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Salvation Army Hall, Thurso.
(Picture: G. NIcolson, Peterhead.)
There were no
herring drifters from Thurso at Yarmouth in
1921. A few fishermen sailed on Wick
boats. In one way it did not reap the
benefit of having boats return with crews of born again men. The winter herring fishing based at Thurso and Scrabster from
December to January drew boats from Wick and the Moray Firth ports. Many of the men who came at that time had
been converted at Yarmouth. They brought a breath of
spiritual fire into a corner which had not as yet been touched by the blessing
that was flowing amongst the fishing communities. When they were not at sea, they made their
way to the Salvation Army Hall at Thurso. Ensign Hartington was the officer in charge
and proved to be a man "whose heart the Lord had touched". Immediately he organised these fishermen and
used them at every opportunity. Special
prayer meetings called "Knee Drill" took place and open-air services
were held. God began to move through
these men for the revival of Christians as well as the salvation of sinners.
One of the men
converted in December 1921 was John Sinclair, who became Sergeant-Major of the Thurso Corps. Mr. Sinclair took an
active part in local government affairs, rising to the highest office in that
realm. It was in these circumstances
that he left his mark as a man who had high Christian principles in dealing
both with the poor and with royalty.
"The meetings were packed and the crowds were so large that we were
like herring in a barrel," he said.
"I went along to Army meetings on Sundays, but had no real
interest. One weeknight I went along for
Willie Leed' s brother, then I found myself being drawn to the Army
Hall. My friend refused to enter, but I
went in and got saved. Quite a few were
at the Penitent Form that night. My
friend Leed came along a few nights after that and he
got saved as well. At the testimony
meetings new converts would be anxious to tell in their own way how they were
saved and what progress they were making." Outside the Town Hall at least
130 men and women stood in a ring. Marches of witness
attracted many as the fishermen, dressed in their jerseys, sang, "I'm not
ashamed to own my Lord." With great satisfaction he spoke of the words
facing the penitent sinner as he knelt at the "Mercy Seat" in the Thurso Hall, "Jesus can save you now." They were painted by his friend Willie Leed, the young Salvationist whom God was going to use
throughout Britain in the rescue of perishing souls.
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