GEMMS IDGEMMS-PERSON-000285
NameJohn MacBride (McBride)
TitleMr
Gendermale
DenominationDissenter - Presbyterian
Livedb. ca. 1650-01-01 - d. 1718-07-21 (new)
Linked Manuscripts
Linked Sermons
Linked ReportsLetters of Thomas Tenison -- preacher
Associated PlacesBorgue -- ParishClare -- ParishRosemary Street -- ParishGlasgow University -- Place of StudyBelfast -- PostGlasgow -- Post
Source of DataJennifer Farooq; David Robinson; Hannah Wood
Biographical Sources ConsultedODNB (Article: 17361)
Other NoteJohn McBride (MacBride) may have been the son of the merchant John McBryd. Born in the north of Ireland, he entered Glasgow University in 1666 and graduated in 1673. He was ordained in 1679 as minister of Clare, co. Armagh. He married Margaret Fairlie in or before 1678, and together they had three sons and one daughter. He was called to the parish of Borgue in Kircudbrightshire in 1688 and to Ayr in 1691, although the presbytery of the latter refused to translate him. In 1694 he attended the General Synod of Ulster and was called to Belfast, where he obtained a site for a new church in Rosemary Lane in 1695. As an eminent member of the Presbyterian community in Ireland, McBride was involved in canvassing the Irish parliament to secure a toleration act, although he was unsuccessful, and engaged in a paper war with Anglican clergy in support of dissenting minister Joseph Boyce. He was elected moderator of the general synod in 1697. McBride incurred English ire when he refused to swear the abjuration oath imposed in 1703; he avoided arrest in Scotland through the winter of 1703-4, returned briefly to Belfast, and was forced to flee to Scotland again in 1705 when tory magistrates secured a warrant for his arrest. He was chosen as moderator of Glasgow presbytery in 1708, but returned that year to Belfast to settle doctrinal conflict; nevertheless, he fled to Glasgow two more time over the next four years when warrants against him were renewed. He returned to Ireland permanently in 1713, where he avoided prosecution despite continuing to refuse the oath. He died on 21 July 1718 and was buried in Belfast.
GEMMS record createdMarch 08, 2016
GEMMS record last editedAugust 12, 2021