Thomas Witherow (1824–1890) was an Irish Presbyterian minister and historian.
Life
The son of Hugh Witherow, a farmer at Aughlish, near
Dungiven
Dungiven () is a small town, townland and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the main A6 Belfast to Derry road, which bypasses the town. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the B ...
,
County Londonderry
County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...
, and his wife Elizabeth Martin, he was born at
Ballycastle on 29 May 1824. He received his early education at Ralliagh church school, and then studied with
James Bryce. Later on he went to
Belfast Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy (commonly shortened to ) is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school in north Belfast. The Academy is one of 8 schools in Northern ...
and the
Royal Academical Institution.
In 1839 he entered the collegiate department of the Academical Institution, and here, with the exception of a session at Edinburgh, all his college days were spent.
In 1845 Witherow was licensed to preach by the presbytery of Glendermot, and in 1845 he was ordained at
Maghera
Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster Distric ...
, Londonderry, by the presbytery of Magherafelt, as colleague to Charles Kennedy. In 1865, on the opening of
Magee College
The Ulster University Magee campus is one of the four campuses of Ulster University. It is located in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and opened in 1865 as a Presbyterian Christian arts and Seminary, theological college. Since 1953, i ...
, Londonderry, he was appointed by the General Assembly as Professor of Church History and Pastoral Theology.
He served as curator of the College's library and museum between at least 1869-70 and 1888-89.
The Belfast And Province Of Ulster Directory 1890, page 142
/ref>
In 1878 Witherow was elected moderator of the Irish General Assembly, and in 1884 as a senator of the Royal University of Ireland. He was made hon. D.D. in 1883 by the Presbyterian Theological Faculty, Ireland, and LL.D. by the Royal University in 1885.
Witherow died on 25 January 1890 at Londonderry, and was buried in the city cemetery there.
Works
Witherow's main works were:
''The Apostolic Church—which is it?''
1856
A Reply
was published in 1867 by Rev. Thomas G. Porter
Defence of the Apostolic Church''
1857.
* ''Scriptural Baptism; its Mode and Subjects'', 1859.
''An inquiry into the scriptural form of Church government. Extracted and abridged from 'The Apostolic Church''
1867
''The New Testament Elder: His position, powers and duties in the Christian Church''
1873
''Derry and Enniskillen in the year 1689''
1873.
''The Boyne and Aghrim''
1879.
* ''Historical and Literary Memorials of Presbyterianism in Ireland'' (1623–1800), 2 vols
Vol 1, 1623-1731Vol 2, 1731-1800
1879.
''History of the Reformation; a primer''
1882.
* ''Life of Rev. A. P. Goudy, D.D.'', begun by Thomas Croskery
Thomas Croskery D.D. (1830–1886) was an Irish theologian and reviewer.
Early life
The son of a tradesman from County Down, Ireland, he was born in the village of Carrowdore, nearly midway between Donaghadee and Greyabbey, on 26 May 1830. Most o ...
, 1887.
* ''Two Diaries of Derry in 1689, being Richards's Diary of the Fleet and Ash's Journal of the Siege, with Introduction and Notes'', 1888.
''The Form of the Christian Temple''
1889.
He was a contributor to the ''British and Foreign Evangelical Review'', the Belfast ''Witness'', and the Londonderry ''Standard'', and was one of the editors of the ''Presbyterian Review''.
Family
Witherow married Catharine, daughter of Thomas Milling of Maghera. They had seven daughters and three sons.
Notes
Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witherow, Thomas
1824 births
1890 deaths
Irish Presbyterian ministers
19th-century Irish historians
People from County Londonderry
Moderators of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Academics of Ulster University