Forrester in 1429 was, previous to the Reformation, an appanage of the Abbey of Holyroodhouse. Nicol Ballantine, the first Provost, died 1470. Robert Cairncross, Bishop of Ross, King's Chaplain, and Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, was Provost in 1544. Gogar, which formerly belonged to the Trinity College Church, was united to Corstorphine on 22nd May 1599.]

1554 JAMES SCOTT, reader.

1560 ALEXANDER M'GILL, reader.

1561 JOHN COISE, reader at Gogar.

1570 WALTER COUPER, reader; died Nov. 1570; probably progenitor of the Coupers of Gogar; Adam C. was Laird of Gogar in 1600.

1589 JOHN NIMMILL [NIMMO], M.A., formerly of Keith-Marischal; trans. to Cranstoun 1590. -[Reg. Assig.]

1590 THOMAS MARJORIBANKS, M.A.  Had a son James, apprenticed to George Lindsay, hatmaker, Edinburgh, 11th Nov. 1590.

1590 ANDREW FORRESTER, trans. from Glencorse; Gogar also was in his charge 1593; trans. to Dunfermline 1598. -[Reg. Assig.]

1599 WILLIAM ARTHUR, M.A.; adm. 8th June 1599. At a visitation by the Presb., 16th Oct. 1599, a complaint was made that he was "overleirnit a man for thame." It was found " Mr Will. edifiet them, but that he suld be mair plain to the people in deliverie," though "he was honest in lyf, and careful in discharging his dewtie." At the same time the Presb. enacted "that the parishioners of Gogar [who objected to the suppression of their parish on 22nd May], sall come to Corstorphine one day, and those of Corstorphine sall go to Gogar another"; and they again ordered, l0th June 1600, a like exchange on the part of both parishes. A. was nominated by the Assembly, 15th May 1601, for supplying the kirks in Nithsdale; trans. to St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh, in 1607.-

[Reg. Assig., Booke of the Kirk, Calderwood's Hist.; New Stat. Acc, i.]

1607 ROBERT RUTHERFURD, M.A. (Edinburgh, 1st Aug. 1590); ord. 14th Oct. 1607; died 25th April 1616, aged about 46. He marr. Christian Dick, who survived him, and had issue-Katherine; Isobel; Margaret; Agnes. (See Privy Council Record, l0th Sept. 1609, for a curious attack on Rutherfurd at a burial in church.)-[Reg. Assig., Haddington Presb. and Test. Reg.]

1617 ROBERT LINDSAY, M.A. (St Andrews, 28th July 1610); adm. in 1617; died April 1624, aged about 34. He marr. Elizabeth Abercrombie, who survived him, and had issue-David; Helen.-[Act. Rect. Univ. St And.; S. Leith Sess, Test., and Edin. Reg. (Bapt.).]

1626 DAVID BALSILLIE, M.A. (St Andrews, July 1612); adm. 1626; died 1654, aged about 62. He marr. (cont. 23rd Aug. 1624: Reg. of Deeds, cccclx., 8th April 1629) Margaret (who survived him), daugh. of Michael Cranstoun, min. of Cramond, and had issue-George; Margaret, bapt. 12th April 1635; Bethia, bapt. 10th Dec. 1639 (marr. William Munro of Culcraigie Edin. Sas., xxv., 74); Alexander, bapt. 1st Jan. 1643; Helen (marr. (1) George Marshall, tailor, burgess of Edinburgh: (2) before 3rd Jan. 1656 (G. R. Inhib.), Nicol Hamilton, writer, Edinburgh: (3) John Forrest, burgess of Edinburgh); Agnes (G. R. Sas., xlviii., 382); Rebecca (Reg. of Deeds, dxxiii., 224); Christian (marr. James Sett, burgess of Edinburgh). -[Act. Rect. Univ. St And.;, St Cuthbert's Sess. and Test. Reg.; Sed. Book of Teinds, Edin. Sasines; Reg. Old Dec., ii.]

1655 ROBERT HUNTER, M.A. (Edinburgh, July 1643); called 11th June 1654; ord. 11th April 1655. Deprived by Act of Parliament 11th June, and by the Privy Council, 1st Oct. 1662, for not conforming to Episcopacy. He is still called min. in 1668 (G. R. Sas., xix., 83), probably of  a meeting-house. Marr. Margaret Hunter. -[Wodrow's Hist.; Mun. Univ. Glasg., iii.]