David Leitch (minister)
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David Leitch (or Leith) (born 1608) was a Scottish philosopher who was commissioned to create various paraphrases and served as chaplain to the army during the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
and as well as to King Charles II.


Life

Leitch was born in 1607/8, the younger son of Rev Andrew Leitch of Maryton near Montrose on the
Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
coast. His brother was John Leitch the
epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word derives from the Greek (, "inscription", from [], "to write on, to inscribe"). This literary device has been practiced for over two millennia ...
matist. He graduated MA from King's College, Aberdeen in 1624 and remained there for some years, first as a "Regent" (the equivalent of a Fellow) then as "Sub-Principal" (Deputy Principal) from 1632.''Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae''; by Hew Scott He is also said to have been a professor at King's College (this would be normal for the Sub-Principal) and in April 1635 was the official who presided over the funeral of Patrick Forbes,
Bishop of Aberdeen The Bishop of Aberdeen (originally Bishop of Mortlach, in Latin Murthlacum) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th-century cleric named Nech ...
.The Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie AM In 1638 he was ordained as minister of
Ellon Ellon may refer to: *Ellon, Aberdeenshire Ellon () is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately north of Aberdeen, lying on the River Ythan, which has one of the few undeveloped river estuaries on the eastern coast of Scotland. It is i ...
, north of Aberdeen. At the instigation of the Covenant, he fled and sought protection of the King (Charles I), with whom he seems to have been personally acquainted, only returning to his ministry in June 1639. He gave a penitent sermon and swore allegiance to the Kirk in September 1640. In 1644 he is recorded as seeing a vision just after midnight of the sun shining as if in the day. He called his
beadle A beadle, sometimes spelled bedel, is an official who may usher, keep order, make reports, and assist in religious functions; or a minor official who carries out various civil, educational or ceremonial duties on the manor. The term has pre- ...
and neighbours who also witnessed the event. In 1648 he was commissioned with John Adamson and Zachary Boyd to paraphrase the songs of the Old and New Testament but this task was not completed. Just prior to the English Civil War he went to England to serve as Chaplain to the Army. He was thereafter chaplain to
King Charles King Charles may refer to: Kings A number of kings of Albania, Alençon, Anjou, Austria, Bohemia, Croatia, England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Ireland, Jerusalem, Naples, Navarre, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sardinia, Scotland, Sicily, S ...
in his capacity as King of Scotland. He was arrested and imprisoned at
Worcester Castle Worcester Castle was a Norman people, Norman fortification built between 1068 and 1069 in Worcester, England, Worcester, England by Urse d'Abetot on behalf of William the Conqueror. The castle had a motte-and-bailey design and was located on the ...
by Parliamentary forces but released in December 1649. He then returned to Scotland where he was appointed minister of
Kemnay Kemnay may refer to: * Kemnay, Manitoba, a community in Canada *Kemnay, Aberdeenshire Kemnay (Scottish Gaelic language, Gaelic: ''Camnaidh'') is a village west of Aberdeen in Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. History The village name ''Kemna ...
on 15 January 1650. He was replaced by Rev James Willox (formerly of Old Machar) in September 1654. In 1653, he was awarded a
Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...
whilst he was living near
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. He promised to return to his parish before 1 November but did not do so. On 16 May he was preaching in a church on the roadway to London. His fate is thereafter unknown. He corresponded with
Drummond of Hawthornden William Drummond (13 December 15854 December 1649), called "of Hawthornden", was a Scottish poet. Life Drummond was born at Hawthornden Castle, Midlothian, to John Drummond, the first laird of Hawthornden, and Susannah Fowler, sister of the ...
and Sir
Thomas Urquhart Sir Thomas Urquhart (1611–1660) was a Scottish aristocrat, writer, and translator. He is best known for his translation of the works of French Renaissance writer François Rabelais to English. Biography Urquhart was born to Thomas Urquhar ...
, who respected him as a poet, Latin scholar and theologian. He died sometime after 1657 (his last known published work).Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: David Veitch


Family

Leitch married Elspet Gordon and had at least three children: *David Leitch, burgess in Aberdeen (b.1655) and two daughters, Jean and Elizabeth.


Publications

*Positiones Nonnulloe Philisophicoe (1633) *Positiones Nonnulloe Logicoe et Philisophicoe (3 vols. 1634, 1635, 1636) *Philosophia Illachrymans (1637) *Theses Philosophicoe (1638) *Parerga (Latin poems, (1657)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leitch, David 1608 births People from Montrose, Angus Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Academics of the University of Aberdeen Neo-Latin poets 17th-century writers in Latin 17th-century Scottish philosophers Honorary chaplains to the King