Alexander Ferrier Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Alexander Ferrier Mitchell (1822 – 1899) was a Scottish ecclesiastical historian and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
.
on 10 September 1822, son of David Mitchell, convener of local guilds, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Ferrier of Broadmyre. After being educated at Brechin grammar school, he proceeded in 1837 to St. Mary's College, St. Andrews, winning an entrance bursary in classics. He graduated M.A. in 1841, and in 1844 was licensed to preach.
After acting as assistant to the ministers at Meigle
and Dundee
, he was in 1847 ordained by Meigle presbytery to the charge of Dunnichen
. Adhering to the established church during the secession movement, he became in 1848 a member of the general assembly. In the same year, when only 26, he was appointed professor of Hebrew in St. Mary's College, where he innovated in teaching methods. As convener from 1856 to 1875 of the committee of the mission to the Jews, Mitchell did much to develop missions in the Levant
, which he visited himself in 1857. His main interests lay, however, in Scottish ecclesiastical history, and in 1868 he succeeded John Cook as professor of divinity and ecclesiastical history in St. Mary's College.
Mitchell held his chair for 26 years, and during that period published a number of works on Scottish ecclesiastical history. He was an active member of the Scottish Historical and Text Societies, and took a prominent part in the general councils of the Presbyterian Alliance, attending the meeting at Philadelphia in 1880. In 1885 he was elected moderator of the church of Scotland, and the address he delivered at the close of the session was separately published (Edinburgh and London, 1885). In 1894 he retired from his professorship. He was made D.D. of St. Andrews in 1862, and honorary LL.D. of Glasgow in 1892. He divided his later years between his house at Gowan Park, near Brechin, and 56 South Street, St Andrews. He died at St. Andrews on 22 March 1899, and was buried in Brechin cathedral churchyard. He married, in 1852, the eldest daughter of Michael Johnstone of Archbank, near Moffat
, and was survived by three sons and four daughters.
Mitchell also edited for the Scottish Text Society the ‘Richt Vey to Heuine,’ by John Gau, in 1888, and the ‘Gude and Godlie Ballatis’ from the 1567 version in 1897. For the Scottish Historical Society he edited in 1892 and 1896 two volumes of ‘The Records of the Commissions of the General Assembly,’ 1646–50. He also published an edition of Archbishop Hamilton's ‘Catechism’ (1882), and three lectures at St. Giles's, Edinburgh (St. Giles's Lectures, 1st ser. No. 4, 4th ser. No. 1, and 6th ser. No. 8).
Attribution
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
.
Life
He was born at BrechinBrechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
on 10 September 1822, son of David Mitchell, convener of local guilds, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of James Ferrier of Broadmyre. After being educated at Brechin grammar school, he proceeded in 1837 to St. Mary's College, St. Andrews, winning an entrance bursary in classics. He graduated M.A. in 1841, and in 1844 was licensed to preach.
After acting as assistant to the ministers at Meigle
Meigle
Meigle is a village in Strathmore, Scotland. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross in the Coupar Angus and Meigle ward. The nearest town is Forfar in neighbouring Angus. Other smaller settlements nearby are Balkeerie, Kirkinch and Kinloch. Meigle is accessed from the north and south...
and Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, he was in 1847 ordained by Meigle presbytery to the charge of Dunnichen
Dunnichen
Dunnichen is a small village in Angus, Scotland, situated between Letham and Forfar. It is close to Dunnichen Hill, at which the Battle of Dun Nechtain is popularly believed to have been fought.-History:...
. Adhering to the established church during the secession movement, he became in 1848 a member of the general assembly. In the same year, when only 26, he was appointed professor of Hebrew in St. Mary's College, where he innovated in teaching methods. As convener from 1856 to 1875 of the committee of the mission to the Jews, Mitchell did much to develop missions in the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, which he visited himself in 1857. His main interests lay, however, in Scottish ecclesiastical history, and in 1868 he succeeded John Cook as professor of divinity and ecclesiastical history in St. Mary's College.
Mitchell held his chair for 26 years, and during that period published a number of works on Scottish ecclesiastical history. He was an active member of the Scottish Historical and Text Societies, and took a prominent part in the general councils of the Presbyterian Alliance, attending the meeting at Philadelphia in 1880. In 1885 he was elected moderator of the church of Scotland, and the address he delivered at the close of the session was separately published (Edinburgh and London, 1885). In 1894 he retired from his professorship. He was made D.D. of St. Andrews in 1862, and honorary LL.D. of Glasgow in 1892. He divided his later years between his house at Gowan Park, near Brechin, and 56 South Street, St Andrews. He died at St. Andrews on 22 March 1899, and was buried in Brechin cathedral churchyard. He married, in 1852, the eldest daughter of Michael Johnstone of Archbank, near Moffat
Moffat
Moffat is a former burgh and spa town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, lying on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. The most notable building in the town is the Moffat House Hotel, designed by John Adam...
, and was survived by three sons and four daughters.
Works
Mitchell published:- ‘The Westminster Confession of Faith,’ 1866; 3rd ed. 1867.
- ‘The Wedderburns and their Work,’ 1867.
- ‘Minutes of the Westminster Assembly’ (with John Struthers), 1874.
- ‘The Westminster Assembly’ (Baird Lectures), London, 1883; new edit. Philadelphia, 1895.
- ‘Catechisms of the Church of Scotland,’ Edinburgh, 1886.
- ‘The Scottish Reformation,’ ed. D. Hay Fleming, with biographical sketch by Dr. James Christie, London, 1900.
Mitchell also edited for the Scottish Text Society the ‘Richt Vey to Heuine,’ by John Gau, in 1888, and the ‘Gude and Godlie Ballatis’ from the 1567 version in 1897. For the Scottish Historical Society he edited in 1892 and 1896 two volumes of ‘The Records of the Commissions of the General Assembly,’ 1646–50. He also published an edition of Archbishop Hamilton's ‘Catechism’ (1882), and three lectures at St. Giles's, Edinburgh (St. Giles's Lectures, 1st ser. No. 4, 4th ser. No. 1, and 6th ser. No. 8).
Attribution