“ON the 17 of May 1665 their was a disorder that happened at St Cuthberts Kirk (which is without the priviledges of Edenburgh) betuixt Mr Gordon the first minister and Mr David Williamsone the 2d minister their, about their precedency in the Kirk Session; the 1 minister but the last intrant having presided 2 dayes togither the 2d minister told him that it was the custome of the ministers of that parish to moderat per vices and said he would not losse his right, it being a part of his ministrie; 8t dayes after the 2d minister asked the other if he had thought on that he had spoke to him the last Session day; he said he had: Yet in the Session he began to pray wheiron the 2d minister took him by the arme and said would to God I had burnt this hand that day I gave you the right hand of fellowship; this scolding caused the Session to dissolve; the nixt Sunday being Whitsunday the 1 minister by order fra the Bischop preached in the fornoon; in the afternoon the 2d went up and made a foolish and seditious sermon refuting what had bein said in the fornoon and making it a fairweill sermon. The tuisday theirafter the Bischop of Edenburgh called them both before him and offered to passe by all if Mr Williamsone would accept of a Presentation, the sole patronage being the Bischops; this he flatly refused and heirupon the Bischop silenced him; and supposing the Sermon preached by Williamsone might have encouraged the malcontents and stirred up the ill humor of the rable he sent to the Provest 2 ministers of the toune to entreat that any who had authority in the west port under the toune might all be present to heir Mr Gordon nixt Lords day, which paines accordingly was tane; but without the knowledge of the Bischop magistrat elder heritor or any else, Mr Gordon steps up on the Thursday after verie unexpectedly to supplie the 2d ministers turne (for it was his dyet) upon which some of the very communest people being their (for their was none of the gentry) murmuring, and from that to words then rose up and went out of the kirk and threw stones at the windows and put the minister in some fear, wheirupon he keipt within the kirk till he sent a letter to my Lord Provest who was at the tyme the letter came sitting in the Parliament house upon the service of the Earl of Seaforth and Lord Lowat; and the Laird of Meldrum being sitting by him who had a considerable command in the lifeguard he desired him to go alongs with him, which he did; but upon notice of their coming they all fled and the minister came out safe: 2 of the supposed actors ware whipt throw the toune a woman and a man and the same was tried by order of the then commissioner.”
N. A. J.”
One thought on “EDINBURGH EPISODES, 1664-65. (FROM THE FOUNTAINHALL FOLIO.) Part 2. SCANDAL AND RIOT AT ST CUTHBERT’S., N. A. J. (Mar., 1895), pp.151-152.”