Belfast-born Rowel Friers (1920-1998) was perhaps the most famous cartoonist in Ulster, especially for his work during the ‘Troubles’. He began his working life in the art department of the Belfast printing firm of S. C. Allen and Co and studied at the Belfast College of Art. A keen watercolourist and oil painter he nevertheless was best known for his cartoons, which gently but effectively satirised the political situation in Northern Ireland. Our latest video looks at two cartoons by Rowel Friers, although they illustrate his versatility as a cartoonist and relate to life in the eighteenth century.
We have two fine examples of his work hanging on the walls of the Very Rev William McMillan Library in the First Presbyterian Church, Dunmurry. They were commissioned by the Rev William McMillan for an exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Presbytery of Antrim in 1975.
They are both immediately recognisable as his work. The faces of the figures convey exactly what is going on. One (above) is an imagined gathering of clergy around a blacksmith and relates to the practice of communion and the use of communion tokens. The other (below) relates to a specific incident in the history of the Comber congregation at the time of creation of the Presbytery of Antrim at the end of the First Subscription controversy when all the Non-Subscribers were separated from the Synod of Ulster and placed together in the Presbytery of Antrim.
It is good to give them special consideration now, as we prepare for the 300th anniversary of the creation of the Presbytery of Antrim. The full story of both pictures can be seen in the short video above.
velvethummingbee 
Hello David, It’s wonderful seeing history come to life in Bill’s library. His library project was such a good idea. I have a very fond memory of our lunch with Bill. I also love seeing the various expressions of the Christmas spirit in your local churches. This year I’ve been visiting Wellington and attended a number of different services. The most unusual for me has been the Carol service at Parliament, to which i was taken. Quite different with the Salvation Army band and the Wellington Cathederal choir. On the train back to Auckland tomorrow. Best wishes for Christmas and have a wonderful New Year. Arohanui Wayne PS a few months ago I had my first overseas trip since my return, to Samoa, arrived before King Charles and left while there was a New Zealand naval ship sunk on a reef. But it was a lovely place to visit. While there visited a Bahai Temple in the highlands and Robert Louis Stevensons house.
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Great to hear from you Wayne. That sounds like a wonderful trip to Samoa. Glad you are getting out and about, and to the carol service at Parliament, that sounds interesting. We have our congregational carol service on Sunday, it will also be livestreamed. The weather has been a bit stormy here lately, indeed our Carols by Candlelight was the same night as one storm, but it is the time of year for that sort of thing. I hope you can come and visit us here again sometime. The Library is going very well, you must come and see it. I think there may be more items that relate to New Zealand which we will have to put together for you at some point. Every good wish for Christmas and New Year, David
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