John Welsh, the Irongray Covenanter. liti* 



He had but seventy men at his command, and so scattered here 

 and there that only thirteen were together in one place. He 

 boasts that he executed his commission in a generous spirit. " I 

 never came the full length of my orders." (Andrew Lang's Hist, 

 of Scot., vol. iii., 307.) However this may be, the inhabitants of 

 the Stewartry broke out in open rebellion at Dairy in the middle 

 of November, 1666. They marched on Dumfries, making a 

 rendezvous at Irongray Church, seized Sir James and his fines 

 before he had time to fight or flee. He would have been pistolled 

 but for the intervention of NeiLson of Corsack, a kindness he in 

 vain endeavoured to repay when Corsack was captured and con- 

 demned after Rullion Green. 



It is unnecessary to retell the story of the Pentland Rising. 

 It is enough to say that the insurgents marched north, under 

 Colonel Wallace, hovering for a while between Glasgow and 

 Edinburgh, threatening both cities. The citizens were terrified, 

 and the country folk indifferent. A force W'as speedily collected, 

 under Tom Dalziel of Binns, who had fought in the wars of 

 Muscovy, Avhich met the insurgents at Rullion Green on the Pent- 

 land Hills. The insurgents were routed, and their leaders fled. 

 Welsh was at the battle, and left it with the insurgent leader, 

 Colonel Wallace. Whether he fled with Wallace to Holland I 

 cannot sa}', but for nearly two years we hear nothing about him. 

 Two parishioners and namesakes of Welsh were present at the 

 battle, Welsh of Skaar and Welsh of Cornlee. They were among 

 those who were exempted from the indemnity after Pentland. 



Discussing the paper, Mr G. W. Shirley asked if the lecturer- 

 could give any further information about David M'Brair of 

 Xewark ? His identity had considerably puzzled him (Mr 

 Shirley). The M'Brairs of Almagill, of whom at least five had 

 been Provosts of Dumfries in succession from 1453 onwards, pos- 

 sessed after the Reformation the New Wark in Dumfries. Hence 

 some of them were known as "of New Wark." On the 26th of 

 January, 1608-9, a David was baptised as son of Robert M'Brair 

 of Almagill, Provost of Dumfries in 1599, and Sheriff of Dum- 

 friesshire, 1619, and Margaret Murray, his wife. From other 

 sources he appeared as the third .son. In 1646 he was appointed 

 tutor to his nephew and nieces, the children of his eldest brother, 

 John of Almagill. There was a David of Newark in 1648-9 and 



