which he shows that George Walker was very much of
a sham, that he would more than once hnve capitulated if he had
been peimitted, and that Colonel Adam Murray was the true
hero who upheld the Protestant cause in its last refuge. The
congregation of Cookstown was originally called Derriloran.
In September, 1691, the people applied to the Synod for Mr.
MacKenzie's continuance with them, though they could not
promise him more than d£15 per annum of stipend. The
Synod recommended Moneymore, then vacant, to be joined
with them. Whether this was done, does not clearly appear;
but Mr. MacKenzie remained here till his death. He is said
to have died in 1696, aged 49 years. The next minister was
Mr. John M'Cleave, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Glasgow,
who was ordained here on the 5th of February, 1701. He
died in this charge on the 17th of June, 1749 ; and was suc-
ceeded by Mr. James Hall, who had been licensed in England,
and had been received by the Synod in 1749. He was
ordained to this charge on the 5th of August, 1752. In
January, 1763, he removed to Bangor, and was succeeded by
Mr. George Murray, who was ordained on the 10th of
December, 1765. He died in this charge on the 8th of
September, 1795, leaving a family.* The next minister was
Mr. John Davison, who was ordained here on the 26th of
September, 1797. In 1835, Mr. Davison resigned the pastoral
charge ; and, after many disputes, Mr. Alexander Fleming
was ordained on the 28th of March, 1837, as assistant and
successor to Mr. Davison.
Meanwhile, a new congregation had been formed ;
and the first minister, Mr. John Knox Leslie, who had
been ordained in August, 1834, as a Home
Missionary, under the Synod of Ulster, was installed in the
new charge on the 11th of November, 1835. On the 15th of
April, 1846, Mr. Fleming resigned the charge of 1st Cooks-
town, having accepted a call to 1st Armagh ; and on the 11th
of August, 1846, Mr. Hamilton Brown Wilson (now D.D.,)
was ordained to the pastorate. Mr. Davison died on the 22nd

* Formerly the Synod of Ulster very frequently held its annual
meeting in Cookstown on account of its central position. The ministers
and elders travelled to it mostly on horseback.