William Milligan

William Milligan (15 March 182111 December 1893) was a renowned Scottish theologian. He studied at the University of Halle in Germany, and eventually became a professor at the University of Aberdeen. He is best known for his commentary on the Revelation of St. John. He also wrote two other well-known books that are classics: The Resurrection of our Lord and The Ascension of our Lord.

Early life and ministry He was born at 1 Rankeillor Street in south Edinburgh on 15 March 1821, the eldest of seven children of the Rev. George Milligan and his wife, Janet Fraser. His father, a licentiate of the Church of Scotland, was then engaged in teaching at Edinburgh, and from 1825 lived at 1 Rankeillor Street, in the South Side. Milligan was sent to the High School, where he was dux of his class.

In 1832, when his father became minister of the Elie in Fife, he was transferred to the neighbouring parish school of Kilconquhar, and thence proceeded in 1835 to the University of St. Andrews. Though only fourteen years of age, he earned from that day, by private teaching, as much as paid his class-fees, much to his parents' relief, for Elie was a "small living." Graduating M.A. in 1839, and devoting himself to the ministry, he took his divinity course partly at St. Andrews and partly at Edinburgh, and for a time he was tutor to the sons of Sir George Suttie of Prestongrange.

During the schism known as the Disruption of 1843, Milligan adhered to the Church of Scotland, and was licensed to preach as a Church of Scotland minister by the Presbytery of St Andrews in that year. He wrote to his father that he was resolved to "remain in ... and lend any aid he could to those who are ready to unite in building up, on principles agreeable to the word of God, the old church of Scotland." He was at this time assistant to Robert Swan, minister at Abercrombie, and the next year he was presented to the Fife parish of Cameron and ordained there in May 1844.

Biblical scholar In 1845, his health gave cause for anxiety, and he obtained a leave of absence for a year, which he spent in Germany, studying at Halle.

He left unfinished a work on the Epistle to the Hebrews, and forbade the publication of the parts he had written; some of his notes, however, have been used in a work on the same subject, since published by his eldest son, the Rev. George Milligan who went on to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1923.

His daughter Katherine Elizabeth Milligan married James W. H. Trail. His son William became Sir William Milligan MD LLD.

Artistic recognition

His portrait by George Reid PRSA is in King's College, Aberdeen.