John Knox (abt. 1505 - 1572)

Born about 1505 in Mainshill, Morham, Haddington, Haddingtonshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Stewart) Knox — married 26 Mar 1564 (to about 1572) in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Descendants

Died 24 Nov 1572 at about age 67 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Aidan Bizony [send private message]

Biography

John Knox is Notable.

John Knox was born "near Haddington" ^[1] (probably at his parents farm at Morham) or, some claim, at Haddington, Scotland, between 1505^[2] and 1515. He was the son William Knox^[3], and his mother's surname was Sinclair.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

He was ordained a priest but began to reject the tennets of the Roman Catholic church sometime before 1545^[4] and became the founder of the Calvinist Presbyterian church in Scotland. The overarching doctrine in Knox's list of objections to Catholicism was that the Bible was the only inerrant rule of Christian faith and practice. During the Protestant Reformation, Knox was opposed by the English Exiles (aka Marian Exiles) which included Richard Cox on the disposal of the Prayer Book while both were in exile in Frankfort.^[9]

John Knox married twice. His first wife was Marjory (d. Dec 1560), daughter of Richard Bowes of Aske, and South Cowton, Yorkshire (d.1558), who was sometime Captain of Norham Castle, on the English-(s.p;.)Scottish border.^[10]); and second, Margaret Stewart in 1564.^[2][10]

Children with Marjory (Bowes):

1. Nathaniel, b. May 1557, bap. 23 May 1557 in Geneva, Switzerland^[10]
2. Eleazer, b. November 1558, bap 29 November 1558 in Geneva, Switzerland^[10]

Both sons died unmarried.^[11]

Children with Margaret Stewart:

1. Margaret, m. Rev. Mr. Pont^[12][11]
2. Martha, m. Rev. Mr. Flemming^[12][11]
3. Elizabeth, m. Rev. Mr. John Welsh^[12][11]

John died at Edinburgh, 24 November, 1572.^[4] Much beloved and admired, he was remembered thus by his contemporaries ..

In this manner departed this man of God; the light of Scotland, the comfort of the Church within the same: the mirror of godliness, and pattern and example of all true ministers, in purity of life, soundness of doctrine, and boldness in reproving wickedness: one that cared not for the favour of men, how great soever they were. ~ John Bannatyne, Clerk^[13]

I know not if ever such piety and genius were lodged in such a frail and weak body. Certain I am, that it will be difficult to find one in whom the gifts of the Holy Spirit shone so bright to the comfort of the Church of Scotland. None spared himself less in enduring fatigues of body and mind: none were more intent on discharging the duties of the province assigned to him. ~ Principal Smeton^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ Maccunn, Florence A. John Knox. Pg 1. Publisher Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 1895. https://archive.org/stream/johnknox1895macc#page/n13/mode/2up
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Anderson, William, 1805-1866; Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The Scottish Nation, or, The Surnames, Families, Literature, Honours, and Biographical History of the People of Scotland, Volume 2, Pages 618-623. Publisher Edinburgh : A. Fullarton, 1863. https://archive.org/stream/b21974354_0002#page/618/mode/2up/search/married - this claim of Anderson's is disputed. Giffordgate is not a "suburb of Haddington", and the new town of Gifford was not founded until almost 200 years later.
3. ↑ Knox Genealogy: Descendents of William Knox and John Knox the Reformer by Lineal Descent, George P. Johnston pubs., Edinburgh, 1896, p. 10, digital images, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cr59948663;view=1up;seq=13 (https://hathitrust.org : accessed 30 September 2017) - an unreliabe source.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Hunter-Blair, O. (1910). John Knox. In The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved December 22, 2017 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08680a.htm
5. ↑ Knox, John; Lain, David, ed. Works of John Knox, vol.1, https://archive.org/stream/worksofjohnkn01knox#page/n17/mode/2up
6. ↑ This lineage appears to refer to his mother's line as corrected in the same series, Volume 6, Page 663, here.
7. ↑ Knox, John, History of the Reformation in Scotland vol.2, p.38. https://archive.org/stream/historyofreforma02knoxuoft#page/38/mode/2up/search/grandfather
8. ↑ Schiern, F. (Frederik); Bothwell, James Hepburn, Earl of; Berry, David. Life of James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, Page 28-29. Publisher Edinburgh, D. Douglas, 1880. https://archive.org/stream/lifeofjameshepbu00schi#page/28/mode/2up
9. ↑ Higginson, James Jackson, b. 1884. Spenser's Shepherd's Calender In Relation to Contemporary Affairs, Page 139. New York: The New era printing company], 1912. https://archive.org/stream/spensersshepherd00higguoft#page/139/mode/2up
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3} Knox, John; Laing, David, ed. Works of John Knox, vol. 1, pps: xvii-xix https://archive.org/stream/worksofjohnkn01knox#page/n23/mode/2up/search/born - although Knox's biographer, Lord Eustace Percy, claims the baptism took place in Edinburgh and gives the exact date.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} Rogers, Charles, Genealogical Memoirs of John Knox and of the Family of Knox, pgs 138-150. Publisher London : Printed for the Grampian Club, 1879. https://archive.org/stream/genealogicalknox00rogeuoft#page/138/mode/2up/search/Eleazer
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} Evans, James Daniel, History of Nathaniel Evans of Cat Fish Creek, and his descendents, pg 77. 1905. https://archive.org/stream/historyofnathani00lcevan#page/77/mode/2up/search/Knox
13. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/lifeofjohnknoxsc00mcri#page/n0/mode/2up : McCrie, Thomas : "Life of John Knox, the Scottish Reformer", Abridged from McCrie's Life of John Knox and published posthumously, Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia (1839), pp. 270-1
14. ↑ McCrie, Ibid., p. 271

• Percy, Lord Eustace, John Knox, London, 1937.
• Richardson, Douglas, Plantagenet Ancestry by Douglas Richardson, Baltimore, Md., 2004, p.410.
• Parry, M., editor, Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 6th edition, Edinburgh 1997 [2000 reprint] p.1054.
• Anderson, William, The Scottish Nation, Edinburgh, 1867.

• History of Nathaniel Evans of Cat Fish Creek and his descendants', Ancestry.com, Evans, James Daniel,. History of Nathaniel Evans of Cat Fish Creek and his descendants. Williamsburg, Va.?: unknown, 1905, Imprint information from NUC pre-1956 imprints. Includes bibliographical references and index.

• Scottish Covenanters Index, Drown, Isabelle McLean, comp.

• Wikipedia: John_Knox

• Wikidata: Item Q189937, en:Wikipedia

See also:

• 'Michael Faraday - a Sandemanian and Scientist' by Geoffrey Cantor