John M'Clellan facts for kids

John M'Clellan (born 1609, died 1650) was an important teacher and minister in the 1600s. He was also known by other spellings like M'Lellan and Mackleland. John was educated in Scotland. He started his career as a schoolmaster in Newtownards, Ireland, where he also began to preach.

In 1636, he tried to sail to America on a ship called the Eagle Wing, but the journey was not successful. After this, he went back to Scotland. There, he became a minister in 1638 and served until he passed away in 1650.

John M'Clellan's Life Story

This memorial in Larne remembers the first ship that left Larne for America in 1717. The Eagle Wing, which John M'Clellan was on, left from Groomsport in 1636. They had to turn back halfway across the ocean. (For comparison, the Mayflower sailed in 1620).

John M'Clellan was born in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, in 1609. His father, Michael M'Clellan, was a well-known citizen of Kirkcudbright. John went to the University of Glasgow and earned his Master of Arts degree in 1629.

After finishing university, he worked as a schoolmaster in Newtownards, County Down, in Ireland. He was allowed to preach in Ireland for a while. However, he later faced problems with the church leaders there and was told he could no longer preach. Despite this, he continued to share his religious messages. Because of these difficulties, he had to leave Ireland and returned to Scotland in 1638.

The Journey on the Eagle Wing

In September 1636, John M'Clellan joined about 140 other people, mostly Presbyterians and Puritans from Scotland and England. They had built a ship called the Eagle Wing to sail to New England in America. They hoped to find a place where they could practice their religion freely.

There were four Scottish ministers on board, including John M'Clellan. The others were Robert Blair, John Livingstone, and James Hamilton. When they were about halfway across the Atlantic Ocean, a huge storm hit their ship. They were forced to turn back. After nearly two months at sea, they returned to Lochfergus, the place where they had started their journey.

Returning to Scotland

After the difficult journey, John M'Clellan went back to Scotland. In 1638, he became a minister for the combined parishes of Kirkcudbright, Galtway, and Dunrod. He was an active member of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which was an important meeting of church leaders, in 1638, 1642, 1648, and 1649.

He was also asked to go to Ireland for several months in both 1642 and 1643 to help with church matters there. John M'Clellan was even offered a job as a professor at the University of Edinburgh, but he chose not to take it. He passed away in early 1650.

John M'Clellan's Family

John M'Clellan was married twice.

• His first wife was Marion Fleming, who passed away around 1640 without having any children.
• His second wife was Isobel M'Clellan. She outlived him and later married another minister named Thomas Hall.

John M'Clellan's Writings

John M'Clellan wrote a few things during his life:

• He wrote a "Description of Galloway" in Latin, which was included in a book called Bleau's Atlas Scotice in 1662.
• He also wrote "A Letter to John, Lord Kirkcudbright . . . with a Sermon," which was published in 1720.