One of our great great great grandfathers was Matthew Patton. He was born about 1600 at Rosehall, Kilmarnock, Scotland. On 19 June 1639 he was married at Old Kirk Parish, Midlothian, Scotland. Matthew, a shoemaker in Newmilns, Scotland, was taken at Pentland, and executed at Glasgow, December 19, 1666.
Matthew Paton was tried along with three others who had been taken prisoner with him, and in site of every plea set up in their behalf all four were put to death. They were executed that day. "The men were most cheerful, and had much of a sense of the Divine love upon them, and a great deal of peace in their suffering." (Rambles Round Kilmarnock by Archibald R. Adamson, 1875).
Matthew was beheaded in the town square for his beliefs. The Stuart kings harboured the belief of the Divine Right of the Monarch. They believed that they were the spiritual heads of the Church of Scotland. The Covenanters believed that no man, not even a king, could be spiritual head of their church. Only Jesus Christ could be spritiual head of a Christian Church. There is a plaque and a monument erected in Matthew's honor.
3 comments:
Thank you so much for posting this information
I am related by marriage to Matthew Paton and this really made my research day. To find the photos and the wonderful information you posted.
There is a Covenanters cemetary in Centerville PA where my dad, uncle, and granddad are buried.
This is awesome! I’ve recently discovered that Matthew was my 11th great-grandfather, and I’m trying to find more information about him!
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