1603 RICHARD DICKSON, M.A.; licen. to preach in the West Kirk (probably assistant to preceding) 27th March 1599; but only adm. helper, with imposition of hands, 2nd June 1603 (Pont protesting that it be not prejudicial to him); pres. to the vicarage by James VI. 16th April 1607. Having administered the Communion 7th March 1619, in the Presbyterian form, when many citizens of Edinburgh, leaving their own churches, were partakers, he was summoned at the instigation of the ministers of Edinburgh before the Court of High Commission on the 12th March following, was deprived of his charge, and imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle. The session agreed, 15th April following, to present a petition to the Synod, or to the Bishop of St Andrews, requesting that he might "be permitted to continue the discharge of his ministry among them as he had done before," but he was ordered, 30th July 1624, to be sent to Ireland; and 22nd Sept. thereafter, when again called before the Privy Council, a letter having been received from the minister and magistrates of Dumbarton, "Testifeing that Mr R.'s wyffe and nine young bairnes ar all lying deadlie seake of the fever; and his awne letter vpoun his oathe, that he had not expense to bring him to this toun," his case was delayed, and in 1625 he was appointed to Kinneil. [Reg. Assig. et Sec. Sig., Sime's West Kirk, Livingston's Charac; Row's and Calderwood's Hists. vii, viii.; Orig. Lett.; Select. Biog., i.; Hill Burton's Scotland.]

1626 WILLIAM ARTHUR, M.A. (Edinburgh,  12th Aug. 1592); adm. min. of Corstorphine 8th June 1599; trans. to Collegiate Charge 8th Oct. 1607; was Visitor of Clydesdale (along with John Spottiswood); signed the appeal on behalf of the liberties of the Kirk  27h June 1617; was tried before the Court of High Commission 12th May 1619 for only partially recognising the Five Articles of Perth, but acquitted; in 1621 he was on a leet of four from whom a minister for Edinburgh should be chosen, but declined; he refused to submit to the Bishop's instructions regarding

the mode of Communion 5th March 1634; subscribed the Covenant in 1639; was a member of the Commission of Assembly 1642; dem. in 1649, being full of years and not able to supply the charge 7th Feb. 1650. The heritors and kirk-session voted him a retiring allowance of 500 merks per annum, but this obligation they did not fulfil. He died in 1654, aged about 82 years. He marr. 9th Feb. 1609, Jane, eldest daugh. of James Stewart, portioner, Strathbrock, and had issue-Rachel; William; Marion and Margaret (twins); Jean; Helen; James John; Thomas; Elizabeth (marr. Major John Somerville, eldest son of Sir James S. of Cambusnethan). All issue dead before 1684, when the daugh. of John, eldest brother of William Arthur, was served heir to Elizabeth.-[Uphall Sess. and Edin. Reg., Sas. Reg., Sec. Sig., Acts of Ass., Sime's West Kirk; Inq. Ret. Gen., 6548, 6549, 6777; Laing Charters, West Kirk Records.]

1649  JAMES REID, son of John R., merchant, burgess of Edinburgh; M.A. (Edinburgh, 26th July 1623); ord. to Collegiate Charge 10th Sept. 1630; called 16th Aug. 1649, and adm. soon after. He found shelter in Dundee when East and Mid Lothian were overrun by the English army in 1651; coll. tnd Oct. 1662; died towards the end of June 1664, aged about 61. He marr. Agnes, widow of John Byres of Coittis, and daugh. of Robert Smyth, merchant, burgess of Edinburgh, and Agnes Purves his wife, and probably sister of Sir John Smyth of Grotehill and Cramond, Provost of Edinburgh, and had issue- Agnes; Margaret; William, bapt. 20th Jan. 1632, died June 1664.-[Test., Edin. (Bapt. and Bur.), and Canongate Reg. (Bur.); Reg. Collat.; Sinclair's Stat. Acc., viii.; Wodrow's Hist., Sime's  West Kirk.]

1649 WILLIAM GORDON, M.A.; trans. 1649 from Bourtie; coll. 6th, and adm. 16th April 1665. A number of people alleging he had been chiefly instrumental in the removal of his colleague, Williamson, mobbed him and closed the church door in his face, for which some were imprisoned,