1650.—HERITABLE BAILIE—Teinds, Feu
Duties, &c.—In the beginning of the year 1650, Lord John Hay
obtained by decree of apprising to the office of heritable
bailie, and also to a lease of the
teinds and feu-duties held by the Earl
of Dunfermline. (Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i.
p. 257.)
DISMEMBERMENT OF DUNFERMLINE PARISH.—Early in 1650, the lands of
Pitdinnes, Luscar, and
Clune, hitherto in the parish of
Dunfermline, were disjoined from it and annexed to the Parish of
Carnock. (Barb. Fife, Kin.
and Clack. P. 106.)
A
WITCH’S PRAYER.—In the Kirk Session Records of Dunfermline, under
date 7th May, 1650, is the following minute-entry of
the prayer of Marion Cunnynghame, a
reputed witch, viz.:--
“7th
May: This day comperit
marion
Cunnynghame, who, the last day of April, 1650, gave in a
complaint against Janet huton for
calling her witche and
banisht theef,
which complaint was not accepit nor
heard, because she did not consign her money for proving the
same. Bot the
Jonet huton
appearand the sd
day and hearing the caus for which she
was cited Denyit
yt she callit her a
witche, bot
affirmit yt
the sd marion
said over a prayer ilk nyt
quhen she went to
hir bed whitch
wes not law, for the
whitch she wes
angrie and reproved
hir, they being dwelling in one
hous; whitch
prayer the sd
Jonet being desyrit to repeat
it, affirmed yt she had
bot a part yrof,
whitch she said over as follows,
viz.:--‘Out throw toothe and out throw
tongue, out throw liver and out throe tongue, and out throw
halie harn
pan; I drank of this blood instead of wine; thou
shalt have
mutifire all thy dayes
syne, the bitter and the
baneshaw and
manie euil
yt no man knows.’ Upon the whitch
the said marion
being askit,
denyit the same altogidder.
Bot it was affirmed be the
sd
Jonet, as also be Jon
Colyeare, tailyeo,
that some of her nytboors, who
hes oftymes
heard the sd
marion say ouer the same, can
testifie yrof
as well as she. Therefore it was referrit
to the sd Jon or
anie uythers of the session to
try the sam and to get a
copie yroff
fra them against this day, At
whitch tyme
the sd marion
was ordaint to be present also: This
day, 7 of May, 1650, Dauid Lindsay of
Cavill gave in a
copie of sd
marion
Cunnynghame’s prayer, repeated and said
ouer to him be herself, as follows:--
‘The day is fryday, I shall fast
quhill I may ; to hear the knell of
Christ his bell, the lord God on his chappell
stood, and his 12 apostles good. In came
Drightine dear lord of Almightine;
say ;man or Ladie sweet St. Marie, qt
is yon fire, so light, so bright, so far
furthe fra me; it is my dear
sone Jesus, he is
naild to the tre; he is
naild weill,
for he is naild throw
wynegare, throw
toothe and throw tongue, throw hail
harn pan.’ Upon the whitch the
sd marion
being posed confest and also repeated
the said prayer before the Session; the qlk
day the sd Jon
Colyeare gave in ane
uthir copie,
whitche agreeing word by word with
that whitch was repeated by
Jonet hutton,
and whitch then the
sd marion
denyit altogedder.
Now, she being posed yrupon, she
confest this following, viz.:--‘Out
throw thoothe and out throw tongue,
out throw liver and out throw tongue, and
out throw the halie
harn pan:’ but
denyit, be the death she must go to,
thir words following :--‘I drank of this blood instead of
wyne; thou shalt
have mutifire all thy days
syne; the bitter and the
baneshaw, and
manie evil yt
na man knawes.”
After other “posings” and “takings”
before the Presbytery, she was, until further findings, suspended
from the communion of the Kirk. It is lamentable to find such
serious trifling in 1650.
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—James Reid elected Provost. (Bur.
Records.)
NEW
CHURCH TOKENS.—“28th May: This day it is
ordaint that yr be new
takens made with a new stamp, and
having the present zeir of god,
‘1650,’ on the one side, and ‘D.F.’ on the other side. June 25th:
Item, peyit for
ane stane and
allevin pund
weight of lead, to be tokens, at 3s the pund
(3d.); that is 3lib. 12s. Item,
allowit to Thomas
Couper for making the calmes
and castin the tokens, and
bygane zeirs,
and rent awand him to the poor.” (Dunf.
Kirk Ses.
Rec.) The writer has two of these early tokens of the Kirk of
Dunfermline, in his possession. They are of lead, about 5/8 of an
inch in diameter and 1-16th think, with the large
capital letters, “D. F. N.” in alto on the surface.
“KAVIL LOCH.”—The picturesque and considerable sized loch of
Cavil, near Dunfermline, having been much diminished by draining
and other causes, became almost invisible by the year 1650. (MS.
Note.)
MANUSCRIPT SERMON..—There is still
extant, and in good preservation, a beautifully-written sermon (55
pp. 4to), by Mr. Walter Dalgleish of
Dunfermline, about 1650. It is entitled, “None but Christ.” He
instances twenty-four common objections to Scriptural doctrines,
and gives solutions of them. This sermon has been often referred
to by divines, &c. It is now in the possession of our much
esteemed friend David Laing, Esq.,
LL.D., Signet Library, Edinburgh.
THE
DUNFERMLINE DECLARATION.—The document
known as “The Dunfermline Delcaration”
is dated 16th August, 1650. King Charles II.
being then at Dunfermline, subscribed
to it with a feigned sincerity, confirmatory of his former oath to
adhere to both Covenants. In “The Declaration” the King avowed
that he renounced Popery and Prelacy, and that he “would have no
enemies but the enemies of the Covenant;” that he ‘would always
esteem them best servants and most loyal subjects who serve him
and seek his greatness in a right line of subordination to God,
giving unto God the things that are God’s, and unto Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s.” It is related that when Mr. Patrick
Gillespie put the pen into the King’s hand to subscribe, he told
him that “if he was not satisfied in his soul and conscience,
beyond all hesitation of the righteousness of the subscription, he
was so far from overdriving him to run upon that for which he had
no light, that he obtested him—yea,
charged him in his Master’s name—not to subscribe the Declaration:
no, not for three kingdoms.” To which the King answered: “Mr.
Gillespie, Mr. Gillespie, I am satisfied, I am satisfied, and
therefore will subscribe it.” The King’s after history shows how
he fell from the faith, and also how he lived. (Crookshanks’
Hist. Church Scot., Edin. edit., 1751,
vol. i. pp. 38-40.)
1651.—GREAT DEARTH in Dunfermline.—It is mentioned in the Kirk
Session that there was a great dearth in Dunfermline in February
this year.
GUILDRY RECORDS.—In the Guildry
Register of the date a list of the Guild Brethren is given, along
with uninteresting memoranda.
ESTATE OF PITTENCRIEFF.—A disposition to the Pittencrieff estate,
dated 12th May, 1651, was given to Sir Alexander Clerk
by Charles, Earl of Dunfermline. (Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol.
i. p. 527.)
REGISTER OF ST. LEONARD’S HOSPITAL, &C.—In the Register of this
hospital, of date 1651, there is to be found the singular entry,
which mentions that the Hospital, &c., of St. Leonard’s
Dunfermline, was founded in the time of Malcolm Canmore—traditionally,
it is presumed.
MYSE BONAR CURSES DUNFERMLINE, and Wishes it was
Reburned.—“3rd June,
1651.—This day Myse
bonar, spous
to Wm. bowie webster, being found
guiltie by the probation of
witnessis, of cursed and slanderous
speetches in saying, ‘God or fire, and
ridd lows, come upon the
haill town as it did before and God or
Cromwell come and tak all the
toune upon his
bak, if she wer out of it’:
Therefore, according to the act of session, made the 7 of May,
1626, against those caste up the burning of the
toun, in a cursed and blasphemous way,
she is ordaint to pay 3 lb. money, and
to stand at the Croce, or
tron, on ane
publick mercat
day, with ane paper on her head,
signifying hir cursing and
blasphemies, betwixt 11 and 12 before noon, and
aftir ask gods
forgiviness on hir knees: And
on the Sabbath immediately following, shall also
aftir semon,
before noon, stand in the face of the congregation before the
pulpett confess
hir cursing and blasphemies, and ask gods
forgiviness and declare her repentance
yfore and promise
neuer to doe the like againe.”
(Dunf. Kirk Ses.
Rec.)
THE
OLD CHAPEL OF ST. JAMES’S, NORTH QUEENSFERRY, is understood,
traditionally, to have been demolished by Cromwell’s “sogers”
at this period. (See also Annals Dunf. dates 1323, 1479.)
BATTLE OF PITREAVIE.—Part of Cromwell’s Army in Dunfermline
&c.—There are several accounts imprint regarding the engagement at
Pitreavie, the following notanda are
extracted from the most interesting on record:--“On Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, the 17th, 18th and 19th
July, 1651, General Cromwell and his army crossed the Firth of
Forth, landing at Inverkeithing. On Sunday, July 20th,
the engagement began with skirmishes at Inverkeithing. Cromwell’s
army pressed on northward, and a last a general battle took place
between the English and the Scotch armies on the level ground
south of where Pitreavie House stands. From this circumstance the
small battle is generally known as ‘The Battle of
Perreavie.’ It has also been called
‘The Battle of Inverkeithing,’ that burgh being within a short
distance of the battlefield.”
For
several years previous to the affair at Pitreavie,
the Civil War had been raging in England between Charles
and his subjects. The army of the King (the Royal army) was
conducted by Charles in person, and his Generals; and the army
raised by Cromwell to oppose him, “the
Prliamentary army,” was led to battle by General Cromwell
himself and able Generals. Success attended
Cronwell; discomfiture, Charles. (For full particulars of
all “the shifting of positions, skirmishes, battles,” &c., of this
disastrous period, the reader is referred to works on the subject,
as also to the Histories of England and Scotland.)
Latterly, the Civil War had been transferred to Scotland, and the
“shiftings of position” brought the hostile armies face to face,
near Stirling. Cromwell wanted to push on the Perth via Stirling
Bridge, but here meeting with the Royal forces in such a strong
position, he declined to risk a general engagement to disperse
them. For about a month the two armies confronted each other.
Cromwell getting tired of his long inaction,
dispatched Colonel Overton, his able General, into Fife to turn
the left flank of Charles’s army. Accordingly, Overton, and a
large detachment of forces, went to Queensferry, and crossed from
thence to Crook-Ness, near Inverkeithing. The crossing was much
impeded for want of boats and three days were taken up with the
transference of the detachment to the shores of Fife. During the
time that the landing was going on, a company of 100 men, citizens
of Perth, at the request of Charles, marched from Perth to oppose
the landing of Cromwell’s trooper. On their way they “met in with
a detachment from the army at Dunfermline of 3000 men (of these
about 1000 were Dunfermline men), and were attacked at Pitreavie,
near Inverkeithing, and defeated by a superior number of
Cromwell’s army, 1600 being killed of Charles’s army, and 1200
taken prisoners.” It is understood that the relative strength of
the opposing forces were—Cromwell’s detachment, about 6000 men;
the detachment sent into the field by Charles, about 4000 men.
Thus there would be about 10,000 warriors engaged in the plain
before Pitreavie.
It
would appear that the carnage was great; the fight of Sunday, 20th
July, 1651, was remembered very vividly for several generations.
“A rill, traversing the valley, called the Pinkerton-burn,”
tradition says, “ran with blood for several days, and the
appearance of the little mounds, or heaps of the slain, resembled
a hairst field of
stooks of corpses.” The names of the commanders of the
Royal army on this day were Generals Brown and
Holborn; the latter is charged with
“the blot of threachery and hypocrisy.” General Brown was taken
prisoner, and sent to Edinburgh Castle shortly afterwards. He did
not long survive the battle; he died of a broken heart. The army
of Cromwell was led by Overton and Lambert.
In
some old works and manuscripts, it is recorded, that, before
sounding the attack, the brave Sir John Brown ordered his men to
kneel and pray for success to their arms; immediately after which
the battle commenced, and continued for about six hours, when the
Scots retreated to Pitreavie, but only to renew the conflict,
which now raged with terrific violence for another two hours, when
the Scots, after a most gallant resistance, were subdued. Mr.
Coventry says—“When the battle was lost, the Highlanders fled to
the Castle of Pitreavie for an asylum, invoking the Virgin Mary
for protection, and aid, and in their native dialect, cried aloud,
‘Oigh, oigh!’
They put their backs to the wall of the Castle (or house), and
continued to protect themselves with their drawn swords, when
those within threw down stones from the roof and bartizan upon the
poor fellows and killed them.” It was often remarked, after this
“inhuman treatment,” that, from that day, the
Wardlaws of Pitreavie “fell awa’
like snaw off a dyke.” (Mem.
Perth, pp. 169, 170.)
The
battle, on all hands, is admitted to have been a most affecting
spectacle, and to have presented a sad sight after the action.
“People came from Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, &c., in search of
their nearest and dearest relatives and friends, who, when they
found their dead, were overwhelmed with grief, and gave themselves
up to wild despair; and when their friends were found in life, and
likely to live, they became frantic with joy. What a field!—the
dead and dying; the tempests of grief commingling with those of
joy!” The words of Sir Walter Scott, in
Marmion, (slightly altered) my be quoted—
“Tradition, Legend, Tune, and Song,
Shall many an age the wail prolong;
Still, from the sire the son shall hear
Of the stern strife, and carnage drear,
Of Inverkeithing’s field,
Where shiver’d was fair Scotland’s
spear,
And broken was her shield.”
(Penny’s Trad. Perth, p. 335;
Morision’s Mem.
Perth, pp. 169, 170; Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i.
pp. 276-278, vol. ii. pp. 279-282;
Barbieri’s
Gazetteer of Fife, pp. 198-202.)
“The Field of Pitreavie” is about three miles south-east from
Dunfermline, and one mile north-north-west of Inverkeithing. The
Battle of Pitreavie “annihilated the cause of Charles II.
in Scotland. He left Scotland shortly
after the battle for England to recruit his forces. The Battle of
Worcester (3rd September’, 1651), gained over him by
Cromwell, made Charles fly to the Continent, where he located
himself until his Restoration in 1660.” In February, 1651, some
labourers, while digging a trench in
“the battlefield,” came upon a great many human bones, and a
leathren bag filled with silver coins
of Charles II. (Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol.
ii. p. 282.) A great many musket-bullets of
lead, and cannon-balls of iron have at intervals been
found, in and near the battlefield. A cannon-ball 2 3/8 inches in
diameter, and weighing 30 ounces, was found on April 25th,
1865, in a field in front of Pitreavie House, while a drain was
being formed. Since then it has been and still is, in the
possession of the writer.
CROMWELL’S ARMY IN DUNFERMLINE.—Immediately
after the battle, the victorious army, headed by Overton and
Lambert, pursued the poor stragglers of the Scotch army to
Dunfermline. On the way, the “rough cavilers” are understood to
have wrecked St; Leonard’s Cahpel, and
also the Chapel of St. Mary, in the
Nethertown, &c. After their arrival in Dunfermline, they
broke into the Church, stole the collection moneys, and took the
loan of many things which did not belong to them. The Kirk
Session Records of Dunfermlien have
several minutes referring to their doing, viz.:--“17th
July, 1651, being a Thursday, Cromwell’s
armie landit heir, who, on the
Sabbath yreftir, being the 20
daay on the second month,
bettell being beside Pitreavie, killed
an cutt manie
of our men, robbed and plunderit all.
Everie man that was able fled for a
tyme, so
yt yr could be no meeting for
Discipline this space. 12 Aug.: The boord
an seatts of the session
hous and the Krik
boxe being all broken, and the
haill money in the said
boxe being all
plunderit and taken away be Cromwell’s men, it is thought
fitt yt
the session hous be
repaird and the
boxe mendit; And
thairfore Thomas Elder and Jon Duncan
are desyrd to speak to Thomas
horne, wry to doe the same, as also to
mak a new brod
to gather the offering. 19th Aug.: The Session
hous being
repaird and the boxe
mendit, and no money to pay the
wryt his payment is delayed till it
be gotten.” (Dunf. Kirk
Ses. Rec.)
CROMWELL’S TROOPS still in Dunfermline, 30th Sept.,
1651.—It is
minuted in the Kirk Session Records of Dunfermline that
there was no Session held on 30th Sept., 1651, “because of
Cromwell’s troops that were quarterd
heir.” This billeting would be most oppressive on the
inhabitants, 30th September being the 71st
day after the battle.
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—James Reid was re-elected Provost. (Burgh
Rec.)
1652.—MIRK MONDAY.—In the Parish Register of Births, Baptisms, and
Marriages, the 23rd day of March, 1652, is noted as
being Mirk Monday (dark Monday).
Mirk Monday, like Black Saturday in
1597-98, was occasioned by an eclipse of the sun.
A
LARGE WHALE Stranded in the Forth.—In 1652, a whale, 80 feet in
length (of the whale-bone), came in and stranded in the Forth,
near to Lymekills. “It yielded a vast
quanitiy of oyl,
and about 500 weight of baleen” [blubber]. (Sibbald’s Hist. of
Fife and Kin. p. 293.) Crowds went to see it from the adjacent
country.
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—James Reid was re-elected Provost. (Burgh
Records.)
A
DELINQUENT THREATENED WITH THE BRANKS, &c.—“18th Nov.:
That day compeirit
befor the session
margt rotson,
spous to Wm. Scotland, being summoned
to this day for cursing and swearing, wha
being dealt with and brought to the sense of
hir sin and guiltiness, was sharplie
admonished, and she is hereby enactit,
with her awn esent,
yt if ever she shall be found
guiltie of the like
againe, she shall stand at the
tron wi’
the branks in her mouth.” (Dunf. Kirk
Ses. Rec.)
1653.—A BRAWLING WIFE Punished for Abusing her Husband.—In the
Kirk Session Records for the 29th March, 1653, there is
the following important minute:--“29 March: This day
comperit margt.
markman, for abusing
david Waterstonn,
her husband, wt most cursed, cruel, and malicious speeches, and
she being found guilty yrof, and the
session knowning
yt she oftymes has fallen in
sutch wicked contentions before
against her husband, refers hir to the
magistrates to be imprisioned in the
laighest prison
hous, and aftir to be set on
the tron on a
mercat day, to the example of uthers,
with a paper on her browe,
shewing her
nortorious scandall, and
hir remaining in prison and standing
on the trone to be such a space as the
magistrates and session shall modifie.”
This is a fair sample of the blending of the spiritual and civil
powers of that day.
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—James Reid was elected Provost. (Burgh
Rec.)
ENGLISH TROOPS expected in Dunfermline.—In the Kirk Session
Records, date 18th Oct. 1653, notice is taken in one of
the minutes of “sundrie
inglish troupes both of ye horse and
foote yt
were coming into the toun.”
THE
TOWN SCHOLARS to repeat the Catechism twice in the Kirk on
Sabbaths.—“The 20 Dec. the session
recommendit to Mr. Thomas Walker,
Schooma to have his Schollers
in reddiness to repeat the Catechism
everie Sabbath betwixt the second and
third bell, before noon and after noone;
the one to propose and the uthy to an
sty the people may heare and
learne, it being
usit in uthy Kirks, and this to
begin next Sabbath.”
1654.—MR. ROBERT KAY, Minister of the First Charge of Dunfermline,
was imprisoned in Inch Garvie by
Cromwell’s soldiers for praying for King Charles II. On the
solicitation of commissioners sent by the Kirk Session of
Dunfermline to the Commander-in-Chief Mr. Kay was released, and
allowed to return to Dunfermline and resume his clerical duties.
(Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i. p. 423.)
TOLBOOTH BELL.—The inscription round
the upper part of the exterior surface of the Bell, shows that it
was founded at Daventria, in the
Netherlands this year (1654). The inscription, which is in a
dkind of Dutch letter, and in alto
relief, is as follow:--
HENRICK *
TER * HORST * ME * FECIT * DAVENTRIĆ * 1654
That
is, “Henry Ter Horst made
mé at Daventria.
1654.” The bell is a small one; it is
14 inches in diameter at the lip, and 13 ˝ high, inclusive of the
top “hanger.” The bell itself is only 11 inches in height. It
was “trimmer-tuned” belonging to the “XYZ” note. After having
sounded its notes for Council meetings, public rejoicings,
funerals, &c., for 211 years, it was, about the year 1865, removed
and was replace by another of no great worth, which in its turn
was “unstocked” in 1876, on the
removal of the later Town House.
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—James Reid re-elected Provost. (Burgh
Rec.)
KIRK SESSION RECORDS—Curious Entries.—There are several curious
entries in the Kirk Session Records for 1654 (inter April 20th,
et the 24th), viz.:--“William
M’Kay was accused before the Session 21 April for casting
and putting the stone with the English Solders in the
Krikyairde on the Sabbath in
tyme of sermon; Christian Thomson, in
the Newraw, is posed for selling drink
to the Inglish on the Sabbath in time
of sermon; both are sharplie rebuked;
bessie Kinsman,
spous to James Cusine, appears
before the Session, accused of carrying a
barell of aill to the English
in the Abbay on the Sabbath, who
shewed ty
she was compellit be
ym yrby;
she promised not to doe so againe;
sharplie rebuked and admonished.
Item, given to Katherin Walker, for
funishing of gray and
uthr necessars
to Daft andro
huton, 4lbs. 14s. Item, peyd
to adam
Ker, whose house was robbed, 40s.
THE
BELL STOCKS.—Fabric of the Kirk in need of Help.—19th
Dec.: “The session refers to Wm. Walker, Mr. George Walker,
Thomas and Dauid Mitchell, to meet the
twa ministers in the
afternoone, To think upon the best way
to get money for reparat of the
Stoks of the bells and
fabrick of the Kirk. It is
ordainit that the
Krikyaird fees and burial an
Kirk fees be advanced to help to meet expenses.” (Dunf. Kirk
Ses. Rec.)
LEAGUE AND COVENANT.—A printed copy of
the “league and Covenant” was fouond
in John Auchinwall’s paper, in 1654,
and given to the Kirk Session, who gave to to
William Walker, the late Provost, to be kept by him, as he had the
National Covenant already. (Inglis’s
MS. Journal.)
1655.—DRUNKEN ENGLISH SOLDIERS, &C.—The
detachment of English soldiers quartered on the town appear to
have been “thirsty loons,” especially on Sabbath. In the
Dunfermline Kirk Session Records, of date 8th May,
1655, Thomas Elder had reported to the Kirk Session, that “the
provest had spoken to the
captaine in the
Abbay, for restraining his soldiers from drinking in
browsters hous’s
on the Sabbath in tyme
aftir sermons;”
and tha the captain had “sent 5
or 6 of his sjands throw the
towne on the Sabbath for this effort.”
GREAT NEED OF REPAIRS IN DUNFERMLINE CHURCH.—The case of the Kirk
repairs was brought before the Session on 24th July,
1655, when “it was referred to the Elders to have a care to desire
timber and sklaitts
fra Lymekills
fr ye use of the Kirk, and it is
thought fitt yt
James Hendirson and
Dauid trumble
glasin wryts
be spoken for mending the cakes of lead upon the roof of the
Kirk.” The same day it was intimated htat
the Laird of Urquhart sent to the Kirk Session, in which he
refuses to contribute to the repairs of the Kirk, “until Urquhart
be tottallie disjoined
fra Inverkeithing.”
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—Peter Walker elected Provost. (Burgh
Records.)
ROSYTH CASTLE REPAIRED.—This Castle underwent “considerable
repairs in 1655, and
ane date to that effect may be seen on
the building.” (Old MS. Deed; see also Annals, dates 1561,
1639.) In Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. ii.
p. 65.)
1656.—SUNDAY DESECRATION.—“6th May, 1656. This day it
being declared to the Session be the visitors that they fund many
on the Sabbath after sermons sitting at dors
an walking on the streets, an in the yairds
about the fields, at yr worldlie
discours’s, it is thought
fitt yt
the act of the Synod be sought out and looked at concerning the
restraining of abuses yrof.” A delay
recommended. May 25.—The act publicly
read from the pulpit. (Dunf. Kirk
Ses. Rec.)
ENGLISH SOLDIERS.—“The Palace and the Queen’s House occupied by
Cromwell’s men,” who are reported to be a
cile, lawless, rough set. (MSS.,
and Dunf. Kirk Ses.
Rec.)
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—Peter Walker re0elected Provost. (Burgh
Records.)
1657.—THE KIRK-BELLS again in Ringing Order.—These
bells, the hanging of which had caused trouble to the Session,
were on May 3rd, in working order. “3rd May
(Die Dom.) Sunday.—This day the Kirk
bells being new stocked an hung, were begun to be
couped.” (Kirk Session Records.)
THE
SIN OF VAIGING ABOUT THE FIELDS ON SABBATH.—In the same Records,
under date September 17th, William Boyd, being
summoned, appeared before the Kirk Session, “and
confesit his fault in
vaiging about ye fields on ye Sabbath
aftir sermons.” He promised “not to
doe the like againe and
wes admonished.”
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE—William Walker elected Provost. (Burgh
Rec.)
1658.—GOLFDRUM, AND JOHN WATSON.—This
appears to be the first notice of Golfdrum
on record:--“On the 20th April, this year (says the
Kirk Session Records). “Jon Watson in
Gouffdrum appeared before the Session, and was found
guiltie of
ordinarie absence
fra the kirk. He
promised to keep better order, and was
sharplie admonished.”
MARGARET CAMPBELL SET ON THE TRON, her Head
Clipped,&c.—The same Record,
under date May 25, notifies that the report is made to the
magistrates, and to the Session, that they had caused “clip
margt campbells
head, an set her on ye trone with a
paper on her breast, on the last mercat
day , to the example of uthirs of her
fornication.”
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—William Walker, re-elected Provost. (Burhg
Rec.)
1659.—THE NEW WARK.—In the Kirk Session Records, of date May 11th,
1659, The new
wark is mentioned in connection with the crime
committeed by one of Cromwell’s
troopers. Would this “new wark” be a
domestic erection, a temporary fortification, or some repairs on
the Kirk?
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE.—Peter Walker, elected Provost. (Burgh
Records.)
DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF DUNFERMLINE.—“Dame
Margreta Haye, Countess of
Dunfermling and Callander, obit 30
December, 1659. Ćtatis suač67.” Such
was the inscription found on the lid of her coffin in 1820, in the
vault at Dalgety (Fife).
1660.—DUNFERMLINE KIRKYARD TO BE DRAINED, &C.—Tradition informs us
that the Auld Kirkyard “was for the
most part a swamp, and in rainy seasons it was in many places
flooded with water.” This tradition is borne out by the following
minute, extracted from the Kirk Session Records, under date 17th
April, 1660:--
“17
April.—The session, considering yt the
most parte of the
Kirkyaird has been useless these many years by-gane,
And the necessitie yr is in drying of
it, yt it may be a
sufficiente and commodious burial
place, And having taken the aduyse of
skilfull men, who think fir
yt th
eKirkyairde may be made dry if yr were
a gutter under the graves, and ane
open cast for convoying away under Mr. William
Oliphant, minister his
hous, to caus
it to run into his gutter under his house: The Session,
eftir long deliberation
yron, resolved yt
yr shall be a voluntary contribution
collectit throw this parish be the elders and
decaons, fra
all persons yrin, both
maister and servant, throw
everie hous,
in yr quartrs for
peying off the wark in making
the Kirkyaird dry.”
Another tradition notifies that all the north part of the North
Churchyard was “swamp, marshy ground, coused
by the burne coming out of the Kings
lock, on the eist of the friars
yairds” (between the top of St.
Margaret’s Street and New Row); that this loch was fed by water
from the Dam, and the overflow ran out at the west end of the
Kirkyard (near the north entrance),
and, flowing down a close under the houses there (top of St.
Catherine’s Wynd), found its way to
the Ferm Burn (Tower, or Back Burn);
and that the loch was originally made for keeping a supply of fish
for the use of the inmates of the Abbey at their weekly fasts and
other festivals. The site of the thorn tree was anciently the
site of the Abbey Weeping Cross. About the year 1560 (Reformation
period) this Cross was “cast down” and the “Gospel Thorn planted
in its place.” (MSS. Records.)
DISTURBANCE AT THE LAIRD OF ROSYTH’S BURIAL.—In
the year 1577 “a scene” took place in the churchyard of
Dunfermline anent the burying of a young laird of
Rosyth of the day; and here another
disturbance takes place in 1660, on the occasion of the funeral of
another laird. The following extracts from the Kirk Session hour
in the morning at which it took place:--
“24TH
April, 1660.—The Act and instrument following being produced this
day, Mr. Rot. Kay and Mr. Wm. Oliphant,
present ministers of the Kirk of Dunfermline,
desirit yt
it myt be insert in the Session book
for yr exoneration, which was consented to be the Session, off the
qllk act and instrument. The tenor
followes:--
“At
Dunfermline, the 20th day fo
Aprile Jajvi
and thrie-score years (1660):--The
wch day, in presence of me,
notar publick,
and witnesses, eftirnait
compeirit ps’nlie
at the Kirk-dore of Dunfermline
betwixt 4 and 5 hours in the morning, Mr. Rot. Kay and Mr. Wm.
Oliphant, ministers yr, who
declairit they
wer certainlie informed
yt the friends and Kinsmen of the
Laird of Rossyth,
deceist, were of intention to bring the corps of the
sd laird within the
sd Kirk of Dunfermline, and
yt the keys of the Kirk-dores
were not in the officer’s hands, but had bein
taken fra him yt
nyt; And yrfore
did send and direct yr Kirk-officer to Rot.
Walwood, baillie of the
sd bru
(who had taken the keys fra him, as
they were informed), to desire and require him to give
bak the keys of the
sd Kirk-door, yt
they might have ym in yr
custodie, who accordingly went, and
made report of his comission
thus:--That the baillie said he had
not the keys for the present, but had left ym
with the toun-officer, that he might
open the dore this morning to ring
th e5 hor
bell. Thairaftie, before 5 o’clock
came, Johne Laurie, officer, with the
keys, fra whome
the sd Mr. Rt. Kay and Mr. Wm.
Oliphant demandit
the sd keys, wch
he altogedder
refusit, yt yr with he was to
open the dore to ring the 5
hor bell; And, in the
meantyme George
Carmichell, servitor to the Laird of
Buchannan, and Alexr.
Crookshank, writer in Edinburgh, came
to the Krik-dore, at whom the
sd
ministers desired to know yr errand yt
tyme of day? Who
ansred yt
they intendit to
keip ye Laird of Rossyth’s old
buriall-place. To the which it was
replyed by the ministers
yt all burying within the
Krik was
dischairged be the General Assemblie
in August, 1643, And yt yr hade
nevir bein
any in this Kirk since yt time, And
desyrit ym
to forbear frae breaking the Kirk-floore,
and burying within the Kirk, Which they
wilfullie refused, and with 5 or 6 men thrust
ymselves in at the Kirk-fore.
Qrvpon, and upon the refusal of the
said toun-officer to
delyver the keys in manner
foirsaid, And
all and sundrie the premises, the
saids Mr. Rot. Kay and Mr. Wm.
Oliphant, ministers,
askit act and instrument
ane or mar, in the hands of me,
notar-publict, under
subcrywand; And
protestet yt
as they were frie, and had no
accession to the sd irregular fact, so
they myt be frie
fra all the evils and consequents
yt mt
follow yrvpon.
“This things were done, day, yeir and
place foresaid, betwixt 4 and 5 hors in the morning, Before James
Marshall, Patrick Anderson, Archibald
M’Craich, burgess (es) of
Dunfermline; George Belfrage, servitor
to the sd Mr. Wm. And
Arthere Kay, son
laull to the sd Mr. Rot.,
witness (es) to the premises called
and required sic subscribitur, I,
henry elder,
notar-publict, Doe testifie and
declair the haill
premises before set doun to be
trewlie done as is above
exprest, be this my subscription
usuall—H. ELDER.
Quhilk act and instrument being red, Peter Walker, Provost,
declairs
yt they meddled with no keys
bot yt
which properlie belonged to the
toun, and
declayrit this to be marked.”
How
the matter ended is not known. From this document, however, we
learn that the Matin
bell was rung at five in the morning, and that Messrs. Kay and
Oliphant were commendably active men,
to be at the Krik-door between four
and five on an April morning—before sunrise.
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLINE—Peter Walker, re0elected Provost. (Burgh
Records.)
EXPENSE OF DRAINING THE KIRKYARD.—“Aug. 7th: This day
Adam Anderson gave in the compt of his
receipt of the money collected for the
Kirkyaird, extending to 156lib. 5s.:
also a compt for the disbursement
yrof in peyin
of the wark for drying the
Krikyaird, with the session did
approve.” (Kirk Ses.
Records.)
1661.—DEATH OF ELIZABETH STUART, Ex-Queen of Bohemia.—Elizabeth
Stuart, eldest daughter of King James VI., born in the Royal
Palace, Dunfermline, on August 19, 1596, was afterwards, for a
short unsettled time, Queen of Bohemia. After the death of her
husband (Frederick), the king of that country, she returned to
London, where she lived in straitened circumstances. She died in
Leicester Square, London, on 13th February, 1661, in
the 65th year of her age. (Leigh;s
Guide to London, p. 211; also An. Dunf. date August, 1596, and O
and P, in Appendix.)
TURKISH CAPTIVE.—27 June, 1661: This day the collectors of the
contribution for alex.
gairner,
with the turks, reported (to the
Session) that they had collected 23lib or
yrby the last Sabbath, and yt
Jon Thomson, beddell, his ye keeping
yr off.” (Kirk Session Records.)
PROVOST OF DUNFERMLIINE.—James Mudie,
elected Provost. (Burgh Records.)
THE
DUNFERMLINE-KIRKALDY OLD INDENTURE.—The
old Indenture between the abbot of Dunfermline and the community
of the burgh of Kirkaldy (1450) was,
in 1661, ratified by Act of Charles II.
MASKING OF DRINK.—In Dunfermline Kirk Session Records, of 24th
Sept. this year, we have—“Katherine Reaburn,
spouse to Jon Drumond, was
delated (before the session) for
masking drink on the Sabbath, an for hir
ordinar swearing and
hir absence fra
the kirk on Oct. 1, she was
sharplie admonished.”
THE
KING’S ANNUITY AND PETER WALKER.—“Peter Walker,
burges of
Dumfermling, was appointed one of the Collectors of the
King’s Annuity of Forty thousand pounds Sterling.” (Murray’s Law
and Acts of Parl. vol. ii. p. 166.)
THE
LANDS OF KNOCKHOUSE, near Dunfermline, were purchased by the Laird
of Pitfirrane. (Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i.
p. 294.)
