Riddle, John, Dd

Riddle, John, D.D., a minister of the Associate Reformed Church, was born in Monaghan County, Ireland, in 1758. He graduated at the University of Glasgow April 10, 1782, and entered upon the study of theology, under the supervision of John Brown, of Haddington. He was licensed to preach June 14, 1788, and was installed pastor of the congregation in Donaghloney, County Down, Nov. 18. In this connection he remained till the spring of 1794, when he came to the United States. In August of the same year he was installed at Robinson Run as pastor of the united congregations of Robinson Run and Union, in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. After a few years the congregations so increased that, at his request, he was released from Union, and settled for the whole of his time at Robinson Run. Here he continued to labor the remainder of his life, and died, after a month's illness, Sept. 4, 1829. Dr. Riddle took an active part in the management of the affairs of the Associate Reformed Church, which was in its infancy when he became a member of it. He was among those who opposed the proceedings of the General Assembly Reformed Synod, and who finally, in 1820, resolved to constitute themselves into an independent synod, to be known as the "Associate Reformed Synod of the West." He was a close student, argumentative in his preaching, and an excellent pastor. None of the productions of his pen were ever printed, though he left behind a large MS. on the subject of Religious Covenanting, which, had he lived a little longer, it is thought he would have published. See Sprague, Annals of the Amer. Pulpit, 9, 57.