William Wilson (Secession minister)

[1] (Gilbert forfeited this for his adherence to the Presbyterian cause; he went to Holland, but returning at the Revolution, was appointed Comptroller of Customs at Greenock).

He and his people erected a meeting-house, and the Associate Presbytery appointed him their Professor of Divinity, 5 November 1736, but he sank under his contentions and labours and died 8 October 1741.

The general assembly passed an act ordaining that when the right of presentation was not exercised by the patron, the ministers should be elected by the heritors and elders, and not by the congregation.

The assembly, indignant at the terms of the protest, required a retractation, and failing to obtain it, the standing commission suspended Wilson and his three associates on 9 August 1733, refused to hear a representation offered by Wilson and Moncrieff justifying their conduct, and on 12 November declared them no longer ministers of the Scottish church.

On 16 November the four ministers put their names to a formal act of secession, and on 6 December they constituted themselves an Associate Presbytery.

On 5 November 1736 the Associate Presbytery appointed Wilson their professor of divinity, and on 15 May 1740 the seceders, now eight in number, were finally deposed.