The Lost World of John Witherspoon

In this section
The Lost World of John Witherspoon

Aberdeen University Press

John Witherspoon (1723 – 1794) is remembered today as one of only two Scots among the 56 ‘signers’ of the Declaration of American Independence and the only clergyman to have added his name to the list of founding fathers of the nation that was set to become the United States. On that basis alone, Witherspoon earns his place as an important figure in the early history of the ‘Empire of Liberty’ – even though he has been described by some American scholars as the ‘forgotten Founder.’

But Witherspoon had two careers. His American career (as College President at Princeton and an influential politician in the revolutionary and immediate post-revolutionary war period) has understandably tended to overshadow his earlier career in Scotland as a leading light within the Popular (or Evangelical) party in the Church of Scotland at a time when the Kirk was dominated by the Moderates led by such men as William Robertson, Hugh Blair and Alexander ‘Jupiter’ Carlyle. This study shows that he had few friends among the preponderance of Moderate ministerial colleagues in the Presbytery of Paisley.

Crawford, Ronald Lyndsay (2015) The Lost World of John Witherspoon: Unravelling the Snodgrass affair, 1762 to 1776, Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, pp.389 + xx. ISBN: 978-1-85752-009-5 (Hardcover)
Purchase this title

The ground-breaking research underpinning this book reveals for the first time the full astonishing story of Witherspoon’s involvement in an action against him in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, a process that was begun by a lawyer, John Snodgrass, and five others in 1762 and was not determined until 1776, by which time the Paisley minister had long left Scotland for a new life as sixth President of the College of New Jersey. The process would engage the professional skills of some of the most celebrated figures in Scottish advocacy of the period, including George Wallace, Henry Dundas, David Dalrymple, Charles Hay and Andrew Crosbie.

In an important ‘Concluding Essay’ the author makes a convincing case for the Snodgrass affair having influenced Witherspoon’s decision to make a new life for himself and his family in America, demolishing the traditional view that it was somehow irrelevant to that decision.

Search News

Browse by Month

2024

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2024
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2024
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2024
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2024
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2024
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2024
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2024
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2024
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2024

2023

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2023
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2023
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2023
  4. Apr
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2023
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2023
  7. Jul
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2023
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2023
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2023
  12. Dec

2022

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2022
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2022
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2022
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2022
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2022
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2022
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2022
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2022
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2022

2020

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2020
  2. Feb
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2020
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2020
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2020
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2020
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2020
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2020
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2020
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2020
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2020
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2020

2019

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2019
  2. Feb
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2019
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2019
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2019
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2019
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2019
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2019
  11. Nov
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2019

2017

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2017
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2017
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2017
  4. Apr
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2017
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2017
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2017
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2017
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2017
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2017
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2017
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2017

2015

  1. Jan
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2015
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2015
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2015
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2015
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2015
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2015
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2015
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2015
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2015
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2015

2014

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2014
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2014
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2014
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2014
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2014
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2014
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2014
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2014
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2014
  12. Dec

2013

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2013
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2013
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2013
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2013
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2013
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2013
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2013
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2013
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2013
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2013
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2013
  12. Dec

2009

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2009
  2. Feb
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2009
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2009
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2009
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2009
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2009
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2009
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2009
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2009
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2009
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2009

2008

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2008
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2008
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2008
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2008
  5. May
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2008
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2008
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2008
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2008
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2008
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2008
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2008

2007

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2007
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2007
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2007
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2007
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2007
  6. Jun
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2007
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2007
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2007
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2007

2006

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2006
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2006
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2006
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2006
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2006
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2006
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2006
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2006
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2006
  10. Oct
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2006
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2006

2005

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2005
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2005
  3. Mar There are no items to show for March 2005
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2005
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2005
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2005
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2005
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2005
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2005
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2005
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2005
  12. Dec

2004

  1. Jan There are no items to show for January 2004
  2. Feb There are no items to show for February 2004
  3. Mar
  4. Apr There are no items to show for April 2004
  5. May There are no items to show for May 2004
  6. Jun There are no items to show for June 2004
  7. Jul There are no items to show for July 2004
  8. Aug There are no items to show for August 2004
  9. Sep There are no items to show for September 2004
  10. Oct There are no items to show for October 2004
  11. Nov There are no items to show for November 2004
  12. Dec There are no items to show for December 2004