REV. DAVID
STRONGELDEST son of the Rev. David Strong, at that time colleague to Dr. Mackinlay, Dr. Strong was born in 1840 in the manse of the charge of the Laigh Kirk, Kilmarnock, and he was brought up in the manse of Dailly, to which his father removed three years later. He was educated at Ayr Academy and in the Old College of Glasgow, and he received licence in 1864. For six months he acted as assistant to Dr. Graham of Kilbarchan, and he afterwards filled the same position under Dr. Stevenson of St. George's, Edinburgh. In 1866 he was ordained to the parish of Barr, in Ayrshire, and in 1872 came to Hillhead. As the fruit of his successful labours here the present parish church of Hillhead was built four years later, and as further testimony to his success he received from Glasgow University, four years afterwards, the degree of D.D. Dr. Strong is a "son of the manse" in more respects than one. His grandfather on the maternal side was the Rev. John Roxburgh, minister of Kilmaurs, and his brother, Dr. Charles Strong, at one time minister of Anderston, is now of the Australian Church in Melbourne. It is natural, therefore, that he should take a strong interest in the Sons of the Church Society, of which he was president in 1900.