National Records of Scotland

Preserving the past, Recording the present, Informing the future

David Calderwood (1575-1650)

David Calderwood (1575-1650)

Church of Scotland minister and historian

David Calderwood was minister of Crailing, near Jedburgh in the Borders, from 1604. His presbyterian convictions led him to fall foul of King James VI. He was locked up, then banished to Holland. There he published his 'Altare Damascenum' (1625), which was an argument for all his religious views. He returned to Scotland following the death of the king in 1625. As minister for Pencaitland he spent the rest of his life working on his 'History of the Church of Scotland'. This covered the early years of the Reformation in Scotland, from the execution of Patrick Hamilton to the death of James VI, and contained much information on the deliberations of religious reformers such as John Knox.

Testament of David Calderwood

National Records of Scotland, CC8/8/65 pp 417-421

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