THE Reverend James Cran has died in Glasgow at the age of 84 after a long and trying illness.
Born in Campbeltown, he attended the local grammar school before going to the University of St Andrews, where he gained an honours degree in Classics and was urged by his teachers and mentors to pursue an academic career in the subject in which he excelled.
James, however, had felt the call to the ministry and instead began his studies in Divinity at St Mary's, where his academic gifts were again in evidence. He was ordained to his first charge, Kirkpatrick-Durham in Dumfries-shire, during the early days of the Second World War. Following that he had a short ministry in Cranshaw Church in the Presbytery of Duns but was called to Broxburn where he later met and married his wife Nan, then the local registrar, in 1951.
His fourth and final charge was Cambridge Street in Glasgow where he ministered for almost 15 years, seeing through the transportation in 1968 to Bishopbriggs and the foundation of the current charge of Springfield Cambridge.
He is survived by his wife Nan and daughter Isobel.
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