Great Preachers from the Maghera area

Adam Clark

Dr. Adam Clarke was born at Moybeg in the parish of Kilcronaghan, near Maghera. His father, a schoolmaster, later moved the family to Maghera where he taught for several years.

Eventually, after several subsequent moves, Adam relocated to England where he became a linguistic scholar becoming fluent in at least 20 languages and producing works on a wide range of subjects, including theology, oriental languages and biblical studies. His most important work was his Bible Commentary, published in eight volumes between 1810 and 1826.

In later years he returned on a preaching tour of Ireland and visited his old home. He writes in a letter,

“From Castle-Dawson I proceeded toward Maghera, and stopped to view the place where I had spent the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth years of my checkered life. Half the house in which we lived, one of the best in that country, is pulled down I walked through the grounds where I had laughed and cried, sought birds’ nests, looked for fairies’ haunts, made good resolutions, and spent the most happy (and, perhaps, the most innocent) period of my life. Though I had left that place when about eight years of age, yet I remembered every hill and every hedge, where my brother and I used to see the fairies’ nocturnal fires. The orchard, from which I had eaten often of the choicest fruit, no longer exists.”

Adam Clarke’s Works

Alexander Carson, "Prince of Philologists," (1776-1844)

Carson was ordained the Presbyterian minister at Tobermore, three miles from Maghera in 1798. After a few years he left the Presbyterians because of their supposed opposition to itinerant preaching and also because he differed on the method of Church Government. As justification for this action, he published Reasons for Separating from the General Synod of Ulster (Edinburgh, 1804). A portion of his congregation followed him, and for ten years he preached in barns or the open air. Eventually, a stone church was built for him, in Tobermore, in 1814. In the early part of his independent career, while studying the New Testament in order to confute the Baptists, he became a Baptist himself, and began advocating many of their views. His book, Baptism, Its Mode and Subjects Considered (Edinburgh, 1831; enlarged ed., 1844) is a Baptist classic and is used by the Baptist communion through the world. His other writings were numerous and treat topics of Bible interpretation, philosophy, doctrinal and practical theology, and the like. He was accused of being a controversialist by his opponents but regardless of this, people walked anything from 10 to 15 miles to hear him preach. His congregation eventually grew 500 members--a sizeable group for the Baptist faith in those days. However, his influence as a writer on the subject of Baptism continues to this day. For a sample of his writings click below:

Alexander Carson writings 1
Alexander Carson writings 2

Charles Thomson: Statesman and Theologian


Charles Thomson: (November 29 1729-Aug 16 1824). Charles Thomson, was known as the ‘unofficial Prime Minister of the United States’, He was born in Maghera and emigrated to the Colonies in 1740. Educated at a seminary in New London, Pennsylvania , he made rapid progress, and while yet little more than a boy he was chosen to conduct a Friends' academy at New Castle.

He often visited Philadelphia, met Benjamin Franklin there, and was brought to the notice of many other eminent men. His reputation for truthfulness was spread even among the Indian tribes, and when the Delawares adopted him into their nation in 1756 they , called him in their tongue "man of truth." Reverend Ashbel Green, in his autobiography, says that it was common to say that a statement was "as true as if Charles Thomson's name was to it."

He was one of the first to take his stand with the colonists against England, and exercised immense influence, owing to the confidence of the people in his ability and integrity. . "He was the Sam Adams of Philadelphia," said John Adams, "the life of the cause of liberty." He had just come to Philadelphia in September, 1774, with his bride, a sister of Benjamin Harrison, a future signer of the Declaration of Independence, when he learned that he had been unanimously chosen secretary of the 1st Continental congress. "He was the soul of that political body," says Abbe Robin, the chaplain of Rochambeau. He remained in this post under every congress up to 1789, not only keeping the records but taking copious notes of its proceedings and of the progress of the Revolution. When he retired into private life he made these notes the basis of a history of the Revolution but he destroyed the manuscript some time before his death, as he feared that a description of the unpatriotic conduct of some of the colonists at that period would give pain to their descendants.

He served as the secretary of the Continental Congress through its entirety (1774-1789). Through the 15 years, the Congress saw many delegates come and go. Thomson's dedication to recording the debates and decisions provided tremendous continuity.

Thomson is also noted for designing the Great Seal of the United States. Furthermore, he and John Hancock are the only two signatories of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence which was printed on July 4th 1776. Printer, James Dunlap, originally from Strabane, County Tyrone, printed 500 copies of same for distribution. One of these copies bearing Thomson’s name was delivered to King George.

In 1808, after 19 years of work, he provided the first American translation from Greek of the oldest version of the Old Testament of the Bible. Few now remain of the original one thousand published editions of Thomson's four-volume 1808 translation. That same year, Thomson also published his translation of the New Testament.

He also published "A Synopsis of the Four Evangelists, or a Regular History of the Conception.”

Henry Cooke, 1788-1868.

Born at the Grillagh, Maghera. More than anyone, Cooke led Ulster Presbyterianism away from the free-thinking radicalism which had spawned the United Irishmen's rising during his childhood. He gained prominence in 1821 by routing, in debate, a visiting English preacher, John Smethurst, who held Arian views (Arians deny the deity of Christ). In 1824, Cooke was elected moderator of the Synod of Ulster.

By 1829, his oratorical command over the synod was such that the Arians, led by his rival Henry Montgomery, were forced to withdraw. In the same year, Cooke was called to a new church in May Street, Belfast, where he drew large congregations. His statue, The Black Man, is opposite the Tech and RBAI in Belfast.

Rev. John Glendy DD, the fiery preacher of the Presbyterian Church in Maghera escaped to America after the failed rising of the United Irishmen (1798). His escape was dramatic and colorful in that he disguised himself as a woman, was on the run for two weeks and managed to escape the fate of his comrade, fellow Maghera Presbyterian , Watty Graham. Glendy (pronounced Glen dye) arrived in the States with practically nothing having crossed the Atlantic on a ship that nearly sank. His first sermon on American soil was delivered in a Virginia courthouse to fellow survivors of the hard journey. He became a temporary minister of the Presbyterian Church of Staunton, Virginia in 1804. Known for his "perfect torrent of Irish eloquence” he drew the attention of President Thomas Jefferson who invited him to preach in Washington. In 1805, that acquaintance led to Dr. Glendy's appointment as Chaplain of the House of Representatives and in 1815, Chaplain of the Senate. Dr. Glendy's acquaintance with the President also led to his call to Second Presbyterian Church in Baltimore.

Accounts say Glendy was so short of stature he would preach standing on a pulpit Bible, but regardless of physical stature, Dr. Glendy filled the pews with attentive listeners. While at Second Presbyterian, he oversaw the construction of the original church building, organized male and female Sunday schools, and served as Chaplain of the Maryland State Penitentiary. Failing health forced him to step down in 1829 after 26 years of service. He moved to Philadelphia where he died in 1832. His body was brought by ship to the docks of Baltimore where a grieving community buried their beloved Dr. Glendy by moonlight beside his wife.

Cooke’s Statue
A.k.a. “The Black Man