Archibald Davidson facts for kids

Archibald Davidson (born around 1732 – died 1803) was a Scottish minister who led the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland as its Moderator in 1788. He also served as the Principal of Glasgow University.

Early Life and Education

Archibald Davidson was born around 1732 in the manse (the minister's house) in a village called Crawfordjohn in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. His father, Rev Robert Davidson, was also a minister.

He went to Glasgow University and earned his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1752. Later that year, he was studying at Göttingen University in Germany. He wrote letters home with a confident style and even talked with German professors. He was with other young Scottish gentlemen, and making good connections was important for his future career, especially for getting support (called patronage) for church positions.

Becoming a Minister

Six years later, in 1758, he was chosen to be the Second Minister at Paisley High Kirk. He was officially made a minister there on September 7, 1758. He stayed in Paisley for three years and represented his local church group (the Presbytery) at the main church meeting, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in 1760.

In 1761, he moved to the nearby parish of Inchinnan. He was chosen by a powerful local landowner, John Campbell of Blythswood. Although he was chosen in December 1760, he couldn't start until October 1761. This delay might mean that some members of the local church council (the Kirk Session) didn't agree with his appointment.

While he was the minister in Inchinnan, Archibald Davidson was involved in discussions about new laws. These laws aimed to give Roman Catholics some relief from strict rules they faced at the time. Davidson and others were concerned about allowing Catholic priests to teach openly in a Protestant country. They said they would use "every legal and constitutional measure" to prevent it. This was part of a bigger movement of opposition, which included the Gordon Riots the next year. However, the new law, called the Relief Act, had already been passed.

In March 1792, he was made the dean of the Thistle Chapel. He passed away on July 7, 1803.

Family Life

While living in Inchinnan, Archibald Davidson married Grizell Scott. She was the daughter of Rev Peter Scott, who had been his colleague in Paisley. Their marriage announcement was made on July 17, 1767. They had three sons: Robert (born 1768), John Peter (born 1770), and Andrew (born 1773). They also had three daughters: Ann (born 1771), Barbara (born 1775), and Elizabeth (born around 177?). Their son, Robert Davidson, later became a Professor of Law at Glasgow University.

Leading Glasgow University

After 25 years as a minister in Inchinnan, Archibald Davidson became the Principal of Glasgow University. This was a special appointment made by the King. He got the job because of his connections with Henry Dundas, who was very powerful in Scotland at the time. The position was first offered to Archibald's older brother, John Davidson, but he was too unwell to take it. So, Dundas gave the job to Archibald instead, even though the university professors had another favorite candidate.

The university gave Davidson a Doctor of Divinity degree that same year. Being a Principal was seen as a good job, paying £600, but it mostly involved honorary duties rather than teaching. However, it also involved important political decisions about who would become professors at the university. Davidson was considered a "safe" choice. One of his successes was getting his son, Robert Davidson, appointed as the Professor of Civil Law at the university. In 1787, the famous economist Adam Smith wrote to Davidson, accepting the role of Lord Rector of the university.

Moderator of the General Assembly

In 1788, Archibald Davidson was chosen as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This year was special because it was 100 years since the Glorious Revolution. The church believed this event had given the Church of Scotland back its rights and re-established the Presbyterian way of organizing the church.

The King sent a letter asking them to avoid "disputes." The Assembly replied, promising their strong support for the King's government. They thanked the King for preventing a war and helping a "neighbouring Protestant country" (which was the United Provinces, where William of Orange had come from in 1688). The Assembly asked the King to celebrate the 1688 Revolution, which they said had "delivered us from Popery and arbitrary power." They also passed an official Act to have a National Thanksgiving Day on November 5 to remember the Revolution. This day was meant to celebrate how the nation was freed from oppression, how people's rights were secured, and how the church's rights were confirmed. A thousand copies of this Act were printed and sent to every church parish.

The King also gave the Assembly £1,000 to help promote the Protestant religion and loyalty in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. They set up a special group to promote "true religion" and to address areas where "Popery and ignorance" were common. This group planned to send missionaries to teach the principles of the Protestant religion and loyalty to King George. They could even ask the government for help if needed. This was an annual group, as were others that looked into books that went against their beliefs (the Westminster Confession of Faith) and worked to stop bad behavior. There were strict rules to make sure missionaries were paid only if they actually did their work.

The Assembly also discussed rules for church elders and for training new ministers. Ministers had to study for six years after getting their M.A. degree. They had to pass several tests, including writing essays in Latin and giving sermons. Before becoming a minister, students had to be over 21, sober, loyal to the King and church, and have good knowledge of Greek, Latin, philosophy, and theology.

The Assembly agreed that they strongly disliked the slave trade and wished that the government would do something about it. However, they decided not to send a formal request to the House of Commons on the matter. They also looked into how new taxes would affect clergy members. Finally, a church group in the city of St John in New Brunswick (Canada) was accepted as a parish of the Church of Scotland.

See also

• List of Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland