minister of Templepatrick, who died Anno Dom. 1634. Stephenson gives another epitaph: "Here lies interred under this stone,Great Knoxes grand child, John Welshes son ;Born in Scotland, and bred up in France,He then came to Ireland the gospel to advance." Family Josias Welsh, minister of Templepatrick, married subsequent to his settlement in Ireland, but his wife's name and the date of his marriage have not transpired. As his wife is not mentioned at the time of his death, it is probable she died before him. Appended to a declaration for settling the Province of Ulster, dated Carrickfergus, 23 May 1653, are the names of 260 persons, in the counties of Down and Antrim, whom Cromwell's commissioners proposed to remove to certain districts in Munster. Among these is named in the "Six-Mile Water" quarters, "Captain George Welsh." The Six-Mile Water district included the parish of Templepatrick, and those enumerated in "the Declaration" were persons obnoxious to Cromwell on account of their adhesion to monarchical and Presbyterian principles. From these considerations it is not improbable that Captain Welsh was a son of the minister of Templepatrick. So far as is known, there was in Ulster no other family of the name. The "Declaration" of Cromwell's commissioners not having been acted upon, Captain Welsh remained in Ulster, but his name does not reappear. John Welsh, minister of Kirkpatrick-Irongray, in the county of Dumfries, is known to have been a son of Josias Welsh, and a great-grandson of John Knox and Margaret Knox. Character Josias Welsh was minister at Templepatrick in the north of Ireland, commonly called the Cock of the Conscience by the people of the country, because of his extraordinary wakening and rousing gift. He was one of that society of ministers which wrought that unparalleled work in the north of Ireland about the year 1636; but was himself a man most sadly exercised with doubts about his own salvation all his time, and would ordinarily say, that minister was much to be pitied who was called to comfort weak saints and had no comfort himself. Josias was the author of a short catechism. References Citations Sources External links 1634 deaths Scottish Calvinist and Reformed theologians 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians Ulster Scots people