TROQUEER p. 605

1713, aged about 56.-(Act. Rect. Univ. St. And., Dalgety, and Dumfries Sess., and Test. Reg. (Dumf.), MS. Acc. of Min. 1689.]

1690. WILLIAM SOMERVELL, called in May and ord. 9th Oct.; died 4th April 1696, in 6th min. He bequeathed if merks for the maintenance of a bursar of theology, or philosophy, of the name of Somervell, or from the par. of Troqueer, or from the Presb. of Dumfries, or wherever he may be found, the moderator and remanent members of Presb. being the sole administrators. He also left a farther sum of v^c merks for a school.-[Presb., Syn., and Dumfries Reg. (Bur.), Tombst.]

1698. ALEXANDER HUTCHESON, A.M., got his degree at the Univ, of Edinburgh 9th Sept. 1695, licen. by the Presb. of Earlston 29th July 1697, called in April, and ord. 10th May 1698; died 2d Nov. 1704, in his 29th year and 7th min.-[Reg. Laur. Univ. Edin., Presb., and Dumfries Reg. (Bur.), Tombst.]

1705. JOHN SIMSON, A.M., son of Mr Pat. S., min. of Renfrew, attained his degree at the Univ. of Edinburgh 18th July 1692, licen. by the Presb. of Paisley 13th July 1698, called 21st June and ord. 20th Sept. 1705 ; trans. to the Professorship of Divinity in the Univ. of Glasgow in 1708. He died 2d Feb. 17 40.-[Edin. Grad., Presb. Reg., Mun. Univ. Glasg]

1709. JOHN BOUIE, licen. by the Presb. of Glasgow 21st June 1705, called in June and ord. 22d Sept. 1709 ; died 9th March 1732, in 56th age, and 23d min.-[Presb., and Syn. Reg, Tombst.]

1734. JAMES PURSEL, A.M., was laureated at the Univ. of Glasgow 29th April 1718, licen. by the Presb. of Middlebie 3d Aug. 1726, became assist, to Mr Rob. Patoun, one of the min. of Dumfries, pres. by George II, in Sept. 1732, ord. (by a Correspondent committee of the Commission of Assembly) 19th April 1734. Delay was caused by a strong opposition. Many of the parishioners, all the elders, and a number of those entitled to call were in favour of Mr James Ritchie, probationer, who for four years had assisted the preceding incumbent (he was settled in a Presbyterian congregation in England Jan. 1735). After Mr Pursel's ordination, though a majority of ministers in the Presb. was favourable, yet a minority of them, supported by a majority of elders, refused to enrol him as a member of Presb. The case went to the Assembly, which, 16th May 1735, remitted it to the Synod to do "in that matter, and concerning the parishioners who do Mot submit to his ministry, as they shall find most for edification," while, 25th May 1736, the Assembly appointed and recommended his enrolment to both Presb. and Synod, ordaining them to support him in his ministry, and to endeavour to bring the people to submit to it. Such feelings of bitterness were engendered, however, that his hay loft, stable, corn-yard, &c., were set on fire on the night of 29th Sept. 1735, and he and his family narrowly escaped before the flames reached the manse. He died 23d Feb. 1742, in his 43d year and 8th min.-[Mun. Univ. Glasg. iii., Assembly Cases, Presb., Syn., and Test. Reg. (Dunaf.), Acts of Ass. 1733-1736, Tombst.]

1743. JOHN EWART, A.M., second son of 141r And. E., min. of Kells, born in 1717, studied at the Univ. of Edinburgh, licen. by the Presb. of Kirkeudbright 29th April 1742, called 2d Sept. after., and ord. 23d June 1743; died father of the Synod 5th Sept. 1799, in his 84th year, and 57th min. He marr. 1st in 1747, and had a son and daugh., Andrew and Jean; 2dly, 28th Aug. 1749, Mary, only daugh. of Will. Corrie, Esq. Dumfries, she died at Dumfries 3d