In 1969 Mrs Doris V Allen, the widow of the Rev Dr Robert Allen who was Honorary Secretary of the Presbyterian Historical Society for many years made a donation to the Society to create “The Robert Allen Memorial Lecture”, an annual lecture dealing with some aspect of Irish Ecclesiastical History.
A Robert Allen Memorial Lecture has been delivered every year since except 1972, 1983 and 1986.
A Memorial Tribute to the late Rev Dr Robert Allen was paid by the Very Rev Dr J H Withers prior to the Inaugural Lecture held in Union Theological College on 19th March 1971. The text of the Tribute – “A Man of Proven Worth” – was published in the 1972 edition of the Bulletin of the Society.
The pamphlet “A Biographical Portrait of Rev Dr Robert Allen, 1904-1968, Irish Presbyterian Minister and Historian” by Rev Dr Joseph Thompson has been published by the Society.
| Year | Lecture Title | Lecturer |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Presbyterianism in the Restoration Period | Prof J C Beckett |
| 1973 | John Knox and his World” | Prof E Gordon Rupp, Cambridge University |
| 1974 | Rev Dr James Carlile and his Part in Irish National Education in the 19th century | Dr R J Rodgers |
| 1975 | Dr William Drennan and the Politics of Presbytery | Dr A T Q Stewart |
| 1976 | Ulster and the American Colonies | Dr R J Dickson |
| 1977 | The Black Man and Inst: the Rev Dr Henry Cooke and RBAI | Rev Prof R F G Holmes |
| 1978 | Rev J B Armour of Ballymoney: a reappraisal | Mr J R B McMinn, Stranmillis College |
| 1979 | Links between the Irish and English Presbyterian Churches since 1840 | Prof R Buick Knox |
| 1980 | The Great Mr Boyse of Wood Street, Dublin, 1683-1728 (PHSI Pamphlet “The Great Mr Boyse” published) |
Rev Dr A W G Brown |
| 1981 | Irish Presbyterianism and the Social Order 1920-1970 | Principal J M Barkley |
| 1982 | The Religion of the People and the Problem of Politics: Methodists and Presbyterians in Britain and Ireland 1790-1850 | Dr David Hempton |
| 1984 | Luther: Prophet to Christendom | Rev Canon James Atkinson, Sheffield University |
| 1985 | From Thomas Cartwright to John Howe: Some Puritans who came among us | Very Rev Dr John T Carson |
| 1987 | Presbyterian Worship in Ulster prior to the Introduction of the Westminster Directory | Rev Dr W D Bailie |
| 1988 | The Life and Times of the Rev Samuel Boyce, Minister of Ballyrashane | Dr T H Mullin |
| 1989 | The Case of William Orr | Rev John Brown |
| 1990 | Presbyterianism and Social Issues | Rev Dr W E Davison |
| 1991 | Presbyterianism, Science and Darwinism | Dr D N Livingstone |
| 1992 | Threats to Presbyterianism in Ireland in the 17th Century | Prof David Stevenson |
| 1993 | Life After Death? – Ministry in the 19th Century | Prof K Brown, Dept of Economic and Social History, QUB |
| 1994 | Francis Hutcheson (1693-1746) and His Circle | Prof M A Stewart, Professor of the History of Philosophy, Lancaster University |
| 1995 | The Life and Work of the Rev Dr Robert Allen (PHSI Pamphlet “Robert Allen” published) |
Rev J Thompson |
| 1996 | Helen Waddell: Presbyterian Medievalist (PHSI Pamphlet “Helen Waddell” published) |
Prof R Norman C Vance |
| 1997 | Presbyterians and the Confessional State: the Sacramental Test as an issue in Irish Politics | David Hayton, Lecturer in Modern History, QUB |
| 1998 | 1798 and the Modesty of History | Dr A T Q Stewart, formerly Reader in Irish History, QUB |
| 1999 | Irish Presbyterians in the 18th Century | Prof Edith Mary Johnston Liik, formerly Professor of History at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia and Hon Senior Research Fellow, QUB |
| 2000 | If Winter’s Here, can Spring be far behind, Has the Ecumenical Movement a Future? A Presbyterian Perspective (PHSI Pamphlet “If Winter’s Here” published) |
Very Rev Prof John Thompson, formerly Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Union Theological College, Belfast |
| 2001 | Thomas Sinclair (1838-1914): A Presbyterian in Ulster Politics | Dr Graham Walker, Reader at the School of Politics, QUB |
| 2002 | Swift and the Irish Presbyterians | Dr Ian McBride, King’s College, London |
| 2003 | Henry Cooke: For and Against | Very Rev Dr Finlay Holmes, former Principal at Union Theological College |
| 2004 | Command and Teach These Things, the Idea and Implementation of Theological Education | Prof Laurence Kirkpatrick, Union Theological College |
| 2005 | Not Forgotten: President W D Killen’s Autobiography | Dr Eull Dunlop |
| 2006 | Presbyterians and the Irish Language | Rev Jim Stothers, Greenisland Presbyterian Church |
| 2007 | Deaconesses in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland | Dr Janice Holmes, The Open University in Ireland |
| 2008 | The Minister and Mr de Valera: the Rev Dr J A H Irwin of Killead 1876-1954 |
Dr Eamon Phoenix, Stranmillis University College |
| 2009 | The 1859 Revival: Causes, Course and Consequences | Dr Andrew Holmes, Queen’s University Belfast |
| 2010 | Conversion, Revival and Prophecy: Spiritual Experience in Seventeenth Century Presbyterian Ulster | Dr Robert Armstrong, Trinity College Dublin |
| 2011 | The Rev James Glasgow DD: Pioneer Missionary to India (PHSI Pamphlet “Dr James Glasgow” published) |
Rev Prof W P Addley |
| 2012 | Irish Presbyterians and the Christian Mind | Prof John H Gillespie, University of Ulster, Coleraine |
| 2013 | Cooke’s Lieutenant: The Rev Dr Robert Stewart of Broughshane (PHSI Pamphlet “Rev Dr Robert Stewart – Cooke’s Lieutenant” published) |
Very Rev Dr John Lockington |
| 2014 | Paupers, Presbyterians and the Poor Law in nineteenth century Ulster | Dr Olwen Purdue, Queen’s University Belfast |
| 2015 | Archibald Mcllroy (1859 – 1915) | Very Rev Dr Donald Patton |
| 2016 | Putting Children First: From Presbyterian Orphan Society to Presbyterian Children’s Society, the Story of 150 Years | Dr Paul Gray, Presbyterian Children's Society |
| 2017 | Professor J E Davey and the Heresy Trial, 1927 | Dr Andrew Holmes, Queen's University Belfast |
| 2018 | The Shape of Ministry in the Early 18th Century | Dr Robert Whan, Queen's University Belfast |
| 2019 | Angels have Lost their Way | Dr Leonne McCormick, Ulster University Coleraine |
| 2020 | (Cancelled due to Covid) | |
| 2021 | (Cancelled due to Covid) | |
| 2022 | William Sharman Crawford and his Interaction with Irish Presbyterians | Professor Peter Gray, Queen’s University Belfast |
| 2023 | Presbyterians and Print in 16th Century Ulster | Dr Robert Whan, Queen's University Belfast |