PRESBYTERY OF LOCHMABEN p. 658

being seconded, and a countermotion made, the vote was taken; "Shall the Presb. put the question immediately to Dr W., or not ?" and the former motion being carried, a dissent and complaint was entered by the ministers of Dryfesdale, Kirkmichael, Dalton, Tundergarth, and Wamphray, with an elder from the latter parish. On the question being put by the Moderator, the Dr replied, " That his answering the said question, in his apprehension, would be of little importance either to the Rev. Presb. or to himself, but as he considers it a question unbecoming an ecclesiastical court of the Church of Scotland, and of dangerous tendency as a precedent, he therefore begs to be excused from delivering a definitive reply ;" on which the Presb. referred the whole to the Synod for decision. The Dr is said, during a great part of his ministry, to have come to the parish only on the Sunday mornings, and to have taken possession of the manse but for a short time before he was trans. to Colinton 7th Jan. 1783.-[Presb., and Syn. Reg., Jardine's Nat. Lib. xxvi., Bower's Univ. Edin. ii., New St. Acc. iv., Edin. Grad., &c.]

1783. ALEXANDER BROWN, trans. from Hoddam, pres. by the Curator for George,, Marquis of Annandale 21st April, and adm. 30th Oct; died 16th March 1800, in 52d min. He marr. 25th Nov. 1751 Penelope daugh. of William Muir of Cassincarry, she died 10th Dec. 1809, and had a son William and three daughters.-Publication-Account of the Parish (Sinclair's St. Acc. ii.)-[Presb. Reg., &c.]

1801. ALEXANDER JOHNSTON, trans. from Cranshaws, pres. by James, Earl of Hopetoun, 13th Sept. 1800, and adm. 5th Feb. succeeding; died 19th Sept. 1851, in his 87th year and 59th min. His first wife died 17th July 1812. He marr. 2dly, 15th Nov. 1816, Alison Anderson, who died l0th Oct. 1846, and had a son Alexander, and a daugh. Jane who marr. Robert Tod, Esq.-[Presb., and Syn. Reg., &c.]

MOUSWALD.

The church was dedicated to St Peter. The Parish was supplied by THOMAS WEIR, reader, at Nov. 1569 and by JOHN EDGAR from 1576 to 1585. It was united to Little Dalton by Parliament 24th June 1609, but again erected by his Majesty's Letter to the Privy Council 27th May 1615.

1615. WILLIAM HAMMILTOUN, A.M., removed from Little Dalton in 1615; continued 17th July 1627.-(Reg. Assig., Bannatyne Miscell. iii.]

1637. ALEXANDER MAKGOWNE, A.M., attained his degree at the Univ. of St Andrews in 1626, he gave x ri towards building the Library of the Univ. of Glasgow in 1637; refusing to conform to Episcopacy he was suspended by the Synod 28th April 1664, and confined to his parish, but latterly relinquished the charge, and died at Dumfries 7th June 1677, aged about 71. He marr. Elizabeth Ramsay who died 24th July 1661, and had Alexander conjoined with him in a sasine of land at Dumfries 25th Nov. 1664, Mr James, graduated at St Andrews in 1656, and a child bapt. 3d Oct. 1652.-(Act. Rect. Univ. St. Anul., Mun. Univ. Glasg. iii., Sess., Syn. (Jedburgh Presb.), Dumfries (Deaths), and Test. Reg. (Dumf ), Wodrow's Hist., New Gen. Reg. Sasines xi., Commis. to Ass. 1638, i 648, Baillie's Lett.]