Josias Leslie Porter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josias Leslie Porter
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| 2nd President of Queen's College, Belfast | |
| In office 1879–1889 |
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| Preceded by | Pooley Shuldman Henry |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Hamilton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Josias Leslie Porter
4 October 1823 |
| Died | 16 March 1889 (aged 65) Belfast, Ireland, United Kingdom |
| Resting place | Balmoral Cemetery, Belfast |
| Citizenship | British |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Spouse |
Margaret Rainey Cooke
(m. 1849) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | William Porter Margaret Leslie |
| Relatives | Henry Cooke (father-in-law) |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation |
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Josias Leslie Porter (1823–1889) was an important Irish figure. He was a Presbyterian minister, a missionary, and a traveler. Later in his life, he became a leader in universities. In 1875, he was chosen as the head of the Irish General Assembly, which is a major role in the Presbyterian Church.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Josias Leslie Porter was born on October 4, 1823. He grew up in a farming family in County Donegal, Ireland. He was the youngest son of William Porter and Margaret Leslie.
He studied at home with a minister named Samuel Craig. Later, he went to a school in Derry. In 1839, he started attending the University of Glasgow. He wanted to become a minister in the Irish Presbyterian Church. He earned his first degrees, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1841 and a Master of Arts (MA) in 1842. In 1842, he continued his studies in theology at the University of Edinburgh.
Minister and Missionary Work
Josias Porter became a licensed preacher in 1844. In 1846, he was officially ordained as a minister. For three years, he served a Presbyterian church in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.
In 1849, he was sent to Damascus, Syria, as a missionary. His mission was to work with Jewish communities there. He arrived in Syria in December 1849 and lived there for ten years. This experience greatly influenced his later writings and travels.
Later Career and Leadership
In 1859, Porter returned home to Ireland. The next year, in 1860, he became a professor at Assembly's College, Belfast. He taught about biblical criticism, which involves studying the Bible carefully.
He received more advanced degrees in 1864. The University of Glasgow gave him an LL.D. (Doctor of Laws), and the University of Edinburgh gave him a D.D. (Doctor of Divinity). These were high academic honors.
Porter became a key leader in his church. In 1875, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly. This meant he was the main leader of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for a time. During his leadership, he started a fund to help congregations build homes for their ministers.
In 1878, the government appointed him as an assistant-commissioner. He helped set up a new education board for Ireland. He moved to Dublin for this role and helped organize the new system.
In 1879, he was chosen to be the president of Queen's College, Belfast. This made him the head of a major university. He also became a member of the senate for the new Royal University of Ireland. This university awarded him another degree, a D. Lit. (Doctor of Letters), in 1881.
Josias Leslie Porter passed away in Belfast on March 16, 1889. He was buried in Balmoral Cemetery in Belfast.
Published Works and Travels
Josias Porter was a keen traveler and writer. In 1855, he published his first book about the Middle East, called Five Years in Damascus. In this book, he shared his experiences living in Syria and his journeys to places like Palmyra, the Hauran, and Lebanon. The book included drawings he made himself.
In 1858, he wrote a Handbook for Travellers in Syria and Palestine. This guide was part of a famous travel series. He updated it in 1875 after visiting the region again.
Some of his other notable books include:
- The Giant Cities of Bashan and Syria's Holy Places (1865): This book explored ancient ruins in Bashan. Porter believed these massive buildings were built by the very first people who lived there.
- The Life and Times of Dr. Cooke (1871): This was a biography about his father-in-law, Henry Cooke.
- Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Bethany (1887)
- Galilee and the Jordan (1885)
Porter also helped write for many important reference books. He contributed to Kitto's Cyclopædia of Biblical Literature, writing most of the articles about places in Palestine. He also wrote for Smith's Dictionary of the Bible and the Encyclopædia Britannica. His letters about his missionary work were often published in the Missionary Herald.
Family Life
In 1849, just before he moved to Damascus, Josias Porter married Margaret Rainey Cooke. She was the youngest daughter of Henry Cooke, a well-known minister from Belfast. They had four children together, two sons and two daughters, who survived him.
