Archibald Davidson

Archibald Davidson (c. 1732 – 1803) was a Scottish

principal of Glasgow University

.

Life

He was born about 1732 in the manse in the village of Crawfordjohn in South Lanarkshire, the son of Rev Robert Davidson.^[1]

He attended

Göttingen University to William Cullen, a professor at Glasgow University. He wrote with a fluid confident style, had had conversations with the German professors and promised his friend a good German dictionary if he could find one. He was in the company of young Scottish gentlemen and noblemen, and his future career would depend on good connections and the patronage they would offer.^[2]

Six years later, he was

Kirk Session

(a not uncommon occurrence).

While minister of Inchinnan, he took part in agitation in response to the granting to

Protestant country"^[6] They threatened to "use every legal and constitutional measure in our power" to make sure it did not happen. This was part of widespread opposition, including the Gordon Riots of the following year, but the Relief Act had already been passed in Parliament. Davidson signed the Proclamation, along with "Masons".^{[citation needed}

]

In March 1792, he was appointed dean of the Thistle Chapel. He died on 7 July 1803.^[7]

Family

While in Inchinnan, Davidson married Grizell Scott, daughter of Rev Peter Scott, his late colleague in Paisley High Kirk. Their banns of marriage were published on 17 July 1767 and from the marriage resulted three sons, Robert (1768), John Peter (1770), Andrew (1773) and three daughters, Ann (1771), Barbara (1775) and Elizabeth (177?)^[8] Robert Davidson was later Professor of Law at Glasgow University.

Principal of Glasgow University

After 25 years at Inchinnan, Davidson became principal of Glasgow University. This was a Crown appointment and he owed his appointment to his involvement with the political networks of

Regius Professor of Civil Law at the university.^[13] In 1787, Adam Smith wrote to Davidson, accepting the post of Lord Rector of the university.^[14]

Moderator of the General Assembly

In 1788, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This was the centenary year of the so-called Glorious Revolution, which had, the church believed, restored the Church of Scotland to its just rights and privileges, and re-established Presbyterian order. The King in his letter to them asked them to avoid any "disputes and unnecessary and unbecoming discussions" (Principal Acts, page 5) and in response the Assembly wanted "to embrace every opportunity of testifying the ardent zeal which we feel for the support of Your Majesty's Government and Royal person". It thanked the King for delivering the nation from the threat of war, securing the independence of "a neighbouring Protestant country", and re-establishing an old alliance with it. This was the United Provinces from which William of Orange had invaded England in 1688, so the Assembly asked the King to take the opportunity to commemorate "the Revolution of 1688 which delivered us from Popery and arbitrary power". They themselves passed An Act Appointing a National Thanksgiving in Commemoration of the Revolution in 1688 which had "delivered the Nation from Civil and Religious Oppression, set proper bounds to the Royal Prerogative, secured the Liberties and just Rights of the People, and confirmed to this National Church all the Religious Rights and Privileges which it now enjoys under the illustrious House of Hanover". 5 November was to be a day of Solemn Thanksgiving, which was to be announced from the pulpit the Sabbath before with "suitable Exhortations". A thousand copies of the Act were printed and sent to every parish.

Meanwhile, the King had, as normal, awarded the Assembly £1,000 for promoting the Protestant religion and loyalty in the Highlands and Islands. They set up a commission "for promoting the knowledge of true religion, suppressing Popery and profaneness ... (having) particular regard to such parishes in South Uist, Small Isles, Glenco, Harris, the countries of Moidart, Glengary and the other parishes of the Synods Glenelg and Argyle ... (affected) by the prevalency of Popery and ignorance". Missionaries were to be sent, who would be persons of "undoubted loyalty to his Majesty and of competent skills in the principles of Divinity, and particularly in Popish controversies" (p13) and they were to "teach the principles and duties of the true Christian Protestant religion, and the obligations they are under to duty and loyalty to our Sovereign King George, and obedience to the laws". This committee was empowered to call on the government for help, if need be. This was an annual commission, as were other commissions to "enquire into the publishing of books and pamphlets, tending towards the promoting of opinions of any kind, inconsistent with our Confession of Faith", and it was to contribute what it could to the suppression of vice and immorality. There were detailed rules to make sure the missionaries would only be paid if they actually did some missionary work (p23). Similarly, it considered proposals to avoid people unconnected with a parish being ordained elders there, as well as stringent rules for making sure only fit and proper persons were licensed to preach the Gospel, and even more stringent rules for the training of ministers (six years post -M.A. study in philosophy and then had to pass a number of tests – producing an exegesis in Latin on a contested topic in divinity, a homily in English and a "popular sermon". At the end, Presbytery should check that the student was over 21, sober and "well affected to the happy establishment in this Kingdom, both in Church and State" (p 28) with sufficient knowledge in the Greek and Latin languages (and, often, Hebrew), and in philosophy and theology.

The Assembly agreed to declare their abhorrence of the slave trade (page 40) and their earnest wish that the legislature would do something about it, but rejected a motion to petition the House of Commons on the subject. They set up a committee to examine how new taxes on horses and other taxes would affect clergy. A petition from a congregation in the city of St John in New Brunswick was accepted as a parish of the Church of Scotland.

Sources

Scotland's Opposition to the Popish Bill. Glasgow: David Paterson. 1780 – via Google Books.
The Principal Acts of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Edinburgh: George Mosman. 1781 – via Google Books.
"Preferments". The Scots Magazine. 47. Edinburgh: J Murray. 1785 – via Google Books.
"Scotland". The Edinburgh Magazine, or Literary Miscellany. VII. Edinburgh: J Murray. 1788 – via Google Books.
Thomson, John (1832). An account of the life, lectures and writings of William Cullen. Edinburgh: Blackwood. p. 390 – via Google Books.
Scott, Hew (1920). Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae. Vol. III (New ed.). Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.
Smith, Adam (1987). The Correspondence of Adam Smith. Oxford University Press – via Google Books.
Heizer, Ruth Bradfute (1988). Bradfute beginnings: the story of the ancestors and descendants of Robert Bradfute, (1749-1816?) of Scotland and Virginia. Gateway Press. pp. 30–31 – via Google Books.
Emerson, Roger L (2007). Academic Patronage in the Scottish Enlightenment: Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities. Edinburgh University Press – via Google Books.
Hook, Andrew; Sher, Richard B (1995). The Glasgow Enlightenment. Eighteenth Century Scottish Studies Society. p. 308 – via Google Books.
"The University of Glasgow Story – Browse Graduates". University of Glasgow.^{[permanent dead link]}

Notes

^ Hew Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae vol. 7, p. 397
^ Letters of William Cullen
^ Scott, page 169
^ Principal Acts, 1760, page 18
^ Scott, page 144
^ Scotland's Opposition, page 214
^ Hew Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, vol. 7, pp. 396/7
^ Bradfute Beginnings, page 30
^ Emerson pages 183 - 185, 202
^ Monthly Anthology page 185
^ Emerson, passim
^ Emerson page 199
^ Emerson, page 198
- Hook & Sher, page 151
^ Smith, page 308