 The church appears to have been in decline until 1876 when Rev Jacob Primmer (1842-1914) arrived from Leith.He instigated the building of a new church, which was completed in May 1878, close to the school.As a teetotaller he introduced alcohol-free communion wine, causing a national debate in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, bringing the town into the limelight briefly in what became known as the "Townhill Question".