Reverend Mr. David Dickson of Busbie

REVEREND MR. DAVID DICKSON OF BUSBIE

Minister of the Gospel at St. Giles in Edinburgh; formerly Minister of the Gospel at Irvine in Ayrshire

Reverend Mr. David Dickson of Busbie is the son of John Dickson, merchant, burgess and guild brother of Glasgow. He was enrolled as a burgess and guild brother of Glasgow on 6 November 1635. Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow, 1573-1750, p. 92

Evidence from the National Records of Scotland

                   1

3 June 1614: Decreet of transuming of entry, dated 2 June 1598 in protocol book of Henry Gibson (Gibsoun), court clerk of Glasgow, recording sasine in favour of James Crawford of Minnock and Elyta Turnbull (Turnbule), his spouse, of annualrent of £40 scots from tenement in city of Glasgow on west side of public way leading from market cross to the south gate, following on contract with James Rankin (Rankein) in Balmilbyear and Margaret Stark, his spouse, decreet being at instance of Mr David Dickson (Dicksoun), son and apparent heir of John Dickson, merchant burgess of Glasgow against James Crawford of Meikle (Mekill) Govan (Govane). National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell, reference GD172/141

                   2

29 November 1632: Brieve of inquest of David Dickson, minister of Irvine, as heir of deceased John Dickson of Busbie, his father. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell, reference GD172/2481

                   3

1647-1671: Back-tack and other papers concerning a wadset by Sir David Cunningham of Robertland to Mr David Dickson, professor of divinity in College of Edinburgh and Margaret Roberton, his spouse of lands of Fulschaw in parish of Stewarton and sheriffdom of Ayr. (7 items). National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell, reference GD172/2483

                   4

1663-1666: Factories by Margaret Roberton relict and executrix of Mr David Dickson of Busbie, professor of divinity in College of Edinburgh, to Mr Alexander Dickson of Wester Bynnie, professor of Hebrew in said College, her son, and by Mr Archibald Dickson his brother to him to manage specified affairs. Related papers. (7 items). National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell, reference GD172/2486

                   5

23 May 1668: Discharge by Mr Archibald Dickson, son of deceased Mr David Dickson of Busbie professor of divinity in Edinburgh, to Mr Alexander Dickson his brothers of intromissions with various sums of money assigned to them equally by umquhile Margaret Roberton their mother on 27 October 1664. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell, reference GD172/2488

Genealogy

1. Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. I, page 64
2. Analecta Scotica, pp. 56-59
3. The Harvey Book, giving the genealogies of certain branches of the American families of Harvey, Nesbitt, Dixon and Jameson

BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY FROM THE FASTI OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

Reverend David Dickson of Busbie was born in Glasgow in 1583, the son of John Dickson, a wealthy merchant of the Trongate, was at first intended for the mercantile profession, but afterwards studied for the Church. After becoming M.A. of Glasgow, he was appointed Regent of Philosophy in the University, and on 31st March 1618 was ordained minister of Irvine. He declared against the Perth Articles, and was summoned before the Court of High Commission. Declining its authority, he was deprived. In 1622 he was allowed to return to his parish, but in 1637, having given shelter to Robert Blair and John Livingston, driven from their charges in Ireland by the interference of the bishops there, he was again cited before the High Commission Court. He took an active part in the Glasgow Assembly of 1638, and in 1639 acted as chaplain to an Ayrshire regiment commanded by the Earl of Loudoun. He was Moderator of Assembly in 1640, and appointed to the Professorship of Divinity in Glasgow University. In 1650 he was transferred to the Chair of Divinity at Edinburgh. He was appointed to this charge by the Town Council 12th April 1650, and adm. shortly after ; a second time Moderator of Assembly 21st July 1652. In Oct. 1662 he was deprived, and by the end of the year he was dead (buried 31st Dec). He was a popular preacher, and highly instrumental in promoting the notable revival at Stewarton about 1625. Nor was he less zealous and useful in the overthrow of Episcopacy, having taken a prominent part in the business of the Assembly at Glasgow. When the Church unhappily divided into Resolutioners and Protesters, he became a leader in the party of the former. He marr. 23rd Sept. 1617, Margaret, daugh. of Archibald Roberton of Stonehall, and had issue —

• John, clerk to the Exchequer (who predeceased him) ;
• James (G. R. Sas., xxxviii., 241) ;
• David (who also predeceased him) ;
• Alexander, min. of Newbattle, Professor of Hebrew in the Univ. of Edinburgh.

Reverend Robert Dickson of Busbie was Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1639 not 1640. His sons David and Archibald matriculated at Glasgow University in 1647.

SOURCE: Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae: the succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation, iii, p. 11

GEDCOM Note

GEDCOM Note

Source: Ibid: He was educated at the University of Glasgow - where he was a Professor until 1641. He was transferred to the University of Edinburgh where he remained until 1651, he was appointed Minister of Doctrine. Dr. DavidDickson repudiated the five articles of Perth as issued by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1618. He won for this much persecution as well as great honor. Dr. Dickson was preeminent as a great scholar and preacher. Dr. David Dickson died in 1663.

Source #2: Oscar Jewell Harvey, The Harvey Book: The genealogies of certain branches of the American families of Harvey, Nesbitt, Dixon and Jameson (Wilkesbarre, PA.: E. E. Yordy & Co., 1899)

DAVID DICKSON2 (John1). The only child of John Dicksone of Busby was David Dickson, who was born in Glasgow in 1583. He was at first designed for the mercantile profession, but later his parents decided to have him educated for the Church. He studied at the University of Glasgow, and on taking his degree of Master of Arts was appointed one of the instructors in philosophy in the University.

Having been licensed to preach the gospel he was, in 1618, ordained minister of the parish of Irvine, in Ayrshire, previously mentioned. "Some time after he declared against the Five Articles of Perth as unscriptural, and was in consequence, at the instance of Law, Archbishop of Glasgow, summoned to appear before the High Court of Commission at Edinburgh, 19 Jan., 1622. He appeared, and gave in a paper declining the jurisdiction of the Court. He was sentenced to deprivation of his ministry at Irvine, and ordained to proceed to Turriff, in Aberdeenshire, within twenty days.

"He continued preaching almost daily till these were expired, and was then about to commence his journey to the North, when, at the earnest request of the Earl of Eglintoun, he was permitted to remain in Ayrshire, where for about two months he preached weekly in the hall and courtyard of Eglintoun Castle to large congregations of his parishoners. He was then ordered by the Archbishop of Glasgow to set out for the place of his banishment, which he did.

"In July, 1623, he was allowed, without any conditions, to return to his charge at Irvine, where he remained unmolested till the year 1637, when, for having harbored Mr. Robert Blair and Mr. John Livingstone (on their being forcedto leave their charges in the North of Ireland by the interference of the Irish bishops) and allowing them to preach for him, he was again cited before the High Court of Commission.

"To the establishment of the Second Reformation in Scotland, which soon after occurred, the Rev. David Dickson was in a great degree instrumental. It was he who prevailed on the Presbytery of Irvine to apply in 1637 for the suspension of the service-book; and he was one of those who were deputed to urge upon the ministers and people in and around Aberdeen to renew the [National] Covenant [in 1638]."(*) [From "The Scottish Nation," by William Anderson, Edinburgh, 1863.]

King Charles I. had many loyal supporters in all parts of Scotland, and in the North Episcopacy was preferred by the people to Presbyterianism; but the efforts of the King to introduce into the Scottish Church, by his royal authority, a Book of Canons and a Liturgy framed on the model of those of England, roused a storm of popular indignation in Scotland which swept everything before it.

The King's opponents, led and urged by such men as David Dickson, banded themselves together by the National Covenant, the swearing and subscribing to which was inaugurated in the Greyfriars' Church-yard, Edinburgh, 28 Feb., 1638.Numerous copies were then sent out over the country, and at the meeting of the General Assembly in Glasgow, on the 21st of the following November, the Covenant was ratified and appointed to be again sworn; and, in pursuance of the object of the Covenant, the Assembly abolished the Perth Articles, deposed the whole of the Episcopal hierarchy which had been established by King James VI. in 1610, and re-established Presbyterianism.

The Rev. David Dickson was, of course, a member of this General Assembly, and distinguished himself greatly in the deliberations--delivering a speech of great tact when the Commissioner threatened to leave the Assembly, and in theeleventh session giving a learned discourse on Arminianism. [See "Dictionary of National Biography," XV.: 41.]

In the short and successful campaign of 1639 against King Charles (who attempted to maintain his claims by the sword, but was unsuccessful, and was obliged to ratify in Parliament all that had been done by his opponents), Mr. Dickson acted as Chaplain to a regiment of Ayrshire men commanded by the Earl of Loudoun, in the army of Covenanters under Alexander Leslie which encamped at Dunse Law in June. After the disbanding of the army Mr. Dickson was almost unanimously chosen Moderator of the General Assembly which met at Edinburgh in August, 1639.

During the meeting of this Assembly he was called to a charge in Glasgow, but such was the opposition made to the call by his parishoners at Irvine and by the Earl of Eglintoun, that the Assembly refused its sanction.

Prior to this time the degree of Doctor of Divinity had been conferred upon him, and in 1640 he was appointed to the newly established Professorship of Divinity in the University of Glasgow. In 1643 he was appointed, along with Alexander Henderson and David Calderwood, to draw up a "Directory of Public Worship;" and he was also joint author with James Durham--who afterwards succeeded him in the professorship at Glasgow--of "The Sum of Saving Knowledge," frequently printed along with the "Confession of Faith" and the catechisms for a good many years, although it never received the formal sanction of the Church. [See the "Dictionary of National Biography," XV.: 41.]

In 1650 Doctor Dickson was elected to the Divinity Chair in the University of Edinburgh, where he delivered an inaugural address in Latin, which was translated into English by George Sinclair, and, under the name of "Truth's Victory over Error," was published as Sinclair's own in 1684--Doctor Dickson then being dead. The piracy having been discovered, the address, or essay, was republished in 1752 with Dickson's name attached, and accompanied by his biography written by the Rev. Robert Wodrow, mentioned in the note on page 255 ante.

In 1650 Doctor Dickson was appointed by the Committee of the Kirk one of the deputation to congratulate Charles II. on his arrival in Scotland.

Doctor Dickson was Moderator of the General Assembly in 1653 when it was broken up by order of Cromwell, and its members were dispersed and ordered not to re-convene.

It is related that an intelligent and educated English merchant, whose business took him to Edinburgh about this time, chanced while there to hear several of the noted Scotch divines of the day preach; and that later, in writing about these preachers, their abilities and methods, he said of Doctor Dickson: "And then I heard a well-favored, old man, with a long beard, and that man showed me all my heart."

Doctor Dickson initiated a project of writing and publishing a series of commentaries on the Gospels and Psalms, which he in conjunction with other ministers carried out. Particular portions of "the hard parts of Scripture," having been assigned to the different commentators, were criticised and explained.

Eight volumes of the series published were written by Doctor Dickson.

He was also the author of a number of short poems on pious and serious subjects, which were spread among the country people, "to be sung with the common tunes of the Psalms." Among them were "The Christian Sacrifice," "O! Mother Dear, Jerusalem," and "Honey Drops, or Chrystal Streams."

At the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 (see pages 250 and 251 ante), for declining to take the oath of supremacy, Doctor Dickson was ejected from his professorship at Edinburgh; whereupon he retired to his old home in Irvine. In December, 1662, he was seized with a severe illness, from which he died early in the next year at the age of eighty years. He was survived by his wife Margaret (daughter of Archibald Roberton of Stonehall, a younger brother of the house of Ernock, Lanarkshire), and by three sons--John, Alexander and Robert.

GEDCOM Note

Category:Glasgow, Lanarkshire

Biography == Scotland, Religious FiguresDavid Dickson was aChurch of Scotland minister and theologian.

David was born about 1583 at Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland≤ref name="Harvey">Harvey, Oscar Jewell. The Harvey Book : Giving the genealogies of certain branches of the American families of Harvey, Nesbitt, Dixon and Jameson, andnotes on many other families, together with numerous biographical sketches. Digitised by Internet Archive Pennsylvania: Wilkesbarre, 1899.Accessed on on 21 Aug 2021]≤/ref>. He was the only son of John Dickson, a wealthy merchant of the Trongate in Glasgow. Some family trees give his mother as Janet Rankin, but no independent source has yet been found for that.
At first it was expected that he would follow his father into business, but later it was decided to have him educated for the Church≤ref name="Harvey"/>. He studied at the University of Glasgow. He obtained thedegree of Master of Arts and was appointed one of the instructors in philosophy in the University.
When minister at Irvine, Aryshire in 1622 Mr David Dickson strongly opposed the Articles of Perth and was confined to Turriff where he entered ward in April 1622≤ref>National Records of Scotland GD172/2476 see [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?...]≤/ref>. Several minister and othersappealed for "Chrystes prissoner in Turreff" to be released≤ref>National Records of Scotland GD172/2479 see [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?...]≤/ref> ≤ref>National Records of Scotland GD172/2478 see [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?...]≤/ref>. The apology of Mr David Dickson of 10 January 1623 cleared him from all suspicion of offence done to the Royal Authority of his Majesty's Commission≤ref>National Records of Scotland GD172/2480 see [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?...]≤/ref>. On 24 March 1623 the Earl of Eglinton wrote to David regarding his efforts to persuade the bishop to allow Dickson to return to his parish. David was permitted to return to Irvine in July 1623≤ref>National Records of Scotland GD172/279 see [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?...]≤/ref>.
Mr David Dickson was minister at Irvine when his father died. He was retoured his heir of Busbie in November 1632≤ref> National Records of Scotland GD172/2481 see [http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrsonlinecatalogue/details.aspx?...]≤/ref>.
David Dickson married Margaret Roberton, daughter of Archibald Roberton of Stonehall, on 23 September 1617≤ref name="Fasti">Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; Vol 1; pages 64-65≤/ref>. They had at least seven sons and possibly daughters as well.

1. John (d 1653), fiar of Busbie
2. Archibald
3. James
4. David (d before 1662)
5. Alexander, of Wester Binnie, Minister of Newbattle
6. Robert (1630≤ref name="Harvey"/> - abt 1700)#Andrew≤ref>Memorials of the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton Vol.1 p.161≤/ref>

At Holyroodhouse on 29 July 1626 a Royal Charter was granted by King Charles I to John Dickson merchant burgess of Glasgow and to Master David Dickson his eldest son minister at the church of Irvine in life rent and after the death of John to John Dickson eldest lawful sonof Master David of the lands of Busbie in the parish of Kilbride (Ayrshire) then in the sheriffdom of Lanark on the resignation of Sir Walter Stewart of Minto, Lady Christina Crawford his spouse and Ludovic their son. ≤ref>Registrum magni sigilli regum Scotorum Vol.viii 980≤/ref>
At Irvine on 25 September 1638 the Presbytery of Irvine appointed Mr David Dickson and two other ministers as commissioners to attend the General Assembly at Glasgow on 20 November.≤ref>Memorials of the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton Vol.1 p.66≤/ref> The holding of this Assembly infuriated King Charles I and as it continued its sitting in spite of the orders of the Royal Commissioner, the Marquis of Hamilton the King then prepared an army and marched north to Scotland. This commenced the Bishop's War and the forming of the Covenanters Army to defend the Church of Scotland from the interfering King.
At Glasgow on 29 July 1644 David Dickson, Professor of Divinity,Glasgow, wrote to Alexander, sixth Earl of Eglinton to congratulate him on his safe return from the Scottish Army's invasion of England against the Royalist forces. ≤ref>Memorials of the Montgomeries, Earls ofEglinton Vol.1 p.268-269≤/ref>
David Dickson died in Edinburgh and was buried in Canongate Churchyardon 31 December 1662≤ref>OPR Burial Indexes; DICKSONE, DAVID;

Research Notes ==Different sources list different sons for David. The Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae lists four sons - John, James, David and Alexander≤ref name="Fasti"/>. Other sources give five sons. It is stated that only three sons were alive at the time of his death, but this may be in error.

The source for the following quote is needed.≤blockquote>Studied at the University of Glasgow. Instructor of philosophy there. Ordained minister in parish of Irvine, Ayrshire, 1618. Member General Asembly, 1638. Chaplaine to Ayreshire regiment during campaign 1639. Moderator of General Assembly, Edinburgh, 1639. Appointed Professor of Divinity in University of Glasgow, 1640. Co-author of “The Sum of Saving Knowledge.” Elected to Divinity Chair, University of Edinburgh, 1650. Moderator of General Assembly in 1653 when it was dispersed by Cromwell. Wrote words of Episcopal hymn book version of Mother dear Jerusalem.” Ejected from professorship in Edinburgh, 1660 for refusing to take oath of supremacy.≤/blockquote>

Sources

≤references />

:See Also:* Wikipedia contributors, "David Dickson (minister)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Accessed August 21, 2021

• North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
• Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)
• Chalmers' General Biographical Dictionary* Ancestry.com. The ancestors of Courtlandt Palmer Dixon and his wife Hannah Elizabeth Williams of Stonington, Connecticut : containing alsoa [database on-line]. Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data: Stevens, Evalena Dixon: Printed for the members of theDixon Association, 1927.* The Scottish Nation by William Anderson, published in Edinburgh, 1863.
• Katharine Dickson Brown, Downeast Dicksons (1987)