Boyle (Bole), John

Boyle (Bole), John (fl. 1596–1639), minister, was born in Scotland, graduated MA from Edinburgh in 1596, and must have been ordained a minister in Scotland. In 1600, being blind, he was discharged by the general assembly from all ministerial duties save preaching, but was presented by James I to the charge of Eckford, Roxburghshire, in 1605. He was charged with adultery and deposed in 1610, but was encouraged by James Hamilton (qv), Viscount Claneboy, whose castle was at Killyleagh, Co. Down, to become stipendiary curate there; Hamilton had appropriated the tithes of the parish. Although Boyle seems not to have had strong presbyterian sympathies, he denounced in 1639 the imposition of what was called the ‘black oath’, whereby the government sought to force Scots in Ulster to abjure the covenant signed by Scottish opponents of episcopacy. The government summoned a number of Scottish clergy to Dublin and applied pressure to make them express opposition to the covenant. Boyle seems to have been one of these, though Lord Claneboy averred that it was still with some difficulty that at the end of August 1639, he persuaded Boyle, in sight of his congregation, to take the ‘black oath’. Notwithstanding his capitulation, he was taken to Dublin under arrest and nothing further was heard of him. He was married, and was survived by at least one daughter, Jean, who was still alive in 1675.