158 Some Incidents in Troqueer Parish. 



Superstitions of the Romish Church . . . and to be very 

 frequent in your Private and Publick Prayers yt God would save 

 us from Poperie and everything yt hath a tendency yrto." In 

 October, 1705, we hear of the " Lady Kirkconnel's activity to 

 prosylite Protestants to the Popish Faith, so fare as She had 

 access among her tenants and servants and of her threatening 

 these of them that were Popish, when any Pains was taken for 

 their recoverie," but the Presbyterie "could not find any they 

 could trust to, and so the matter dropped. 



Meantime they proceeded to excommunicate apostates 

 because of their apostacy and other Catholics on various offences. 

 Mu h more power was exercised over the apostates than over 

 the secular Catholics. On the report of Mr Nesbit in 1703 

 that there was " a growth of Popery in his Paroch [Newabbey] 

 and the lands of Kirkconnel," the Presbytery meet at Newabbey, 

 having caused " Mr Nisbet and Mr Hutchison cite all persons 

 within their respective paroches suspected of Apostacie." 

 'i. uese are " John Rigg elder. Jennet Mulligan spouse to John 

 Rigg, younger, Agnes Crocket, spouse to the said John Rigg, 

 elder, James Wood, John Lewars, Dougald Roddan, Janet 

 Maxwell spouse to William Fleeming, and Agnes Hutton, all 

 in Kirkconnel land, wt Robert Lewars in Newabbey and Thomas 

 Iwaxwell in Aird and Jannet Bridg his servitrix." These do not 

 apiDear, and are declared contumacious. Meantime Dougald 

 Roddan is proceeded against on separate charges of " blasphemy 

 in asserting yt there were but bitts of the Bible the word of 

 God " and "for heresy, in avouching yt women had no souls." 

 They referred him to the magistrates to compel him to give bond 

 that he would undergo church censure, and he having done so 

 was appointed " to appear in Sackcloth upon Sabbath next before 

 the Congregation of Nev/abbey and upon Sabbath come a fort- 

 night before the Congregation of Troqueer there to be rebuked 

 and make Satisfaction . . . these two congregations having 

 been equally offended by him." 



Process of Excommunication was then entered upon against 

 all the apostates, including also John M'Knee and John Allan, 

 while " The Lady of Terraughtie [Janet Irving] and her sister 

 Marion Irving, the Lady Carruchan [Agnes Lindsay] and her 

 Mother in Law and John Kennan in Cairgen " are to be tried 

 before the Session of Troqueer. These also are found contu- 



