Biographies

The Henderson name has been carried by remarkable individuals throughout history, from medieval Scotland to the modern world.

A minister of the Church of Scotland and one of the most important figures of the Scottish Reformation. Henderson was the principal author of the National Covenant of 1638, which resisted King Charles I's attempts to impose Anglican practices on the Scottish church. He served as Moderator of the General Assembly and was a skilled diplomat who helped negotiate between Scotland and England during the tumultuous 1640s.

Scotland's first Astronomer Royal, Thomas Henderson is celebrated for being one of the first astronomers to measure stellar parallax — the apparent shift in a star's position caused by Earth's orbit around the Sun. His measurement of Alpha Centauri provided one of the earliest determinations of a stellar distance, a landmark achievement in astronomy.

Hendersons have continued to make their mark across the world in fields ranging from science and medicine to law, military service, education, and the arts. The Clan Henderson Society celebrates these achievements through its awards programmes and newsletter features.