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INGRATITUDE AND TREACHERY OF
CHARLES IL-HE OVERTHROWS THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, RE-ESTABLISHES
EPISCOPACY, AND PROSCRIBES THE COVENANTS-DOINGS OF THE DRUNKEN
PARLIAMENT-ADDRESS OF THE DUMFRIES PRESBYTERY TO THE KING ON HIS
RESTORATION-THE STATUS OF THE PRESBYTERY DESTROYED-THE COVENANTING ELEMENT
PURGED FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL-EXODUS OF FOUR HUNDRED NON-CONFORMING
MINISTERS FROM THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH-HUGH HENDERSON, THE PARISH MINISTER
OF DUMFRIES, RESIGNS HIS CHARGE-POPULAR DISLIKE OF AND OPPOSITION TO
GEORGE CHALMERS, HIS SUCCESSOR-BESSIE HARPER REPUDIATES HIS MINISTRY, AND
IS PUNISHED FOR IT BY THE TOWN COUNCIL-HEAVY PENALTIES IMPOSED FOR
NON-ATTENDANCE AT CHURCH--THE TOWN COUNCIL CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF °f
HIS MAJESTIE'S WONDERFULL RESTORATIONE"-MILITARY PRECAUTIONS AGAINST
DISTURBANCES-RISE OF ARMED CONVENTICLES-INCREASE OF COERCIVE MEASURES -DUMFRIESSHIRE
AND OTHER DISAFFECTED DISTRICTS PLACED UNDER THE RULE OF SIR JAMES
TURNER-PERSECUTION OF MR. BLACKADDER, MINISTER OF TROQUEERRIOT IN IRONGRAY
AT THE SETTLEMENT OF A CURATE.
BEFORE the monarchy had
been many months restored, both England and Scotland began to see that the
event which they had hailed with enthusiasm ought rather to have been
mourned over and deplored. Charles had learned no wisdom from adversity:
he returned from exile hardened in his selfishness, debauched in his
morals-resolved, in the teeth of his promises, to set up an absolute
political sovereignty, and to claim unqualified supremacy in spiritual
affairs. The Scottish Presbyterians had done him good service, for which
he owed them gratitude and support: but he hated the views they held in
regard to the royal power and the rights of the Church : and he could not
brook their doctrines so sternly exactive, and which were a standing
remonstrance against the immoralities which his personal example and
encouragement had brought in like a flood.
His agents for enforcing
passive obedience and overturning Presbyterianism were the Earl of
Middleton, whom he appointed King's Commissioner, and James Sharpe, who
was made Archbishop of St. Andrews-the chief dignitary of the Episcopate
which was introduced as soon as the old system was subverted. A packed
Parliament, opened at Edinburgh in January, 1661, accomplished what
Charles I. had for years attempted without success. In a series of
sweeping decrees they annulled and overthrew those venerable institutions
and wholesome enactments which their royal master and most of themselves
had sworn to maintain inviolate. They conferred on the King the right of
nominating to all civil offices; of summoning conventions, parliaments,
and public assemblies; and of putting a veto on the renewal of the
National Covenants. They passed an Act which, in its preamble, states that
"the ordering and disposal of the external government and policy of the
Church loth properly belong unto his Majesty as an inherent right of the
Crown, in virtue of his royal prerogative and supremacy in causes
ecclesiastical;" and the measure itself restored the "state of bishops" to
"their ancient places and undoubted privileges in Parliament, and to all
their other accustomed dignities, privileges, and jurisdictions." They
next condemned and rescinded "all Acts of Parliament or Council which
might be interpreted to have given any church power, jurisdiction, or
government, to the office-bearers of the Church, other than that which
acknowledgeth a dependence upon, and subordination to, the sovereign power
of the King as supreme;" and, by way of corollary to these tyrannical
decrees, the Covenanted Reformation, and all that was done for its
accomplishment from 1638 to 1650, were declared to be treasonable and
rebellious, the Covenants were cancelled "as in themselves unlawful
oaths," and all such leagues or bonds were denounced as illegal.
This Convention of the
Estates has come to be known as the Drunken Parliament: a fitting name for
it, whether we look to the personal conduct of its members-not a few of
whom, Middleton included, caroused and legislated at the same time or to
their measures, which were wild with the frenzy of intemperance. And these
bacchanalian senators - sad to say! - shed blood as well as wine. Lest the
murmurs that arose against their iniquitous proceedings should find vent
in open mutiny, the supporters of the Covenant were fined, imprisoned, and
some of its chiefs put to death-the great Argyle being the principal
victim.
Dumfries rejoiced, with all
Scotland, "when the King came back to his own again." The Town Council
voted congratulatory addresses ; and the Kirk Session set apart a day of
thanksgiving, in that "the Lord hath restored the King to his throne," and
"taken power out of the hand of the sectary," and that the Word of God "is
yet standing, in defiance of all the opposition it hath met with." On the
31st of October, 1660, the Presbytery of Dumfries took into consideration
a letter sent by Charles to the metropolitan Presbytery, professing the
most devoted affection for the Scottish Church, and his resolution to
maintain and defend it. Regarding this royal epistle the Presbytery sent a
communication as follows:-"We cannot but count our selves obleged to
glorify the Lord our God, who hath put such pious resolutions in the heart
of our King, as to discountenance and suppress profanity, and maintain
Presbyterial government in this kingdom, as it is established by law,
without violation, and to protect and encourage the ministers of the
gospel in the due and faithful exercise of their ministry. As for our
pairts, we resolve, by the grace of God, to watch in our stations, with
Christian sobriety and faithfulness, and to promote his Majestie's just
authority and greatness within our bounds, being strictly bound thereto by
our constant engagement, and shall make conscience, privately and
publicly, to pray for the preservation of his Majestie's person; and, as
his Majestie's letter bears, we do also resolve to protect and preserve
the govt of this Church of Scotland, as it is settled by law, without
violation, and government of his kingdom, that his heart may be enlarged
as the sand of the sea shore, and filled with all royal endowments and
graces for the advancement of religion and righteousness, that we may live
a peaceable and quiet life, in all godliness and honesty. - Wm. HAY,
Moderator." [Presbytery Records]
So wrote the reverend
fathers, in the simplicity of their hearts. Soon afterwards the ukase of
the sovereign, in whose good faith they had placed firm reliance,
destroyed their legal status as a spiritual court, and made them
personally liable to persecution unless they abjured the principles which
he, in common with themselves, had sworn to uphold.
The Town Council records
bear ample evidence at this time of the terrible reaction brought about by
a bad king and his ready satellites. What a change' Dumfries was
emphatically an independent and covenanted Burgh; but now we begin to find
in the minutes uncouth signatures endorsing a slavish oath of allegiance,
and an entire repudiation of the National Covenant, the Solemn League, and
all treaties or bonds of a similar import.
On the 2nd of October,
1660, according to annual custom, four merchants were elected councillors,
in room of the same number who retired ; and seven tradesmen, deacons of
their respective corporations, were also added to the Council, in place of
the deacons who had gone out of office. Thus partially made up anew, the
Council elected magistrates for the ensuing year; and, significant of the
revolution at headquarters, Provost Robert Graham, who had acted as such
during nearly the whole of the Protectorate, was passed over, though
anxious for a new lease of power, and John Irving, [The Irvings of Bonshaw
and Drum took the Royalist and anti- Presbyterian side in the reigns of
Charles I. and II.; and their relatives in Dumfries did the same.]
treasurer, who was considered to be more acceptable to Middleton, was
placed in the civic chair. But not only was it necessary that the chief
magistrate should be of the Government pattern-the members of Council must
also be made conformable to it. Accordingly, on the 16th of April, the
Council took into consideration a letter they had received from the
subservient Convention of Burghs, intended to instruct them in the mode of
purging the corporation, so as that it should come to be made up
exclusively of ultra-Royalists. It is gratifying to find that the people
of the town had some true and stanch representatives in the local
parliament, who refused to take the oath and to subscribe the declaration.
Out, however, they had to go; and no very great difficulty seems to have
been experienced in supplying the place of these doughty Whigs by pliant
burgesses, who, like the Vicar of Bray, were ready to make any concessions
for the sake of office.
On the following day (17th
April) the clerk was instructed to answer the letter. from the Convention
; and in so doing he set forth the steps that had been taken to obey the
requirements of that body. We thus learn that, at the first meeting of the
Council on the subject, "the said oath and acknowledgement being read, was
by some few accepted, and by the most part refused;" that at a second
meeting, held next day, "some of. the refusers did then, upon better
consideration, give obedience;" that at a third meeting, on the third day,
"some few more did take the oath and sign the acknowledgement foresaid,"
but that two bailies and divers councillors continued contumacious, the
former of whom had since been superseded, and the vacancies filled up; and
that eventually the Council had been completed in a satisfactory way, all
the members "having asserted his Majestie's prerogative under their hand,"
and complied with the other conditions of office. [Town Council Minutes]
The men of the Trades, too, who loved the Covenant, and detested the new
order of things, murmured loudly, and threatened to be troublesome.
Foremost among the malcontents were certain smiths or hammermen, and
glovers, [It will be seen that a member of this corporation - James Callum
- took a leading part in the armed outbreak which soon afterwards occurred
against the Government.] who, when others of their number chose Conformist
deacons, held meetings, and elected chiefs of their own stamp; and it
seemed as if the latter would at one time have taken their places in the
Town Council by force. Forthwith, Stephen Irving, one of the new bailies,
and another magistrate, were despatched to Edinburgh to apprise the Privy
Council of this audacious procedure. Armed with instructions, the nature
of which may be guessed at, the bailies returned; and in the course of a
few weeks afterwards three of the clamorous hammermen publicly confessed
they had sinned in ignorance, that they were sorry for their fault, prayed
for forgiveness, and engaged to be more circumspect in future. [Town
council minute] We hear no more of the smiths' opposition; and we suppose
both they and their fellow-craftsmen, the glovers, were subdued, if not
converted.
At a Privy Council meeting
held in Glasgow on the 1st of October, 1662, a blow was struck which
destroyed all the few faint remaining vestiges of religious liberty in
Scotland. That body, by way of supplementing the deeds of the Drunken
Parliament, passed a resolution requiring all the ministers who had been
ordained from the year 1649, to take out a presentation from the patrons,
and receive collation from the bishops; in other words, to renounce
Presbyterianism and accept Episcopacy-extrusion from their parishes to be
the penalty of non-compliance. Four hundred - fully one-third of the
entire clergy of the Church of Scotland - gave up their churches, manses,
and stipends, rather than submit to this outrageous mandate: braved the
winter's blast, the prospects of want, of persecution-which many of them,
alas: had to endure to the death-rather than purchase immunity and ease by
sacrificing their Christian rights. The lapse of less than twenty years
had brought with it a state of affairs that contrasted sadly with the time
when the Covenant had its potent war committees and its triumphant armies:
after the defeat at Dunbar, the latter never recovered their prestige; and
Presbytery, long robustly militant, now appears as a hunted wanderer, weak
and weaponless, sorrowful and forlorn. "By the 1st of November, 1662, in
the five western counties, through Mid-Lothian and Fife, in the dales of'
the Nith and Annan, and Esk; in the uplands of the Tweed and the Teviot;
in short, through all the Lowlands, wherever there was religious feeling,
the darkness of night and the silence of death fell upon the churches." [Dodds's
Fifty Years' Struggle. p. 125.]
At this time, Mr. Hugh
Henderson, formerly of Dalry, was still the parish minister of Dumfries.
He had laboured faithfully in the town and district fourteen years, and
was deservedly beloved by the people of his charge. What of that? He was a
devoted, uncompromising Presbyterian; it was morally impossible for him to
renounce his convictions and accept a system which he loathed : no
alternative remained to him, therefore, but to bid a tearful farewell to
his flock. There is a trace of rough pathos in the reference made to this
subject in the Town Council books. That body, though submissive to the
Government, were
attached to the minister,
who had, in happier times, been the people's devoted spiritual guide; and
the affection they bore to him is breathed in the record-the usual dry
conventional style of the minutes being in this instance departed from. We
subjoin the entry very slightly modernized:- "11th October, 1662.-The
Council considdering that the Erll of Middletoun, his Matie's [Majesty's]
Commissioner for the part of this kingdome, hath dischargit Mr. Hugh
Henderson from preaching within this brugh, thairfoir they have enacted
that thai presentlie at their removing from the tolbooth, all in one body,
and with one hart and desyre, to goe deall with and earnestlie to beseatch
the said Mr. Hugh Henderson, that he would give satisfactioune unto the
said Lord Commissioner in his grace's desyres, that they be not frustrat
of his ministrie; and to declair their grief and sorrow for the loss of a
minister to quhom they are so affectionatt, in cais of his refuisall." The
entreaties of the Council were of no avail: Mr. Henderson left Dumfries,
[At this time there was no manse for the parish minister; but a house was
rented by the Burgh for his use, as shown by the following document:-"Acompt
with Mr. Hew Henderson for the yeirly rent of his house from the tearme of
Martinmas, 1648, which was his entrie to Dumfrise untill this ensewing
tearme of Whitsunday, 1658, being in all the space of nine yeirs and ane
half, in which yeirs he possessed ane house belonging to Mr. John Corsan,
for the space of foure yeirs and an half, 100 marks yeirly, the rent will
be for that space 450 marks. Also, he possessed an house belonginge to
John Newall for fyve yearis come Whitsunday of the said space, at 80 marks
yeirly400 marks. Suma for the said space of 9 yearis 850 marks. Paid him
as follows:-Be William Walls, treasurer, for ane year, 100 marks; out of
the tythe (1648), 100 marks; Be Patrick Younge, be order of the Counsel,
100 marks ; Be Baillie Cunninghame, be John Newall, be order of the
Counsel, 100 marks; Bond granted to Mr. Hew, 276 marks:" in all 676 merks,
leaving a balance of 171 merks, which was paid to the minister, he signing
the discharge. - Burgh Records.] and was succeeded in his ministerial
office by Mr. George Chalmers, who proved anything but acceptable to the
inhabitants.
Mr. Henderson had made
himself so obnoxious to the Privy Council that they levelled a special Act
against him, which would have taken effect even if he had not been
included within the sweep of the more general measure. According to Wodrow,
the ministers of the Dumfries Presbyteries extruded alongst with him, or
soon afterwards, for non-compliance with the Glasgow Act, were George
Campbell of Dumfries (who was married to a daughter of Mr. Henderson's,
and was ordained as his colleague in 1658), [Among the Burgh records there
is the following letter from Mr. Campbellabout the last receipt he wrote
for his stipends in Dumfries:-" I, Mr. George Campbell, minister of
Drumfrise, grants me to have received fra James Kennan, merchant burgess
of the said Burgh, in name of the magistrats, Toune Counsell and
communitie, the sum of five hundredth and fourtie merks Scots money for my
proportion of stipend and manse money, for the terme of Martinmas
fiftienine ; and I doe by these presents discharge the saide magistrats,
Toune Counsell, and Communitie of the said sum, &o. In witness quhereof I
have subscribed these presents with my hand at Drumfrise, the 20 of April,
1660 years.-GEO: CAMPBELL."] John Campbell of Torthorwald, William Shaw of
Garran, William Hay of Holywood, Robert Archibald of Dunscore, John Welsh
of Irongray, Robert Paton of Terregles, John Blackadder of Troqueer,
Anthony Murray of Kirkbean, William Mein of Lochrutton, Alexander Smith of
Colvend, and Gabriel Semple of Kirkpatrick-Durham. A few ministers-William
Macgeorge of Carlaverock, Francis Irving of Kirkmahoe, George Gladstones
of Urr, and James Maxwell of Kirkunzeon-received the modified punishment
of being restricted to their respective parishes; and we only read of two
belonging to the Presbytery who absolutely conformed, namely, Ninian
Paterson, whose charge is not given, and John Brown of Tinwald. [Wodrow,
vol. i., p. 326.]
In due course, Mr. George
Chalmers commenced his ministry in St. Michael's : though, when he
introduced the Service-book, no wrathful Jenny Geddes started up to oppose
the innovation, the pews-chairs, rather, there being nothing but movable
seats in the church at that time-were half deserted ; and one Bessie
Harper expressed a pretty general feeling when she reproached two
individuals whom she saw going to the preaching, by saying, "It seems the
word of God which they have heard formerlie had taken little ruit in their
hearts, seeing they were going to heir one that preaches against the trew
word of God." Rash words these, though possibly very truthful; and the
same outspoken dame was heard to declare defiantly, "that though the
magistrats of Drumfreis would hurle her upon a cairt, she should nevir
heir one sermone of this present minister." For these treasonable
statements the poor woman was tried by the Town Council, on the 10th of
November, and, on conviction, fined in twenty pounds Scots, with the
alternative of lying in prison till the money was paid, or of banishing
herself perpetually from the Burgh. [Town Council Minutes]
Next day the town drummer
startled the lieges by announcing in the streets, that inasmuch as divers
persons continued to despise the order of the Council to attend service on
the Lord's day, " to the great skandell of the gospell and breache of the
Sabbath," it is now enacted that every master and mistress of a family
within the Burgh, being in health, who shall wilfully absent themselves
from the kirk on Sabbath shall be fined for each day's absence in forty
shillings Scots, and each servant who shall go out of the town on that day
shall be fined in six shillings Scots. [Ibid] There is a good deal of the
Pharisee, as well as of the persecutor, in this intimation: the Burgh
authorities, at the bidding of Middleton, supersede the popular
Presbyterian preacher by a time-serving Prelatist, and yet hypocritically
profess to be actuated by a holy zeal for Sabbath observance, and a
jealous regard for the honour of the Gospel, when they threaten those with
vengeance who refrain from hearing a minister who is repugnant to them,
and from taking part in a service which they utterly, and from
conscientious motives, detest.
In another more telling way
still, some of the good Covenanters of the Burgh testified against the
tyranny of the times. Parents who had children to be baptized carried them
to "the secret places of the hills," or the solitary glens, where the
outed ministers were hiding, that the sacred ceremony might be performed
in Nature's own temple, and according to the simple ritual of the
Presbyterian Church. Such conduct being deemed intolerable by Provost
Irving and his colleagues, they resolved, if possible, to put it down.
Again the town-crier lifted up his voice to announce in the market-place
that the inhabitants must not only attend the curate's ministry, but that
lie, and he alone, was the recognized administrator of the sacraments, and
that those who poured contempt upon him by getting their infants baptized
in the country, would be subject to a heavy penalty, varying from ten
pounds Scots, on such as were worth less than five hundred merks yearly,
to one hundred merks payable by rich offenders. [Town Council Minutes]
In the year 1662, the fines
levied for nonconformity in the County amounted to £164,200 Scots, [Wodrow,
vol. i., p. 273.] John Laurie of Maxwel-ton suffering to the extent of
£3,600; from James Muirhead, merchant, Dumfries, was exacted no less a sum
than £1,000; Robert Wallace, merchant there, had to pay £600; James
Moffat, merchant there, £300; John Ewart, John Gilchrist, and John
Copland, all burgesses, £360 each; James Callum, glover, £300; and John
Short and John Maitland, also members of this uncompromising craft, were
mulcted in £240 each for (figuratively) throwing down the -love to
Middleton, the dictator.
The Imposition of Prelacy
in this high-handed fashion, as a result of King Charles's recall, was a
bitter draught to the Dumfriesians; and, to give it a greater infusion of
gall, they were forced to go through the farce of rendering public thanks
for the altered state of affairs. On the 25th of May, 1663, the Council
met brimming with loyalty, and on sanctimonious deeds intent. The minute
informs us that they called to mind that the twenty-ninth of May was
approaching, the eventful day which Parliament had ordered to be set apart
for thanks and praise, "in commemoratioune of his Majestie's wonderfull
restoratione, by God's blyssing', to his crown and kingdomes;" and that,
therefore, not simply in obedience to the Act, " but from ther awin trew
sense of God's mercie therein, they do ordain and command all the
inhabitants of this Burgh" to attend the magistrates, at eight o'clock on
the morning of the 29th, on the Upper Sandbed, " and thereafter accompany
the said magistrats unto the kirk of this burgh, and ther to heir sermone
; with certificatioune to all such as sall not give punctuall obedience to
this Act, they sall pay ten merkes of fyne unforgevin.'' [Town Council
Minutes.]
About this period it would
seem as if the authorities, afraid of disturbances, had taken special
means to have such burgesses as they could fairly trust, better armed than
usual. A partial list has been preserved of "the guns and partizans
belonging to the town," on the 22nd of September, 1662, which contains the
names of seventy-three persons, with the figure 1 attached to each, the
document closing thus:- "'The Counsell ordaines Thomas Irving, bailie, to
goe along with Jon Mertine, treasurer, to the houses of all the persons of
the list above written, who dwell betwixt the Kirkgate port and
Castlegaitt, on the west syde of the towne, and to delyver to each person,
or leave at their houses, ane firelock-gun; and appoynt Stephan Irving,
bailie [the indefatigable Stephen], to goe throw with the said treasurer
the rest of the town, and to leave one of the said pieces at everie one of
the houses according to the said list, and to intimate unto them they are
to pay 8 lib. 10 sh. to the treasurer for ilk piece of them, to be payit
within fyftein days under the pein of imprisonment." [Burgh Records.]
It may be inferred, from
subsequent events, that, in spite of the edicts against nonconformity, not
a few influential burgesses of the town, and farmers in the landward part
of the Parish, systematically absented themselves from St. Michael's
Church, and were subjected to fines and imprisonment on that account.
Passive resistance of a similar kind was extensively practised throughout
the south and west of Scotland; and the stringent measures taken by the
Government to overcome it, increased the disaffection, till the country
seemed to be on the brink of insurrection. Armed conventicles now began to
spring up; and, for the purpose of crushing them and enforcing implicit
submission on the people, the standing army-raised to 3,000 infantry, and
eight troops of cavalry-was sent into the insubordinate districts, with
orders to maintain itself by fines, and free quarters exacted from
Nonconformists. To Sir Thomas Dalziel of Binns - a fierce, unscrupulous
savage-was assigned the chief command of this coercive host; and he found
a congenial subordinate in Sir James Turner, an unprincipled soldier of
fortune who had once professed zeal for the Covenant, and now readily
placed his sword at the disposal of the Government. [His approaching visit
to Dumfries was intimated to the Town Council on the 6th of June, 1666, on
which day the Provost produced a letter "fra Sir James Turnor for
provyding quarter for himself and his officers and souldiers, quho are to
be heir about the first of July nixt:" upon which the Council appointed a
committee " to draw and lift of the brewars and others fitting for ther
quarters."] As time rolled on it brought new rigours; and by 1666 the
reign of terror instituted by the Privy Council had reached a stage of
refinement and perfection not previously attained.
The Earl of Lauderdale had
succeeded Middleton as King', Commissioner. His chief colleague in the
administration was Archbishop Sharpe: the one was the complement of the
other: and between both, a despotism in all civil and religious matters
was set up such as Scotland had never suffered from before. A secret,
irresponsible tribunal, called the Court of High Commission, was formed by
them and their minions, on the model of the Spanish Inquisition, which set
aside all forms of justice; acted independently of accusers, witnesses,
and defenders ; impoverished rich offenders by merciless exactions; filled
the prisons with poorer recusants, whilst its armed emissaries scoured the
country for the double purpose of keeping the Court in work, and of
foreclosing, if possible, the threatened outbreak of popular vengeance.
Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire,
and Galloway formed the district assigned to Sir James Turner, in which to
carry out the measures of the Court. No arbitrary junto could have had a
fitter or more faithful servant. To do him justice, he does not seem to
have been gratuitously cruel. If suspected persons quietly conformed, he
did not punish them to excess; but woe to the wilful, obstinate deserters
from the parish churches, and frequenters of conventicles! In such cases
he was utterly ruthless - his plea being, that as a soldier he was bound
in duty to obey orders. He found the intruded curates useful assistants.
Mr. Chalmers, of Dumfries, and others similarly situated, supplied to Sir
James the names of non-attenders on their ministry, who, when found, were
fined forthwith; and if they could not pay the money, they were sent to
jail, or if' they would not, some of his soldiers were quartered upon them
till their contumacy was overcome. The following minute, dated 5th
September, 1670, shows the part taken by the town authorities in this
coercive work:- "The Counsall being informed that there is a company of
foot and a partie of hors appoynted to quarter in this burgh, which is
occasioned by several inhabitants who doe not frequent the ordinances, it
is therefoir enacted that such as are able and have never as yitt come to
the churche of this burgh to hear the service of the minister, shall have
sex foot soldiers quartered upon them, or two hors."
The case of Mr. John
Blackadder, minister of Troqueer - a parish that is separated from
Dumfries by the river Nith - may be noticed as an example of the way in
which the Glasgow Act was enforced by Turner and his men. They were not
satisfied with ejecting him from his parish, but wished to subject him to
fine or imprisonment; and he, aware of their designs, rode to Caitloch in
Glencairn, for the purpose of securing a safe residence for himself and
family beyond the bounds of the Presbytery. Next day (Sabbath), a party of
soldiers crossed the bridge, and, proceeding to Troqueer manse, behaved
with characteristic insolence to Mrs. Blackadder and her children. One of
them, a boy, [Afterwards Dr. Blackadder, a distinguished physician.] told
the story of the troopers' unwelcome visit in the following simple words:-
"A party of the King's life-guard of horse, called Blew-benders, came from
Dumfries to Troqueer to search for and apprehend my father, but found him
not; for what occasion I know not-whether he stayed beyond the set day for
transporting himself and numerous family of small 'children ten miles from
his parish church, or because he was of the number of those who refused to
observe the 29th of May. So soon as the above party entered the close, and
came into the house, with cursing, swearing, and damning, we that were the
children were frightened out of our little wits, and ran up stairs, and I
among them; who, when I heard them all roaring in the room below, like so
many breathing devils, I had the childish curiosity to get down upon my
belly and peep through a hole in the floor above them, to see what
monsters of creatures they were; and it seems they were monsters indeed
for cruelty, for one of them perceiving what I was doing, immediately drew
his sword, and forced it up with all his force where I was peeping, so
that the mark of the point was scarce an inch from the hole, though no
thanks to the murdering ruffian who designed to run it through my eye.
Immediately after, we were forced to pack up bag and baggatch, and to
remove to Glencairn, ten miles from Troqueer. We who were the children
were put into cadgers' creels, where one of us cried out, coming throw the
Bridgend of Dumfries, `I m banisht? I'm banisht!" One happened to ask,
`Who has banisht ye, my bairn?' He answered, `Byte-the-sheep has banisht
me."' Even when removed from his parish, the outed clergyman got no rest
for the sole of his foot. Byte-the-sheep Turner tracked Blackadder with
the stealthiness of a ravening wolf; but, on entering the family fold in
Glencairn, he again missed the object of his search, the minister having
gone that very day to seek a place of securer refuge elsewhere.
[Crichton's Life of Blackadder, pp. 130-2.] He was eventually captured,
however, and died on the Bass, after five years' imprisonment, in
December, 1685.
In the same year as the
soldiers' raid upon Troqueer manse (1663), the settlement of Mr. Bernard
Sanderson as curate of Irongray caused a great deal of commotion in the
latter parish. The people could not bear the idea of seeing their devoted
pastor, Mr. Welsh, superseded by one of whom they knew nothing, except
that he was the nominee of the arbitrary Privy Council, and a Prelatist.
To Mr. John Wishart was assigned the duty of introducing the new minister,
but the parishioners refused to receive either of them, and on, Sanderson
again applying for admission, he brought with him a retinue of soldiers,
thinking thereby to overawe any opposition that might be offered. When the
party drew near the church, they received a rough greeting from a shower
of stones thrown over the churchyard wall by a crowd of women, led on to
the crusade by a humble heroine, named Margaret Smith. They had laid in
beforehand a large store of missiles, and used them with such effect that
the minister and his men, armed though the latter were, faltered in their
resolution to force an entrance; and fairly gave up the attempt when they
saw other irate parishioners of the rougher sex flourishing swords, and
heard one of them, as lie set his back to the door of the sacred edifice,
daring them for their lives to settle a curate in Irongray that day.
The occurrence of this
popular tumult, and of a similar one at Kirkcudbright about the same time,
so enraged the Privy Council, that they appointed a commission, consisting
of the Earls of Linlithgow, Galloway, and Annandale, Lord Drumlanrig, and
Sir John Wauchope of Niddry, to proceed to the south, and take the
requisite steps for bringing the offenders to justice. The commissioners
sat at Dumfries when inquiring into the Irongray case, and on the 30th of
May, 1663, reported upon it in these terms:-" In pursuance of the
commission as to the trial of the abuse lately at Irongray, we caused cite
before us William Arnot of Littlepark, George Rome of Beoch, and several
other persons said to be concerned therein; and after we had examined
witnesses, we found that there had been several unlawful convocations of
the people of that place, for the opposing of the admission of Mr. Bernard
Sanderson to be preacher at the said parish, especially against the
serving of his edict, and thereby hindering Mr. John Wisheart to preach,
who was to have admitted the said Mr. Bernard. By the said depositions, we
find that the said William Arnot did keep several meetings before the
tumult; and that when he was desired and required by the messengers who
went to serve the edict, to assist to hold the women of them, he declared
he neither could nor would do it, that he drew his sword, and set his back
to the kirk door, and said, 'Let me see who will place a minister here
this day!' Therefore we find him guilty of the said tumult, and ordain him
to be sent into Edinburgh under a guard. We find George Rome of Beoch
accessory, as being present upon the place, and not concurring for
compescing of the tumult, and ordain him to go to prison until he find
caution, under five thousand merks, to appear before the Council when
called. And as to the rest of the persons, we find there hath been a great
convocation and tumult of women; but by reason there is no special
probation of any persons particularly miscarrying, more than these being
there present at the tumult, we thought fit to ordain the whole party of
horse and foot to be quartered upon the said parish of Irongray, upon free
quarters, until Monday next ; and that the whole heritors of the said
parish give bond, upon the penalty of one hundred pounds sterling, for
their future loyal good behaviour: And recommended to the Sheriff of
Nidsdale to apprehend and try some who had not compeared, and report to
the Parliament or Council, betwixt and the 28th of June."
The Council found no
difficulty in convicting Arnot: he was fined in the sum of five thousand
merks, and commanded, "betwixt and the 25th of October next to come, to
make public acknowledgement of his offences two several Sabbaths, at the
Kirk of Irongray, before that congregation." Arnot, it appears, was but a
small farmer of limited means, who would have been ruined by the exaction
of such a sum; and on his making a representation to that effect to the
Lords, and declaring that he was a loyal subject, and had previously
suffered loss under the usurpation, they mitigated the fine one thousand
merks. There is no reference in the above report to the Irongray heroine.
Blackadder tells us, however, that "the said Margaret was brought prisoner
to Edinburgh, and banished to Barbadoes. But when before the managers, she
told her tale so innocently, that they saw not fit to execute the
sentence." |
