Henry Erskine (minister)

Henry Erskine (1624–1696) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister.

Erskine was born at Dryburgh, in the parish of Mertoun, Berwickshire, one of the younger sons of Ralph Erskine of Shielfield, a cadet of the family of the Earl of Mar. Henry was brought up under the ministry of Mr. Simpson, minister of Dryburgh.

Erskine's first charge was at Cornhill-on-Tweed, in Northumberland. According to Robert Wodrow he was ordained in 1649, but according to others this occurred ten years later. From this charge he was ejected by the Act of Uniformity 1662. The revenues of his charge not having been paid to him, he went to London to petition the king; but after a delay he was told that unless he would conform he should have nothing. On his voyage home he was driven by a storm into Harwich, and preached there. But his wife could not be prevailed on to settle in the town.

On leaving Cornhill Erskine went to Dryburgh, where he lived in a house of his brother's. From time to time he exercised his ministry in a quiet way, till arousing the suspicion of Urquhart of Meldrum, one of those soldiers who scoured the country to put down conventicles, he was summoned to appear before a committee of privy council. Being asked by Sir George Mackenzie, Lord Advocate, whether he would engage to preach no more in conventicles, he refused. He was ordered to pay a fine, and to be imprisoned on the Bass Rock till he should pay the fine and promise to preach no more. Being in poor health he petitioned that the sentence might be changed to banishment from the kingdom. This was allowed, and he settled first at Parkridge, near Carlisle, and then at Monilaws, near Cornhill, where his son Ralph was born.

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