Robert Henry FRSE FSA(Scot) (18 February 1718 – 24 November 1790) was a Scottish minister and historian.

Life

He was born on 18 February 1718, the son of Jean Galloway and James Henry, a farmer at Muirton Farm near St. Ninians,

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling, gd, Siorrachd Sruighlea) is a historic county and registration countyRegisters of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling. It borders Perth ...

. Henry was educated at St Ninian's Parish School then

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

Grammar School. He then studied at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. After teaching at Annan Grammar School, he entered the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

, being licensed by the Presbytery of Annan in 1746, but not finding a patron. He was finally ordained in 1748, just over the Scottish border in Carlisle, and translated in 1760 to

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census reco ...

, still just over the Scottish border (the rules on patronage were different in England). In May 1768 he finally got a position in Scotland: as minister at New Greyfriars in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

. The University of Edinburgh granted him an honorary doctorate (DD) in July 1770. At this time he lived at Bristo Street, just south of Greyfriars Church. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1774. In 1776 he moved from New Greyfriars to Old Kirk, St Giles and remained in this role until death. In 1783 he was one of the co-founders of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He died on 24 November 1790 at his home in Merchant Street in Edinburgh (just south of St Giles) but is buried with his family in

Polmont Polmont ( gd, Poll-Mhonadh) is a village in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland. It lies towards the east of the town of Falkirk, north of the Union Canal, which runs adjacent to the village. Due to its situation in Central Scotland, ...

churchyard. His position at St Giles was filled by Henry Grieve. He bequeathed his library to the Town Council of

Linlithgow Linlithgow (; gd, Gleann Iucha, sco, Lithgae) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a ...

but his link to this town is unclear.

Family

In June 1763 he was married to Anne Balderston (d. 1800).

Works

He wrote the 6-volume ''History of Great Britain on a New Plan'' (1771),Henry, Robert. ''The History of Great Britain, from the First Invasion of It by the Romans under Julius Cæser. Written on a New Plan.'' T. Cadell (London), 1771. covering the period from the first Roman invasion until the reign of King Henry VIII. The novelty consisted in dividing the subjects into different heads, civil history, military, social, and so on, and following out each of them separately. The work was mainly a compilation, having no critical qualities. Despite the persistent and ferocious attacks of Dr Gilbert Stewart, it was successful, and brought the author over £3000. It attracted the support of the

Earl of Mansfield Earl of Mansfield, in the County of Nottingham, and Earl of Mansfield, in the County of Middlesex, are two titles in the Peerage of Great Britain that have been united under a single holder since 1843. History The titles Earl of Mansfield (i ...

, whose persuasion gained for Henry a government pension of £100. Other publications included: *"Revelation: The Most Effectual Means of Civilising and Reforming Mankind" (1773) *Translation of Goguet's "Origins of Laws, Arts and Science" from French to English (1761)

References

*
''The History of Stirlingshire'' by William Nimmo, revised by W. M. Stirling and R. Gillespie, 1880

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Robert 1718 births 1790 deaths

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

18th-century Scottish historians People educated at Stirling High School Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland People from Stirling Founder Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard Scottish antiquarians 18th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland