198 John Welsh, the Irongray Covenanter. 



amongst us who were ministers of the Gospel, some standing and 

 sticking at things that others can digest, be not offended at this, it 

 has been so always since the beginning, it is no new thing, if there 

 be some that leave off preaching when others continue to preach, 

 though against law, I say offend not at either ; when both keep 

 right in the main." 



Welsh was among the first who decided to preach in the fields 

 against law, indeed, he is credited with being the inventor of the 

 field conventicles of the Covenanters. In January, 1666, he was 

 proclaimed for this, along with Semple and Blackadder, by the 

 Privy Council. " Particularly the said Mr John Welsh does pre- 

 sume frequently, at least once every week, to preach in the parish 

 of Irongray in the Presbytery of Dumfries, and himself and those 

 who frequent his conventicles do convene together armed with 

 swords and pistols; at which meetings he also baptizes children 

 which are brought to him by disaffected persons." (Wodrow ii. 6.) 

 From Veitch's Memoir we have an account of one John 

 Osburn of Keir who got into trouble over these preachings. 

 It is related in his own words — " In the first place when the 

 ministers preach in the hills to wot, when Mr John Welch, 

 Mr Gabriel Semple, and other eight with them, were denounced, 

 and I was also denounced with them as being a muntan (mount- 

 tain) beddall (i.e., a person who summoned hearers to the 

 hill preachings), as likewise afterhand I was forced to flee, 

 and afterwards returning home, was apprehended at my Master's 

 harvest by a party of Turner's men, being taken to Dumfries, 

 was interrogate who they were that preached and who were the 

 auditors of my acquaintance ; the which I absolutely refused upon 

 all hazards. Thence he (Turner) put me in the Thieve's Hole 

 and threatened me with starving, keeping the key the space of 

 three davs himself, thinking to make me confess whom I knew to 

 be preachers and hearers, the which I absolutely refused, after- 

 wards mv wife went to one of the tune (town) bailies declaring to 

 him that she would go to Edinburgh and complain. Afterwards 

 I was brought out of the prison and put in another, where I re- 

 ceived meat and drink otherwise I had starved." 



The Government despatched Sir James Turner to Dumfries 

 and Galloway to suppress these field preachings, and to exact fines 

 from those who were accused of non-attendance on church by the 

 curates. His force, however, was quite inadequate for the task. 



