Thomas Gillespie

Thomas Gillespie (1708 – 19 January 1774) was a Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland. He was founder of the Synod of Relief. Thomas Gillespie, born in 1708, at Clearburn, Duddingston, was the son of a well-to-do brewer and bonnet-laird — the only son of a second marriage. An interview with Thomas Boston, arranged by his mother, turned his thoughts to the ministry. On the completion of his Arts course in Edinburgh, he entered the Divinity Hall. After some months, however, he left for the Divinity Hall of the Secession Church in Perth. A few weeks’ experience of its narrowness being more than enough, he betook himself to Northampton to complete his studies under Philip Doddridge. He was ordained by a "classis" of the English Presbyterians. Presented and called to Carnock, he was inducted by the Presbytery of Dunfermline in 1741. In the early years of his ministry he was a leader in the Cambuslang and Kilsyth Revivals, and became a trusted correspondent of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards. Taking his stand, with the majority of the Presbytery, against the Inverkeithing Intrusion, he was summarily deposed by the General Assembly of 1752. In 1761, with two other ministers and their flocks, he formed a new body — the Presbytery of Relief, which had attained a quite considerable place in many parts of Scotland, by the time of his death in 1774. Early life Gillespie was born at Clearburn Farm, in the parish of Duddingston, Edinburgh (then part of Midlothian). His father, Thomas Gillespie (1688-1712), was a farmer who died when Thomas was young, and his mother, Mary Haliburton (1689-1758), ran the family farm and brewery. She encouraged him to hear Thomas Boston the elder preach. After a period in the family businesses, Gillespie studied at the University of Edinburgh from 1732. In 1738 he went north to attend the seminary run at Perth by William Wilson (1690–1741) of the Secession Church; but was not impressed and moved on after a short while. He then went to Philip Doddridge at Northampton in 1740, with a recommendation signed by 12 Scottish ministers, five of whom were "Marrow Men". There he was ordained in January 1741. He ministered at Hartbarrow in Lancashire, and September 1741 was admitted minister of the parish of Carnock, Fife ander the patronage of Col Erskine.