William Craig Brownlee
Encyclopedia
William Craig Brownlee was an American
clergy
man, professor of languages and author. He was born in Lanarkshire
, Scotland
and was the fourth son of the Laird of Torfoot. President William McKinley
was a distant cousin.
Brownlee founded the Philoclean Society
at Rutgers
in 1825. Basking Ridge, NJ named a street, Brownlee Place, in his honor.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
, receiving a Master's degree with honors. He was licensed as a minister by the Church of Scotland in 1808, before coming to the United States. http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
Brownlee held several Associate Presbyterian pastorates in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey
and was master of a classical academy in Basking Ridge, NJ.http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/scua/university_archives/ru_historical_sketch.shtml He received an honorary degree from Princeton Theological Seminary
in 1820,http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/eadGetDoc.xq?id=/ead/mss/C0277.EAD.xml then the University of Glasgow
gave him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1824 for his critical work on the Quakers.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf Brownlee's parishioners described him as an independent thinker and engaging speaker who often criticized the Roman Catholic Church, Universalism and other groups.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
He became professor
of Latin
and Greek
at Rutgers College
in 1825. The next year, Brownlee was installed as a minister at the Collegiate Reformed Dutch church in New York City
. He served on a rotating basis among several Dutch Reformed Churches in Manhattan until 1860.http://www.collegiatechurch.org/ministers.html
In 1836, he helped found a group called The American Society to Promote the Principles of the Protestant Reformation. It was an anti-Catholic society, which was eventually absorbed into the American and Foreign Christian Union. It exists today as an ecumenical, mainline Protestant organization.http://www.afcubridge.org/History%202.htm
Brownlee's career was cut short by a paralyzing stroke in 1843, from which he never fully recovered, even though his mind remained clear. He and his wife had nine children.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
. In the book's introduction, he argued that the Scottish resistance lit the fires of liberty against "the gigantic efforts of a civil and religious fanaticism" from England. Walter Scott, whose portrayal of the Covenanters Brownleee called an injustice, was the epic's inspiration.
Brownlee also edited the Dutch Church Magazine (four volumes), founded The Protestant Vindicator newspaper in 1834, and published several books, including:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man, professor of languages and author. He was born in Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and was the fourth son of the Laird of Torfoot. President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
was a distant cousin.
Brownlee founded the Philoclean Society
Philoclean Society
The Philoclean Society at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey is one of the oldest collegiate literary societies in the United States, and among the oldest student organizations at Rutgers University...
at Rutgers
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1825. Basking Ridge, NJ named a street, Brownlee Place, in his honor.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
Career
Brownlee studied at the University of GlasgowUniversity of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, receiving a Master's degree with honors. He was licensed as a minister by the Church of Scotland in 1808, before coming to the United States. http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
Brownlee held several Associate Presbyterian pastorates in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and was master of a classical academy in Basking Ridge, NJ.http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/scua/university_archives/ru_historical_sketch.shtml He received an honorary degree from Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
in 1820,http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/eadGetDoc.xq?id=/ead/mss/C0277.EAD.xml then the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
gave him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1824 for his critical work on the Quakers.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf Brownlee's parishioners described him as an independent thinker and engaging speaker who often criticized the Roman Catholic Church, Universalism and other groups.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
He became professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
at Rutgers College
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1825. The next year, Brownlee was installed as a minister at the Collegiate Reformed Dutch church in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He served on a rotating basis among several Dutch Reformed Churches in Manhattan until 1860.http://www.collegiatechurch.org/ministers.html
In 1836, he helped found a group called The American Society to Promote the Principles of the Protestant Reformation. It was an anti-Catholic society, which was eventually absorbed into the American and Foreign Christian Union. It exists today as an ecumenical, mainline Protestant organization.http://www.afcubridge.org/History%202.htm
Brownlee's career was cut short by a paralyzing stroke in 1843, from which he never fully recovered, even though his mind remained clear. He and his wife had nine children.http://www.brpc.org/publications/BRPCHistory1717-1989.pdf
Works
Brownlee wrote the 1833 novel The Whigs of Scotland, a two-volume historical romance about The Killing TimeThe Killing Time
thumb|240px|[[Margaret Wilson |Margaret Wilson]], one of the 'Wigtown Martyrs', executed by drowning in the incoming tide of the Solway Firth ....
. In the book's introduction, he argued that the Scottish resistance lit the fires of liberty against "the gigantic efforts of a civil and religious fanaticism" from England. Walter Scott, whose portrayal of the Covenanters Brownleee called an injustice, was the epic's inspiration.
Brownlee also edited the Dutch Church Magazine (four volumes), founded The Protestant Vindicator newspaper in 1834, and published several books, including:
- Inquiry into the Principles of the Quakers (1824)
- The Whigs of Scotland: or, the Last of the Stuarts. An Historical Romance of the Scottish Persecution (1833)
- Letters in the Roman Catholic Controversy (1834)
- The Christian Youth's Book (1844)
- Treatise on Popery (1847)
- Lights and Shadows of Christian Life (1847)
- Narrative of the Battles of Drumclog and Bothwell Bridge (1850)
- Saint Patrick and the Western Apostolic Churches (1857)