author
John Cairns
1857–1922
A Scottish minister and biographer whose writing grew out of a life in the church, he is best remembered for clear, thoughtful nonfiction rooted in faith, history, and character.
1 Audiobook
Principal Cairns
by John Cairns
About the author
John Cairns (13 April 1857 – 13 May 1922) was a Scottish United Presbyterian minister, writer, and biographer. Born in Stichill, Roxburghshire, he was educated at Edrom Parish School and the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated M.A. in 1878. He also trained for the ministry at United Presbyterian College in Edinburgh and studied at Leipzig University.
Most of his ministry was spent at Buccleuch Street in Dumfries, where he served from 1884 until his retirement in April 1922. Alongside parish work, he held important committee roles in the United Free Church of Scotland, including work connected with overseas and continental church affairs.
As an author, he is known for Principal Cairns (1903), a biography of his uncle, the theologian John Cairns, written for the "Famous Scots Series." His work reflects the strengths of a minister-biographer: steady research, sympathy for character, and a strong sense of religious and intellectual history.