Every year at the opening of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, the wife of the moderator is presented a silver brooch that was created in 1843 to commemorate the Disruption, which gave birth to the Free Church [see images below]. Fashioned into a wreath of thistles, a central section depicts the burning bush, a symbol of the Church of Scotland, and it has five tombstones etched on it with the names of those the founders believed were important historical figures. The brooch heralds Andrew Melville, John Knox, David Welsh, James Renwick, and Alexander Henderson, and it is symbolic in multiple ways. The passing of history has dulled Henderson’s name, which is barely visible even with a magnifying glass, and it is time to revive his memory. With his image fading even among small groups of those who cherish his memory, my hope is that this updated biography will help to revive an interest in Alexander Henderson and the covenanting movement he led.

L. Charles Jackson, Riots, Revolutions, and the Scottish Covenanters: The Work of Alexander Henderson, 256.