[WILLIAM CARSTARES and Principal JOHN STIRLING were pres. by George Lockhart of Carnwath. The Presb. characterised these as "sham" presentations, and proceeded to fill up the vacancy in the usual way.]]

1717 JOHN THOMSON, M.A. (Edinburgh, 12th -lay 1693); licen. by Presb. of Lochmaben 1709; ord. to Symington 11th Sept. 1713; pres. by George Lockhart of Carnwath, and trans. and adm. 14th May 1717; was one of fifteen ministers who dissented from the sentence of the General Assembly in 1740, deposing the eight Seceders; died 8th Dec. 1765, in his 82nd year. He marr, 18th May 1729, Elizabeth (died 14th June 1771), daugh. of John Sydserff, merchant, Dunbar, brother of James S. of Ruchlaw, and had issue-_Margaret, born 17th March 1730 (marr. Dec. 1749, Robert Menzies of Culter Allers, W.S.); Elizabeth; James.-[Morren's Ann., i.]

1758 JOHN CHRISTIE, pres. by Alexander Lockhart, advocate, and ord. (assistant and successor) 14th Sept. 1758; trans. to Carnwath 29th May 1760.

1761 JAMES SCOTT, pres. by Alex. Lockhart, advocate; ord. (assistant and successor) 18th Feb. 1761; trans. to Carluke 13th May 1763.

1763 JOHN NOBLE, born in the parish of Beggar 1721; licen. by the Presb. of Biggar 9th June 1757; pres. by Alex. Lockhart, advocate, and ord. (assistant and successor) 27th Oct. 1763; died 1st Sept. 1776. He marr. in 1758, Mary (died 21st Dec. 1782, in her 73rd year), daugh. of William Dickson of Kilbucho, widow of Geo. Muirhead of Persilands.

1777  DAVID DICKSON of Persilands, D.D.; assistant to preceding, who was his uncle, and on whose decease a unanimous application was made on his behalf to General James Lockhart of Lee and Carnwath; pres. 7th Feb., and ord. 1st May 1777; trans. to Bothkennar 23rd April 1783.-[Kay's Portr., ii.; Hunter's -Biggar.]

1784 JOHN FRASER, pres. by General James Lockhart-Wishart of Lee and Carnwath, 19th Aug. 1783; ord. 21st April 1784; died 26th Aug. 1812, aged 59. He marr. 3rd Nov. 1785, Jane (died in Edinburgh 5th April 1831, aged 66), daugh. of Hugh Smith of Carnwath, and had issue-Pringle, captain H.E.I.C.S., born 6th Feb. 1787, died in Secunderabad, 21st June 1820; John, born 13th May 1789, died in Jamaica 16th Nov. 1821; Hugh, born 11th March 1791, died 24th Sept. 1792; Hugh; surgeon, 60th Regt. Royal Rifles, born 2nd Feb. 1793, died 22nd Oct. 1865; Andrew, lieut.-col. H.E.I.C.S., born 3rd Nov. 1794, died 18th Sept. 1884; Eliza, born 26th Feb. 1797 (marr. Thomas Smith Wharrie, min. of Symington, Ayrshire); Margaret, born 1st March 1800, died 22nd March 1872; Georgina, born 6th June 1802, died April 1821; Patrick, physician to the Queen of Portugal, Knight of the Tower and Sword, physician to the London Hospital, born March 1805, died 12th Nov. 1896. Publication-Account of the Parish (Sinclair's Stat. Acc., ii., xxi.).-[Tombst]

1813 ALEXANDER CRAIK, born Fife, 1772, son of Alexander C. and Ellen Rennie; licen. by Presb. of St Andrews 19th Dec. 1798; became rector of the Academy at Dundee in 1809; pres. by Sir Alex. Macdonald Lockhart, Bart., 18th May, and ord. 22nd July 1813; D.D. (St Andrews, 12th Jan. 1839); died in Edinburgh, 19th Oct. 1856. He marr. Helen (died 7th July 1860), daugh. of William Scott, Dron, Longforgan, and had issue-Alexander Scott, merchant, London, born 14th Jan. 1808, died 5th May 1877; Ellen, born 27th March 1810 (marr. John Vary, min. of Pettinain), died 29th Feb. 1896; Anne, born 10th May 1813, died unmarr. 28th Nov. 1831; Eliza, born 21st Jan. 1815, died unmarr. 24th Jan. 1892; Margaret, born 14th April 1817, died unmarr. 29th July 1896; James Rennie, naval engineer, H.E.I.C.S. (afterwards coalmaster, Hamilton), born 14th Oct. 1818, died 3rd Sept. 1874; Julia, born 22nd June 1821 (marr. James Bishop, hanker, Lennoxtown