Some Incidents in Troqueer Parish. 147 



quite an appreciable extent with its own dogma, and allowed no 

 one to teach otherwise. Thus in March, 1702, "a Popish 

 Schoolmrs in Kirkconnell Lands " was discharged from keeping 

 a school there. In 1704 " Mr John Learmont, late Episcopal 

 Minister at Musewald," had taken up a school in Dumfries. It 

 was promptly suppressed by the Town Council as " highly pre- 

 judicial to the Grammar School." Mr Learmont removes to the 

 Brigend, but the Presbytery awaits him there, and bespeaks the 

 Laird of Xunland as bailie to restrain him. He does not do so, 

 for in 1705 Mr Learmont is reported again as " through his want 

 of authoritie their were several gross abuses committed by the 

 scholars," and his keeping school was "against both the estab- 

 lished Laws of the Kingdom and the Acts of the General 

 Assembly." Mr Learmont thereafter disappears. 



More entertaining is the next offence. In January, 1709, 

 two young men, Robert Brown and Andrew Mitchell, took " upon 

 themselves to teach schools without the Presbyteries allowance 

 notwithstanding that both of them absent from ordinances." 

 They are called before the Presbytery, and Robert Brown was 

 easily dealt with. Asked "if he attended upon Gospel Ordi- 

 nances ? Answered, he had absented from Gospel Ordinances 

 for the most part of the winter, but he was resolved carefully to 

 attend in time coming." Asked "If he ever owned the popish 

 way? Answered, Albeit he had married a wife who was popish, 

 he never had owned nor thro' the help of God resolved ever to 

 own the popish way." On which he was " discharged to keep a 

 ■School after such manner in time coming." Andrew Mitchell 

 was more difficult to deal with. " Interrogat, If he taught a 

 School in the Brigend, Answered He did, but that it was a private 

 one in his own hired house ; What number of scholars he had 

 . . . Answered, He could hardly now be particular, but 

 thought they might of late have been about twenty-four: whether 

 any of them learned Latine? Answered. There was. Why 

 he took up and taught a School without application made to the 

 Presbytery? Answered. All circumstances being considered he 

 was not sensible that it was a fault." A further charge of 

 making " some very uncharitable and unchristian speeches 

 against the Ministers of Scotland " was brought against him. 

 " William Cowan, aged about fifty years and married, being 

 purged of malice and partial counsel. Deponed that coming 



