MAK'EMIE, FRANCIS ( 1?-1708). The father of American Presbyterianism. He was born near Rathmehon, County Donegal, Ireland; stud ied at Glasgow; was licensed by the Presby tery of Laggan in 1681, and went the next year as missionary to Barbados. In 1683 he went to Maryland and for several years combined com mercial traveling with gospel preaching. In he was on the eastern shore of Virginia. From 1693 to 1698 he was in Barbados. In 1699 be organized the Presbyterian church of Silo* Hill, Maryland, and other churches, and served as their pastor. In 1704 he went to London to appeal to the Presbyterians there for money and men. In this he was successful, and in 1706 the first `presbytery' met in Philadelphia. It was not a presbytery in the ordinary sense, how ever: rather 'a meeting of ministers for minis terial exercises,' and not subordinate to synod or assembly. On January 19, 1707, he preached in
a private house in New York City, Governor Cornbury having refused him permission to preach in the Dutch church. On January 21 he was arrested at Newtown, L. I., for preaching without the Governor's permission and impris oned in New York till March 1, and then only released on bail. On June 3 he was tried in New York City and acquitted, because he produced his license to preach, received in Barbados. under the terms of the Toleration Act of Wil liam and Mary (1689), which was valid in all parts of the realm. Though acquitted he was condemned to pay costs of both defense and prosecution. He died in 1708 in Aecomac County, Va. Consult Briggs, Presby terianism (New York, 1885) ; Sprague, Annals of the American Pulpit, vol. iii. (New York, 1858).