154 Some Incidents in Troqueer Parish. 



examine her anent the father of her child "'^ as they did with 

 some humbler persons. It is not my intention to deal with the 

 mere gross faults and their punishment, but T shall confine myselt 

 to the treatment meted out to the Roman Catholics. But 

 primarily, to give the proper balance, let us not forget that the 

 "killing times " were still vividly remembered, and (to give one 

 instance) that only 24 years previous to our period (December, 

 1666), the heads and right arms of James Grier in Fourmerk- 

 land and William Welsh in Carsfairn were put on the Brigport, 

 to be removed a month later to the Tolbooth or Pledgehouse for 

 fear of being .stolen, and that in the Country the elements making 

 towards 1715 were steadily fermenting. 



The first of the actions against the Roman Catholics as such 

 was taken in March, 1697, and they proceed with increasing 

 severity to the end of our period. Secondary issues, however, 

 bring the Catholics first under the censure of the Church. The 

 most frequent are disorderly or irregular marriages and baptisms. 

 These, besides being performed by priests, were also discharged 

 by outed curates and deposed ministers. An incident arising 

 from a quite different cause is an irregular baptism performed by 

 Mr John Hepburn of Urr. 



The following is an early case, dated 11 July, 1693: — 



" Wm. Maxwell, in Troqueer, compeired, having confessed 

 his disorderlie marriage wt this extenuation, yt he came to the 

 Minr of the paroch, and desired mariage of him, but he refused 

 upon the account of his being obstinatelie popish, for wch the 

 prebrv thought fitt to dismiss him wt a rebuke, and the woman 

 likewise is ordered to be cited the next presby by the Kirk Officer 

 of Traquair." 



This was a very weak position for the presbytery to occupy, 

 and matters are altered when Parliament passed its Act, June 

 28, 1695, "Against irregular Baptisms and Marriages," pro- 

 hibiting the solemnisation of these by any but regular ministers. 

 The following are examples of later treatment: — 



December 26, 1704. " James Crone, a profest papist, 

 pretending to '. e married to one Jannet Carlyle, though irregu- 

 larly, had produced before ym a pretended Testimonial yrof, 



7. Sept. 1, 1703. Margaret Turner, at the Crooks of Mabie, also 

 for other cases, August 31, 1703, and October 8, 1706. 



