John Tallach


Rev John Tallach was a 20th century Free Presbyterian minister in Scotland who served as Moderator of Synod in both 1933 and 1947.
In 1958, the John Tallach High School, a mission school 40km from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, was opened.

Life

Tallach was born on 24 September 1890 in Dornoch. His younger brother was James Andrew Tallach, Moderator of Synod in 1934, 1944 and 1957.
He was licensed to preach by the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland in September 1924 and chose to do missionary work in Africa, travelling to what was then Rhodesia in October 1924 to join Rev John Boyana Radasi in Ingwenya, where they ran a boarding school. He did much work there and also married and raised his children there. He was known as Mfundisi Tallach.
They returned to Scotland in 1947 and in 1949 he found a new post in Oban and remained there for the rest of his life.
He died on 30 October 1955 and was buried in Pennyfuir Cemetery in Oban.
His Oban church is now part of Associated Presbyterian Churches.

Family

Tallach married Ann Sinclair, daughter of Rev R R Sinclair. She died in 2004 aged 104. Her brother Robert Ross Sinclair was also a Moderator of Synod.
They had three daughters and two sons, including Rev Ian R. Tallach who was born in Ingwenya.
He was uncle to Rev Samuel Fraser Tallach, Moderator of Synod in 1987.