James Glasgow

Current conclusion

The published General Synod records directly place a ruling elder James
Glasgow beside William Taylor in 1698 and 1703, and a man of the same name and
office beside James Scott in 1705. The first two appearances are near-certainly
one man; that the 1705 occurrence is the same man is possible, not established
(lowered from probable on 6 October 2026, because it rests on the name, the office
and neighbouring parishes only). The Synod entries record
representatives, not residences. Taylor also appears with different elders in
later Synods, so Robert King's appearance beside Taylor in 1705 does **not**
prove that James moved to Duneane or permanently changed congregations.

No wife or child of James has been proved. Existing uncertain relationships may
remain useful research links, but none should be presented as documentary
descent.

The later Bannside/Clough household of [[Glasgow-1657|John Glasgow]] and
[[McClure-6341|Jane McClure]] is a genuine western or mid-Antrim family with
documented children, including [[Glasgow-1780|Rev. James McClure Glasgow]]. It
is the most substantial later family found in the wider area, but no record
connects John to this elder. The surviving public description of the Crawford
and Glasgow papers begins that household with John and Jane rather than naming
John's parents. It is therefore a descendant candidate only in the broadest
sense, not a proposed attachment.

The western County Antrim `Glass` households are not presently evidence of his
children. MacAfee's 1669 transcription separately standardises Jo and James
`Glascho` of Kilwaughter as **Glasgow**, while recording an established `Glass`
population at Drummaul: John Glass at Andraid and John and Neile Glass at
Coolsythe. The 1740 Drummaul Adam Glass, John Glass and two Glass widows fit
continuity of that local Glass population better than migration from this James.
Do not normalise Glass to Glasgow without a record joining the surnames.

Henry `Glads` in Duneane in 1740 is the strongest unresolved spelling candidate
because of the unusual form and the same parish association, but the return
states no relationship and does not identify him as a Glasgow. No WikiTree
profile should be created or attached until the closest surviving return or a
second record resolves his surname and identity.

Source findings

| Source | Finding | Assessment |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [*Records of the General Synod of Ulster*, vol. 1](https://archive.org/stream/recordsofgeneral01pres/recordsofgeneral01pres_djvu.txt), 1698, 1703 and 1705 | William Taylor appears with James Glasgow in 1698/1703; James Scott appears with James Glasgow in 1705. | Direct published Synod evidence for minister/elder pairings. It does not state residence, transfer, parentage or children. |
| W. MacAfee, [1669 County Antrim Hearth Money Roll transcription](https://www.billmacafee.com/1660shearthmoneyrolls/1669hearthmoneyrollsantrim.pdf), p. 36 | John Glass at Andraid and John and Neile Glass at Coolsythe were in Drummaul; Jo and James `Glascho` at Kilwaughter were separately standardised as Glasgow. | Strong evidence that Glass was already an established local surname and must not automatically be merged with Glasgow. |
| W. MacAfee, [1740 County Antrim Protestant Householders' Return](https://www.billmacafee.com/1740returns/1740protestantreturnsantrim.pdf), pp. 34–35 | Henry `Glads` was in Duneane; Adam Glass, John Glass and two Glass widows were in Drummaul. | Direct derivative transcription of distinct entries. Henry is a spelling/identity lead only; the Drummaul entries probably continue the older Glass population. |
| National Archives of Ireland, [CSO/RP/1833/6068, original ref. 1833/6354](https://csorp.nationalarchives.ie/search/index.php?browse=true&browseresults=true&category=27&offset=6060&subcategory=204) | The 11-item/27-page packet concerning the Drummaul/Duneane tithe dispute includes a return naming 17 Coolsythe tithe payers. | Specific archive pull capable of testing Glass continuity; the online catalogue does not expose the names. Do not claim a Glasgow absence or presence until inspected. |
| Irish Manuscripts Commission, [PHSI collection description](https://irishmanuscripts.ie/womenshistorysources/index.php?whp_function=1&whp_identifier=6204) | Lists `Antrim Presbytery: Parcel of minutes, 1697–1713`, an earlier 1671–1691 volume, and Connor Presbytery minutes for 1693–1735. | The 1697–1713 parcel spans every known appearance of James and is the best surviving church-court target. Preserve the archive's exact label. |
| PHSI, [timeline for Presbyterianism in Ireland](https://presbyterianhistoryireland.com/history/timeline-for-presbyterianism-in-ireland/) | Dates the Presbytery of Belfast to 1697 and formation of the later Presbytery of Antrim to 1726. | Terminology caution: do not assume the catalogue's `Antrim Presbytery` label for 1697–1713 denotes precisely the post-1726 institution. |
| Registry of Deeds Index Project, [townland-index update](https://blog.irishdeedsindex.net/index.php/major-townland-index-update) and [film guide](https://irishdeedsindex.net/guides/townland_films.htm) | County Antrim townland-index transcription is complete for 1708–1820; original-index films are 100382 for 1708–1738 and 100395 for 1739–1810. | Search Andraid and Coolsythe in the townland index before relying on incomplete person-name indexes. That search remains open, not negative. |
| [Registry of Deeds Index Project](https://www.irishdeedsindex.net/), surname and County Antrim townland indexes, searched 13 August 2026 | No Glasgow/Glascho/Glads party was found at Andraid, Coolsythe, Drummaul, Duneane or Randalstown in the relevant early period. The indexed Andraid and Coolsythe deeds were from 1811–1820; the two earlier Duneane entries named other parties. | Bounded negative finding. Registered deeds were never a complete population record and the volunteer person index is incomplete, but the public index supplies no descendant bridge. |
| PRONI, [Crawford and Glasgow family papers, D2003/MIC128, public introduction](https://www.sommemidulster.org/dwd/pdfs/02002.pdf) | Rev. A. R. Crawford compiled two Glasgow-family histories; the collection description identifies Rev. James McClure Glasgow, born near Clough in 1805, as the third of seven children of John Glasgow of Bannside and Jean/Jane McClure. | High-value archive lead for the later Clough family. The public description does not carry that line back to this elder, and the manuscript histories are not publicly digitised. |

Record-coverage limits

Ordinary local church registers do not reach James's likely child-bearing
period: Old Randalstown Presbyterian baptisms begin in 1853; Randalstown First
marriages in 1845; Randalstown Second baptisms/session minutes in 1850; and
Duneane Presbyterian baptisms in 1864 and marriages in 1845. Broad baptism
index searches for children born about 1695–1720 cannot resolve this family.

Recommended profile correction

Use this wording in place of any claim that James moved to Duneane:

```text
The James Glasgow appearing beside James Scott of Duneane in 1705 is possibly
the same man as William Taylor's elder in 1698 and 1703. The Synod entries list
ministerial and elder representatives; they do not record James's residence.
William Taylor appeared with different elders in later Synods, so the change
of representative does not prove that James moved to Duneane or permanently
transferred congregations.
```

Next records

- PHSI manuscript parcel catalogued as `Antrim Presbytery: minutes, 1697–1713`, especially Taylor's call/ordination business and the years 1697–1705.
- Original Registry of Deeds townland-index images and memorials for Andraid, Coolsythe and Duneane. The public transcribed index supplied no bridge, so spelling and omitted-party checks now require the images.
- The closest surviving 1740 entry for Henry `Glads` and NAI `CSO/RP/1833/6068`, especially the 17-name Coolsythe return.
- The two Glasgow-family histories and later typescript additions in PRONI `D2003/MIC128`, looking specifically for the parents of [[Glasgow-1657|John Glasgow]] of Bannside.

Children of `Glasgow-3967` remain **unknown; none proved**.

Source findings

### Synod rolls re-read on the page images — 6 October 2026

*Records of the General Synod of Ulster*, vol. 1 (Belfast, 1890), Antrim presbytery lists, read on the page images by two readers:

- **1 June 1698** ([p. 27](https://archive.org/details/recordsofgeneral01pres/page/27/mode/1up)) and **1 June 1703** ([p. 64](https://archive.org/details/recordsofgeneral01pres/page/64/mode/1up)): James Glasgow is printed as the ruling elder beside William Taylor, whom the Synod records as ordained "at Drumaul, May 26, '97" (p. 18). The roll names no congregation or residence for the elder. That he was the Drumaul (Randalstown) congregation's elder is probable, an inference from the pairing of minister and elder.
- **5 June 1705** ([p. 91](https://archive.org/details/recordsofgeneral01pres/page/91/mode/1up)): James Glasgow is printed as ruling elder beside James Scott, minister of Duneane (Killen, *History of Congregations*). Scott's other printed elders were James Rainey (1697), Wm Mundale (1698), James Stewart (1703), William Munnel (1704), John Hill (1706), Alexr Neilson (1707), James Steuart (1708) and James Anderson (1710).

Bolton's "Randalstown" and "Dunean" are index labels taken from the ministers; the Synod prints no locality for the elder. "Iron-Works", in the 1697 list of congregations for the new Presbytery of Connor (p. 24), is probably Drumaul: the list has no Drumaul, and Killen quotes the 1656 minute placing Drumaul's preaching-house "at the iron-works". The Synod text itself never equates the two.

Identity assessment — the Synod elder and James Glasgow of Kilwaughter, 6 October 2026

The Synod elder of 1698 and 1703 is **probably not** James Glasgow of Kilwaughter (Glasgow-1081). In 1703 Larne's own elder, James Caldwell, sat beside Ogilvie while this James sat beside Taylor of Drumaul. Porter's list of "The Session of Enver, alias Lairn, from the tyme of the ordination of Rev. Mr. Ogilvie" ([*The Christian Unitarian* 3, pp. 18-19](https://archive.org/details/christianunitari0003unse/page/18/mode/1up); November 1700; a printed transcription of a manuscript copy) names twenty elders and no Glasgow, and the Kilwaughter James first appears as an elder on the list that opens the 1721 session book. That list does not cover 1698-99 or 1702-1720, so this supports keeping the two men apart without settling it. The 1705 man is less securely separated.

The Synod text gives no age, birth, death, residence or parentage for him.

Recommended correction — WikiTree fields, 6 October 2026

Queued for review; nothing has been changed on WikiTree.

- **Dates.** Keep birth "before 1678" and death "after 1705". "After 1705" is directly supported (last printed 5 June 1705). "Before 1678" is an estimate from the office held in 1698; say so in the biography.
- **Father.** Keep the link to Glasgow-1081 flagged uncertain. No record supports it; it rests on the shared name alone. Detaching it without an evidenced replacement would break the project rule on attached people, so the choice to detach is the owner's.
- **Birthplace.** Leave "Duneane" in place but state in the biography that no record gives a birthplace and that Duneane comes only from the 1705 row beside James Scott; mark it uncertain if it is not already.
- **Occupation.** He was a ruling elder, not a minister; the catalogue page currently shows "minister".