Archibald Riddell (minister)

Archibald Riddell was a 17th-century Presbyterian church minister in Scotland and America. His name is sometimes spelled Riddel.[3] He preached at conventicles in a time when such actions were considered high treason. He was imprisoned on the Bass Rock and was later banished to New Jersey.

For the Canadian politician, see Archibald Riddell.

Archibald Riddell
Trinity College Kirk, Riddell's last charge
ChurchKippen, First Presbyterian Church, Woodbridge, NJ, Weymss, Kirkcaldy, Trinity College Kirk
Orders
Ordinationprivate at Kippen
Personal details
Died1708
Edinburgh
DenominationChristian
Spousedied in transit to America
Childrenfour: Janet (m. James Dundas), Walter (naval officer) and John (physician)[1] and Sarah (Mrs John Currie)[2]

Family

His father was Sir Walter, second baronet of Riddell.[4] His mother was Janet, daughter of William Rigg of Athernie, in Fife. Archibald had two older brothers: Sir John, who succeeded his father; and William, who started the Riddells of Glen-Riddell, in Dumfries-shire.[5] Archibald graduated from Edinburgh University on 9 July 1656 with a Master of Arts degree.[6]

Early career
Crags and scree in the Corrie of Balglass, near Fintry. A conventicle was held there which was attacked when it did not disperse when ordered to.

Archibald was privately ordained to the ministry at Kippen by John Law around 1670.[7] He was a field preacher along with John Blackadder and John Dickson. At one such conventicle, at which Robert Garnock was present there was an exchange of gunfire with government soldiers.[8][9][10] Riddell was caught for keeping conventicles, by the laird of Graden, a relative of his wife, in September 1680 and taken to Jedburgh tolbooth before being taken to the Edinburgh Tolbooth for about nine months.[11][12] "From there he was sentenced to the Bass Rock, on 8 July 1681 to remain prisoner there."[13][14]

Following a petition from George Scot (whose wife was Riddell's cousin)[15] who had himself been a prisoner on the Bass he was released from prison to be banished to a plantation in America along with other prisoners several of whom had been tortured:[16]

"Edinburgh, 24th December 1684. The Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council having considered a petition presented by Mr George Scot of Pitlochie, desiring that, in regard the Council have granted him the benefit of some persons lately sentenced to the plantations, in order to their being transported thither, and that he is willing to transport Mr Archibald Riddell, prisoner in the Bass, liberty might be granted to him for some time to put his affairs in order, and attend several processes now depending both for and against him before the Session, upon the petitioner's being cautioner for him, that he shall immediately after his liberty, come to his own lodgings in Edinburgh, and confine himself there during his abode here, and, in the mean time, keep no conventicles ; and be by him transported to East Jersey in America, and never return to this kingdom thereafter, without special licence from the Council : The said Lords do grant the said desire, and recommend to the Lord High Chancellor, governor of the said Isle of Bass, to give order and warrant to his deputy-governor of that isle, to deliver to the petitioner, or his order, the person of the said Mr Archibald Riddell, in regard the petitioner hath become caution to the effect foresaid, under the penalty of five thousand merks Scots money, in case of failure in any of the premises."

Voyage and New Jersey

The voyage on the Henry & Francis was disastrous in that about 24 percent of the passengers died including George Scot and Riddell's wife and three of her relations.[17] Riddell received calls to pastor three churches, one in New Bridge, one in Long Island and one in Woodbridge.[18] He chose Woodbridge and preached there until the Glorious Revolution when he tried to return home.[19] It is also recorded that he received a call from a church in Jamaica.[20]

Return to Scotland

In June 1689 he boarded a ship for home, but just off the coast of England, on 2 August, he was captured by a French man-of-war. He and his ten-year-old son were taken as prisoners to France, where they were reportedly cruelly treated and imprisoned for around two years in prisons in Nantes, Rochefort and Dinard.[21] After this lengthy detention they were released by the French government in an exchange programme with King William's government. They were traded for two French priests who had been prisoners in Blackness Castle.[22]

Later career

Riddell was called to become minister of Wemyss on 28 September 1691. His subsequently was translated to Kirkcaldy on 20 May 1697. His final charge was in Trinity College Kirk in Edinburgh in 1702 which was later demolished to make way for Waverley Station. He died in 1708 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard with his great-great-grandson, the advocate, antiquarian and peerage lawyer John Riddell[23] being the family's representative at the funeral.[24]

Bibliography
  • Edin. Beg. (Marr. and Bur.)
  • Douglas's Bar.
  • Nisbet's Her.
  • Wodrow's Anal.
  • Playfair's Bar.

Descendants

He married (1) Helen, daughter of Henry Aitkenhead, minister of North Berwick, and had issue — Capt. Walter of Granton, died 1738; Dr John, physician, Edinburgh, died 1740; Sarah, who married, 26th Nov. 1703, John Currie, minister of Oldhamstocks: (2) (pro. 8 May 1694) Jean Ker (Canongate Beg.), who survived him. —

References
  1. Carre, Walter Riddell (1876). Border memories; or, Sketches of prominent men and women of the border (some edition don't mention his sons ed.). Edinburgh: J. Thin. pp. 193–195. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  2. Warrick, John (1913). The moderators of the Church of Scotland from 1690 to 1740. Edinburgh, London: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier. p. 216. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. McCrie, Thomas (the younger) (1846). Sketches of Scottish church history : embracing the period from the Reformation to the Revolution. 2. Edinburgh : J. Johnstone. pp. 187–189. Retrieved 16 April 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. Lundy, Darryl. "Reverend Archibald Riddell". The Peerage. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  5. Stewart, Duncan; Smith, John (ed.) (1908). The Covenanters of Teviotdale and Neighbouring Districts. Galashiels: A. Walker & Son. pp. 61–76. Retrieved 13 February 2019.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  6. Scott, Hew (1915). Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation. 1. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. p. 133. Retrieved 2 March 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. Warrick, John (1913). The moderators of the Church of Scotland from 1690 to 1740. Edinburgh, London: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier. p. 60. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  8. Jardine, Mark (8 December 2011). "A most obstinate and malicious person': Robert Garnock, the Covenanters and the Croune of London". Jardine's Book of Martyrs. Retrieved 27 July 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  9. Howie, John; Carslaw, W. H. (1870). "Robert Garnock". The Scots worthies. Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier. pp. 457-475.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  10. Kirkton, James (1817). The secret and true history of the church of Scotland from the Restoration to the year 1678. Edinburgh: J. Ballantyne. p. 431-432. Retrieved 18 July 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  11. M'Crie, Thomas, D.D. the younger (1847). The Bass rock: Its civil and ecclesiastic history. Edinburgh: J. Greig & Son. pp. 217–234. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. M'Crie, Thomas (1875). The story of the Scottish church : from the Reformation to the Disruption. London: Blackie & Son. pp. 340-341.
  13. Fairley, John A. (1915). Extracts from the Records of the Old Tolbooth from The book of the Old Edinburgh Club. 8. Edinburgh : The Club. p. 110. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  14. Reid, Alexander (1822). Prentice, Archibald (ed.). Life of Alexander Reid, a Scotish covenanter. Manchester: printed by J. Garnett. p. 46. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  15. Mather, Edith H (1922). "George Scot, of Pitlochy". Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. 7: 260–278. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  16. Erskine, John; Macleod, Walter (1893). Journal of the Hon. John Erskine of Carnock, 1683-1687. Edinburgh: Printed at University Press by T. and A. Constable for the Scottish History Society. p. 154. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  17. Wodrow, Robert (1835). The history of the sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the restoration to the revolution. 4. Glasgow: Blackie & Son. pp. 332–334. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  18. Chrystal, William (1903). The Kingdom of Kippen, its history and traditions. Stirling: Munro. p. 121. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  19. "Pastors". First Presbyterian Church Woodbridge New Jersey. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  20. MacDonald, James Madison (1862). Two centuries in the history of the Presbyterian church, Jamaica, L.I.; the oldest existing church, of the Presbyterian name, in America. New York: R. Carter & brothers. pp. 71–74. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  21. Dally, Joseph W. cn (1873). Woodbridge and vicinity : the story of a New Jersey township ; embracing the history of Woodbridge, Piscataway, Metuchen and contiguous places, from the earliest times ; the history of the different ecclesiastical bodies ; important official documents relating to the township, etc. New Brunswick, N.J.: A.E. Gordon. pp. 84–85. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  22. Whitehead, William Adee (1856). Contributions to the early history of Perth Amboy and adjoining country : with sketches of men and events in New Jersey during the provincial era. New York: D. Appleton & Company. pp. 367–372. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  23. Nichols, John Gough (1865). The Herald and genealogist. 2. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons. p. 148. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  24. Carre, Walter Riddell (1876). Border memories; or, Sketches of prominent men and women of the border (not all editions give his burial ed.). Edinburgh: J. Thin. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
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