GEMMS IDGEMMS-PERSON-002842
NameJames Kirkwood
Title
Gendermale
DenominationPresbyterian
Livedb. ca. 1650-01-01 - d. ca. 1709-01-01 (new)
Linked Manuscriptsmanuscript owner - A Brief Exposition of the Creed “Discourses Preached at Minto. 1680”: MS KIR 2.2manuscript owner - Discourses preached [as a] Probationer: MS KIR 2.1manuscript owner - Some sermons preacht about the time of giving the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, with some discourses relating there unto: MS KIR 2.3
Linked SermonsSermon 1 on 1 John 1:3 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on 2 Corinthians 11:28 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Acts 13:38 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Acts 17:31-32 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Acts 2:47 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Hebrews 11:6 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on John 1:31 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on John 14:26 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on John 5:28 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on John 5:29 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Luke 9:23 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Matthew 18:4 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Matthew 18:5 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 1 on Matthew 27:26 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on 1 John 1:3 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on 2 Corinthians 11:28 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Acts 13:38 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Acts 17:31-32 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Acts 2:47 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Hebrews 11:6 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on John 1:31 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on John 14:26 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on John 5:28 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on John 5:29 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Luke 9:23 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Matthew 18:4 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Matthew 18:5 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 2 on Matthew 27:26 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on 1 Corinthians 11:28 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on Acts 17:31-32 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on Luke 9:23 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on Matthew 18:4 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on Matthew 18:5 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 3 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 4 on Acts 17:31-32 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 4 on Matthew 18:5 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 4 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 4 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 5 on Matthew 18:5 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 5 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 5 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 6 on Matthew 18:5 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 6 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 6 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 7 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 7 on Matthew 18:8-9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon 8 on Matthew 18:6-7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:31 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:3 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:4 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 1 Corinthians 8:6 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 2 Corinthians 11:17-18 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 2 Corinthians 11:25 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:17 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Acts 1:9-11 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Acts 2:27 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Canticles 1:12 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Ecclesiastes 12:13 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Ecclesiastes 9:10 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Ephesians 4:6 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Galatians 6:9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Genesis 1:1 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Isaiah 7:14 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Jeremiah 2:32 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on John 1:19-23 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on John 14:14 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on John 19:38-40 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on John 3:16 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on John 7:37 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Mark 16:19 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Matthew 1:18 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Matthew 1:21 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Matthew 18:10 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Matthew 18:1-3 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Psalms 114:3-4 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Psalms 119:96 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Psalms 57:7 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Revelation 19:9 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Revelation 4:8 -- preacher (autograph: yes)Sermon on Romans 13:11-14 -- preacher (autograph: yes)
Linked Reports
Associated PlacesAlderston -- HomeDunbar -- HomeFerrygate -- HomeAstwick -- ParishMinto -- ParishWemyss -- ParishEdinburgh University -- Place of Study
Source of DataCatherine Evans
Biographical Sources ConsultedODNB (Article: 15682)
Other NoteKirkwood was born in Dunbar, East Lothian around 1650 and graduated MA from Edinburgh University in 1670. He then served as chaplain to John Campbell, the Earl of Caithness, 1st Earl of Breadalbane between 1670 and 1676, while he also undertook theological study, becoming greatly interested in the Highlands. He was licensed as a probationer by the presbytery of Haddington on 13 July 1676 and then preached in several parishes, including Wemyss, Fife from 1677 to 1678. In 1679, he was appointed minster of Minto, Roxburghshire. However, he was deprived of this living in 1681 for refusing to take the test. He likely continued to preach at Colmonell, Ayrshire, but then moved Astwick in Bedfordshire, England, becoming rector there on 1st March 1685, where he remained until January 1702 when he was outed. After this, it is not known how he made his living. After being elected as member for Scotland for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) he moved back north to Haddingtonshire, living in Alderston and Ferrygate, near where he grew up. Throughout his life, he was greatly involved in advocating parish libraries throughout Scotland and distributing the Bible in Gaelic, developing a life long interest in the Highlands during his employment with Glenorchy. In 1690 he began corresponding with Robert Boyle, and was presented with 200 copies of his Bible in Gaelic to be distributed in the Highlands. However, these were in classical Gaelic and used Irish letter-forms, so they were not greatly accessible for the Scots. Boyle also subscribed towards printing 3,000 more Bibles to be distributed, with a separate issue of 1,000 New Testaments, in this case edited by Robert Kirk who altered the texts to conform with Scottish usage and provided a Scottish Gaelic glossary. In 1699 Kirkwood anonymously published a tract, "An Overture for Founding and Maintaining Bibliothecks in every Paroch throughout the Kingdom". He oversaw the raising of money and saw over 4,000 books and 2,000 pamphlets distributed, although the difficult political situation and the remoteness of the region meant that this occurred with limited success and was criticised. The last reference to Kirkwood is in July 1709, so it is assumed he died shortly after this.
GEMMS record createdJanuary 29, 2020
GEMMS record last editedMarch 30, 2020