On 1st March 1950, the Rev’d J.G. Leitch reported to Presbytery that the congregation of Bushmills had made a unanimous call to the Rev’d Samuel Eton, M.A., H.C.F., promising an annual stipend of £300. Mr. Eaton was born at Raphoe in 1912, where he attended the Royal School, before further studies at Magee College Derry and Trinity College Dublin. In addition to chaplaincy duties with the R.A.F. during World War II, Mr. Eaton was the minister of Killyleagh Church, where he had been ordained in 1939. He was installed as minister of Bushmills on 30 March 1950.
Mr. Eaton lived from 1950 to 1953 at Ballyness House, while Mr. Maybin was still in residence in the Manse. Following Mr. Maybin’s death, the Manse was refurbished at a cost of £2,600. On 10th March 1959, Mr. Eaton was installed as minister of McQuiston Memorial congregation in Belfast. In his retirement, Mr. Eaton resided in Portballintrae until the mid-1980s, when he moved to Bangor. Mr. Eton died in February 2002.
