John Maxwell (bishop)

John Maxwell
John Maxwell
Church of Ireland Archdiocese of Tuam
In office	1645–1647
Predecessor	Richard Boyle
Personal details
Born	On or before 1586; Kirkcudbrightshire, Galloway, Scotland
Died	14 February 1647; Ireland
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Ross (1633–1638);; Bishop of Killala and Achonry (1640–1645)

John Maxwell (1591–1647), was a Protestant clergyman serving the Church of Scotland and Church of Ireland as Archbishop of Tuam.

Early life

He was born in 1591 the son of John Maxwell of Cavens, Kirkcudbrightshire, was born in or before 1586. He was educated at the University of St Andrews, where he graduated M. A. on 29 July 1611.^[1]

Early career

In 1615, he ordained as

St Giles in Edinburgh, where he successively held two of the four parishes contained within the church: High Kirk and Old Kirk. On 18 July 1622, he was elected by the town council to the charge of the New or High Church; on 14 December, he was elected by the town council to the second charge in the Old Church, or St Giles' Old Church, and admitted on 27 January 1626. He left in 1630 to take position as Bishop of Ross.^[2]

Maxwell was able to achieve influence at court through his cousin, James Maxwell of Innerwick (afterwards

Anglican

prayer-book into use throughout the three kingdoms. Maxwell reported that the Scottish bishops believed there would be less opposition to a service-book framed in Scotland, though on the English model.

In 1630, Maxwell was in correspondence with

presbyterian irregularities of Robert Blair, and other Scottish clergymen who had migrated to the north of Ireland. He carried to the court an account, derived from Leslie, of Blair's alleged teaching respecting physical convulsions as requisites of religious revival. In consequence of this report, Robert Echlin

, Bishop of Down and Connor, suspended Blair in 1631, and deposed him and his friends in 1632.

Bishop of Ross

Maxwell, according to Blair's sarcasm, "was then gaping for a bishopric". He was raised to the

lord of session

.

It is conjectured that Maxwell took part in the compilation of the "canons and constitutions ecclesiastical", authorised by the king in 1635 and published in 1636. In conjunction with James Wedderburn, Bishop of Dunblane, he certainly had a chief hand in drawing up the new service-book for Scotland, subsequently revised by Laud, Juxon, and Wren. On its introduction by order (13 June 1637) of the Scottish privy council, Maxwell at once brought it into use in his cathedral at Fortrose. In December 1637, in consequence of the opposition to the service-book, the privy council sent the lord high treasurer (John Stewart, 1st Earl of Traquair) to London for instructions. Traquair urged that the service-book be withdrawn. Laud would have had him superseded as Lord High Treasurer by Maxwell.

The service-book was in use at Fortrose till 11 March 1638, when

"certane scolleris cam pertlie in to the kirk and took wp thir haill seruice bookis, and careit them doun to the Ness with ane coill of fyre, thair to haue brynt them altogidder. Bot there fell out ane suddant schour, that befoir thay culd wyn to the Ness the coill wes drounit out. The scolleris seing this, thay rave thame all in blaidis, dispytfullie, and kest them in the sea".^[3]

Maxwell preached a short sermon without common prayer, took horse, rode south in disguise, and went straight to London to the king.

In November 1638, on the eve of the meeting of the

Episcopacy

in the Kingdom of Scotland. Maxwell was charged with bowing to the altar, wearing cope and rochet, using "the English liturgy" for the past two years in his house and cathedral, ordaining deacons, giving absolution, fasting on Friday, and travelling and card-playing on Sunday. His accusers described him as "a perfect pattern of a proud prelate".

Irish career

In August 1639, Maxwell and five other bishops signed a protestation against the General Assembly as unlawful, and appealing to an assembly of the clergy lawfully convened, though it did not lead to the return of Scottish bishoprics. Charles proposed to confer on Maxwell the

John Spottiswood, Maxwell, in terms of the deceased primate's will, gave the manuscript of his history into the king's own hand at Whitehall. Spottiswood had made Maxwell his executor, and recommended him as his successor in the Primacy (i.e. as Archbishop of St Andrews

).

In 1640, Maxwell went over to

John O'Cullenan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe. On the outbreak of the rebellion he was driven by the rebels from his palace at Killala, County Mayo

. Fleeing with his wife, three children, and neighbours, the company, numbering about a hundred, was attacked at the bridge of Shruel, County Mayo, when several were killed and the bishop stripped, wounded, and left for dead.

Rescued by

Lord-Lieutenant, for the protection he had accorded them in the use of the prayer-book. In the meantime, Samuel Rutherford published his 1644 Lex, Rex

, which argued against the bishop's conception of royal authority.

Death and family

When the news reached him at Dublin of the surrender of Charles by the Scottish army (30 January 1647), he retired to his closet and was found dead on his knees on 14 February 1647. His age was about 55. He was buried in Christ Church Cathedral. He married Elizabeth Innes, by whom he had four sons, John, David, James, and Robert, and five daughters, Anne, Janet, Elizabeth, Rachel, and Bethia.^[4] Archbishop Maxwell left a great many writings of religious and political nature.^[4]

References

^ Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; vol. 7; by Hew Scott
^ Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; by Hew Scott
^ SPALDING, John: Troubles, i. 87.
^ ^a ^b Wayne Pearce, "Maxwell, John (died 1647)".

Gordon, Alexander, "Maxwell, John (1590?–1647), archbishop of Tuam", in Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford, 1894)^[1]
Wayne Pearce, A. S., "Maxwell, John (d. 1647)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 , retrieved 6 Oct 2007

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Maxwell, John (1590?-1647)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Religious titles
Preceded by Patrick Lindsay	Bishop of Ross 1633–1638	Episcopacy abolished in Scotland First bishop after Restoration: John Paterson
Preceded by Archibald Adair	Bishop of Killala and Achonry 1640–1645	Vacant Title next held by Henry Hall
Preceded by Richard Boyle	Archbishop of Tuam 1645–1647	Vacant Title next held by Samuel Pullen

^ Article cites: Cotton's Fasti Eccl. Hib. iv. 68, 86 n.; Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scoticanæ; Ware's Works (Harris), 1764, i. 617, 653, ii. 359; Richard Mant's Hist. of the Church of Ireland, 1840, i. 563, 584; Acts of General Assembly, 1843, p. 10; Memoirs of Robert Blair, 1844, pp. 87 sq.; Spalding's Memorialls of the Trubles, 1850, i. 87; Grub's Eccles. Hist. of Scotl. 1850, ii. 338, 366, 377, iii. 32 sq., 61, 89 sq.; Adair's True Narrative, ed. Killen, 1866, pp. 33, 62; Stewart's History, ed. Killen, 1866, p. 314; Reid's Hist. Presb. Church in Ireland, ed. Killen, 1867, i. 134, 270; Strafford's Letters, ii. 369.

[1] Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; vol. 7; by Hew Scott

[2] Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; by Hew Scott

[3] SPALDING, John: Troubles, i. 87.

[Pearce-4] Wayne Pearce, "Maxwell, John (died 1647)".

[5] Article cites: Cotton's Fasti Eccl. Hib. iv. 68, 86 n.; Hew Scott's Fasti Eccles. Scoticanæ; Ware's Works (Harris), 1764, i. 617, 653, ii. 359; Richard Mant's Hist. of the Church of Ireland, 1840, i. 563, 584; Acts of General Assembly, 1843, p. 10; Memoirs of Robert Blair, 1844, pp. 87 sq.; Spalding's Memorialls of the Trubles, 1850, i. 87; Grub's Eccles. Hist. of Scotl. 1850, ii. 338, 366, 377, iii. 32 sq., 61, 89 sq.; Adair's True Narrative, ed. Killen, 1866, pp. 33, 62; Stewart's History, ed. Killen, 1866, p. 314; Reid's Hist. Presb. Church in Ireland, ed. Killen, 1867, i. 134, 270; Strafford's Letters, ii. 369.

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