John Stuart (Presbyterian minister)
John Stuart (also spelt Stewart or Steuart) of Luss FRSE MWS (1743–1821) was a Scottish minister, Gaelic scholar, and reviser of the New Testament in Gaelic of his father James Stuart of Killin. John Stuart's revised New Testament was published in 1796 with a print run of 21,500 copies.[1] He was the main translator of the Old Testament which was published in 1801.[2]
Life
The son of the minister James Stuart, and Elizabeth Drummond, he was born at Killin. He was licensed by the presbytery of Edinburgh on 27 February 1771, was presented to the living of Arrochar by Sir James Colquhoun in October 1773, and was ordained on 12 May 1774. He was translated to Weem on 26 March 1776, and to Luss on 1 July 1777. He received the degree of D.D. from Glasgow University in 1795.[3]
Stuart died at Luss on 24 May 1821.[3]
Works
Stuart was a Gaelic scholar. His father had already translated the New Testament into Gaelic, and at the time of his death had begun a translation of the Old Testament. This work was continued by his son, and the complete translation was published at Edinburgh in 1767, under the auspices of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge; another edition was published in London in 1807. For his services as translator he received from the Lords of the Treasury £1,000 in 1820, and the thanks of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland were conveyed to him from the chair on 28 May 1819.[3]
Stuart was also a student of natural history and botany. He was the author of "The Account of the Parish of Luss" in vol. xvii. of Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland.[3]
Family
Stuart married, 24 July 1792, Susan, daughter of Rev. Dr. Joseph Macintyre of Glenorchy. She died on 7 July 1846, leaving a son, Joseph, minister of Kingarth, and a daughter.[3][4]
His brother-in-law was James McLagan, minister of Amulrie in Perthshire, and author of Spiritual views of the divine government 1831.[5][6]
References
- ^ John Thomas Koch Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia 2006 – Page 208 "A second, revised edition by John STUART of Luss (1743–1821, son of James Stuart) was published in 1796 with a print run of 21,500 copies (Literature of the Scottish Gael 14). "
- ^ The Highland monthly: Volume 1 Duncan Campbell, Alexander Macbain – 1890 JAMES STUART OF KILLIN. [NOTE BY DR DONALD MASON.] THE following fragment of MS., in the handwriting of Mr Stewart's son. Dr John Stewart of Luss, the translator into Scotch Gaelic of the larger portion of the Old Testament,
- ^ a b c d e . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
- ^ Hew Scott, editor Donald Farquhar Macdonald, Fasti ecclesiæ scoticanæ; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the Reformation vol. 4 (1915), p. 87; archive.org.
- ^ James McLagan, Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge – 1831
- ^ Bailey Saunders The Life and Letters of James Macpherson 1969 – Page 146 "Some of his letters to a Mr. James McLagan, minister of Amulrie in Perthshire"
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Stuart, John (1743–1821)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
- Use dmy dates from October 2012
- Ministers of the Church of Scotland
- Translators of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic
- 1743 births
- 1821 deaths
- Founder Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- People from Stirling (council area)
- Scottish linguists
- Alumni of the University of Glasgow
- 18th-century Christian clergy
- 19th-century Christian clergy
- Scottish translators
- Members of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh