1906 CHARLES MAURICE SHORT, born Swansea, 17th June 1853, son of Charles S., D.D., Dundee, formerly of Swansea, and Mary Harrington; educated at Swansea Grammar School and Cheshunt College; adm. as a licentiate by the General Assembly 1886; assistant at Linlithgow; ord. to Kingscavil 9th Aug. 1887; app. to this charge 21st Feb. 1892; adm. first min of the parish 18th Dec. 1906. Marr. 2nd Dec. 1903, Lucy Greig, daugh. of Alexander Robertson, banker, Edinburgh, and Annie Rose. Publication Sermon on Church Defence (Edinburgh, 1893).

KIRKNEWTON.

[Originally in the Presb. of Edinburgh, and annexed by the General Assembly, July 1591, to Linlithgow; East Calder, in the Presb. of Linlithgow, was united by theCourt of Teinds, 23rd Jan. 1751.]

1572 JAMES MOWBRAY, reader.

1573 JAMES HAMILTON, M.A.; pres. by James, Earl of Morton. Letters of collation were made in his favour by John, Archbishop of St Andrews, 6th June 1573 (Moray Inventory). Ratho and Gogar were also in his charge. He was appointed to Bathgate, Oct. 1593, "but went not," and died 31st May 1612. His sister, Elizabeth, widow of William Buchanan of Auchmar, was executrix.- [Reg. Assig. And Min.; Test. Reg.; Wodrow Miscell. and Biog., i.; Calderwood's Hist., iv., viii.]

1576 JOHN TOD, reader.

1613 ANDREW BALFOUR, son of James B., min. of St Giles, Edinburgh; educated at Univ. there; M.A. (25th July 1607); after being on the exercise of that Presb. some years, was pres. by James, Lord Balmerino, 8th July 1612 (the right to present being disputed and claimed by Archbishop Spottiswood); adm. 24th Feb. 1613; got leave from Presb. of Linlithgow, of which this parish then formed a part, to visit his uncle,

James Melvill, at his special desire, then in bad health at Berwick, 28th July 1613; signed the Protestation for the Liberties of the Kirk, 27th June 1617 and was imprisoned for the same; died 7th July 1624, aged about 37. He left James, advocate, clerk of session, born 1619 (who had a son Governor of the Darien Company, and whose son purchased the estate of Pilrig); Andrew, apprenticed 23rd July 1634 to John Inglis, merchant, Edinburgh; John; Elizabeth.-[Melvill's Autob., Uphall Sess. and Test. Reg.; Calderwood's Hist., vii.; Orig. Lett., ii.; Inq. Ret. Gen., 203-de Tut., 387-90; The Balfours of Pilrig.]

1625 JAMES LAING, son of John L., min of Greenock; M.A. (Glasgow 1617); licen. 19th April 1620; ord. to Abercorn 7th March 1624; trans. and adm. 1625. It was stated against him at the Synod, 5th Nov. 1644, that upon the day of thanksgiving for the taking of Newcastle, he uttered the words in his sermon -" That is a devilish joy to rejoice at the calamitie of our brethren, who are under one king, one faith, one baptism, and if our fathers were living, they would laugh to see us trouble ourselves needlesslie," which words, however, he publicly denied. He obtained a protection from the Marquess of Montrose, 20th Aug. 1645, which is the last heard of him. He marr. before 1635, Agnes, daugh. of Patrick Sharpe, min. of Strathbrock, and widow of Alexander Somerville of Humbie (Moray Inventory), and had issue-William, apprenticed 8th Jan. 1645 to William Alexander, merchant, Edinburgh; Agnes. - (Linlithgow Presb. and Uphall Sess. Reg., Sed. Book of Teinds; Reg. Old Dec., iii.; Baillie's Lett.; Mem. of Montrose, ii.; Acts Parl., vii.; Peterkin's Records; New Stat. Acc., i.]

1648 JOHN COLVILL, M.A. (St Andrews 1635); adm. 12th April 1648; died Feb. 1663, aged about 48. Leaving neither wife nor children, a question was raised before the Court of Session respecting the ann, which was found " to belong to the nearest of kin, a nephew (John Colvill, advocate, son of the Principal); and there being a question also