John Paton (Covenanter)
John Paton | |
|---|---|
 John Paton with two swords | |
| Born | Meadowhead,Fenwick |
| Died | 9 May 1684 (executed) Grassmarket,Edinburgh |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Lützen (1632),Battle of Marston Moor,Battle of Kilsyth,Battle of Philiphaugh,Battle of Worcester,Battle of Rullion Green,Battle of Bothwell Bridge |
John Patonwas a Scottish soldier and Covenanter. He was executed at theGrassmarketon 9 May 1684 largely for his actions at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge.[1][2]
Life
[edit]James Paton was aCovenanter.He was born at Meadowhead in the parish ofFenwick,Ayrshire, where his father had a farm. Until near manhood he was employed in agricultural pursuits. According to one account he went as a volunteer to Germany, and served with such distinction in the wars ofGustavus Adolphusthat he was raised to the rank of captain. According to another, he was present with the Scots army atMarston Moor.With the rank of captain, he fought with great gallantry againstMontroseatKilsyth,15 August 1645, and escaped uninjured during the flight. After the defeat of Montrose atPhiliphaughon 13 September he returned home to Fenwick. He took part with the people of Fenwick in opposingGeneral Middletonin 1648. With other Scottish Covenanters he, however, supported the king againstCromwellin 1650 and, accompanying him in 1651 into England, fought for him at thebattle of Worcesteron 3 September. After theRestorationhe fought, in command of a party of covenanting cavalry, on 28 September 1666, atRullion Green,where he had a personal encounter withThomas Dalyell.[3][4][5]He was also at thebattle of Bothwell Bridge22 June 1679.[6]He was excepted out of the indemnities passed after both battles, but succeeded in lurking safely in various hiding places, until in 1684 he was taken in the house of a covenanter, Robert Howie. Dalyell on meeting him is said to have stated that he was both glad and sorry for him. The fact that he had fought for the king at Worcester atoned in Dalyell's eyes for much that was unjustifiable in his subsequent behaviour. He severely rebuked an insult that was offered him, and is supposed to have exerted special influence to procure his pardon. Lauder of Fountainhall mentions that Paton ‘carried himself very discreetly before the justices’ (Historical Notices, p. 535).
Death
[edit]
He was sentenced to be hanged at theGrassmarketon 23 April, but was reprieved till 9 May. He was then willing to have taken the test, but a quorum of thePrivy Councilcould not be obtained to reprieve him.[1]He was buried inGreyfriars Kirkyard,Edinburgh.[2]There is a large monument to John Paton in Fenwick Churchyard.[7]
Family
[edit]He married (1) Janet Lindsay, around 1652, (2) Janet Millar around November 1666 and has issue before she died "in or after 1684". They had 6 children.[2]
In Poetry
[edit]James Dodds, a minister from Dunbar wrote a poem called "Meeting Of General Dalziel And Captain John Paton Of Meadowhead, When the Latter was brought Prisoner to Edinburgh, August, 1684."[8]The first two verses are:
Hath his good sword her temper lost,
Or her master now forsaken?
Or why, such wars and dangers passed,
Is he a captive taken?
Nay, nay! his arm is powerful yet,
His sword as keen as ever;
But he is life-worn, and would fain
That God should him deliver.
The same that won his maiden scars
At Lutzen, famed in story;
And since, in every hard campaign,
Hath shared the toil and glory.
But chiefly to his native land
His heart and sword were given;
That she might keep her ancient rights
And her covenant with heaven.
...
Bibliography
[edit]- Howie's Scots Worthies
- Wodrow's Sufferings of the Church of Scotland
- Lauder of Fountainhall's Historical Notices in the Bannatyne Club[1]
References
[edit]- Citations
- Other sources
- Bond, Douglas (4 April 2014)."Guthrie: sword, sin, cheese, and grace in controversy".Retrieved22 August2020.
- Dodds, James (1880).Lays of the Covenanters.Edinburgh: J. Maclaren & Son. pp.240-245.
- Hewison, James King(1913).The Covenanters.Vol. 2. Glasgow: John Smith and son.
- Howie, John(1870). "Captain John Paton". In Carslaw, W. H. (ed.).The Scots worthies.Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier. pp.ix–xv479-494.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. - Jardine, Mark (14 September 2016)."Swords of the Covenanters: Captain John Paton of Meadowhead".Jardine's Book of Martyrs.Wordpress.
- Johnston, John C. (1887).Treasury of the Scottish covenant.Andrew Elliot. pp.638,644.
- Kirkton, James(1817).The secret and true history of the church of Scotland from the Restoration to the year 1678.Edinburgh: J. Ballantyne.
- McIntyre, Neil (2016).Saints and subverters: the later Covenanters in Scotland c.1648-1682(PhD). University of Strathclyde.
- Muir, Alison G. (2004). "Paton, John (d. 1684)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21557.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- SCMA."Captain John Paton's Monument".Covenanter.org.Retrieved4 August2020.
- Smellie, Alexander (1903).Men of the Covenant: the story of the Scottish church in the years of the Persecution(2 ed.). New York: Fleming H. Revell Co.Retrieved11 July2019.
- Thomson, J. H. (1903). Hutchison, Matthew (ed.).The martyr graves of Scotland.Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier. pp.83-84, 116–122.This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
- Thomson, John Henderson (1871). "John Paton".A cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ: being the last speeches and testimonies of those who have suffered for the truth in Scotland, since the year 1680.Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier. pp.352-364.This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
- Ure, James(1825). M'Crie, Thomas (ed.).Narrative of the Rising at Bothwel Bridge.Vol. Memoirs of Mr. William Veitch, and George Brysson. Edinburgh; London: W. Blackwood; T. Cadell.This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
- Vogan, Matthew (21 December 2019)."Captain Paton's Sword – Magdalen Chapel, Edinburgh – SFH039".Scotland’s Forgotten History.
- Wodrow, Robert(1829). Burns, Robert (ed.).The history of the sufferings of the church of Scotland from the restoration to the revolution, with an original memoir of the author, extracts from his correspondence, and preliminary dissertation and notes, in four volumes.Vol. 3. Glasgow: Blackie Fullerton & Co. p.88et passim.
- Wodrow, Robert(1835d). Burns, Robert (ed.).The history of the sufferings of the church of Scotland from the restoration to the revolution, with an original memoir of the author, extracts from his correspondence, and preliminary dissertation and notes, in four volumes.Vol. 4. Glasgow: Blackie Fullerton & Co. p.65.
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Henderson, Thomas Finlayson (1895). "Paton, James (d.1684)".InLee, Sidney(ed.).Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 44. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
