1633? - 1711?

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• Birth	1633?	Derry, Ireland
  Gender	Male
  Died	1711?	Derry, Ireland
  Person ID	I959	Default
  Last Modified	27 Aug 2005
  Family	Margaret Craighead,   b. 1633, Scotland
  Children	1. Thomas Craighead,   b. 1660?, Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland ,   d. 26 Apr 1739, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA > 2. Catherine Craighead,   b. 1672, Londonderry County, Ireland ,   d. 1754, Chilmark, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA
  Last Modified	27 Aug 2005
  Family ID	F263	Group Sheet

• Notes

  From "The Craighead Family", pp. 15-16: But another dark cloud gathered over Ulster when Charles II ascended the throne (ed note: 1660), and re-established the Episcopal Church in Ireland. His bigoted and intolerant Bishops, Bramhall and Leslie, adopted every possible measure to crush out the Presbyterians. A proclamation was issued forbidding all unlawful assemblies, and directing the sheriffs to disperse them. This was intended to prevent the meeting, both of Congregations and Presbyteries. All remonstrances were fruitless. The Bishops were resolved to expose the Presbyterians to all the penalties the law could inflict, if they refused to conform. The result was that, in Ulster alone, sixty-one ministers were deposed and ejected from their parishes, and curates sent to take possession of their churches. The trials and hardships endured by these clergymen were extreme, but they were bravely endured. Among these sufferers was Rev. Robert Craighead, one of the immortal thirteen ministers that constituted the Presbytery of Lagan. He was a Scotchman, the father of Rev. Thomas Craighead who in 1715 came to New England. His removal to Ireland was not later than 1657 or 1658, for in that year he commenced his ministry at Donoughmore, where he was pastor for thirty years. Of the influence exerted by these exiled ministers, Reid, in his history of the Irish Presbyterian Church, thus speaks: "These ministers enjoyed the painful though honorable pre-eminence of being the first to suffer in the three kingdoms. They are, therefore, eminently entitled to the admiration and gratitude of posterity. They set an example of fortitude and integrity which prepared and encouraged their brethren in the sister kingdoms to act with similar magnanimity; and thus conjointly exhibited to the world a convincing and instructive proof of the power of religion and of conscience, unparalleled in the annals of the Church's history. Presbyterianism in Ulster is indebted for its existence to them." Mr. Craighead removed, in 1689, to Londonderry, and was pastor there at the time its gates were closed against the army of King James (ed. note: 1689). Escaping during the memorable siege, he made his way to Glasgow, where a part of his family had preceded him, and were residing. His reception by the public authorities, as well as by his brethren in the Church of Scotland, were so spontaneous and cordial that, on subsequently publishing a volume entitled Advice to Communicants for Necessary Preparation and Improvement of the Lord's Supper, he dedicated it to the Lord Provost, the Bailiffs, the Deacon Convener, and the inhabitants of Glasgow. pp. 20-21 (Robert Craighead) replied, in 1710, to a challenge sent by Rev. John Campbell, an Episcopal clergyman residing near Antrim, to Presbyterian ministers to produce a warrant from Scripture for Presbyters ordaining or ruling without a bishop. In addition to his other works already mentioned, Mr. Craighead published a volume entitled Advice for Assurance of Salvation, a sequel to the work issued in Glasgow, 1695; and another in Belfast, under the title Walking with God, Explained by Scripture Rule and Pattern, and Proved to be the Duty of all to Endeavor to it. These works on experimental and practical religion were of much value in their day, and by means of them Mr. Craighead extended his usefulness even to old age. He died respected and beloved in Derry in 1711. page 35: ...Rev. Robert Craighead, a native of Scotland, who removed to Ireland and was settled as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Donoughmore in 1657-58, where he labored for thirty years. He was subsequently minister at Londonderry, when the gates of the city were closed against the Papal forces of James II, whose purpose was to massacre the Protestants; and escaped during the second day of the siege, and made his way to Glasgow, Scotland. He afterwards returned to Ireland, and died in Londonderry, 1711.

• Sources

  [S4] The Craighead Family, Rev. James Geddes Craighead, DD.