John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon (February 15, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence of the United States as a representative of New Jersey. He was the only active clergyman and college president to sign Declaration.John Witherspoon was born in Gifford, Yester Parish in East Lothian, Scotland, as the eldest child is the Rev. James Alexander Witherspoon and Ann Walker, a descendant of John Welsh of Ayr, and John Knox.He attended the Haddington High School, and received a Master of Arts at Edinburgh University in 1739. John Witherspoon tickets remained at the university to study divinity.Witherspoon was against the Jacobite uprising 1745-46. After the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Falkirk (1746), he was briefly imprisoned in Doune Castle, which was long-term effects on his health.He became a Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) minister in the bet, Ayrshire (1745-1758), where he married Elizabeth Montgomery. They had ten children, only five survived to adulthood.From 1758-1768 he was Minister Kirk Laigh, Paisley (Low Kirk). Witherspoon became prominent in the Church as an evangelist, the enemy Moderate Party.For two pastorates, he wrote three well-known works on theology, in particular, satire spiritual characteristics “(1753) opposite philosophical influence of Francis Hutcheson. John Witherspoon event received a doctorate in divinity at the University of St Andrews, Fife.