Glasgow's School of the Prophets: The United Free Church College III

The dream of the founders of the United Free Church had been of a church 'united, national and free'. In the late 19th century it had seemed that the only way this could be achieved was by disestablishing the Church of Scotland. The 20th century saw a change in this thinking. Disestablishment became an embarassment, and the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church entered into conference, seeking a compromise solution. The Great War contributed to this since, with a student body depleted by the war and a staff depleted by death, the United Free Church College, Glasgow, had to carry out joint classes with the Divinity Faculty of the University in the sessions 1917-18 and 1918-19.
Once the war was over new faculty could be appointed and student intake increased into the 1920s.
In 1929 the greatest change that had ever occurred in the college took place - the Church of Scotland and the vast majority of the United Free Church united. The old sign-boards were taken down and new ones painted up. For the second time in its history the name of the college changed. Now it was to be known as Trinity College, Glasgow.

What this meant for the institution we shall see, God willing, next time.