John Bonar (minister)
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John Bonar (1721–1761) was a Church of Scotland minister.
John Bonar was born at Clackmannan on 4 November 1721; his father, also called Rev John Bonar (1696–1752), was then tutor at Kennet, and his mother Jean Smith was a daughter of William Smith of Alloa. His father was ordained minister of the united parishes of Fetlar and North Yell, in Shetland, in 1729, and young John was then sent to his grandfather's manse at Torphichen, Linlithgowshire. There he received a parish school education, and then went to the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated MA on 27 April 1742.[1][2]
Bonar was licensed as a minister of the Church of Scotland on 5 June 1745, and ordained 22 August 1746 as the minister of the parish of Cockpen, near Dalkeith.[2] In 1756 he received a presentation to the church of Jedburgh, from William Kerr, 4th Marquess of Lothian. He was unable to take it up, however, in the face of strong local opposition, from supporters of Thomas Boston;[1] Boston was minister at Oxnam, just outside Jedburgh, and had the support of the Town Council. The Marquess's objection to the evangelical Boston was personal, rather than theological. and in the end John Douglas was nominated.[3] Bonar was called to the second or collegiate church of Perth and settled there 29 July 1756.[2]
Bonar died at Perth 21 December 1761, aged 39, from what his son James called 'an inflammatory fever'.[1][2]
