American Independence
The Most Famous Historical figure connected with Beith is John Witherspoon who influenced George Washington in the drafting of the American Declaration of Independence, and was one of its signatories
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Witherspoon was born in Yester, East Lothian. He graduated in divinity from Edinburgh University and was called to Beith in 1742. His mother was a direct descendant of John Knox.
During the 1745-6 rebellion he raised an army in the defence of King George and was captured by the Jacobites.
An active figure, he was invited to become the President of the
College of New Jersey at Princeton. After a two week voyage he arived
in New York in October, 1768.
He became a friend of George Washington and played a part in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It is said that he drew on the example of the 1320 Scottish Declaration of Arbroath.
He died in 1794, and was buried in Princeton.
The Declaration of Arbroath, 1320
For so long as a hundred of us remain alive,
we will yield in no way to English dominion.
For we fight, not for glory, nor for riches, nor for honour,
but only and alone for freedom,
which no good man surrenders but with his life.
