Reverend John LylePrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the Reverend John Lyle who was a minister of the church for 15 years.
John Lyle was born in 1839 in Northern Ireland and emigrated to Tasmania and in 1874 married a member of the Gibson family who lived near Epping, Tasmania. He had been ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and in 1879 was inducted to St. Andrew's Kirk, Launceston. He took up the pastorate and made his home in a house on the corner of WeIman and Arthur Streets.
He was a capable manager and persuaded the parishioners to accept the Sustentation Scheme they had rejected in 1873. He also encouraged development of the church glebe, which in 1882 was sub-divided and let on long term leases. These moves provided an increased and more stable revenue. He was deeply concerned with increasing his contacts with his parishioners, fostered fellowship amongst them and encouraged them to take a more active role in the church.
Despite his managerial skills, the late 1880s brought hard times and the onset of the depression of the 1890s brought about an ever-increasing growth of debt which was not halted even by the sale of the Old Kirk.
Throughout his ministry he was active in the Presbytery and Synod, and was interested in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church at large. He fostered the opening of a new church at Beaconsfield, preaching there on its opening day in 1882. He worked consistently for the union of St. Andrew's and the Free Church, to the stage where a meeting to consider union was already arranged for August 1895. He died before the meeting, but the congregation did agree to the basis of the union and so his work bore fruit.
He was taken ill quite suddenly and went to Melbourne to undergo surgery. This did not avail and he died on 5th August 1895. His sympathetic nature, brotherly spirit and deeds of self-sacrifice won him a high place in the esteem of his brethren in the ministry and of his parishioners.
He was buried in the Scotch Cemetery and his pastorate was commemorated by a marble plaque, shaped like the end of a casket, erected on the east wall of the church in 1900. The plaque was moved in April 1921 to allow for the erection of a memorial window. It is now on the Paterson Street wall.
Obituary 1895Location
| Address: | 36 St John Street, St Andrew`s Kirk, Launceston, 7250 |
|---|---|
| State: | TAS |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -41.436182 Long: 147.137712 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
Dedication
Erected by the congregation
In loving memory of Rev. John Lyle. M.A.
For 15 years Minister of this church
Died 5th August 1895. Aged 55 years.
