Robert Trail

Robert Traill was a church minister at Cranbrook in Kent. He was born at Elie in Fife in 1642. He was incarcerated on the Bass Rock, an island in the Firth of Forth from July 19, 1677 to October 5, 1677. His work was often quoted by J. C. Ryle and is still published in the 21st century. Early life Robert's father was also a preacher called Robert. His father, Robert Traill of Greyfriars, was well known, being born in 1603, the son of Colonel James Trail, of Killcleary, Ireland, Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to Henry, Prince of Wales, and grandson of the Laird of Blebo, and Matilda Melvill of Carnbee. His mother, if Janet Annand (1605 - 1650), died while Robert was still young, although the Dictionary of National Biography records a Jean Annand who was imprisoned in 1665 for corresponding with her husband. Robert Traill's early education was carefully superintended by his father, and at the university of Edinburgh he distinguished himself both in the literary and theological classes. At the age of nineteen he stood beside James Guthrie, his father's friend, on the scaffold. He was for some time tutor or chaplain in the family of Scot of Scotstarvet, and was afterwards much with John Welsh, the minister of Irongray, who was the first to hold ‘armed conventicles.’ He became a lifelong friend of William Guthrie of Fenwick, author of "The Christian's Great Interest".