CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library The original of tliis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029475898 OLD TOLBOOTH CHURCH. NOTES AND RECOLLECTIONS OF The Tolbooth Church, Parish, and Congregation. By WILLIAM BROWN, F.R.S.E., F.R.C.S.; Oiie of the Elders of Free Tolbooth Ch-urch. PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 1867. iKfatnrjj '$ait [HE substance of this Lecture was read at a Meeting of "THE Free Tolbooth Church Young Men's Association," on i/tli January last. Strong representations having been then made to the Author to give it a more permanent form and a wider circulation, by consenting to its publication ; and Mr. William Nelson having generously offered to bear all expenses, and present each Member of the Congregation with a copy — notwithstanding its many imperfections, he has much pleasure in complying with the request. Edinburgh, April 1867. NOTICES AND RECOLLECTIONS OF THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH. HE City of Edinburgh was oiriginally comprehended in one parish; and while, from time to time, altera- tions have been made in the number of ecclesiastical districts, of churches, and of ministers, no change has been made in that respect — in all civil matters it is but one parish; and when the Royalty was extended in 1767, the lands thus acquired were added to the Parish of St. Giles. " In 1641, the inhabitants being so much increased in number that four churches were not sufficient to accommodate them at divine service, wherefore the Common Council resolved to divide the city into six parishes. To the first, called the North-west Parish, was assigned the western part of St. Giles's Church (now named the Tolbooth Church), for the parishioners to perform their religious duties in. To the second, denominated the North Parish, the eastern end or choir of St. Giles's Church, now called the New Church. To the third, named the North-east Parish,' the Trinity College Church, ^o the fourth, denominated the South-east Parish, the new church, then in building, at present called the Trone Church ; and allotted to the parishioners the use of the middle part of St. Giles's, now called the Old Church, till- 6 THE TOLBOOTH PARISH DESCRIBED. their own should be finished. To the fifth, (Ailed the South Parish, the said Old Church ; but, as the same was appropriated to the use of the South-east Parish, till their church was finished, to the parishioners of the said South Parish was appointed either the Parliament House or the College Hall, as best could be spared. And to the sixth, to be named the South-west Parish, the church at present denominated the Old Greyfriars'." Though resolved on in 1641, yet this was not fully accomplished till 1665, when two ministers were allowed to each parish, with a stipend of 2500 marks Scots to, each of six. to be called principal, and of 1500 to the other six, to be called second ministers. Leaving out of view the other parts of the city, let us confine ourselves to the North-west, or Tolbooth Parish. It may be noticed that the Kirk Session possesses four large cups for the communion, all inscribed "For the North-west Parish;" two of these have the date- 1642, and two the date 1643. There are also two salvers, " Gifted by Sir James M'Lurg, late Dean of Guild," with the date 1717; also a silver vessel for baptism, bear- ing the date 1795. The boundaries of the parish, given by Maitland, are these: " The parish begins at the western end of the northern row of the Castle-hill Street, and running eastward down the street to Warri- stoun's Close, inclusive, contains the northern sides of the Castle- hill and Land-market Streets, and all the courts, closes, &c., therein to the Nordloch, which is the northern boundary of this parish. " The parish consists of six divisions : the first thereof contains 90 families, and 278 examinable persons; the second, 103 families, and persons 420; the third, families 89, and persons 360; the fourth, 84 families, and 364 persons; the fifth, families 97, persons 321; and in the sixth division, 96 families, and persons 317; — total of families, 559; and persons examinable, 2060.'' It is generally considered that " examinable persons," those who can be examined, are about half of the actual population ; so that in 1753, or shortly before, when Maitland's laborious and invaluable NAMES OF CLOSES AND LANDS. 7 History was published, this parish contained about 4000 indi- viduals. > Within the parochial boundaries, already specified, many names were given to separate portions; among these may be enumerated Castle-hill, Lawn-market, (or Land-market, as the name used to be), and Luckenbooths, all subdivisions of the High Street. In modern times it included the following places : — Warreiider House, Reservoir, Water-house Lane, or Ramsay Lane, Ramsay Gardens, RUriisay Lodge, Gow's Land, Simpson's Land, Tod's House, Pipe's Close, Skinner's Close, Jollie's Close, Sempill's Close, Tod's Close, Nairn's Close, Blythe's Close, Milne's Close, Milne's Court, Cranstoun's Close, Prentice's House, James's Court, Glad- stane's Land, Lady Stair's Close, Baxter's Close, Wardrop's Court, Paterson's Court, Bank Street, North Bank Street, Bank of Scot- land, Galloway's Close, Dunbar's Close, Sellers' Close, Brown's Close, Gavinloch's Land, Byres' Close, Advocates' Close, Rox- burgh Close, Don's Close, Warristoun's Close, Warristoun Brae. There was so great a discrepancy in the population of the several parishes, that in r84o a new arrangement was formed, under the authority of the Town Council and Presbytery. There were then fifteen parishes; and that of the Tolbooth Church was declared to be " Castle-hill, both sides, and all buildings and closes on the north side of the Lawn-market, down to and includ- ing the west side of Bank Street and the Bank of Scotland ; both sides of the new west approach, as far west as the Castle Wynd." Many changes have taken place in this parish during my recollection. The formation of the new Reservoir absorbed Warrender House, that plain but quaint edifice, with its end projecting on the street, and its door at the foot of a narrow lane. This house was built by Mr. John Davidson, Writer to the Signet, and Crown. Agent, to whose property and business Mr. Hugh Warrender succeeded. It was in Mr. Davidson's house that Rev. George Whitefield resided when in Edinburgh; and where his sister. Miss Davidson, presided at the breakfast table, when numerous guests were present. The erection of the Parish School- 8 CHANGES IN THE PARISH. house, and subsequently of the Ragged School buildings, has removed the old houses on the east side of Ramsay Lane, and the two closes called Pipe's and Skinner's Closes entirely. The Free Church Assembly Hall has swept away Tod's, Nairn's, and Blythe's- Closes. Prentice's House and Tod's House are now occupied by the New College and Free High Church. The burning of the weSt side of the north land of James's Court has led to the build- ings for the Free Church Offices, and the National Security Savings' Bank. Gavinloch's Land began to decay, and was unsafe. It was tlien pulled down by the Bank of Scotland, who had acquired the property ; and it has not been rebuilt, because the Bank intends to make extensive changes in the neighbourhood. Sellers'. Close, and Brown's Close, being connected with Gavinloch's Land, have , ceased to be inhabited. The printing office and warehouses ot' Messrs. Chamber's and of Mr. M'Laren have led to the absorption of Don's Close. Warristoun's Close has been much widened. It was always a thoroughfare, but it is now the chief approach to the railway from this part of the street. Another change has taken place, and has been going on for many years. The wealthy, respectable, comfortable inhabitants have nearly all disappeared from the parish. Their houses have been generally subdivided, and are now occupied by the poor — sometimes the very poor. When the present state of the stairs and closes is noticed, some people would argue very meanly of the habits and comforts of our ancestors ; but some of us remember these places when they wete inhabited by a different class ot people, and can, therefore, contrast their present with their past condition. Poverty is always adverse to cleanliness and neatness; and when people have sunk so low as to have lost the hope of rising, it is not wonderful that they think of a comfortable dwelling, and a clean access to it, as being something that they have nothing to do with. Maitland'S description of the Nordloch is worthy of transcrip- tion. He says, " The Nordloch, which bounds this parish on the north, was antiently a dry bottom, with no other water therein than THE NORDLOCH—THE RESERVOIR. 9 a strype or small rill; and at the western end thereof was the King's Garden. This loch, by the soil of the town incessantly running into it, is about half filled up, and probably in less than a century will be quite levelled. Be that as it may, herein was formerly an Ell ark, let at ten marks yearly, for the benefit of the Hospital. The ground at the north-western end of this parish, by the said loch, is occupied by tanners; that at the north-eastern by slaughter-houses ; and the space intermediate by gardens, and the northern side is bounded by beautiful enclosures." In my boyish days (as I well knew from living in Gow's Land, now I Mound Place), the Nordloch had not a dry bottom, but was a fetid marsh, through which " a strype or small rill " did in- deed flow. Both on the west of the Mound, which was specially called the Nordloch, and on the east, which was called Bearford's Park, solid foot-paths existed at various places; but on each side of the foot-path the mire was of considerable depth, and careless walking was unsafe. In wintei there was often enough of water to supply skating ground, and the loch then presented an animated scene. The tanneries did not exist, in my recollection, but their roofless walls remained tijl they were covered up by the increasing size of the Mound. The slaughter-houses remained much later, indeed till they were superseded by the Railway Station. The Waverley Bridge occupies very much the place of what was called the Little Mourrd. The Reservoir was an object of interest to the inhabitants, and strapgers were taken to see it, as being one of the lions of the city. It had been formed towards the close of the seventeenth century, was 43 feet in length, 28 in breadth, and 6 in depth. Water was brought to it in a pipe of 5 inches diameter, from Comiston, and distributed over the city. Only the more modern houses had cisterns supplied directly from the Reservoir by pipes ; but water-men obtained water at the public wells, filled the barrel which they carried on their back, and emptied it into the cistern or jar which every family had. The water-man was an important person to each family, coming as regularly as the milk-girl does 10 FLETCHER YETTS—AGE OF THE HOUSES. now; and although the employment was one which scarcely re- quired intellect of any kind for its performance, yet spme of the water-men were men of worth and of character. Fletcher Yetts, the keeper of the Reservoir at this time, had been a seaman under Admiral Rodney, and retained his spirit of dash and daring to old age. His loyalty burst forth on all fitting occasions, and when fire-works were to be exhibited at times of public rejoicing, or when " Blacknebs " (as those now called Liberals were then held up to scorn) were to be withstood, he was always first in the ployj It was customary to empty the Reservoir from time to time, for the purposp of cleaning it out. The water was allowed to flow into the' gutter, and was sometimes directed into a close, where it wrought great wonders in the way of cleanliness, but to the present annoyance of many of the inhabitants, who disliked change, I presume this is now done in a more effective manner, by means of tiie fire plugs which are to be found in every part of the street. When we look at the line of buildings fronting the street, we see that the large proportion of them have the same character, and indicate no great antiquity. The date 1690 is cut on the arched entrance into Milne's Court; but a great many others are evidently of a later date. There are two exceptions; one of these being between the Free Church Assembly Hall and Milne's Court; the other being Gladstane's Land and the land next to it, immediately below James's Court. In both of these there is a solid building of stone, but in front of this there is an erection of wood; and the tradition is that these wooden additions were built about the year 1540, when the Town Council, being desirous of clearing the forest on the Borough Moor, allowed the citizens to take timber without payment. On the lintel of one of the stairs in Baxter!s Close is an inscription in Gothic letters, " Blissit be the Lord in his giftis, for now and evir." Dr. D. Wilson considers this inscription to be the oldest in Edinburgh; but the house in which it is built is a much later erection, and no clue is furnished as to any previous building having occupied tbe site. MANSION AND CHAPEL OF MARY OF GUISE. 1 1 The building of most interest as an antiquity no longer exists. It was the mansion and private chapel of Mary of Guise, widow. of James V., and was situated to the back of the street between Tod's, Nairn's, and Blythe's Closes. It had been subdivided imong several families, and various rooms had inscriptions, and a date as early as 1557. One of them had a carved oak door, another had wall-panels handsomely painted, another had a ceiling with much ornament on it. There were in all seven niches, which may have been for baptismal fonts. I have often been in these apartments, which were kept in a neat state by the occupants, and which were often visited and admired by strangers. The Bakers' Hall was a large apartment formed out of two floors in the western half of James's Court. When I became first acquainted with it, there was a (fancing-school kept in it by Signora Marcucci, who afterwards became by marriage Madame Bonnet. She was a tall, fine-looking woman, very courteous in her manners, and very attentive to her numerous pupils. She latterly reinoved to Hanover Street, where she continued to teach till her death in 1813. The Bakers' Hall was frequently let for meetings; and the; Gratis Sabbath-school Society held their quarterly meetings there., There also the schools belonging to the Free Tolbooth Church were held with much success. ' The burning in August 1857 pUt a stop to everything. Among the objects destroyed were a noble marble fire-place, and a beautiful painting on the panel above it, being an Italian scene, with Italian figures on the fore-ground. Tod's House occupied the site of the New College. It was a handsome modern house of two stories, and had a considerable piece of ground in front, enclosed with an iron railing. Mr.. Thomas Tod was a tanner, and the tan-works in the valley were his. He was a successful man, was a public-spirited citizen, and was for a number of years treasurer of the Orphan Hospital. After the house was built, there were rumours of a threatened invasion from France. He became alarmed. He thought that if an invad- ing army should march up the Mound, so conspicuous an edifice as his would be attacked in the first place, and he never occupied 12 MRS. MACINTOSH. the house. When I recollect, the house was occupied by Mr. Harry Guthrie, Auditor of the Court of Session, brother of Dr. Matthew Guthrie, long an eminent physician in the Russian arm)'. I should like much to enumerate individuals of name and char- acter who resided in the Tolbooth Parish, but the number is too great for an ad'dress of this kind. I shall mention some who were connected with the congregation. One of these was Mrs. Macintosh, of whom there is a short memoir, written by my father, contained in the "Religious Monitor" for 1812 : — " I have been led into this frame of thought by reflecting on the character of a poor woman who died about eighteen months ago. She was a native of the Highlands of Scotland, and the wife of a chair-man in Edinburgh. About fourteen years since, I became acquainted with her, and ever after had frequent opportunities of observing her manner of life. The more I knew of her, the more she rose in my estimation. She was many years in a very infirm state of health ; and her husband, who like herself was well stricken in years, was not able to earn much by his profession. Their cir- cumstances, therefore, were not affluent; both, however, seemed content with sudh things as they had, and were thankful for the provision which a gracious God'had assigned to them. To a person possessed of even a moderate share of the comforts and conven- iences so generally diffused among the inhabitants of this happy land, their condition might reasonably be esteemed to bfe not far from wretched. I never, however, heard a murmur, never a. com- plaint, nor a hint that aid was wanted. In 1800, when the scarcity of bread was universally felt, this family suffered in the common calamity, and shared in the public bounty. A generous friend relieved their necessities by sending them a supply of meal. On this occasion the Christian spirit appeared to me to beam forth. The wants of this good woman being now supplied, she expressed her thankfulness to the Author of all good, and begged that the portion of the public bounty which fell to her share might be given to others who were still in adverse circumstances. This was not the generosity which is founded on pride ; it was the HER INDUSTRY— HER BENEFICENCE. 13 Christian frame of mind, which teaches us not to look on our own things only, but also on the things of others. "As the apostle exhorts us to be 'diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,' it appears that industry is an eminent feature of the Christian character. Indeed it is evident, though religion ought to pervade the business of life, it should in no case obstruct it. Religion is a practical thing, and is only manifested by the active discharge of duty; ^Possessing this view of it, I have been sometimes disposed to think that the employment of too much time in attending public worship, and other means of in- struction, is not the best way of promoting the end of our faith — the glory of God and the good of men. The subject of this memoir was not in circumstances to admit of exclusive indulgence in this respect, but she seems to have had juster views of her duty. She was an enemy to. idleness. Her principal employment was spinning, as a means of procuring subsistence. Her assiduity in this gave her time to exhibit active benevolence. Her hands ministered to the necessities of her sick neighbours; she gave both assistance and consolation with her limited means; she nourished the orphan, she sought out friends for him, and gave him oppor- tnnities of learning to read the words of eternal life. " I have often met her' in the house. of mourning: her service was ever ready where it could be useful. Such conduct, under the influence of the principles which actuated this good woman, is surely an evi- dence ^i the transforming power of divine grace. How poor do the most splendid pecuniary donations appear, when compared with the personal exertions of a sickly woman in almost destitute circumstances ! It is a small matter for a person in affluence to part with a few pounds, when the want of them occasions no abridgment of his enjoyments; personal service is, in many cases, the true test of charity. " Though she was thus actively employed, her mind was much occupied with the world to coine. Though in the eyes of a cas,ual beholder she might appear to be in a condition nearly approaching to virretchednesS) she lived above the world. Afflicted with almost 1 4 ELIZABE TH KtNNEAR. constant shortness of breath, and at last worn down witJi disease and old age, she possessed her soul in patience. Her mind seemed little affected Tjy the ruinous condition of the body. She ever had respect to the recompense of reward, and humbly trusted in that Saviour who, she believed, died for her sins. I saw her on her death-bed. She was neither triumphant nor despondent. She appeared to me in that state of mind experienced by the Psalmist when he said, ' Truly my soul waiteth upon God.' I had frequently seen her in circumstances of apparently as great bodily distress, and expected that she would also this time recover, Her illness did not continue long. I saw her every day except the day before her death. She continued sensible the whole time of her illness. Her affections were warm, but not tumultuous; her patience . did not forsake her. ' Mark the perfect, and behold the upright ; for of such the latter end is peace.' " * The next individual whom I shall place before you is Elizabeth Kinnear, of whom Rev. Mr. Marshall published a memoir in 1837, under the title of " The Young Parishioner." Her father, John Kinnear, was a native of Germany, and served the British Govern- ment in the German Legion. Upon his discharge he settled in Edinburgh, and began business as a wooden clock maker, to which he afterwards added that of bird-seller. He married a Scotfch- woman, and had several children. He was a respectable man in his conduct, but was not much connected with any church, although ' he declared himself a Roman Catholic. The children were taught at the Tolbooth Parish Schools, and received there all the religious training which they possessed. How the truth of God was carried to her he^rt, how her growth in grace was quickened, what an in- teresting and instructive scene her room afforded during her long and wearisome illness, what an impression her amiable and con- sistent conduct made on all around her, is detailed in Mr. Mar- shall's little volume, and I recommend its perusal to all of you. It was reprinted by Mr. Taylor, with a prefatory notice by Dr. Tweedie, in 1857. * "Religious Monitor/' vol. a. Edinburgh, 1812. ■JOHN HUTCHISON— MRS. MACLEAN. 15' John Hutchisori, a veteran of the 42nd Regiment, who had been in all the great battles of the Peninsula, and was wounded at AVaterloo, was bf essential advantage to her ; and it was interesting to see the old soldier sitting by the bedside, and bringing his Christian experience to the help of the young disciple. I have said her bedside, but for months together she was not in bed, but sat in an arm-chair, on account of her breathing. It is interesting to know that her father, years afterwards, em- braced the simple faith of the Scriptures, renouncing the corrup- tions which had been, from bis childhood, familiar to his mind. He went to Germany, to revisit the scenes of his youth ; and on his return to Edinburgh he told me what he bad seen, and how he had felt there. In his native village, in the Black Forest, he had joined, or at least had witnessed, -one of the religious pro- cessions considered of so much importance in that part of the country. One of his friends mentioned to him the great fatigue he had suifered in carrying the " Mother of God." This had led him to think more than he had ever done before. Perhaps the passage in Isaiah came into his mind, where the prophet reproves the Chaldean idol-worshippers for the bodily fatigue caused by-Bel and Nebo; but certainly he had nothing to do after this with human priests, and meekly took his religion from the Divine Priest, who is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. For ' many years, a tall but feeble old woman, called Margaret Maclean, might be seen walking from Pipe's Close, the highest close, ijext to Ramsay Lane, to the Tolbooth Church. One reason of l^er being noticed so much was, that her head was constantly shaking.^ It was a case of that kind of palsy affecting only the movement of the head, and leaving the rest of the body, and her intellect, unimpaired. One of my earliest visits to her was in consequence of an alarming haemorrhage from the nose, arising probably from the same fulness of '.blood in the head which had produced the' shaking palsy, and which might have ended in another and more fatal attack. I became much attached to her, from her simple, pious, uncomplaining temper of mind. Upon l6 THE SHOEMAKER— THE BOOKBINDER. inquiring into the cause of her first illness, she told me that her husband, who was a soldier, was suddenly taken from her ; and then added, "I would fain have keepit him that's awa." There was poetry in this — the poetry of a feeling heart, not rebelling against God's will, but struggling to acquiesce in his holy appoint- ment ; and part of her nervous System then giving way under the sore struggle. She was cared for by the ladies of our congregation, and had many comforts supplied to her. She had one daughter, who was a neat and skilful sempstress, and who had work given by many of the families. But her temper became ungovernable, and she caused much distress to her poor mother, and to many others besides. At length it became plain that insanity had to do with this, and she was removed from home. She and her mother both died many years ago. When I was elder in Advocates' Close, I became acquainted with a shoemaker who worked at his window, and whom I saw very often. He was one of the most industrious men whom I knew, obliging in his manners, ready to attend meetings for religious purposes. But his industry was not accompanied with soberness. He spent in drink his hard-won earnings. He readily received the reproofs and counsels offered to him. He often said to me, " I like to get advice." But he did not profit by the advice received so willingly. His family went to the bad, and he died in the Infirmary. On the south side of the Castle-hill there was a close called Stripping Close, It was said that when criminals were publicly whipped, they were stripped here, and marched down as far as the World's End Close, at the Netherbow. A poor family lived in this close, whom I knew well. The son was a bookbinder, and a well-doing young man. But, overburdened by needing to support his mother, with a brother and sister, his mind gave way. He often walked along the street, and turning aside into a close or stair, kneeled down in prayer. , There was no hypocrisy, no osten- tation. Dr. Johnson said, that while praying on the street was con- sidered a mark of insanity, he thought the man who never prayed at all was more deserving of this epithet. THE PARLIAMENT CLOSE. 17 As to the edifice of the Tolbooth Church, the changes wrought on it have been so revolutionary, that I must try to represent it to you as I saw it in the early part of this century. The south side of the Lawnmarket Street, now broken up by Melbourne Place, the County Buildings, and the vacant space between these build- ings and the Signet Library, was then a continuous street till within twelve or fifteen feet of the church. In this part of the street there were the Royal Bank Close, Gosford's Close, Liberton's Wynd, a crowded thoroughfare to the Cowgate and southern parts of the town, Forrester's Wynd, also a thoroughfare, and Turk's Close. The street then turned southward, and terminated in a blank wall, in which there was an opening, but no doon In a four-sided space here, covered by the building above, and of no great size, there were two doors : one on the left, leading to the Tolbooth Church ; the other on the right, leading to a hall occupied by the Town Council before they took possession of their own Chambers in the Royal Exchange., The outlet at the other end of this covered passage led to a narrow pathway opening into the Parliament Close, This, was the invariable name; but it was "turned into "Parliament Square" within my recollection. The word " square " seemed to be more fashionable. A high wall was on the right hand of the narrow pathway. The Goldsmiths' Hall first came into view, then the Parliament House, having a much more dignified exterior than the present building. Then jcame the Exchequer Chambers, and Sir William Forbes's Bank., But the entire east . side of the square, and the half of the south, consisted of tall houses, seven or eight stories high. There were shops on the level of the pavement ; the upper flats were the residences of respectable citizens ; and one or two flats were below the level. Among the shops I remember Manners and Miller, Ogle, and Bell and Bradfute, booksellers ; and John Kay, the engraver and caricaturist. On the south side there were stairs to the Cowgate, called the President's Stairs ; and on the east side there were stairs leading into the Old Fishmarket Close, called the Admiral's Stairs. On the northern portion of the eastern side there were piazzas, within which was 2 i8 THE LUCKENBOOTHS—TIIE KRAMES. the door of John's Coffee-house, a constant resort of lawyers and merchants — sometimes also of physicians and surgeons — where their ordinary business was transacted. The north side of the square or close was formed by St. Giles's Church ; but in the spaces between the buttresses there were shops of small size, each con- sisting of two flats, the upper being entered by a ladder-stair. Tv\:o of those, I recollect, were of William Auld,^a goldsmith, and of George Swan, a barber. The carriage, entrance into the square, at the north-east corner, was broad enough; but the High Street was not, as now, unob- structed by buildings. Nearly opposite the Royal Exchange, a tall building, called Creech's' Land, from the literary bookseller of that name having his shop in the east front, projected far into the street. A row of houses, from Creech's Land westward as far as the Tol- booth or Prison, made the street at this part only fifteen feet broad. A narrow path on the w^est side of Creech's Land, and a similar narrow path on the east side of the Tolbooth, \vere the means of communication between the Luckenbooths, as this part of the High Street Was called, and St. Giles's Church, immediately south of it. This row of houses did not abut on the church, but there was a pathi between it and them. As on the south side, so on the north, there were small shops, or krames, built in the vacant spaces by the side of the church. At the west end of the prison, a house with a flat roof was built, upon which criminals were hanged, for a great many years. Two small shops were in this building ; one to the north occupied by Robert Gilmour, a barber, wigmaker, and perfumer. He was a worthy man ; but the people called him "Tottie Gilmour," expressing thus his very small stature. Turning round to the south, we came to a low door of the Guard-House, where the men of the Town Guard who had charge, of the Tolbooth remained when on duty. In front of it was a form or bench, where they sat, and sometimes were cheered by casual loiterers. The man on' duty never failed to have a Lochaber axe, either in his hand or resting in a corner. He had a key, \yhich might be fairly called a huge one; but before ST. GILES'S CHURCH. 19 using it, he had to lift off from the keyhole an iron plate, which had a key for itself. They were all elderly men, and were ill fitted for their duties, either by bodily strength or even temper. St. Giles must have been- a person of some note in his day. ■ He is said to have b^en born in Greece, in the sixth century ; to have travelled into France, and founded a monastery in Languedoc. In the reign of James II., Preston of Gorton got possession of one of his arm bones, and bequeathed it to the Church of St. Giles in Edinburgh. The magistrates, in gratitude for the donation made to their church, granted a charter in favour of the heirs of Preston of Gorton, and bound themselves to found an altar, and to appoint a chaplain, for celebrating an a,nnual mass of requiem for the soul of the donor. At what time this religious foundation was estab- lished is unknown, but it is of considerable antiquity. The year 854 has been named by an old author, but there is express mention made of it in 1359. In 1466 it was erected into a col- legiate church by James III., before which date it had been only a parish church. It was a fine building, in length, from east to west, on the outside of the walls, 204 feet.' Its breadth, at the 'west er^d, no feet; in the middle, 129 feet; but at the east end, only 76. In 1560 the Reformation, took place; and in, 1563 the magis- trates ordered an official seat for themselves in the New Church, showing that already part of the large edifice had been set apart for the Reformed worship. In 1560 partition walls were built, so as to separate four places of worship, besides courts of justice, a grammar-school. Town-clerk's office, a . prison, and a work-house, to discover the frauds of weavers. Dn Wilson says : "In the sub- division of the ancient church for Protestant worship, the south aisle of the nave, with three of the five chapels built in 1389, were converted into what was called the 'Tolbooth Kirk. Frequent allusions, however, by early writers, in addition to the positive evidence occasionally furnished by the records of the courts, tend to show that both before the erection of the New Tolbooth, and after it was found inadequate for the purposes of a legislative hall 20 THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH. and court-house, the entire nave of St. Giles's Church was used for the sittings of both assemblies, and is frequently to be understood as the place referred to under the name of Tolbooth. In the middle of the seventeenth century, Nicoll, the old diarist, describes the frequent changes made oh the ' kirk callit the Tolbuith Kirk, quhilk was so callit becaug it was baith the part ind place quhair the criminall court did sitt, and quhair the gallows and the mayden did ly of old : lykwyse this ' kirk was alterit and chayngit, and of this one kirk thai did mak two.' During the interval between the downfall of Episcopacy in 1639, and its restoration in 1661, a constant succession of changes seem to have been made on the internal subdivision of St. Giles's Church, though without in any way permanently affecting the original features of the building.'' We know that the Tolbooth, rebuilt in 1561, for the meetings of Parliament, and for the sittings of the Courts of Justice, ceased ■■ to be used for these purposes after the building of the Parliament House in 1640. It became then the prison. We know that in 1641 the western part of St. Giles's was fitted up as the Parish Church of the North-west Parish ; we have a continuous succes- sion of ministers of the Tolbooth Church since that time; and we are justified in concluding that the Tolbooth Church has existed as a' place for religious worship, exclusively, for at least two centuries. From Mr. Laing we learn that " towards the closing period of the Reformer's life, on returning to Edinburgh, on the last day of August 1572, he preached 'in the Great Kirk: but because his voice was become weaker, he desired another place to teach in, if it were but to an hundreth persons; which was granted.' For this purpose a portion of the church was enclosed as a separate place of worship." There is no historical evidence that this was in the portion afterwards called the Tolbooth Church; but tradition said , so, and this increased our veneration for it. Arnot, in his " History of Edinburgh," published in 1779, says : " Upon the Reformation, the Presbyterians conceived an im- moderate aversion at bestowing the names of any of the saints upon their churches, but distinguished them by some circumstance TH^ TRUE MEANING OF A SAINT. 21 respecting the time or manner of erection, of vicinity, &c. This church, accordingly, which occupies the south-west quarter of St. Giles's, from its vicinity to the prison-house was termed the Tol- booth Church." Arnot spares no opportunity of putting Presby- terians in a disadvantageous point of view, but there are many who sympathize with him in the naming of churches, and I take the liberty of considering this subject. What is meant by a saint? Haifa century ago, in- the British House of Commons, William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, and a few more, were publicly spoken of as " The Saints." The appel- lation was one of sneering reproach. We lately saw in the news- papers an account of the canonization of a certain individual. Since that day he has been spoken of as a saint. He has obtained from the Pope a patent of ecclesiastical nobility. Again I ask. What is a saint ? It is wonderful how often people use the word without ever thinking of its meaning ; and how many people who read their Bibles yet acknowledge the dogma that a saint is one who has been declared to be so by the papal bull, and that no one else has any right to it. 'But the truth is, that the Church of Christ contains no particular orders of saints; that the name is the common property of all Christians; all disciples of Christ, all believers on Christ, are saints, — i.e., are holy persons, showing by their conduct that their faith in Christ is sincere. To what a low state has Christianity fallen, when saints require to be sought out and separated, not from the world which lies in wickedness, but from the Church of the living God ! But I am told that the apostles deserve to have this title prefixed to their names. I gladly acknowledge that they deserve a title, but a title which truly distinguishes them from others. Paul, the apostle, is, as such, marked out from millions of the same name : Paul, the saint, is no more so than the unnumbered millions who are before the throne, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. I regret that so many of the Reformed Churches unconsciously or inconsiderately acknow- ledge -this false view -of divine truth. Recently some churches 22 "HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN." have been named in another way; and we have now Augustine Churcli, without the prefix St., as in most other places; Henderson Church, Erskine Church, Boston Church, Chalmers' Church. I do not speak here as to the desirableness of connecting a man's name with a religious edifice, but I contend for the necessity of maintaining the scriptural idea of who are saints. As to the name Tolbooth Church, I have no intention of admiring it ; and had we to name it now for the first time, another and less peculiar one would be adopted. But I must remind you that churches had not unfrequently strange names given to them else- where than in Presbyterian Scotland. St. Peter's de Vinculis, St. Sepulchre, St. Cross, are just as incongruous with modern taste. Arnot connects the name with the prison-house ; and a lady of the congregation told me that she could not bear her minister to be considered chaplain of the jail. But it should be remembered that the word tolbooth did not originally mean a prison, but the booth, or office, or chamber, where toll, or tax, was imposed or received, and that its becoming' a prison was a comparatively recent arrangement. In the Edinburgh Tolbooth, Parliament sat from time to time, and the courts of law were not unfrequently held there. Whether, therefore, the name were a right, one or not, it was not given to the church as being a prison. The great Scottish novelist introduces into the " Heart of Midlothian" this church; and his descriptions, although hot in- variably accurate, are invariably vivid. He says: "Adjacent to the toll booth, or city jail of Edinburgh, is one of three churches into which the Cathedral of St. Giles is now divided^ called, from its vicinity, the Tolbooth Church. It was the custom that crimi- nals under sentence of death were brought to this diurch, with a sufficient guard, to hear and join in public worship, on the Sabbath before execution. It was supposed that the hearts of those un- fortunate persons, however hardened before against feelings of devotion, could not but be accessible to them upon uniting their thoughts and voices, for the last time, along with their fellow- mortals in addressing their Creator; and to the rest of the congre- THE CHURCH EXTERNALLY. 23 gation it was .thought it could not but be impressive and affecting, to find their devotions mingling with those who, sent by the doom of an earthly tribunal to appear where the whole earth is judged, might be considered as beings trembling on the verge of eternity. The practice, however edifying, has been discontinued, in conse- quence of the incident we are about to detail." The incident mentioned was the escape of a prisoner: from the church on the nth of April 1736. The alleged cruelty committed at the execution of the 6ther prisoner, who had aided thei escape of his companion, the murder by the populace of Captain Porteous, the displeasure of the Government, and the severe measures carried out in consequence, are all given in the " Heart of Midlothian," and more correctly in the civic and legal publications of the time; but they do not belong to our consideration. We have a ground plan of St. Giles's Church, as it was in the early part of this century. We ha.ve also a ground plan of the Tolbooth Church, exactly as it was when occupied before 1829. The whole edifice was so surrounded by buildings, that no full view of it is to be found anywhere; but parts' of it ^re to be seen in various engravings. In Maitland, Arnot, Wilson, Billings, and Laing, there are engravings from which a general idea of the building may be obtained ; but the great central tower, surmounted by its graceful lantern, or crown, conspicuous on every side, is the only external relic of the old edifice- There is no view of the interior of'the Tolbaoth Church, unless we except one of Kay's Caricature Sketches, called the " Sleepy Congregation," in which Rev. Dr. Webster is represented as ad- dressing from the pulpit a number of persons known to be not very zealous in attending on public worship, and certainly not the congregation of that church. There is nothing in that sketch to remind us of the church as it was in the beginning of this century; but we know that in 1791 it -underwent alterations, so extensive as to be recorded in the front of the gallery, along with the name of Sir James Stirhng, the Lord Provost of the day. In 1829 we wished much to have a portrait of the interior. I went into the 24 THE INTERIOR fiF THE CHURCH. church for the purpose, with a lady who had also sat in it from childhood, and whose regard for it was as strong as my own ; but the workmen had already begun their noisy and dusty demolition, and she made only two sketches. They are faithful, and give some idea of what the interior was. The church was a nearly square building, separated from the Old Church, on the east, and from the New North Church, Haddo's Hold, or Little Church, on the north, by solid walls of great thickness. It was lighted from the west by one large window with stone mullions ; and from the south by two windows having wooden astragals, one window being a third broader than the other. The principal entrance was from the Parliament Close by a spacious porch, in which were eight or ten steps, which led up to the floor of the church ; a smaller door, on the west side, en- tered from the covered passage already referred to. The pulpit was placed immediately beneath the smaller window on the south side, and in front of it was the area of the church, divided equally by two massive columns, which, with two others, half projecting from the east and west walls, sustained three heavy pointed arches. The pillars were plain octagons, the arches cor- responding in simplicity. The capitals, however, had some de- corations ; and the ribs of the groining of the roof rested on the imposts of pilasters supported on corbels springing above the capitals of the pillars. The walls were dingy in colour, and seemed to have dust resting on every available place. On one occasion, when either Mr. Whitefield or Mr. Simeon preached, he noticed a large cobweb which had been placed at a height above the reach of ordinary besoms, and remarked, " That is the very cobweb which I saw when I was last here" — so many years ago. For protection from the bright sun, curtains of cotton, or rather of hempen cloth, were suspended by pulleys from the top of both south windows. The curtains were heavy in themselves, and were made heavier still by leaden weights sewed to them. The curtains were kept up by strong cords fastened round iron pins fixed THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH IN D? W£BSTERS TIME (from Kays Portraits) ~ THE PEWS— THE HINGED SEATS. 25 into the wall. When they were let down, or pulled up, this was done by the beadle coming to the pulpit stairs, displacing the sitters there, and disturbing the whole congregation with the noiSe. The ground plan shows how the pews were arranged. The number of sittings on the floor was 387. In the gallery, which came forward on three sides as far as the central pillars, there were 289. In the upper gallery, where Ihe light was very defective, but where the minister's voice was well heard, there were 78. Another upper gallery, on a level with this one, was occupied entirely by school children. The whole sittings were thus 754. To these, however, ought to be added the movable seats in the passages, w^hich wete not let, but which were occupied generally by poor women, who perhaps secured ■ their continued possession of , the same place by a small gratuity^ to the beadle. In the narrow passage from each side of the pulpit to the door, one long bench accommodated eight or ten persons. But the passage was too narrow to allow any one to pass, while the bench was occupied, so that it was turned up to the wall, and the people kept standing till the minister had gone into the pulpit. Then the perpendicular supports, which had been folded to the wall, were pulled out, the bench was • let down upon them, and every one sat down. They had again to rise and fold back the seat at the end of the service. The pulpit'stairs were occupied by two women on each side (one on the uppermost step, the other a little lower); placed here, I believe, on account of their deafness. Such movable or hinged seats were round the walls in every passage. In the passages proceeding from the walls down to the front of the galleries there were also seats used in the same way, and no one could pass, up or down, without these seats being lifted up. The central passage from the wall toward the pulpit had one sitting at the back of the Elders' Seat, which, was occupied, in my recollection, first by Marion or Mysie Mein, and then by Margaret Walker; each of whom was a character in her way. For many years the demand for sittings was so great that all sorts of expedients were employed to obtain them. It used to be 26 DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING SITTINGS. said that it was as difficult to get into the Tolbooth Church as into the House of Commons. The seats were let half yearly by a committee of the Town Council, but they invariably respected the vested right of existing sitters. When a death took place among these, there was a competition for the pew, and much influence was used with the Council for this purpose. For several year's, my father, although an elder, was chiefly indebted to friends for sittings. The death of Mr. Hamilton, of the Excise, was intimated to him before it was generally known in town. He had fhus an advantage in the contest for the vacant pew, secured friends in the Council, and obtained at length No. 5, very near to the pulpit, on the minister's left hand — a most eligible one, in many respects. But many deaths or removals of sitters were never intimated to the Council, or pot heeded by them. The pews were then occu- pied by others, who ,paid for them under the old names, so that " there was no correspondence between the names in the Council seat-books and the actual sitters. This was so much felt to be an eyil, that at length the Council issued an intimation, confirming all existing occupants in their possession, and authorizing their names to be placed on tlie books. The cause of this remarkable state of things — the desire Jo become sitters in this church, and the largeness of the attendance in it — could ,not be its architectural or artistical beauty, the rich- ness of its ornaments, or the sweetness of its music. These are all desirable, and in the present day they constitute, in the opinion of many, the chief inducements to aftendance in any particular church or chapel. But they were all awanting in the Tolbooth Church, and it presented nothing attractive to the mere lovers of the fine arts. The cause was to be found in the men who occupied the pulpit. There were in them sanctified talept, sanctified learning, sanctified zeal, sanctified eloquence. They were Evangelical ministers ; and, sneered at as that name is now, ■ it combined a variety of qualities which gave it power and influence in the community. The name Evangelical, as- applied to a minister, did not mean only that he preached sound doctrine, AN EVANGELICAL MINISTRY. 27 but that he was conscientious in the performance of his duties, acceptable to his parishioners, assiduous in his care for them, and friendly to their legitimate rights. He was, therefore, the opposite of a Moderate, who was frequently unsound, or at least defective,"" in his teaching,' careless of his parochial duties, cringing to patrons, and therefore opposed to the feelings and rights of the people. The adherents of the two parties in the Church of Scot- land had various shades of opinion and of conduct, but fidelity and carelessness, more or less, discriminated them. The stinging pamphlets by Dr. Witherspoon of Paisley, entitled " Ecclesiastical Characteristics;" the Memoir of Dr. Stewart of Canongate, by Dr.. Sieveright of Markinch; and the Autobiography of Dr. Carlyle of Inveresk — illustrate very Sufficiently 'the opinions and conduct of the Moderates and Evarigejicals, or Highfliers, as their opponents named them. There was a continuous succession of such ministers 'in this church from the time of the Revolution. They preached the same doctrines, and practised the same pastoral fidelity. It has been mentioned by some popular writers, as a drawback to their excellence as preachers, that they preached Calvinism. We ' (Consider that to be no reproach, because we consider Calvinism to be scriptural truth ; but if it be insinuated that they occupied the attention of their hearers with abstruse, metaphysical, polemical, or theoretical disquisitions, we appeal to their published writings as giving a flat denial to such a charge. Even in the quaint sermons of James Kirkton and of James Webster, who were ministers before the seventeenth century closed, there is so much solid declaration of divine truth, and so much sharp reproof of sin, as to assure us, had we no testimony orrthe subject, that their ministry must have been a useful one.* Bishop Horsley, in a debate in the House of Lords, said that when noble lords chose to speak against Cal- vinism, they ought to know what they were speaking about. * "The Tolbooth K.irk was the peculiar resort of a set of rigid Calvinists from the Lawn- market and the head of the, Bow, termed the Towbuith Whigs^ who loved nothing but extem- pore apostolic sermons, and would have considered it sufficient to bring the house down about their ears, if the precentor had ceased, for one verse, the old hillside fashion of reciting the ines of the psalm before singing 'd was succeeded by John Law, by his widow, Mrs. Law, and then by her niecfe, Mrs. Ambrose. William Malloch was in the gallery; his widow succeeded on his death,' and then his son, Patrick Malloch. All of these beadles were respectable in their conduct; but some of them were more civil and obliging than others. Their salaries from the Town Council were very small ; a small gratuity was given to them out of each collection at the communion, and many of the congregation remembered them at vthe time of handsels. To assist them at the time of the com- munion, when their duties were very laborious, a temporary door- keeper was engaged. I remember three of these — Andrew Buch- anan, James Scobie, and James Cumming — each of whom was an excellent man. The ministers of the city, eighteen in number, preached in turn every Sabbath evening at half-past six o'clock. The nine senior ministers preached in turn every Friday' forenoon at eleven o'clock. The nine junior ministers preached in turn eveiy Tuesday even- ing at half past six. All these sermons were in the New North Church. There was thus a sufficient provision for the wants of those who had leisure to attend public worship at other than the cus- tomary times. ' Besides, on Sabbath morning, at eiglit o'clock, there was a 'lecture in the Tron Church, for the maintenance of which a small endowment had been bequeathed. On Sabbath evening the attendance was generally good. The congregation consisted chiefly of those who had been unable to get to church at the fore- noon or afternoon diet on Sabbath. The week-day services were not well attended, except on Dr. Davidson's Friday. He never failed to preach on that occasion, while most of the other ministers sent substitutes, who did not do their duty to the satisfaction of the hearers. Dr. Davidson's Fiiday \)tczxat generally known in YOUNG COMMUNICANTS. ' 35 the city, and there was usually a large congregation, gathered from all churches. When I became an elder, in 1825, there was no roll of com- municants. Dr. Davidson had a jaersonal knowledge of most of the congregation, and trusted to this in preference to a roll. On the Tuesday before each communion (in May and November), the ministers and elders attended in the church at one o'clock. Whether this was held to be a regular meeting of Session, I am not certain. But the communicants entered the church by the south door, and passed through the narrow pew in front of the elders' seat, in which the ministers and elders stood and dispensed tokens to them. The same thing was done on Thursday after- noon and Saturday afternoon, after conclusion of the services. The ministers and elders had tokens in their possession, and sup- plied in private those who did not receive them on these occasions. Five or six weeks before each communion, the ministers, in very impressive and appropriate terms, intimated from the pulpit, that any persons desirous of being at the Lord's table for the first time, might call upon either of them on certain days, at certain hours. I was taken by my father to Dr. Davidson's house for this purpose. He conversed with me affectionately, put questions to be answered afterwards, and made me come back several times. At length, a few days before the communion, he gave me a token, telling me that he gave it in the judgment of charity, but that I was riot to use it unless my conscience assured me, on a careful examination, that it was right to do so. On this last occasion Mr. John Smyth (after- wards Rev. Dr. Smyth of Glasgow) was present and received a token also ; but at all the previous visits I was alone with him. No regular minutes were kept by the Kirk Session. Edinburgh being held to" be one parish in civil matters, the Session-clerk ap- pointed by the Town Council for the city was reckoned to be the, Session-clerk of each separate Session. When an elder was elected to represent the Session in the Presbytery and Synod, his name was given in to that Session-clerk, and he made the formal return. When ah elder was ordained, the same functionary was applied to 3 15 THE COLLECTING ELDER. for the record containing tne formula. The new elder subscribed this formula after he had been ordained ; and then the book was returned to the City Chambers. In Glasgow, the? clerk appointed by the Town Council attended the meetings of each separate Kirk Session, and wrote the minutes. Here this was not done, at least not in the Tolbooth Church. I know that St. Andrew's Kirk Session had a minute-book of their own, and the New North Kirk Session had also a book of their own; but the Tolbooth Kirk Session had none. I conjecture that this anomalous and unbusiness-like proceeding arose in this way: The Session felt that the presence of a stranger, such as the general Session-clerk was, ' at meetings when delicate and solemn questions came under con- sideration, was inconvenient; and his attendance was rendered unnecessary by there being no meetings which needed to be for- mally recorded by him. Occasionally, after public worship, in the forenoon or afternoon, the elders were called to meet with the ministers in the vestry. This wa^ first in the upper Council-room (entering from a stair out- side of the covered passage); and after all these buildings were taken down, and the covered passage no longer in existence, in one of the robing-rooms of the Parliament House. Such meetings were not announced from the pulpit or desk, but by one of the ■beadles, to the elders, as they stood at the doors. These were true Sessional meetings, but the proceedings were not recorded. Each elder ofterj conversed with the ministers or with his brother elders, on matters connected with the parish or congregation ; but this was an individual transaction, not the proceedings of a Church court, as it ought to have been. Each elder ^yas in turn the collecting elder at the communion sea- son. He had charge of the bread, wine, tokens, and all arrange- ments. He received the collections (which were always consider- ' able), and distributed them according to certain rules, sending the balance to the treasurer of the Charity Work-house. He recorded the proceedings at each communion, the names of the ministers, in attendance, the texts from which they preached, the number of COMMUNION SERVICES, MARCH \ril- 37 the communicants, the names of the elders and deacons, and the amount of the collections. One of these records will be interesting as a specimen : — SACRAMENT IN THE TOLBOOTH KIRK, March lyy:^. ■ Rev. Alex, Webster, the action. Miv David Plenderleith. Deacons. Messrs. Rokert Moueray; ' James Fyffe. Alex. Bell. Joseph Lachlan. John Angus. John Patterson, Elders. , Messrs. John Forrest. "William Todj John Welsh. James Spence. Robert Russell, Patrick Bowie. Collections. Thursday, i8— Copper £x ig 7^ Sixpences 2x6 Shillings I 1:6 o ^Half-crowns o 5 o Sat.f 20— Copper £x 1$ 9i- Sixpences 115 o , ,. Shillings 180 Half-crowns o z 6 Sahb. 21 — Copper £,2 6 6j . Sixpences. 4 17 6 Shillings ...» 5 2 o Half-crowns i 15 o Gold 2 2 o Mo7td., 22 — ' Copper £,z .0 6 Sixpences 2 3 6 . . Shillings 2 i o Half-crowns o 5 o £6 2 li 16 , 3 o^ 6 10 £33 16 5 Contra. Ordinary Charges. Paid the Precentor £\ the Beadles i their Servants o the Session-clerk » o eight Soldiers o two Officers b Council Chamber ,. . . o Room for dis. Tokens o 'Cleaning U,tensils ' o Candlds o + 2 2 10 ^3 15 4 The balance, being Thil-ty Pounds one Shilling and a Penny, was, by order of the Session, paid into Mr. Mercer, by James Fyffe, collecting deacon ; ^33 16 5 Fast- day Forenoon Mr. Alex. Webster Zech. xiii. 1. ,, ,, Mr. John Spence John i v. 29. „ Afternoon. Mr. Robert Spears Matt. xxii. 5. Saturday „ Mr. James Innes Job xxii. 21. Sabbath Forenoon Mr. Alex. .Webster Matt. xxvm. 5, „ Afternoon Mr. Plenderleith ....,.John xiv. 4. Monday „ Sir Henry Mon'CREIFF John "xiv. I. Tokens distributed by the Session 1275 Received back at the tables -■ 121S Received back unused V^ ' Seventeen services. The last near full.- 38 SESSIONAL DINNERS. Such a record indicates a very peculiar state of things; and we cannot reconcile the existence of 1275 communicants, belonging to a church in which there were not more than 800 sittings, with healthy ecclesiastical discipHne. I am quite aware that where there is a favourite minister, many communicants will attend, as many hearers will; butas the Lord's supper is an ordinance for the nourishment of members of every congregation, it is not for the general good that communicants shall wander away from their own church. It was customary in the city churches for the ministers and elders to dine together in a tavern on the Monday after each com- munion. This custom, so harmless and so becoming in itself, had degenerated, in various instances, into a jovial feast. Serious people became scandalized at these Monday dinners ; and they had long been discontinued in the TolboDth Church. But the minister who^e turn it was to preside at the communion used to invite to dinner on the Monday his colleague, the collecting elder, the magistrate, one of the assisting ministers, and perhaps a per- sonal friend. At Dr. Campbell's turn, in November, this dinner was in his house, which was first in the Society House, Neth^rbow, and afterwards in Albany Street. At Dr. Davidson's turn, in May, his family being then at Muirhouse, the dinner was in a tavern. I was present on several occasions, and enjoyed much the hospitality and friendly intercourse. But the Session, as such, had two regular social -meetings ; one of these was soon after the New Year, and the other in summer, regulated by the ripening of the strawberries, for it was a strawberry feast. At these two meetings a great deal of the business of the congregation was transacted. Ferguson's tavern, in Sellers' Close, Lawnmarket, was the place of meeting. The apartment was at the end of a long passage, being lighted from the north; while its distance from the noisy street, and the quiet arrangements of the landlady, Mrs. Ferguson, gave to the meeting much of the feeling of a family party. The ministers sat at the head and foot of the table. Cheerful and thoroughly temperate 'DR. DAVIDSON'S PUNCTUALITY. 39 were these dinners, although both wine and spirits were used. After dinner, the books relating to the schools, and to the, fund for the poor, were examined, and the accounts audited and doqueted. Mr. Charles Baxter, one of the senior elders, acted as comptroller, and allocated the payment of the bill, in a way that seemed to be capricious, ))ut which carefully avoided pressing on the pockets of those who could not well afford it. He did this by imposing fines on some of the members for real or supposed, faults. One item in the bill was always a round of salt beef, with bread and beer, which , had been used in the Session-house on the communion Sabbath. The remains of these formed a perquisite to the beadles ; and besides, a little money was added to help out their poor salaries. The last of these Sessional dinners took place in June or July 1828, after the admission of Mr. Marshall. He took a dislike to such meetings, and opposed a passive resistance to them. We all felt this to be a loss, but we were unwilling to take so strong a step as to dine without having him at our head. He had, however, a Monday dinner in his own house; and I often had the privilege of being present on these occasions, and enjbying his hospitality, and forming one of the family circle. Dr. Davidson used to say of Dr. Campbell : " My colleague is ill to yoke, but he's waur to lowse." Dr. Davidson was very punctual to all his engagements. On the days when he was to preach, he used to stand in the vestry, watch in hknd, till there was just time for him to walk to the church, and be in the pulpit, as the last stroke of the hour struck from the clock in the steeple. The great bell continued ringing till the magistrates entered the High Church, and they were not always punctual ; but in the Tolbooth Church the hour of the forenoon service, eleven o'clock, was scrupulously adhered to. Dr. Davidson did not sit down on entering the pulpit, but immediately gave out the psalm. He never wore his gown except in winter. Dr. Campbell was rather un- punctual in beginning the service ; but he seemed veiy unwilling to conclude. He did not read his sermons ; and as he proceeded in his exposition or address, matter seemed' to flow in upon his 40 MR. JOHN MACKENZIE, GLAZIER. mind. He leaned over the pulpit, pouring out rich and weighty sentences, and forgetful of the time sometimes till one o'clock struck. Then he had to hurry on, having still the prayer and singing. Servants had often to leave before the conclusion of the service. This was complained of, and in later years he wrote his sermons and read them. Some of these are given in the volume published after his death ; but they do not indicate fully his power as a preacher. The earliest of our Session minutes was on 20th November 1825, I had all the ardour of youth, and was desirous that our Session should assume its true character and functions as a Church court. The feeling with me was a passion ; and it is very probable that I did not show the. deference which I ought to have done to those who were all much my seniors. , At length my wishes were yielded to : a clerk was appointed and a minute-book obtained. Mr. John Mackenzie, glazier, was -appointed to the office. He was a re- markable man ; as anxious about the spiritual character of the church as I or any one, but he was ill-informed and narirow- mindeJ. He lived in the Lawnmarket, up a fore stair in the ancient land at the head of Baxter's Close, and with a door open- ing into that close. His house was one of those which had been fronted with wood, after the original building, at a remote period. He was a well-read man in theological and ecclesiastical literature. He was a local antiquary of no mean authority. He was a devout man, and thoroughly in earnest in his endeavours to pro- mote the cause of Christ in the world. The Paraphrases were not used in public worship in the TolboQth Church. On one occasion, when a stranger officiated, and gave out one to be sung, the precentor had no hesitation in looking up to the pulpit, and saying, " We sing nae paraphrases in this kirk." In Lady Glenorchy's Chapel, under the ministry of Mr. Jones, so long, in its bi-monthly communions, the place of spiritual refresh- ment to many people in Edinburgh, the same custom was observed, and the Psalm-book used in the pulpit had no paraphrases. On one occasion, a yOung stranger, who was not aware of this, and SIXG/A'G OF PARAPHRASES. 41 had fixed in his mind that a certain paraphrase should be sung, found, to his perplexity, that his book contained no paraphrases: Thinking this an accident, he leaned down and borrowed the precentor's book, and, baulked there also, had to select a psalm. Soon after Mr. Campbell's induction, he gave out a paraphrase to be sung, and addressed the congregation on the lawfulness and advantage of occasionally doing so. The great body of the congre- gation became , reconciled to this change, which was adopted by Dr. Davidson also. But a few of the old people were hot satisfied, and showed their dissatisfaction in various ways. Mr. Swanston, who sat in one of the square pews near the door; near where I sat, immediately shut his book as soon as a paraphrase was given out by the minister, and remained silent while those around him were singing. On the other hand, Mr. Mackenzie carefully selected one of the psalms, which he considered suitable to the subject, and sung it, while all around him were singing the paraphrase. Mrs. Mackenzie did not sympathize with her husband in this ; and on one occasion, when he had been proving, as he thought, the un- lawfulness of singing anything but the psalms, she said, " Then, John, when you join the company of the redeemed, and they begin to sing the new song, you will need to be silent." He survived till 1849, but he never abandoned his mode of singing. His Psalm- book had the paraphrases sewed up. I became Session-clerk on Mr. Mackenzie's resignation in 1828, and continued so while we remained in the Establishment. In the Free Tolbooth Church I was clerk till 1854, when I requested the Session to relieve me from the duties. This they did by appointing Mr. George Nicolson to be joint clerk, and afterwards sole clerk, to the fiill satisfaction of myself and the other office-bearers. At the Disruption our minute-books had to be delivered up to the new minister ; but a copy was made, and we thus possess a com- plete record of our proceedings for a considerable period. ' There is also a record of an interesting nature, but which was, not the 'property of the Session, as such. It contains the names of thte ministers, elders, and deacons for many years, till the present day. 42 SOCIETY FOR RELIEF OF POOR MEMBERS. In it eacli elder enters a record of each communion; of which a specimen is given above, at page 37. In 1812 was formed "The Tolbooth Church Session Society, for rehef of poor members of that church suffering from age, domestic distress, or occasional want of employment." It was carried on for many years, and may be said to exist still in the Association now conducted by a committee of ladies, of whom Miss Knight is secretary. The members of Session appointed six of their number as a committee to, manage the affairs of the society. Tliis committee met in the Session-room on the first Sabbath of every- month, after the afternoon service ; when they considered the recommendations for relief, and granted such. supply as the circumstances of the case seemed to require. One member was treasurer and another was clerk. Every person applying for relief was visited by two members of committee. Five shillings was the yearly subscription to the funds'; but donations of a smaller or ■greater amount were received. A great many persons received three, four, and five shillings a month, besides special donations under special circumstances of distress. Much good was done by this society; but it was a mistake to have it managed exclusively by members of the Kirk Session. Other members of the congrega- tion, and especially ladies, ought to have had a share in the work. Many of them, who have leisure and aptitude for visiting the poor, are able to do more good than elderly gentlemen already engrossed with duties. Our present arrangement is a better one. On the last night of the year 18 11, the usual merry-makings on the street turned into a riot, in the course of which a man was killed ; and in consequence of this three young men were hanged in April 18 12. This sad event made a deep impression upon all classes ; and it was considered that too little had been done for the religious training of the young in the city. An association wa's formed for promoting religious education, which was managed by a minister and elder from each Kirk Session of the city parishes. A Sabbath school was established in each parish ; and the pupils were Required, or induced, to attend -public worship in the Parish SABBATH SCHOOL— WIGHTMAN'S SCHOOL. 43 Church. As there were no vacant sittings in the Tolbooth Church, a gallery was erected on the east wall, on a level with, and entering by the same stair with, the upper gallery on the north wall. This gallery was occupied by the school, which was a numerous one. Both galleries were dark, and the children could scarcely see the minister. I fear it was a severe restraint upon them ; and their intelligent attention could scarcely be kept up, especially as the sermons were addressed alrnost entirely to adults. These schools did n)uch good, however, wherever the teacher was suitable, and the Kirk Session took pains to visit and watch over the children. For the benefit of the many children who were unable to read (as bare reading was not taught in the Sabbath schools), a week-day school was established in a building in Market Street, immediately under the Bank of Scotland. This became a very successful school, in numbers and in efficiency, under the superintendence of Mr. John Wood, advocate. The building was afterwards sold, and is now occupied by a Roman Catholic school. Our parochial Sabbath school ,had the great advantage of being connected with a large school which was carried on during the week. John Wightman of Mauldslie, who had, as a skinner, ac- quired considerable property, who was for thirty-six years one of the Kirk Session, and who was Lord Provost of Edinburgh, mortified, in 1730, 7000 marks Scots, or ^^'sSS, 17s. gd., to found a school for poor children under the management of the ministers and elders of the Tolbooth Church. In my earliest recollections of Wightman's School, it was held in a close at the head of the West Bow, on the west side. This house was the property of the school, and was sold in 1817. A lease was then taken of a house in Ross's or Boswell's Court, Castle-hill. Afterwards it was for a short time in Fisher's Close, Lawnmarket, where it remained till 1839, when the commodious and handsome building in Ramsay Lane was ready for it. Mr. Christie taught ^ the school when it was in the West Bow. Mr. MacGruar was his successor. Then Mr. Whitson, who was afterwards minister of a parish in Forfarshire. On his resignation, 44 THE NEW YEAR'S DA Y SERMOX. in i8i8, Mr. David Young .became teacher, and continued so till shortly before the time of our leaving the Establishment. He was no common man. Brought up in the Orphan Hospital, bred a shoe- maker, zealous for Sabbath schools, and skilful in conducting them, he was appointed teacher of Wightman's School and of the Parochial Sabbath School. He was uneducated in grammar and many other etceteras, but he taught most efficiently all that he knew. He put life into the school; and' his power of securing discipline, while the interested attention of the children was retained, was very re- markable. On one occasion, vvheli the school was to break up for the holidays (a time regulated by the state of the harvest, because it was then customary for parents to go to the shearing, and to take their children with them), a number of them asked him to keep up' the school ; which he kindly did for some time. i It was in connection with Wightman's School that a New Year's Day sermon was preached by Dr. Davidson, and which became one of the established institutions of the Tolbooth Church. The school was so successful, that the small yearly income was insufficient for its maintenance; and it was resolved to have a sermon on New Year's Day, when the young would be addressed, and a collection made to aid the funds. This was done annually for many years. Dr. Davidson's New Year's sermon was attractive to others besides hjs own congregation; and many of the young received impressions then which did not pass away with the occa- sion. The collection received wis an important addition to the funds of the school. This New Year's sermon has now been adopted as a usage by a great many other congregations. ' A very interesting movement took place with regard to Sabbath schools, which ought not to be overlooked. Major Duncan Mac- Gregor of the 31st Regiment, whose conduct in regard to the loss of the Kent by fire, on ist March 1825, indicated so much Christian courage and wisdom, came to reside in Edinburgh. He and Mr. James Evans, an Enghshman, who' lived in Canaan, were much impressed by the representations of Dr. Chalmers, who, in Glasgow, had given a new life to Sabbath-school instruction. Our Sabbath Local SABBATH SCHOOLS, 4:5- schools were generally of two kinds: those planted by the Gratis Sabbath-school Society in any place where a suitable school-room could be procured, and attended by children from any part of the town; and the Parochial Schools, established by the association already mentioned, and the teachers of which had each a small salary. The plan of these gentlemen was, to form a committee in every parish, under whose efforts a local Sabbath school for boys and one for girls should be set down in every .district containing a certain number of families. Every family was to be visited; the children were to be invited to school ; a room in a dwelling-house was to be obtained; the number of children in each school was to be limited. It was thought that, from the smallness of the schools and their local nature, some of the evils connected with the existing large schools would be avoided; and that many zealous, but not very courageous, individuals might be induced to come forward as teachers, who would not face the large school with its greater display. The idea was an excellent one, and it was acted on' in variqus parishes. Committees were formed; schools were estab- lished; teachers were engaged in the work. Everything went on well for a time; but the teachers were not all experienced or judicious — rit was soon found out that every one is not fitted to teach others, especially the wayward and the reckless. The teachers tired of their irksome duties, the scholars became more ungovernable, and by-and-by the schools were given up. Much good was done in individual cases, and not a few teachers became experienced in their noble work; but in a few years the scheme itself had disappeared. Ii> the Tolbooth Parish, Dr. Campbell took it up with zeal. The elements of a local agency existed there already in the eldership; and six schools for boys, and as many for girls, v\>ere established, and taught by young persons belonging to the congregation. They did well for a time, but at length were given up one by one. One cause of this was the success of the Sabbath school taught by Mr. Young, which was attractive to the children from his superior skill in conducting it. There are, doubtless, advantages in a numerous school taught in a 46 • THE FORMATION OF A COMMUNION ROLL. large hall; but I have a strong conviction that a small number of children, in the apartment of a dwelling-house, are more likely to receive permanent moral and religious benefit than when they form a class in a crowded hall with noise and excitement all around them. 'I have mentioned that there was no roll of communicants. This seemed very inConsisteilt with a rightly constituted Presby- terian church, and I more than once endeavoured to have the. want supplied. The suggestion was never opposed, but was moved aside, partly because it was so difficult to be done, and partly because the intinjate knowledge of the communicants possessed by the ministers made it less necessary. At length, on the death of Dr. Davidson, when Dr. Campbell was in so infirm health as to be unable for any ministerial duties, it was agreed to place in each pew a printed copy of this Notice : — " The Minister and Elders of the Tolbooth Church, desirous of ascertaining exactly the Commanipants of this Congregation, and with a view to make a correct list of the same, respectfully request th^ Sitters in No. to have the goodness to subjoin their names to this Schedule, stating who are Communicants ; and at the same time to specify their places of residence, and to return the same, with as little delay as possible, to any of the Elders. Where there are several families sitting in the same pew, it is requested that one individual will take the trouble of obtaining this information for the Session. " J. Campbell, Minister." In consequence of this invitation, a number of names were obtained, and an approximation to a roll was formed. In 1835, in accordance with the Veto Act passed by the General Assembly, a roll of male heads of families was prepared, and this was repeated once a year thereafter; but the earliest roll of communicants in my possession is dated 1839. Since the Disruption, a roll has been kept up, and means have been employed to secure its accuracy. It is annually submitted to the Presbytery, and attested by them. There is no public intimation, however (as was under the Veto Act), that the roll is left in some appointed place, for inspection by the congregation. The question of its accuracy is in the hands of the TICKETS GIVMN TO- THE COMMUNICANT^. 47 Session exclusively. No one knows whether his name is retained, olr has been removed. This might be advantageously altered. When Mr. Marshall came among us, he mentioned the plan of giving tokens which he had adopted with advantage in the Outer High ' Church, Glasgow. Every communicant had a card, or ticket, containing his name and address. This he brought to the church on the Fast-day, and exchanged for a token. Tl-^e com- municants remained in their pews, after the general congregation had left the church. The pews were allocated among the elders, who gave the tokens to the communicants, on their retiring. I piay explain, for the benefit of the younger members of the con- gregation, that the token was a, piece of lead, or other metal, usually of a square or oval shape, stamped with the name of the parish, and having often, on the reverse side, a reference to i Cor. xi. 23, as the scriptural warrant for our observing the Lord's supper. This plan has been followed in all Presbyterian churches from an early period. It was also used in some Episcopalian con- gregations. It was agreed by the elders to make trial of this plan; but some of them were much afraid of it as an innovation. How to give these tickets was the difficulty, as Mr. Marshall objected to their being given by the elders. At first he gave them himself to parties coming to the Session-house for the purpose. But afterwards it came to be a part of the duty of each elder to deliver the tickets at the houses of the communicants, some short time before each communion. We ' at first took charge of the communicants according to. the pews, because people (especially servants) seldomer change their pews than they do their dwellings. But we soon found that this led to unnecessary labour on our part ; and, following the example of some other congregations, we divided the congregation into districts. The Plan of the City, prefixed to the Post-Ofl5ce Directory, was cut into pieces, one of which wa's pasted into the elder's roll-book, and helped him at first; till he got fully acquainted with his district. The eff"ect of all this was to secure the names and addresses of the communicants, ■2 , PRECENTORS. respected senior elder), a young man of musical taste, wrote to the editor, complaining of our precentorj and perhaps exaggerating his deficiencies. One thing complained of was his blunders in reading; and this leads me to notice that all intimations were then read by the precentor. I remember hearing the Sheriff's precept for the election of a member of Parliament read after public worship by this same precentor. Of course, any intimation made from the pulpit was more attended to; and although I would not recom- mend our return to the old practice, yet I cannot help thinking that we err in having all our intimations given by the minister himself. Might not some plan be devised for relieving him from some of them at least % A reply to Mr. Dymock's letter was written by Mr. Miller, who was our great authority and leader in musical matters.* James Brown objected to resign his office, insisting that he now sung as well as he had ever done, and was still able and willing to fulfil his duties. Mr. Marshall had a great regard for James Jaap, who had been precentor in Paisley, and had now come to Edin- burgh to try his fortune as a teacher of music. After much nego- tiation, it was settled that Brown should resign his office, on being guaranteed by the Session an annuity of jQi^ ', that Jaap should be appointed precentor by the Town Council, with a salary, of ^2^1 ; that he should pay to Brown the annuity out of his salary;' and that the balance should be raised by subscriptions a,mong the Session and congregation. It was a complex and clumsy arrangenlent, and a great deal of trouble was experienced by the Session. Jaap was constantly organizing concerts, oratorios, &c., and harmony in the congregation was not the result. He certainly sung well, and improved the congregational singing ,' but he insisted on having a paid choir,, and for some time it was per- mitted, but we got quit of it after a short trial It may be mentioned, that reading the line — that marring of melody — was much used in our church. The first psalm was always read and, sung line by line, because it was supposed that * "Edinburgh Christian Instructor" for 1822, p. 164. , "READING THE LINE," 63 i ' all might not have, found out the psalm in their Psalm-books. Besides, not a few of the old people could not read, and Bibles and Psalm-books were not so cheap, or so easily attainable, as they now are. Latterly the line was read only in the winter afternoons, when, in the dark parts of the church, the psalm could not be seen, and then two lines were read at once. This was all given up afterwards. I have sometimes seen the line read by the minister himself; which aided the precentor much as a leader. Occasionally, on a very dark day, the minister, on giving out the psalm, leaned down from the pulpit, and said to the precentor, " You may read the line." As a proof pf the low state of our congregational psalmody, it may be mentioned that the precentor sung the first line alone : no one ventured to join till the second line.* How thankful should we be for t'he improvements effected sinCe that time ! We do not need to go to the Town Council for the appointment or salary of a precentor. We do not need the bar- barity of reading the line. We do not need to sit silent while others are singing. We are encouraged to employ our voices in the praise of God, and we are trained to do so by the excellent leader of our psalmody. At the conclusion of the services on the communion Sabbatli, Dr. Davidson uniformly gave out, for singing, the last three verses of the 7 2nd Psalm, beginning with, ' "His name for ever shall endure ; Last like the sun it shall." Dr. Campbell used often to do so ; so that these three verses are mu^ch associated ip my mind with that occasion. Sometimes Dr. Campbell, either then or in the evening, used to sing the 65th Paraphrase, beginning with, " Hark how th' adoring hosts above With songs surro>ind the throne !" The two ministers presided alternately at the communion, and preached alternately in the evening. Many invaluable sermons ,* A good woman, in her solitary worship, sung a psalm, reading the line, ' She said that she got twice " the gust o't." We may smile at the simplicity or the bad taste of the woman, but, at the same time, we may vpnerate the depth and truth of her godliness. 64 DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF THE CHURCH. were, preached at these times. On one of these evenings, Dr. Davidson preached from Rev. xxii. 3, "And there shall be no more curse ;" and for several successive years he took for his text th€ clauses in this glorious description, one after another. These sermons were highly valued by the congregation. It was well known that the Town Council, while patrons and proprietors of all the parish churches, and the appointed guardians of the rights of the Established Church within the city, were not very zealous, and not always judicious, in their fulfilment of the duties committed to their care. They appointed ministers, pre- centors, and beadles. They ordered such repairs or alterations on the churches as seemed to be indispensable. They raised or lowered seat-rents, as they considered expedient, generally raising them whenever a popular preacher created a demand ; but they did not do much more. Perhaps they thus showed that Town Councils ought not to have to do with ecclesiastical affairs. It is, indeed, the duty of magistrates of every rank to countenance and help the Church of God ; but too often, in every country, the Church has not benefited by its connection with the State. There was, indeed, among all classes at this time a very general ignorance of the duties and rights of an Established Church. It was regarded merely as one of the existing institutions of the country, and was therefore countenanced by those who defended Church and State, in opposition to Republicans, Radicals, and such like. Dr. M'Crie did much to inform the Christian public on the subject. His Lives of John Knox and Andrew Melville, sanctioned, as they were, by the literary critics of the day, gave him weight in expressing his opinions ; and his not being a member of the Established Church freed him from the imputation of being personally interested. Mr. Andrew Thomson was the most influential minister in the Church itself, in bringing forward and advocating constitutional views. Perhaps Mr. James Bridges, W.S., did more in this way than any one else, both by his own exertions, and by inducing others to co-operate with him. The Council were very tardy in supplying churches for the NE W ECCLESIASTICAL ARRANGEMENTS. 6 5 increased population. St. Andrew's Church was built in 1785, and was supplied with a minister by uncollegiating the Trinity College Church. It became a collegiate charge by a sort of accident. The minister, Dr. Moodie, fell into bad health, and was for years laid aside from duty. Mr. David Ritchie became his permanent assistant ; but there was some difficulty as to his salary, and, from the combination of several causes, his position in the parish became that of second minister. St. George's Church was built in 1814, and a minister was obtained for it by translating Mr. Andrew Thomson from New Greyfriars'; uncollegiating New North; trans- lating Dr. John Thomson, who was colleague in it of Mr. David Dickson, to New Greyfriars' ; and appointing to each of these aged ministers, thus forcibly placed in single charges, an assistant during their lifetime. A memorial was presented by the Town Council to the Presbytery, announcing these arrangements ; and further indicating the purpose of ultimately suppressing the New North Parish. This latter proposal was objected to by a minority; but it was assented to by the Presbytery, some of whom believed that the suppression would never take place. In 1823 it was announced, rather abruptly, that this arrange- ment was now to be carried out. The 0I4 cathedral was sadly in need of repair. , The contemplated alteration would convert the four churches under its roof into two, or, at most, into three ; and the church thus to be suppressed was to be transferred to the New Town, where it was much needed — more needed, it was said, than in the Old Town. This appeared to me an objectionable measure, and I expressed my views in a letter to the Lord Provost.* The contemplated measure was suspended; but it was revived in 1827, when a plan for the improvement of the Old Town, by the south approach and west approach, was brought before the public, before being presented to Parliament. I called the attention of the Kirk Session to this subject, as it was announced that the Tolbooth Church was one of those now intended to be suppressed. * " Letter to the Right Honourable the 'Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, from one of his Fellow-citizens, on the Proposed Suppression of the New North Church." s' 66 PROPOSED SUPPRESSION OF PARISHES. It .seemed to me strange that almost no one adopted my views. Most people whom I met considered the measure an injurious one, but now unavoidable, as being part of a plan agreed on in 1814 by the Town Council and Presbytery. They thought that it could not be successfully opposed, and that no good would come frojn trying. In the Kirk Session, the resolutions which I proposed. met with no support, and would have fallen to the ground had not Mr, David Ogilvy agreed to second them ; and they were therefore laid on the table till next meeting. But, before next meeting, a change had taken place in the opinion of the members : they had come to view the question very differently ; and so the resolutions, some- what modified, were unanimously adopted, and ordered to^e transmitted to the Presbytery. This was on nth FejDruary 1827 ; and on 25th of the same month the Kirk Session also unani- mously transmitted to the Town Council a memorial embodying, the same views. When the question cartie formally to be decided^ on by the Presbytery, a discussion took' place, which resulted in the proposed change being adopted. Dr. Muirhead relates the part which Dr.^ Davidson took in it : " He was diffident and humble-minded, and disposed to shrink back from the bustle of public life; although it is to be remarked, that when he saw it to be the path of duty,- he came boldly forward, and fearfed not the face of man. An interest- ing and affecting instance of this occurred not long before his death, in the last appearance which he made at the Presbytery. He had been for some time in a valetudinary state, and went very little from home; and he was so unwell that day, that he had resolved not to attend the meeting of Presbytery. But, conceiving it to be his duty (when he understood that there was to be some discussion about projected alterations in the churches contained in the building of St. Giles's) to attend, even at the risk of injuring his health, he came forward, and, in a speech of Some length, in which he alluded to his own -situation as about to leave the world, so as to have no personal interest in the projected chaiiges, and in which he DR. DAVIDSON'S OPPOSITION TO THIS. 67 declared himself not unfriendly to building churches in the New- Town, and to repairing and ornamenting St. Giles's, he earnestly remonstrated against diminishing the number of churches in the Old Town ; proving that the number of churches there was alto- gether inadequate for the number of its inhabitants, and that it was not to be supppsfed that the class who inhabited the houses of the Old Town could get accommodation in the churches built or building in the New Town, It was very affecting, and at the same time very gratifying, to behold the venerable father of the Presby- tery thus solemnly taking farewell of the public concerns of the Church on earth, with the glory of the Church of heaven full in - his view ; and to perceive that while the frail tabernacle of the body was evidently coming down, there was no want of mental vigour, and no want of deep interest in what respected the spiritual improvement of the community with which he had been so long connected." Here I may mention, what I do not find referred to in any of my documents, but which must have occurred somewhat earlier — that a wish was expressed to have a meeting of deputies from the three Kirk Sessions, two of which were eventually to be suppressed. Dr. Davidson gave me a letter to Mr. Gordon, then residing in an old house at Hope Park. It was either Friday or Saturday morning when I called with it ; and it was considered necessary that on the following Sunday the Kirk Sessions should nominate" their representatives, who had to meet on the Monday, in order to present their united protest to the' Council at their weekly meeting on Tuesday. Mr. Gordon had made a rule to admit no visitor upon either of these days, which he devoted to preparation for his Sabbath services, and I had great difficulty in being permitted to see him. At length the servant carried up stairs my credentials, and I was admitted into his study. He readily agreed that the joint-meeting should be held in the New North' Session-house.* * I telieve that Mr. Gordon's' habit of preparing his discourses on Friday and Saturday wa;; very usual among ministers ; but his excluding visitors on these days was peculiar to himself, and probably arose from his great care in preparing, and perhaps from his feeling less ease m doing so than others experienced. His discourses always evidenced much thought. 68 BEA TH OF DR. CAMPBELL. Mr. Mackenzie having made the Old Church Session aware of the meeting, we met on the Monday. Dr. Campbell, Mr. Ross, and I represented the Tolbooth Church ; Mr. Gordon and Mr. Scoular, the New North Church ; Dr. Brown, Dr. Macknight, and an elder, the Old Church. No satisfactory conclusion followed. Mr. Gordon felt no great interest in the question. His congregation was a large one, in a most inconvenient and disagreeable place, and he hoped to get a better church, without caring much where it was to be. The ministers of the Old Church were old men, never very zealous in their pastoral duties. Their hearers were not numer- ous, but were attached to the church — perhaps to the character of the sermons, perhaps to the ministers personally, who were learned, amiabl.e, social men. When something was said about the difficulty being got over were one or other of the churches to be uncoUegiated, and thus a minister be supplied for the church so much needed in the New Town, Dr. Brown remarked,, that a col- legiate charge had been his happiness both in the New World and in the Old, and that he would be sorry to be deprived of it now.* I presume that our Session then resolved to address the Town Council single-handed. Dr. Campbell died on 30th August 1828. His death removed one of the obstacles to the proposed parochfal arrangements of the city — as I presume that Mr. Marshall's presentation made reference to these, and of course he was held to have acquiesced in them. Oh 24th October the Session appointed a committee to learn from the Lord Provost the truth of the rumour, that in the contemplated repairs on St. Giles's the Tolbooth Church was to be entirely suppressed. The Session soon were made acquainted with what had already been agreed upon by the leading members both of the Town Council and Presbytery, although not yet officially sanctioned by either of these bodies. By an Act of Parliament, passed in 1827, the Council were bound to build one or -more churches in the New Town ; and in order to supply these churches with ministers (without increasing the number of ministers) they * He had been minister at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, OPINION OF SIR y.^ W. MONCREIFF. ■ 69 were empowered to suppress one or more churches in the Old Town. The reasons for these changes were, the great increase of inhabi- tants in the New Town, and the superiority of one large, com- modious church, instead of two small and inconvenient ones. No one could doubt the necessity of additional church accom- modation ia the New Town. While other religious bodies, without any State assistance, had built places of worship for the accom- modation of their adherents, the Church of Scotland seemed unable to extend itself But there seemed to be no good reason for depriving the Old Town of its churches in order that the New Town might be supplied. Besides, although one large church might contain as many' hearers as two small ones, and might be an architectural ornament of the city, yet it might imply a congre- gation too numerous for pastoral superintendence ; and the im- poverished and degraded condition of the parishioners made it the more necessary that they should have the full services of a house-going minister. The weight of these reasons was acknowledged; but it was believed that the A-ct of Parliament made the suppression un- avoidable ; and the expense of obtaining a new Act was not to be thought ofi The Session were not daunted by the opposition mustered against them. They submitted a memorial to Sir James W. Moncreiff, and obtained from him a decided opinion, that the suppression was not imperative, that an Act of Parliament was not necessary for the constitution of a new parish, and that nothing in the Act prevented the carrying out of the proposal of the Session, that the Tolbooth Parish CHurch should be uncollegiated, and that the new church in St. Vincent's Street should thus be supplied with one minister. This led to the reconsidering of the subject by both the Town , Council and Presbytery, and, at length, to their unanimously coming to the same conclusion. The following ex- tract from the minutes of the Session expressed our feelings at the time : — " Thus was at length decided a question upon which the Session and many other individuals in Edinburgh had taken- a 70 DECISION OP TOWN COUNCIL AND PRESBYTERY. deep interest. > It was decided in a way most beneficial to the interests of religion; not only by preventing the intended suppres- sion of one or other of the Old Town f)arishes, but by bringing forward to public view the real state of the law, which had ,been overlooked both by the. Council and Presbytery. The Session feel much satisfaction in recording this; and while they rejoice in the important benefit which has been obtained, mainly through their exertions, they cannot but notice the hand of Divine Providence in every part of their progress. They would see it in the unanimity which marked all their proceeditigs ; in the perse- verance with which they continued their exertions, when many of their friends concurred in the objectionable measure, and many thought success to be quite hopeless ; in the gradual smoothing away of diflSculties ; and in the unanimity, at. length, of the Town Council and Presbytery, in which the most strenuous opponents of the Session found themselves obliged to acquiesce; "The Session agreed that the expenses connected with this busi- ' ness, amounting to ^15, 6s., should be defrayed, by equal con- tributions, by themselves." After this was set at rest, it; became necessary to arrange for the accommodation of the congregation during the 1 repairs upon the fabric of St. Giles's Church. The eastern part of the edifice, con- sisting of the High Church, was not to be altered to any great extent ; but the whole western and southern portions, comprising the Old, New North, and Tolbooth Churches, were to be entirely remodelled. The congregation of the Old Church wasnot numer- ous, and could easily be accommodated in the High School. The Jarge congregation of the New North Church obtained ^ possession of the Methodist Chapel in Nicolson Square. For the congregation of the Tollpooth Church it was-proposed, either that they should meet in the High Church, and that Mr. Marshall should preach alternately with Dr. Baird (Dr. William Ritchie being then entirely laid aside from duty), or that the hall of the High School should be secured for them. Neither of these plans was acceptable to us ; but we were relieved ALBANY STREET CHAPEL. 71 from difficulty in the matter, by an offer on the part of the trustees of Albany Street Chapel, that Ve should have the use of it in the forenoon and afternoon, their congregation occupying it only in the evening. The Town Council agreed to this ; the Kirk Session were relieved from the pecuniary responsibility, which they had been willing to undertake ; the congregation met for the last tin;e, on 1 2th July 1829, in the old; time-honoured edifice, and on 19th July they met in Albany Street Chapel, where they continued for nearly three years. Mr. Marshall's sermon on 12th July was from Psalm ■Ixxxvii. 6 : "The Lord -shall count, when he writeth "up the people, that this man was born there." A youthful member of the congre- gation, Mr. Andrew Young, expressed the feelings of many others besides himself in " Valedictory Verses to the Tolbooth Church." The alterations on St. Giles's were now carried on in good earnest ; and one large church, which was called West St. Giles's, was'formed out of the three forrnerly there. A hall for the meet- . ings of the General Assembly was constructed on the' South side. It was beautiful in appearance ; but the architect had overlooked the purpose for which it was intended, and when the Assembly met in it, the, speakers could not be heard. It never again met there. Mr. Gordon had been now transferred to the High Church, on the death, of Dr. Ritchie. Mr. Bruce, his successor; was now one of the ministers of St. Andrew's Church. -Mr. C. J. Browrt was minister of New North Church, in the Methodist Chapel. A strong effort was made to obtain for Mr. Brown and his congrega- tion the new West St. Giles's : at length it was alloc?.ted to Mr. Marsha,ll and his congregation, who took possession of it on 29th April 1832. Here the congregation had much comfort, notwithstanding a curious inconvenience, which may be mentioned. The pillars in ' the centre of the church were reduced somewhat in size, but they were still large enough to obstruct the view of the liiinister, and, in some degree, the sound of his voice, to a large number of individuals. In many of the pews, one or more sittiiigs were, carefully avoided ; and this ledto little misunderstandings on the 72 FEMALE SCHOOL. I part of those who suffered. We wished to havethe inconvenience removed, by a new arrangement of the passages ; but it was only in the autumn of 1841 that the Council agreed to make the alteration. I have mentioned the school founded by Provost Wightman, as being an institution which was managed by the Kirk Session, and in which they took a very special interest. In December i§29, Mr. Marshall called the attention of the Session to the desirable- ness of having a female school, in which the girls of the parish should receive an appropriate industrial training,^ after they had acquired the elements of common education. This was warmly approved of by the elders, and by the congregation generally. It was superintended by his sisters, who did much for its estab- lishment and continuance. The teacher was Mrs. Elizabeth Marshall, with whom the school was long identified, and who has only now retired from it, a,fter thirty-six years of faithful and suc- cessful labour, carrying with her the affectionate gratitude of old and young. The school was a great blessing to the parish ; and many a girl owed to it her success in life, and her Christian well- being. Mr.. Marshall's eldest sister still survives, and has a warm heart to the old school, in which she did so much in former years. An infant school was afterwards added, which was efficiently taught by Miss Ramage, now Mrs. Brodie, of the Institution for Imbeciles at Larbert. The three schools were unavoidably taught in separate houses, no suitable building being available at that time. It was resolved to erect a school-house where they might all be accommodated, and where play-grounds, and the other appliances necessary to the ■ well-being of a school, might be provided. The difficulties were twofold : the want of funds, and the want of a, site. Both were overcome, mainly by the energy and perseverance of Mr. Marshall A grant was obtained from Government, many friends aided by their contributions ; and a sum of money paid by the Town Council in lieu of Wightman's Mortification, was added to the amount. An excellent building was erected, on a plan by Mr. Patrick Wilson, architect. SIR. MARSHALL S MINISTRY. 73 Mr. Marshall's ministry was a very useful one. He had a large congregation, who were much attached to him. His sermons were faithful, evangelical, and earnest. He laboured very assidu- ously in visiting his parish and congregation. His sermons were not of a high intellectual character; and it was believed that he rather neglected the close study of professional literature, in the unwearied visits which he made to his people. I remember vvell, before he came among us, the anxious desire we had to have a minister who did not read his sermons ; and when we congratulated ourselves on his not being a reader, we were told that he did not read his sernions, because he never wrote them ! It is my belief that he scarcely ever wrote his sermons, and that the few which he published were written after having been preached. His method of preparing for. the pulpit was to walk out on a cbuntry road, on Saturday forenooni and during that walk to prepare his sermons for next day. He was occasionally accompanied in this walk by one of his sons, who liked to be with his father, but grumbled at being forbidden to speak to him. In the 'later years of his ministry here, his health was more than once seriously affected. His sermons became less vigorous and effective in consequence, and he seemed to feel this. He' was also much depressed about the divided state of the Church of Scotland, arising in part from the more earnest and living religion to which he and other faithful ministers had contributed. The people had become more attached to a faithful ministry, and could not brook the settlement of pastors who had no recommendation but the will of a patron. They had learned more of the rights of the Christian Church, and considered it unjust that these rights should be sacriifced to the selfish interests of others. There was a struggle between the patrons and their friends, and the people. In that struggle angry passions were called forth, and words were spoken and written not in accordance with the meekness of Christ. Mr. Marshall sensitively shrank from the struggle; he absented himself from the Church courts, thinking himself better employed in duties more directly of a pastoral nature. On 24th September 74 DECLARA TION B Y THE ELDERS. 1 841, he announced to the Session that he had changed his views of church-government, and demitted his office of minister in the 'Church of Scotland. This took every one by surprise, as he had never intimated to any one of them his chstnge of views. Dr. John Hunter, of the Tron Church, was tlie only one of his brethren in the ministry who was aware of it. The elders immediately drew up a Declaration, which ought to be preserved here :— Edinourgh, Wi Octolfcr 1841. We, Elders of the TolbooTh Church and Parish, consider it necessary' to make this Declaration of our Sentiments. We feel it to be a cause of deep affliction that the Reverend James Marshall, 'who has been endeared to the Congregation by many years of faithful ministerial service; with -whom our intercourse as friends has been most harmonioiis ; and whose Commission to preach the Gospel of the Grace , of God has been evidently attested by the Divine Head of* the Church; — should have seen it to be his duty to leave the Congregation among whom he has so long laboured, and the Church, of which he has so long been a Minister. • In these circumstances. We Declare that we Adhere to the Communion of the Church of Scotland; that we sincerely own the purity of Worship authorized and practised in this Church ; and are persuaded that the Presby- terian Government and Discipline, established therein, are founded on the Word of God and agreeable thereto; and are eminently fitted to advance the Kingdom of Christ in the world, to preserve the Church from error, and to, secure a wholesome discip^ne over its Members. (Signed) Thomas Edmondston". William Eraser. Thomas Miller. Patk. Boyle Mure Macredie. George Ross. Alexander Macduff. John Mackenzie. William Bladworth. John Greig. James Howden. George Knight. James Gibson Thomson. William Brown. John Fletcher Macfarlan. James Wallace. Donald Macdonald. George Small. Alexander Bell. Thomas ClappertoN. Charles James Kerr» This Declaration was sent to all the congregation. We all continued our regard for him personally, and felt grateful to him for his faithful and laborious services ; but not one of the elders, and not above one or two of the congregation, adhered to him in his new opinions. PRESBYTERIANISM. 75 In one of his conversations with me, soon afterwards, after describing the liainful ordeal' through which his mind had passed, he mentioned two reasons which had weighed much on his mind, and had confirmed him in the soundness of the step which he had taken. One was, that the Apostle Paul, when givit^g counsel to a young minister, wrote to him: "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all" (i Tim. iv. 15). Now, how could a minister give himself wholly to the work of the ministry, if he. had to govern the Church as well as to preach? He inferred that there must be a separate order of men, whose duty it. is to govern. The other was a matter 6f fact. The Church of Scotland was being rent asunder by the question of Non-Intrusion. In the Church of England, where the Oxford Tracts had been doing so much mischief, a simple letter from the Bishop of Oxford caused the printing of these tracts to be at once stopped. So superior did Episcopal appear to Presbyterial discipline. A very few months showed that this Episcopal discipline was a •fiction. The Church of Scotland was, indeed, rent asunder. Per- haps it would be well for the Church of England, if she were rent asunder also; for her constitution, as declared by the courts of • law, retains within her pale both Popery and Ipfidelity., This event, painful as it was, was the means of leading many of the elders and congregation tp study the nature of the Church as made known in the New Testament. , We had taken too much for granted, and were'Presbyterians very much because our fathers had been so. The Catechism written by Dr. M'Lebd of New Yorkj was one of the bobks circulated among us; and the result was,'that we understood better the grounds, of our faith, and so became better Presbyterians than we had been before. ' The first thing done by the elders was to secure for the con- gregation the undivided ministrations of Dr. Gordon and Dr. Buchanan, now both ministers of the High Church. These eminent ministers at once consented to undertake the duty, and the Presbytery, after a little hesitation, gave their sanction to this. ' By this arrangement the congregation was kept together, which 76 MR. TWEEDIES APPOINTMENT. might not have been the case had there been a succession of ministers in the pulpit by rotation. Then, with the sanction of the Town Council, a meeting of the congregation was held in the church, when a committee was named to co-operate with the elders in seeking fpr a minister. That committee met from time to time, and their deliberations were conducted in a Christian spirit. It was that spirit which led to a harmonious conclusion ; and when I mention that the votes were for Mr. Tweedie of Aberdeen and Mr. Macdonald of Blairgowrie, and that the minority acquiesced in the decision of the majority, asking the Council to present Mr. Tweedie, it is not wonderful that the Council acted in accordance with this choice. Mr. Tweedie was admitted on loth March 1842. The history of the congregation since then is most instructive and interesting; and I have abundance of materials to illustrate it, and to bring out the character and work of him who laboured So faithfully, so affectionately, so successfully, for twenty-one years; but this paper has been so lengthened out, that I cannot at present extend it further. Suffice it to say, that the Disruption o£ the Established Church took place on the iSth-of May 1843, ^"d '^^ ™6t in the Church of West St. Giles for the last time on the 21st of May: on 28th of May we met in the Freemasons' Hall, Niddry Street; on Thursday, 18th June, we met in the Secession Church, Infirmary Street; on i6th May 1852, we met in the Music Hall, George Street, where we continued to worship till i6th May 1858, when we entered on the possession of our own church in St. Andrew's Square. You see that our congregation has been rather a migratory one, having occupied seven different edifices within my recollec- tion. We do not think, however, that we have changed our principlfes, notwithstanding these numerous changes of place. We hold ourselves to be ecclesiastically heirs of John Knox and Alexander Henderson, of James Webster and Thomas Davidson. We' adhere to their love of Evangelical truth, in opposition to cold Moderatism. We contend, as they did, for the people's duty and THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH YET!. 77 privilege to choose tl.eir pastors. As the State has refused to countenance and endow the Church, except on the condition of abject submission, we rejoice in liaving the opportunity and the ability to maintain gospel ordinances among ourselves; and we gladly assist those congregations scattered over the length and breadth of the land who are unable to do so, by our noble Sustentation Fund. We rejoice in the unity of the Christian Church, as an army in its various separated brigades; and we trust that, ere many years are past, this will be more manifest to the world than it now is. Let us keep before our minds our ancestry; not to trust in it, as the Jews did, when they boasted of Abraham being their ' father, but showed not his faith, and did not his works ; but let it be our aim, young and old, to bring no discredit on the honourable name which we bear. While zealous for truth, let us be consistent in our walk. Let us show that we are Free Churchmen by deliberate conviction, and not from mere accident. We have still a pastor who holds the principles and follows the footsteps of those who have gone before^' We have elders and deacons, and teachers and visitors, who endeavour to carry out the great work committed to their care. The elder members of the congregation are gradually dropping away from the roll; may there be a succession of young members to step forward and take the standard from the hands that have grown feeble, and, bearing it aloft in the face of men, show that the Tolbooth Church still exists in all its power and influence in the community ! APPENDIX. 1641. 1643. 1649. 1663. 1663. 1668. 1672. 1675- 1681. 1687. 1691. 1693. 1706. 1711. 1721. 1735- 1737- 1765. 1779. 1785- 1805. 1828. 1842. 1863. MINISTERS OF THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH. Robert Douglas. From High Church. To High Church again, 1649.. John Gswai.de. From Aberdeen. To Prestonpans, 1648. ■ George HuTCHESON. From Colmonell. Declining to join the bishop in church discipline, he was discharged from the exercise of his ministry by Parliament, 1662. William Annand. To Tron Church, 1675. Alexander Malcolm. From Orwell. To Newbattle, 1667. William Gairdyne. Deprived in 1689, by the Privy Council, for not reading the Proclamation of the Estates. Ja^ies Lundie. From High Church. To Tron Church, 1675. William Meldrum. From Tranent. to take the Test. John Hamilton. From South Leith. ofDunkeld.) Thomas Wilkie. James Kirkton. James Webster. John Mathison. John M'Claren. Deprived in 1681, for refusing Demitted in 1686. (Bishop From North Leith. To Lady Yester's, 1691. From Mertoun. Died Sept. 1699. From Whitekirk., Died May 1720. To High Church, 1720. From Carstairs. Died II th July 1 734. William Gusthart. From Crailing. Died 27th March 1764. John Taylour. From Alloa. Died 12th August 1736. Alexander Webster. From Culross. Died 2Sth Jan. 1784. . 30th January. David Plenderleith. From Dalkeith. Died 26th April 1769. 25 th November. John' Kemp. From New Greyfriars'. Died i8th April 1805. I2th June. Thomas Randall (afterwards Davidson). From Lady Yester's. Died 28th October 1827. 24th October. John Campbell. From Kippen. Died 30th Aug. 1828. I2th June. James Marshall. From Glasgow. Demitted his charge Sept. 1841. loth March. William King Tweedie. From Aberdeen. Died 24th March 1863. 15th October. Alexander M'Kenzie. From Nairn., ELDERS. 79 A LIST OF ALL THK ELDERS OF THE TOLBOOTfeC CHURCH SINCE THE REVOLUTION. Hugh Linn, merchant, Alex. Baird, merchant, Henry Douglas, writer, James Cleland, surgeon, Alex. Inglis, writer, John Ritchie, merchant, James Balfour, merchant, ' Gilbert Elliot, John Lindsay, merchant, William Boig, merchant, Robert Hamilton, merchant, . John Millar, merchant, John Selkirk, merchatit, ' John Murray of Eshisteel, Thomas Douglas, John Brown, Thomas Gibson, surgeon, "William Wightman, skinner, James Naiqi, merchant, George Mosman, merchant, Walter Stewart, Thomas Fairholm, writer, Georg? Clark, merchant, James M'Lurg,, merchant. Doctor Adam Frier, William Wardrop, dyer, Charles Charters, merchant, Michael Allan, merchant, John Wightman, skinner, John Grierson, merchant, James Crockat, merchant, Alexander Gray, meirchant, Mr. Robert Inglis, James Nimmo, merchant, John Duncan, merchant, Mr. Wm. Forbes, advocate, , John Rus?ell, writer, William Lindsay, merchant, ' Robert Eliot, surgeon, William Duncan, merchant, James Russell, writer, ... George Mitchell, merchant. 1690, 1693, 1697. 1690, '1 699. 1690, 1693, 1700. 1690, , 1692. 1690. 1690. 1691, 1698. 1691. 1691. 1691. 1691, 1698. 1691, "1702. 1692. 1692. 1692. 1692. , 1692. 1693, 1699, 1703. 1693, 1699, 1703. 1693, 1697. 1693- 1697, 1701. 1697, 1700, 1703 1697. .1697, 1701. 1698, 1701,' ' 1703. 1698. 1698. 1698, 1702, 1705. 1699. 1699, 1703, 1706. 1699, 1702, 1707. 1700. ' 1700, 1705. 1700, 1707, 1710. 1701, 1713. 1701. 1701. 1702, 1 70S, 171 1. 1702. 1703, 1707, 1712. 1704. go ELDERS. Robei-t Selkirk, merchant, George Louthian, merchant, ... Thomas Shiells, writer, Dr. James Forrest, physician, ... James Dickson, merchant. Dr. Wm. Stewart, physician, ... Jphn Knox, surgeon, George Balderstanes, apothecary, Archd. Wallace, merchant, ... James RJarshall, merchant, John Carse, writer, Nicol Spence, writer, George Haliburton, rfierchant, Robert Tod, sen., merchant, ... Dr. John Riddell, physician, ... Mr. Wm. Brodie, Gomissar., ... Willm. Wardrop, apothecary, ... William Neilson, merchant, Mr. Gilbert Burnet, advocate, ... Robert Grierson, merchant, Charles Hope, merchant, George Drummond, merchant, Robt. Manderston, merchant, ... William Crockat, merchant, ... James Laing, merchant, Ale^sander Mure, merchant, William Grant, merchant, Robert Clark, merchant, Joseph Forrest, plumber, James Grant, merchant, George Brown, merchant, Thomas Dundas, merchant, James Tod, merchant, ... Robert Wightman, merchant, Mr. James Le Blank, merchant, James Nimmo, merchant, James Pringle, merchant, Robt. M'Kindley, merchant, ... James Wafich, merchant, Wm. Robertson, merchant, George Andrew, merchant, David Crockat, wright, , ... Alex. Jolly, writer, Mr. James Blaikie, merchant, ... John Wardrop, wright, John Dunbar, glovtr, ... ' ... Mr. John Dundas, writer. 1704, 1708, 1712. 1704, 1706. 1704, 1710, 1717. 1704., 1713- 1705. 1705- 1 70s. 1708, 1724. 1706, 1709, 1715. 1707, '713. 1717. 1707. 1708, 1711, 1717. 1708. 1709, 1722, 1723. J 709, 1716, 1722. 1709, 1712, i7iS. 1709. I7I0, 1711, 1715. 1 710, 1715- 1 710. I7II, 1712. I7II, 1719. 1724. I7I2. I7I2, 1718, • 1719. I7I3 1717- 1713. 1721. I7I4, 1 72 1. 1 714, 1720, 1721. 1714. ' I7I4. i7i4> 1720, 1721. 1715. 1715- 1716. 1716. 1716. 1718. :7i8. 1719. 1719- 1720, 1721, 1734- 1722, 1723. 1729. 1722, 1723. 1722, 1723- 1724, 1725, 1726. 1724. 1724. 1724, 1725, 1726. 1725, 1726. ELDERS. 8i Charles Bruce, glazier, ... Gavia Baillie, merchant, Mr. Albert Monro of CouU, , Wm. Mathison, merchant, Wm. Brown, bookseller, John Bell, merchant, Thomas Eliot, writer, ... Alex. Robertson, merchant, James Mitchelson, jeweller, John Cleland, merchant, George Cunningham, surgeon, Alex. Mason, merchant, John Forrest, merchant, Mr. James Livingston, advocate, James Stewart, attorney, John Wallace, surgeon, Thomas Boes, writer, William Tod, jun., merchant, ... John Welch, jeweller and goldsmith, Robert Walker, surgeon, James Spence, Secretary to the Bank, Robert Russell, merchant, Patrick Bowie, merchant, Alex. Bell, merchant, ... James Fyfe, merchant, ... John Caw, Depute Secretary of Excise, John Paterson, tailor, ... Francis Braid wood, wright, Christopher Mowbray, Cashier to the Friendly Insurance Office, Robert Wilson, writing master, John Laurie, Clerk of Excise, . Alex. Bonar, banker, Andw. Hamilton, Deputy Compti-oUer of Excisi William M'Leah, merchant, ... Edward Young, writer, John Corbet, Esq. of ToUcross, Charles Baxter, merchant, Charles Watson, wright, John Howden, saddler, William Brown, surgepn, Robert Pitcairn, writer, Thomas Edmondston, ironmonger, William Ritchie, merchant, Thomas Miller, glover, . David Ogilvy, painter, -George Ross, advocate, 1725. 1726. ■ • 1727, 1728. 1727, 1728, 1744. 1727, 1728, 1731- 1727, 1728. • - 1729, 1730. 1729, 1730. 1729, 1730. I73I. 1732, 1733- 1 731. 1732, 1733- 1734, 1735, 1736. 1740, 1741, 1742. 1747, 1748, 1749. 1747, 1748, 1749- 1747, 1748, 1749- 1747, 1748, 1749- 1747, 1748, 1749. 1747, 1748, 1749- 1750, 1754, I7S5- ■ 1758, 1759, 1760. 1760, 1761, 1762. 1760, 1761, 1762. 1764, 1765. 1766. 1779. 1779. 1780. • 1785. • 1785- • 1785- 1785. 1785. .. 1785., 1785. • 1785- .. 1785- 1793- 1793- 1793- .. 1798. 1798. .. 1793- 1806. 1806. 1806. 1806. 1811. 82 ELDERS. William Murray, Deputy Collector of Stamps, David Freer, writer, Jolin Wright, merchant, William Stevenson, merchant, John Mackenzie, glazier, John Greig, merchant, George Knight, teacher, William Brown, surgeon, James Wallace, gunmaker, John Easton, M.D., James MacAllan,'W.S Walter Rutherford, vifriter, George Small, merchant, Thomas Clapperton, merchant, William Fraser, W.S., ... Patrick Boyle Mure, advocate, Gilbert Laurie Finlay, W.S., Alexander Macduff of Bonhard, William Bladworth, merchant, James Howden, Qlerk of Society tian Knowledge, James Gibson Thomson, merchant, John Fletcher Macfarlan, -merchant, Donald Macdonald, agent, Alexander Bell, ironmonger, Charles James Kerr, S.S.C., Andrew Balfour, hosier, James Martin, clothier, John Wyllie, manufacturer, John Greig, printer, George Gulland, baker, ... George Ann Panton, teacher, George Ni'colsou, bookbinder, John Swanson, dentist, ... William Thomson, baker, Edward Macgill, painter, David Bruce, sen,, wright, Robert Tod, painter, David M'Dougall, bank teller, William' Milne, agent, William Brockie, baker, James Cunningham, W.S., Walter Richard, typefounder, Robert Matheson, Clerk of Her Majesty' Alexander Reid, LL.D., teacher, Archibald Park, merchant, William Panton, clothier, in Scotland for Propagation of Chris- 's Board of Works, 1836. 1840. 1840. 1840. 1840. 1840. 1844. 1844. 1846. 1845. 1846. 1847. 1847. 1847. 1847. 1847. 1850. 1850. 1850. 1850. 1850. 1854. 1854. i8SS- 1857. 1857. 1858. DEACONS. 83 James Laing, bank teller, William Tait, druggist, ... John A. Ranken, banker, James Braidwood, bookseller, George Donaldson, merchant, David W. Elder, teacher, W. F. Smellie, G. P. O George Todd, Manager of Scottish Equitable Life Assurance Society, David Guthrie, "Kiitor of Daily Rmiew, ... Francis M'Kenzie, confectioner. 1858. 1861. 1861. 1864. 1864. 1864. 1864. 1867. 1867. 1867. A LIST OF ALL THE DEACONS OF THE TOLBOOTH CHURCH SINCE THE REVOLUTION. James Fraser, merchant, Robert Veitch, merchant, David Allan, skinner, Alexander Gray, merchant, James Brown, jun., John Lindsay, jun., William Wardrop, dyer, James Brovra, ... James Crockat, merchant, Robert Cockbum, rtierchant, ... William Wightman, skinner, ... Robert Drysdale, merchant, ... WiUiam Harper, ... — Walter Thomson, Samuel Guthrie, Patrick Callender, skinner, Robert Cairns, wright, James Ralston, tanner, William Duncan, merchant, ... William Lindsay, merchant, ... John Wightman, skinner, Robert Brown, James Paterson, wright, John Olipher, merchant, John Home (or Hope), merchant, Robert Selkirk, merchant, James Byers, merchant, Archibald Cockbum, merchant, Thomas Cessford, William Crockat, merchant, ... James Laing, merchant. 1690. 1690. 1690. 1690. 1690. 1690, 1693. 1691. 1691. 1691. 1691. 1691. 1691. 1692. 1692. 1692. 1692. 1692. 1692. 1693- 1693, 1697. 1693. 1693- 1693- 1697. 1697. 1697, 1700. 1697. 1697. 1698. 1698, 1 701. 1698, 1701, 1704. §4 DEACONS. Robert Hunter, merchant, William Jaffray, merchant, John Weir, merchant, ... Archibald Spence, James Dewar, merchant, George Louthian, merchant, ... Robert Clark, merchant, William Boig, jun., merchant, James Purdie, merchant, William Couts, merchant, David Miln, skinner, Andrew Lees, skinner, Thomas Mochrie, skinner, ... John Knox, apothecary, Richard Brown, candlemaker, NicoU Lithgow, merchant, David Lindsay, merchant, Daniel Robertson, merchant, ... John Ilaliburton, merchant, ... Archibald Wallace, merchant, Andrew Cockbum, merchant, John Lennox, skinner, ... Mr. Thornas Henderson, brewer, John Porteous, merchant, James Balfour, merchant, William Crooks, merchant, Robert Manderston, merchant, Robert M'Kindley, merchant, , ..." j.. Robert Wightman, merchant, John Stewart, merchant, Alexander Mure, merchant, Wiliam Cant, skinner, Thomas Davidson, merchant, Jdseph Breck (or Beech), painter, James Tod, merchant, Thomas Moffat, merchant, David Haliburton, tailor, William Wilson, merchant, John Pringle, skinner, ... William Scot, merchant, John Hutcliison, merchant, William Tod, merchant, William Grant, merchant, William Moffat, candlemaker, Alexander Lawson, merchant, Thomas Renton, merchant, John Scot, skinner, ... 1698, 1702. 1698. 1698. / 1699. 1699. 1699, 1702. ' 1669, 1703. 1699. 1699. 1700. 1700. 1700. J 700, 1704. 1700. 1701. 1 701, 1709. 1 70 J. 1 701, 1705. 1702. 1702, 1706. 1702. 1702; 1703- 1703. 1703. 1703, 1708, 1715. 1703. 1708, 1711. 1704, 1705, 1708. 1704. 1704. 1705. 1705. 1705. 1709. 1705. 1706. 1706. 1706. 1706, 17H. 1706. 1707. 1707. 1707, 1713- 1707. I7P7. 1 7 10. 1707. 1708. 1708. DEACONS. 8^ Duncan Campbell, merchant, i 1708. William Wardrop, apothecary, ... ... ... 1709. James Rankin, coppersmith, ... ... ... ... 1709. . Peter Chazilon, skinner, ... ... ... ... 1709. John Pringle, skinner, ... ... ... ... ... 1709, 1713. William Lindsay, jun., merchant, ^ ... 1 7 10, 17 14. James Murray, skinner, ... ... ... ... 1710. William Rankin, wright, .. ... ... ... 1710, 1714. James Wauch, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1710, 1714, 171b. John Paton, bookseller, ..'. ... ... ... 171 1, 1712, 1715. James Crockat, jun.,- merchant, 1711, 1712, 1715. John Russell, glazier, 1711, 1714, 1718. John Russell, merchant, 1712, 1713, 1716. Richard Louthian, skinner, ... ... ... ... 1712. John Greenlees, merchant, ... ... ... • ... 1712, I7I3- John Cunningham, coppersmith, ... ... ... 1712. James Neilson, dyer, ... ... ... ... ... 1713. William Louthian, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1713. David Ogilvie, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1714, I7I7, 1718. Mr. Alex. Hunter, stabler, 1714- Thomas Crockat, merchant, ... ... ... ... 171S, 1718, 1719. Robert Hunter, skinner, 171S, I7I7- Mr. James Blaikie, merchant, ... ... ... I7I-5, 1716. James Bell, coppersmith, ... ... ... ... 1716. David Gray, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1716. David Hutchison^ merchant, ... ... ... ... 1716. William Henderson, merchant, ... ... ' ... 1717, 1718. William Lawson, wigmaker, ... ... ... ... 1717. John Ramsay, merchant, 1717, 1718, 1719. George Langlands, surgeon, ... ... ... ... 1718. David Jamison, merchant, ... ... ... ...' I7I9' Robert Allan, baxter, '. 1719, 1720, 1721. David Russell, merchant, 1719, 1720, 1721. William Dowie, merchant, ... ... ... ... I7'9> '720, 1721. James Watson, merchant, 1720, 1721, 1722. George Andrevf, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1720, 1721. William Braidwood, candlemaker, ... ... ... 1720. Harry Eliot, surgeon, 1721, 1722, 1723. John Bruce, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1722, 1723- James Lithgow, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1722, 1723- Alexander Lindsaj, merchant, ... ... ... 1722, 1723- Thomas Trotter, merchant, ... ... ... ... 1722, 1723' James Anderson, smith, 1724, 172S. 1726. Robert Wilson, merchant, 1724, 1725. Robert Russell, merchant, 1724, 1725, 1726. Archibald Menzies, merchant, I724> 1725. 1726. Charles Bruce, glazier, ... ... ... ... 1724- 86 DEACONS. Alexander Robertson, merchant, John Robertson, merchant, William Tod, jun., merchant, John Bruce, candlemaker, James Lindsay, merchant, John Cleland, merchant, James Sandilands, wright, George Gray, wigmaker, Patrick Manderston, merchant, Thomas Davidson, merchant, John Scotland, merchant, William Tod, sen., merchant, Alexander Mason, merchant, John Bridges, merchant, John WaUace, surgeon, Robert Lithgow, merchant, ^ ... John Brand, merchant, James Lees, skinner, James Caigo, merchant, David Brown, merchant, John Laing, vifigmaker, Robert Kirkland, merchant, James Mansfield, merchant, ... ... ... ... Edward Louthian, jeweller, David Reid, merchant, James Lorimer, merchant, William Baillie, merchant, Patrick Jamison, mason, Adam Murray, baxter, John Welsh, goldsmith, ... ...~ --,. Alexander Noble, candlemaker, James Napier, merchant, Patrick Murray, nierchant, James Brown, stationer, Patrick Bowie, merchant, Alexander Bell, wigmaker, Robert Russell, merchant, Walter Peter, bookseller, Archibald M'Coull, merchant, James Fyffe, sen., merchant tailor, Joseph Lachlan, merchant Robert Mowbray, merchant, ... John Angus, merchant, John Paterson, tailor, Francis Braidwood, wright, Christopher Moubray, Cashier to the Insurance Office, Malcolm M'Naughton, merchant, ,.. 1724, ) 725. 1 726. 1725, ) 726. 1727, I 728, 1 729. 1727, 1 728. 1727, 1 728, 1 729. 1727, 1 728, 1 729. 1727, 1 728. 1727, I 728, 1 729. 1729, J 730. ' 731- 1729, J 730. 1 731- I73I. > 732, J 733- I73I. ' 732. 1 733- I73I. 1 732, ) ^733- I73I. ' 732. ' 1733- 1733. 1 734. I [735- 1733. 1 1734, 1 735- 1734, I 1735. 1 736. 1734, > 735. 1 [736. 1734. 1 735. 1 736. 1739, 1 740, 1 741. 1739. 1 740, 1 [741. 1739. 1 740, 1 741. 1739. I 740, 1 [741. 1739. I 740, J 741. 1739, J [740, 1 741. 1742, 1 743. 1 744- 1742, 1 743. J [744. 1742, [743. [744. "744. '745. J [746. 1744. 1745. [746. 1747, 1748, [749. 1747. [748, 1749- 1747. [748, [749- 1747, 1748, 1749- 1747. '748, t749. 1 753. '754, 1755- 1755. ■756, '757. 1760, 1761, [762. 1760, 1 761, 1762. 1764, 1765, 1766. 1764, 1765. [766. 1768, 1769, 1770. 1768, 1769, 1770. 1768, 1769, 1770. 1777. 1777. 1778. DEACONS. 87 Charles Wallace, hosier, John Denholm, baker. ... Robert Wilson, writing-master, John Lawrie, clerk of Excise, , 1779. 1779. 1783- 1785. 1785, January 30th. — Messrs. John Paterson, Francis Braidwood, Christopher Moubray, Robert Wilson, and John Lawrie, formerly Deacons, were now admitted as Elders, and the office of Deacon set aside; wheii also Messrs. Francis Braidwood and Christopher Moubray became Senior Elders, and Messrs. Robert Wilson and John Lawrie became Junior Elders. Messrs. Alexander Bonar, Andrew Hamilton, William M'Lean, and Edward Young, were admitted into the Session, and became Junior Elders; which distinction of Senior and Junior Elders continued in the Session from this date until 1791. The office of Deacon having been restored by the General Assembly of the Free Church, the following individuals, having been chosen by the congrega- tion, were ordained to that office, by authority of the Kirk Session : — Daniel M'Intyre, clothier, James Braidwood, bookseller, . Charles Lqckie, agent, William Panton, clothier, James Maclean, confectioner, David Douglas, bank teller, Ebenezer Wallace, W.S., George Gower Bruce, G. P. O., William Fairbairn, surveyor, John Swanston, dentist, ... David Howe, printer, Hugh Clark, linendraper, John Greig, sen., printer, George Nicolson, bookbinder, . Edward Macgill, glazier, William Brockie, baker, Donald M'Intosh, clerk, John Cameron, stationer, Randall Dale, engraver, David M'Dougall, bank teller, . Duncan Bennet, draper, Alexander Cromar, clerk, George Macphferson, teacher, David Bruce, preacher, ... , John Stewart, preacher, ... William Davidson, clerk, James Shaw Wylliei G. P. O., . John Anderson, hotel keeper, . 1844. 1844. 1844. 1844, 1844. 1844. 1844. 1844, 1844. 1844, 1844. 1844. 1845, 1845, 1845 1846. 1846. 1847 1847, 1847. 1847 1847. 1847 1847, 1847, 1847. 1847. 1850. 88 DEACONS. John Greig, jun., printer, Thomas Drybiough, brewer, James Laing, bank teller, William Tait, druggist, ... George Wright, agent, ... Peter Mackinlay, draper, Archibald Park, merchant, Alex. Kelly Morison, S.S.C., John Gulland, corn merchant, Charles Edward Au^, Ph.D. teacher, Alex. Bell, jun., ironmonger, W. F. Smellie, G. P. O., Alex. Paterson, merchant, John Croall, coach-builder, Archibald Macgill, painter, RtJbert Henderson, builder, David Caldwell, hosier, ... David. Todd Lees, S.S.C., Thpnias M'Lachlan, teacher, Robert Reid, cabinet-maker, Thomas Watson, clothier, Francis M'Kenzie, confectioner, David Stott, bookseller, James Donald, bank teller, John Richard, typefounder, John M. Lyall, stationer, Joseph Don, writer, James Macgill, ironmonger, 3850. 1854. 1854. 1854. 1855. 1855. I8SS- 1855- 1857. 1857- 1857- 1857- 1857. 1857. 1858. 1858. 1861. 1862. 1 862. 1864. 1864. 1864. i86'4., 1864. 1865. 1865. 1865. 1867.