John Scott Porter

He took his arts course at the Belfast Academical Institution in 1817–19 and 1821–3, acting in the interim as tutor in a private family in County Kilkenny.

On 1 January 1826 he received a unanimous call from the Presbyterian congregation in Carter Lane, Doctors' Commons, London, and was ordained there on 2 March, in succession to John Hoppus.

[1] With David Davidson, minister at the Old Jewry, Scott Porter kept a school at Rosoman House, Islington; among his pupils was Dion Boucicault.

He accepted a call (11 September 1831) to the first Presbyterian church of Belfast, and was installed on 2 February 1832 by the Presbytery of Antrim as successor to William Bruce (1757–1841), and colleague to William Bruce (1790–1868) His ministry at Belfast included an early public discussion (14–17 April 1834) on the unitarian controversy with Daniel Bagot, and the arguments on both sides were issued in a joint publication.

He contributed revised translations of Kings, Chronicles, Ezekiel, and Daniel to an edition of The Holy Scriptures of the Old Covenant issued by Longmans, 1859–1862.

[1] Porter married, on 8 October 1833, Margaret (d. 7 April 1879, aged 66), eldest daughter of Andrew Marshall, M.D.