Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/123

Rh George Hepburn was a native of Leslie, in Fifeshire, where he spent his earlier years. When still a young man he began business as a merchant in Kirkcaldy, where he devoted much of his spare time to Sabbath School teaching and works of Christian benevolence. He was ordained an elder of the Church of Scotland in the congregation then under the pastorship of the late Dr Alexander, and, along with his minister and nearly all his people, joined the Free Church at the Disruption in May 1843. Having elected to join the Otago company of settlers, he arrived at Dunedin in 1850, and took up his residence at Wakari. He was for a short time in the employment of Messrs James Macandrew and Co., and afterwards joined his brother-in-law, the late Mr James Paterson, forming the well-known firm of James Paterson and Co., general merchants. He was member of the Otago Provincial Council for the Wakari district for a number of years; and he also represented the district of Roslyn in the General Assembly for some time.

Soon after his arrival at Dunedin Mr Hepburn was inducted into the eldership of the First Church, and, as already stated, he was afterwards one of the founders of Knox Church, His long and intimate connection with the congregation, and his manifold Christian labours, are fully set forth in the following minute of the Kirk Session:—"On the 9th day of December, 1883, Mr George Hepburn, member and elder of the congregation, departed this life, full of years and in the faith of the Gospel. The Session record their grateful appreciation of his services to this church from its foundation. He was a member of the committee appointed in 1859 to collect subscriptions for the erection of a second Presbyterian church and manse in Dunedin, to procure suitable sites and plans, and to proceed with both buildings with the least possible delay. He was also a member of the interim Session of Knox Church, and by election one of the regular Session which was constituted in 1860, and in that office ably and cheerfully laboured for the prosperity of the congregation till his death. In his own district he took a deep personal interest in the progress of education and religion—visiting the sick, and serving as chairman of its School Committee and superintendent of its Sabbath School. In him church extension, the sustentation of the ministry, and every plan of Christian usefulness had an untiring supporter. His services to the Sabbath School here and in his native land