Euphemia Irvine

Euphemia "Effy" Helen Clouston Irvine (28 August 1924 – February 2, 2018) was the first woman in Scotland to run a Church of Scotland parish Church.

Life Irvine was born in Clydebank on 28 August 1924. She was the daughter of James and Elizabeth. She was brought up in Jordanvale Parish Church in Glasgow. She took a course at the University of London which enabled her to enrol on a course at the University of Glasgow. He was then minister of Broomhill in Glasgow and after asking advice from his church he agreed. While she was on the course the Church of Scotland decided that it would in principle accept women ministers. She had wanted to work in an urban area so she had turned down this position in the country four times before she accepted it.

Six years later the parishes reorganised and Irvine agreed to stay on at Milton of Campsie until she retired in 1988. During her retirement she published ‘A Journey of Faith’ which was her autobiography.

She married Alexander Irvine on 17 February 1971. She died in 2018.