Rev. Henry Duncan Minister at Ruthwell Moderator of the Church of Scotland The Rev. Henry Duncan (1774 – 1846) would have earned a place in history even without his efforts to save the Ruthwell Cross. He was also a leading geologist, antiquarian and an accomplished artist. He was the discoverer of the first fossil footprints […]
Peaceful co existence of the Presbyterians shattered. Peaceful co existence was shattered by the resurgence of the Bishops seeking control. 1633 was a watershed in Ireland with the appointment of William Laud as Archbishop of Canterbury (picture right) and Thomas Wentworth, later the Earl of Strafford, as Lord Deputy in Ireland. Both these individuals became […]
The Placards against the Mass. 24 October 1534. [ Extract from J A Wylie, History of Protestantism,vol 2 p 206-7] Undoubtedly frustration was building among the French Protestants who saw their dream taking place elsewhere in Germany and Switzerland, and a consensus was reached that positive action should be taken. They sought the advice of […]
James Renwick`s Lecture on Psalm XXIII. [ From “A Choice Collection of the very valuable Prefaces, Lectures and Sermons preached by the Reverend Mr James Renwick”. S & A Gardner, Glasgow (1804) p 36-40.] Click on thumbnail for larger image. PDF file
Signatories to the Covenant of 1638 in Borgue and Minigaff Parishes, Galloway. These are extracts from “Galloway and the Covenanters” by Alex.S. Morton (1914). They refer to the inhabitants of the two Galloway Parishes that signed a copy of the Covenant. Click on the image to enlarge to 600 pixel width; this image can be […]
Preston 17 – 19 Aug 1648 and Uttoxeter. In 1647-8 the alliance with the English Parliamentarians and the future of the Solemn League and Covenant were crumbling, with the English unable, or unwilling, to fulfil their end of bargain, Not least they were against the extension of Presbyterianism as the true religion in England and […]
Augsburg Confession In 1529 – 30 The Emperor, Charles V, finally made his way to Germany having reconciled himself with Francis I of France, the Pope and seen the Turks turn back from the eastern borders. He now envisaged the completion of his work – the extirpation of Luther and Lutheranism decreed in the Edict […]
James Ure of Shergarton Cited in Hewison`s The Covenanters etc The Rev. Robert Wodrow, the historian of the Covenanters, gives a credible account of the hardships endured by James Ure of Shargarton, in the parish of Kippen, in Stirlingshire, a centre of nonconforming disaffection.’ From 1670 Ure was leading the disorderly life of a dissenter, […]
Dunnottar Castle Dunottar Castle, now a ruin, is near Stonehaven and about 15 miles south of Aberdeen. Built on an outcrop of sandstone that juts out into the sea it has a rugged beauty and in its day was a fearsome stronghold. It is thought that St Ninian had been here in the 5th century […]
The Covenanter Ships – “Eaglewing”, “Crown” “Rising Sun” and “Henry & Francis” The flow of Scottish migrants to the Province of Ulster who came in search of land and religious freedom was significant in the Plantation of Ireland. Yet, in a short space of 20 years there was a change in the relationships with the […]
John Ashton – a “poor priest” John Ashton was one of the “poor priests” who went to preach to the people; he is variously described as a student, a bachelor of arts and a master of arts at Oxford University. By the summer of 1382 he had garnered sufficient notoriety in the Church`s eyes to […]
David Straiton and Norman Gourlay, Martyrs 1534. Straiton was the younger son of the laird of of Lauriston in Forfarshire, where his family had been for some six hundred years. His elder brother lived in the castle of Lauriston. David Straiton was proprietor of some lands at the mouth of the river Esk and also […]
Injunctions of Edward VI to the Church of England, 1547. [Paraphrase of the injunctions in Foxes Monuments, Ed. Geo. Townsend (1846) vol 5 p 706-713 ] 1. All clerics to obey the laws against the usurped powers of the pope . 2.To preach quarterly against the usurped powers of Rome. 3.Kings supremacy preached four times […]
The Restoration – a new Scottish Parliament approved. The Diary of John Nicoll (1660-1667) is a contemporaneous record that throws an insight upon the trials and tribulations of the time. There can be little doubt that the people were minded to accept change by 1660 and were over optimistic at what that might be. Some […]