i48 [some Incidents in Troqueer Parish. 



from a wedding in Xewabbey at Lambmass last with Andrew 

 jSIitchell lie was questioned by him what he thought of the Mini- 

 sters of Scotland, and Andrew Mitchell answered that some of 

 the Ministers of Scotland would go a black gate without repent- 

 ance, and are leading some after them." "Jean Gracie, aged 

 above twenty years and unmarried," was less diffident. "She 

 came along with Andrew Mitchell from Xewabbey some part of 

 the way . . . and it being discoursed that some Ministers 

 would at times divert themselves with play, he said he thought 

 nothing of that, seeing the most part were going to Hell or some- 

 thing to this purpose." The Presbytery found that " he deserves 

 to be rebuked publickly as well as privately before the presby- 

 tery. . . . He being called in the Moderator rebuked him 

 coram." Andrew, however, does not appear at Troqueer Kirk 

 the next Sabbath, so they applied to " Carzield, the Steuart Sub- 

 stitute of Kirkcudbright, to compel him to undergo sentence," 

 but the last we hear is that he is out of the country. 



In one other way Troqueer assisted education. On Novem- 

 ber, 1694, the Presbytery decided to raise among its parishes 

 £100 Scots per anum to support one or more suitable students of 

 Divinity at Edinburgh or Glasgow University. Of this Dumfries 

 contributed £8 quarterly and Troqueer £1 quarterly. 



The Ministers and the Condition of the Parish. 



Four ministers were settled successively in the parish during 

 these twenty years. On November 9, 1687, the remanent mini- 

 sters of the Presbytery of Dumfries — Mr Frances Irving of Kirk- 

 mahoe, Mr George Campbell of Dumfries, and Mr Robert Paton 

 of Terregles — met " to consider what was incumbent to them in 

 their present circumstances to doe for the good of the Corner to 

 which they stand more nearly related." They set to work to add 

 to their number and to supply the district as well as possible. 

 On March 7, 1688, Terregles, Lochrutton, and Troqueer "pro- 

 mise amongst them to give threttie two pounds sterling money per 

 annum for Mr Paton 's encouragements in the Lord's work and 

 also to provide ane house wher he may conveniently live, together 

 with peats for his fire and grasse for an horse and a cow." Mr 

 Paton agrees, and some months later Irongray is added to his 

 charge. Terregles, however, can provide " no proper mainten- 



