James Macknight

James MacKnight (1721-1800) was a Scottish minister and theological author, serving at the Old Kirk of Edinburgh (St Giles Cathedral). He is remembered for his book Harmony of the Gospels and as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1769.

Life

He was born on 17 September 1721 in the manse in Irvine in Ayrshire the son of Elizabeth Gemmill of Dalraith (d.1753) and her husband, Rev William Mackneight (sic) (d. 1750), the parish minister. He was the third of seven children. The family appear to have originally been called McNaughtane or McNaughton, and came from the Scottish Highlands via Ireland.

He was educated in Irvine then received a theological bursary from the Exchequer and studied theology at the University of Glasgow from 1735 and graduating in 1743 before travelling to Europe to undertake further studies at the University of Leyden, a recognised centre for theological study. Around 1745, having been licensed to preach as a minister of the Church of scotland by the Presbytery of Irvine, he became an assistant at the Chapel of Ease in the Gorbals in south Glasgow. A few years later he assisted the Rev Alexander Ferguson in Kilwinning Church before finally in 1753 receiving his own church, at Maybole not far from his home town of Irvine.

He died at home at 11 Nicolson Street in Edinburgh on 13 January 1800. As St Giles lacks a graveyard he is buried in St Cuthbert's Churchyard at the west end of Princes Street. The grave lies on a main dividing wall to the north of the church. The main central marble tablet is highly eroded and reference to him is now only visible on the side tablets. The graves of his family surround him.

Publications A Harmony of the Four Gospels (1756) (revised 1763) The Truth of the Gospel History (1763) The Epistle to the Thessalonians (1787) The Epistles of St Paul (1787) A New Literal Translation from the Original Greek, of All the Apostolical Epistles (in six volumes) The Sacred Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of Jesus Christ: Commonly Styled the New Testament

Family In April 1754 he married Elizabeth McCormick (1728-1813), daughter of Samuel McCormick, General Examiner of Excise in Edinburgh.