John King was an outlawed minister of the Covenant, chaplain at one time to Lord Cardross, but seized by Claverhouse among the insurgents after the affair at Drumclog.

Following his death King's head and limbs were displayed at the Netherbow Port on Edinburgh's Royal Mile beside James Guthrie's skull.

[2][3] John King, an outlawed minister of the covenant, fills a somewhat marked place in the episode of Scottish history which includes the battle of Bothwell Bridge.

[1] Lord Cardross himself was absent from home at the time, but as soon as he heard of his chaplain's arrest, he applied to the Privy Council by petition, complaining of the illegal entrance into his house.

At Hamilton, Claverhouse first heard of the meeting at Loudonhill, and on Sunday morning, June 1, he set out to disperse it, carrying King and the other prisoners along with him, bound two and two.

[4] King, making for Arran, was recaptured by stratagem on the estate of Blair, in the parish of Dalry, Ayrshire, shortly after the defeat of the covenanters at Bothwell, and was conveyed to Edinburgh.

[13] They pleaded that though found amongst the insurgents, they had taken no share in their proceedings, that they were in fact detained among them by force, that they had refused to preach to them, and, had seized the first opportunity of escaping before the battle.

[13][14] Proclamation was made immediately before the execution of an indulgence to the 'outed' ministers, and King and Kid were pressed by Robert Fleming the elder, then a fellow-prisoner, to signify their approval of it, which they resolutely declined to do.

It is, however, very far from being in the manner of Kettledrummle, and still less is this the case with his last speech, which is really worthy of the occasion, and says a great deal both for his tact, his ability, his piety, and his appreciative acquaintance with evangelical truth.