40 Capture of Covenanting Town of Dumfries. 



he was present and accessory. The brethren remitted him to 

 satisfy at Kirkgunzeon, as the rest of the gentlemen guilty of the 

 lesser degree of malignancy, viz., to acknowledge his offence be- 

 fore the pulpit and give 20 merks to the poor." 



Mr John Corsane, designated in the Acts of Parliament 

 Provost of Dumfries, was a man of influence, by profession an 

 advocate, the proprietor of Meikleknox and Barndannoch and of 

 a large part of the town of Dumfries. In 1640 he was appointed 

 by Colonel Home to be receiver of the contributions to the public 

 use for the War Committee of Galloway, represented at different 

 times both Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire in Parliament, 

 and held a number of ofifices connected with the Government, and 

 remained a consistent Covenanter. Unfortunately, he with others 

 was responsible for the defenceless state of the town, and for its 

 surrender to Montrose. In addition to being tried in Edinburgh, 

 he had to pass through a tedious process before the Presbytery of 

 Dumfries for the purpose of clearing himself from a scandal. 

 From the Kirk-session records we learn that on 19th July, 1646, 

 he was sworn an elder of the kirk, and it must have been later 

 when a re\'ival of the fama about his action in the surrender of 

 the town to Montrose arose. The Presbytery, in whose jurisdic- 

 tion cases of slander at that time lay, required to deal with it. 

 The trial embraced a written process, a proof, inquiry, and much 

 debate, Corsane being all the time debarred from church privi- 

 leges and doubtless also the eldership. Of the earlier stages 

 there is no record. The first minute extant of date 5th April, 

 1647, contains the judgment of the court : — " Compeired Mr John 

 Corsane, whose process having long depended before the Presby- 

 tery, after much agitation and enquiry about his guiltiness in the 

 delivery of the town of Dumfries to the enemv at James Graham's 

 invasion thereof; But no matter of concernment being proved 

 against him, the Presbytery ordains Mr James Hamilton to inti- 

 mate this to the people, and the said Mr John to make his own 

 declaration from his seat " [in St. Michael's Church]. 



On 27th April following Mr James Hamilton reported to the 

 Presbytery that Mr John Corsane had made his declaration as he 

 was enjoined. It was not, however, until 1649 that he was 

 readmitted to the Covenant and church pri\-ileges. A Kirk- 

 •session minute reads: — "Thursday, June 21, 1649. — Anent the 



