1606 ALEXANDER AMBROSE (Edinburgh, 27tb July 1605); adm. 15th Oct. 1606; died 1st May 1615, aged about 30. He marr. Helen Ramsay, who sur­vived him, and had issue—Elizabeth (marr. James Ramsay, writer, probably of Win lands, Newbattle). — [Haddington Presb. and Test. Reg.; Inq. Ret. Edin., 848; Pitcairn's Cr. Trials, iii.]

1615 JOHN AIRD, born 1584, son of William A., min. of St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh; educated at Univ. of Edinburgh: M.A. (28th May 1604); assistant at St Cuthbert's, and a member of the Kirk session; Min. of Newton 1614; pres. by Robert, Earl of Lothian; trans. and adm. 26th Sept. 1615; signed the Protestation for the Liberties of the Kirk, June 1617; died 9th July 1638.  He marr. Sarah Donaldson, who died March 1665, and had issue—William; James; Robert (Reg. of Deeds, vi., 696).—[Test. and Edin. Reg. (Bur.), Hope's Diary, Livingston's Charac; Reg. Old Dec., iii.; Sed. Book of Teinds, Orig. Lett., Law's Mem.]

1639 ANDREW CANT, M.A.; trans. From Pitsligo; pres. by William, Earl of Lothian, in 1638; coll. 16th, and inst. 20th May 1639; trans. to Aberdeen in Dec. 1641. — [Livingston's Charac., Blair's Autob., Balfour's Hist. Works, Baillie's Lett., Stevenson's Hist.]

1641 ROBERT LEIGHTON, born (place un- known) in 1611, son of Dr Alex­ander L., of the Usan family, parish of Craig; educated at Univ. of Edinburgh; M.A. (23rd July 1631); resided for some years at Douay, in France; produced a testimonial from Presb. of Edinburgh 22nd July 1641; pres. by William, Earl of Lothian, in Sept., ord. 16th, and coll. 30th Dec. 1641; a member of the Commis­sions of Assembly 1642, 1646, and present at least thirty times throughout the latter year. On 24th Jan. 1647 he was appointed to preach before the Scottish Parliament. From that date he was frequently absent from his parish, visiting his father in London, etc. In the troubles which arose over what was known

as the "unlawful Engagement," he sympathised with the cause of Charles, and did not himself at first read the Declaration of the Commission against the "Engagement," but relegated the duty to the precentor. Leighton was, on several occasions, remonstrated with by the Presb. for an apparent supineness in matters of Church policy, nevertheless he was chosen unanimously by the Synod " to repaire to London for negotiating the free-dome and enlargement" of the brethren who were confined in the Tower and other places, after the battle of Worcester. He was in England from May till about the end of Nov. 1652, and on 16th Dec. the Presb. had a letter presented from him wherein he "demits his charge of his ministry at N." His request, twice made, was refused; but on 27th Jan. 1653 Leighton again appeared and "desired to be lowsed," the Town Council of Edin­burgh having offered him the Principalship of the College. A Commission to that effect was produced on 3rd Feb., and Leighton was freed from his parish on account of the " greatness of the congrega­tion far exceeding his strength," and the " extreme weakness of his voice," not being able to reach the half of his congregation when convened—reasons which he had "often expressed to us."  He became Bishop of Dunblane and Archbishop of Glasgow (q-v.). — [Acts of Ass., Irving's Scott. Writ; Wodrow's Anal., Chambers's Biog. Dict., Blair's Archbishop Leighton} Butler's Life and Letters of Robert Leighton, 1903; Dict. Nat. Biog.]

1658 ALEXANDER DICKSON, M.A.; called 14th Aug., and ord. 7th Oct. 1653; trans. to the Professorship of Hebrew in the Univ. of Edinburgh 11th Sept. 1656 (q.v.).—[Mun. Univ. Glasg., iii.; Grant's Hist. of the Univ.'}

[HEW ARCHIBALD, formerly of Strathaven, took charge during the vacancy, and a call to him, 27th July 1658, was set aside.  He had, however, 500 merks allowed by Parliament out of the vacant stipend.—[Acts Part., vii.]