Henry Grieve


The Very Rev Dr Henry Grieve FRSE DD was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1783. He was a co-founder of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in the same year. He was also one of the Deans in the Chapel Royal in Edinburgh and Chaplain in Ordinary to King George IV.

Life

He was licensed to preach in 1759 and originally served in Dunbar. In 1762 he moved briefly to Twynholm then to Eaglesham before settling in Dalkeith in 1765 as parish minister.
In 1773 he approached the University of Edinburgh hoping to fill the vacant post of Adam Ferguson who was rumoured to be joining the East India Company, but Ferguson failed in this attempt therefore the approach came to nothing. He also tried for professorships at both the University of St Andrews and the University of Glasgoweach in competition with Prof James Beattie of Marischal College in Aberdeen.
In 1788 Grieve was the subject of a caricature by John Kay portraying him (together with Rev Dr Carlyle of Inveresk as a jackass ridden by Rev Henry Moncrieff-Wellwood. This followed a debate on patronage of the church and the use of stipends.
In 1789 he moved from the church at Dalkeith to New Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, in replacement of the Rev Martin. At this time he is listed as living at Buccleuch Place in Edinburgh’s South Side.
He died at Canaan House on Grange Loan on 10 February 1810. The house still exists as a building within the grounds of Astley Ainslie Hospital. He is buried in Dalkeith.

Publications

  • Observations on the Overture Concerning Patronage