in 1684; and resigned Muthill in 1686.
1687-????--JAMES IRVINE, tr., probably to Lonmay.
1689-1693--JAMES INGLIS. Intruded by Earl of Perth, and finally ousted
by Privy Council for refusing to pray for William and Mary.
1702-????--WM. CHALMERS, minister of Monzie, was for a short time in
Muthill, but afterwards returned to Monzie.
1704-1754--WM. HALY, A.M., died 16th July. Riot at his ordination.
Afterwards popular. His curling-stones still exist, and are in
possession of Royal Caledonian Club.
1755-1766--JAMES SCOTT, died 6th July.
1767-1809--JOHN SCOTT, A.M., died 11th February. Son of previous
minister.
1809-1826--JOHN RUSSELL, A.M., died 17th April. Son of Burns' "Black
Russell," who had become minister of Stirling. A popular preacher.
Present church built for him.
1826-1867--JAMES WALKER, A.M., died 21st December.
1868-????--JAMES RANKIN, D.D. Formerly minister of Old West Church,
Greenock. Author of "Character Studies in the Old Testament,"
"Handbook of the Church of Scotland," "The Creed in Scotland," "The
First Saints," and other works.
TRINITY-GASK AND KINKELL
(_Kinkell had Readers, and two Ministers._)
1584-1594--JOHN HAMMYL. Deposed.
1637-1639--JOHN MURRAY, A.M., removed to Trinity-Gask, with which the
parish has ever since been united.
MINISTERS OF TRINITY-GASK
1576-1593--ALEX. GALL. Formerly at Muthill and Strageyth.
1596-1608--WILLIAM OSWALD.
1639-1662--JOHN MURRAY, A.M., died in December.
1664-1673--JAMES BRUCE, A.M.
1674-1682--RICHARD DUNCAN, A.M. Hanged at Crieff on a charge of child
murder, a reprieve arriving twenty minutes too late. This is supposed
to be the historical fact underlying the well-known popular rhyme,
erroneously attributed to Little Dunkeld:--
"O what a parish, sic a terrible parish,
O what a parish is that o' Kinkell;
They hae hangit the minister, drooned the precentor;
Dang doon the steeple, an' drucken the bell."
The Churches of Trinity-Gask and Kinkell are on opposite sides of the
Earn, and the precentor is supposed to have been drowned in crossing
between them. The Church of Kinkell is now a ruin, and has no steeple.
Its bell was recently discovered in the possession of a church in East
Lothian.
1683-1698--JAMES ROY, A.M., died in that year. He and the minister of
Muckart were the only members of Presbytery who continued in their
charges after the Revolution.
1700-1718--JOHN MURRAY, A.M., died 22nd November.
1720-1755--PATRICK PROVAND, died 29th November. The parish is
popularly known as Tarnty. "Mr Provand, minister of Tarnty," was once
ushered into the presence of Lord Kinnoull by an English footman as "Mr
Providence, the minister of Eternity."
1756-1769--JAMES REID, A.M., died 24th August.
1770-1776--JOHN KEMP, tr. to New Greyfriars, Edinburgh. Afterwards
D.D.; colleague in Tolbooth Church with Dr. Webster, and Secretary to
the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, in which capacity he
visited most of the Hebrides, founding schools. A man of conciliatory
and engaging manners. (See pp. 114-115.)
1777-1793--JOHN WRIGHT, tr. to Scone.
1794-1834--JAMES BRUGH, D.D., died 23rd July. Changed spelling of his
name to Burgh.
1836-1866--ALEX. HILL GRAY, died 15th May. Had a narrow escape of
being vetoed, but, there being some irregularity in the making up of
the roll of heads of families, his appointment was sustained.
1866-????--GEORGE WRIGHT KEMP.
_Note_.--The Information in above lists is largely derived from Dr. Hew
Scott's _Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticana_. It has, however, been
supplemented and brought down to date. G. D. M'N.
PRESBYTERY CLERKS
????-1657--LAURENCE MERCER, A.M., minister of Fossoway.
????-1677--WILLIAM WHYT. "On May 8th, 1677, David Whyt, son to umql.
William Whyt, supplicated the Presbytery anent ye reste of ye fialls of
his deceast father as Clerk to ye Presbyterie, is heard, and those who
are deficient are ordered to bring payment against ye next day."
1677-1685--DAVID YOUNG, schoolmaster at Gask and Auchterarder, and
afterwards minister of Monzievaird.
1685-1693--LAURENCE MERCER, minister of Gask. Writes a fantastic hand
very difficult to read. Mr Mercer was ousted in 1693. His last minute
is dated 7th September, 1687. Probably for some years no records were
kept.
1703-1707--ANDREW URE, minister of Muckart. Resigns 4th November, 1707.
1707-1711--JOHN DRUMMOND, minister of Crieff. Intimates resignation
14th November 1710.
1711-1729--ARCHD. BOWIE, minister of Monzie, appointed 16th January,
1711, by plurality of votes as against Mr Ure, Muckart, and Mr Haly,
Muthill. Held office till 24th April, 1729, when Mr Will. Simson was
chosen in his place, who, declining to do duty, Mr John M'Leish was
appointed to do it.
1729-1741--JOHN M'CLEISH. Mr M'Cleish was a licentiate residing within
the bounds. He seems to have resigned Clerkship on his appointment to
parish of Gask.
1741-1747--LACHLAN TAYLOR.
1747-1757--JAMES REID, A.M. At time of his appointment a divinity
student; was afterwards minister of Glendevon; resigned Clerkship soon
after his translation to Trinity-Gask.
1757-1759--DAVID M'GIBBON, minister of Glendevon. Appointed
unanimously 24th April, 1757. Resigned 27th September on his
translation to Buchanan.
1759-1768--ALEX. SMYTH, minister of Dunning, appointed unanimously 6th
November, 1759; died 20th February, 1768. "The salary and occasional
perquisites were continued during the Presbytery's pleasure with the
sisters of the deceast, and Mr Robert Walker, minister of Monzie,
accepted the office on these terms."
1768-1775--ROBERT WALKER, minister of Monzie, appointed 5th April,
1768. Getting into trouble (see p. 22 (xxii), App.) he had to leave
the parish of Monzie, and on 23rd November, 1773, resigned the
Clerkship. On 1st February, 1774, he requested to be continued, and
stated that "one of your number, whose capacity is unquestionable, has
generously consented to take charge of your papers and records." The
request was granted, and the person referred to, Mr John Kemp,
Trinity-Gask, acted as Clerk till 12th September, 1775, when he was
thanked for the care and attention with which he had discharged the
duties of that office.
1775-1776--DAVID DAVIDSON, assistant at Monzie, appointed 12th
September, 1775, "during the pleasure of the Presbytery and his own
good behaviour." One of Mr Walker's assistants. Resigned 7th May,
1776, on being admitted as minister of Kippen.
1776-1784--ALEX. COLDSTREAM, schoolmaster of Crieff, appointed
unanimously 7th May, 1776. He never seems to have recorded a single
minute of Presbytery in the register, but to have left them all in
scroll. On 7th August, 1784, a motion was made by a member of
Presbytery that, considering the many proofs of indolence and
incapacity which their Clerk has given in the above business of Mr
Lawson, and other matters belonging to his office, that he be no longer
continued therein. Consideration of this motion was delayed till next
meeting (2nd Nov., 1784), when it was unanimously agreed to.
1784-1792--ANDREW DUNCAN, minister of Auchterarder, appointed 2nd
November, 1784. On 3rd July, 1792, he intimated to the Presbytery
that, having now completed the register of the Presbytery, which had
been ten years behind the minute-book, and brought it up to the present
date, the doing of which was one object of his undertaking the
Clerkship, he now begged to resign that office.
1792-1819--JOHN BROWN, minister of Glendevon, appointed 3rd July, 1792.
Held office for long period of twenty-seven years. Was also for many
years Clerk of Synod. Resigned (8th June, 1819) the Presbytery
Clerkship, thanking them for "the support and assistance they had
always given him in the execution of his duty as their Clerk." At same
time he nominated as his successor, Mr Robert John Robertson, minister
of Gask, "a gentleman whose candour, fidelity, and talents much
recommend him to the notice of all that know him, and qualify him
particularly to the office of Clerk of the Presbytery."
1819-1822--ROBERT JOHN ROBERTSON, minister of Gask, appointed
unanimously on 8th June, 1819; resigned 2nd July, 1822, on his
translation to Forteviot.
1822-1829--JOHN EDWARD TOUCH, minister of Madderty, appointed
unanimously 2nd July, 1822; resigned 1st September, 1829, on his
translation to Kinnoull, and was thanked for his "attention, fidelity,
diligence, and accuracy."
1829-1833--JOHN MACFARLANE, minister of Ardoch Chapel, appointed by a
majority on 1st September, 1829, as against Mr Maxtone, minister of
Fowlis. Resigned 5th March, 1833, on his appointment to Collessie.
1833-1843--JAMES THOMSON, minister of Muckart, appointed unanimously
5th March, 1833; resigned 4th April, 1843, when interdict was served on
Presbytery prohibiting _quoad sacra_ ministers and elders from voting,
"whereupon Mr Thomson, the Clerk, resigned his Clerkship, to which
resolution he adhered, notwithstanding the earnest remonstrances of
several brethren. Mr Stevenson, assistant and successor in the parish
of Crieff, was then appointed interim Clerk, and to him Mr Thomson
delivered such papers as he was then possessed of, consisting of scroll
and rough copy of minutes and a small parcel of documents."
1843--R. HORNE STEVENSON, assistant and successor in the parish of
Crieff, appointed in above circumstances; resigned 26th Sep., 1843, on
his translation to St. George's, Edinburgh.
1843-1864--WILLIAM ROBERTSON, minister of Monzievaird, appointed
unanimously 26th Sept., 1843. Died 9th June, 1864. "He discharged the
duties of Presbytery Clerk for a period of upwards of twenty years.
For these duties he was peculiarly well qualified by his extensive
acquaintance with the laws and constitution of the Church, by his
masterly habits of business, and by the urbanity and kindness of his
disposition. And these duties he discharged with a zeal and an ability
which entitle his memory to the lasting gratitude of the
Presbytery."--_Pres. tribute_.
_Note_.--Mr Robertson, the Presbytery Clerk, being personally concerned
in a case, Mr A. G. Reid, solicitor, Auchterarder, was appointed to act
from 16th October, 1850, to 4th November, 1851, as interim Clerk of
Presbytery.
1864-1878--JOHN WILSON, D.D., minister of Dunning, appointed
unanimously 5th July, 1864. Was also Clerk of Synod. Died 1st March.
"His appointment as Clerk of Presbytery fourteen years ago brought him
into closer connection with its members, and by his uniform courtesy,
his friendliness, his tact in managing business, and his accurate and
extensive knowledge of the forms of procedure in ecclesiastical courts,
he rendered most valuable service to the Church."--_Pres. tribute_.
1878-????--GEO. D. MACNAUGHTAN, B.D., minister of Ardoch, appointed
unanimously (2nd April, 1878), on motion of Dr Cunningham, minister of
Crieff, seconded by Mr Bonallo, minister of Blackford.