Communion Tokens. 45 



ticket thus early in use in our own country was paper, or a card 

 is more than probable. For in the same Records, on 7th May, 

 1572, we find that " the seat hes ordeined that in tyme cuming 

 nane sal present thair selves to the communion wythtout tikat 

 resavit fra the dark of the quarter quhair they dwel or minister." 

 A little further on, at 3rd June, 1573, trouble has arisen owing to 

 some having appeared at Communion " wytht fengyeit tickatis of 

 the dait the vij day of Mali, 1572." Difficulties of this kind must 

 have arisen frequently. In the same Records at date 24th July, 

 1583, " Jhone Hwniman seidman confessis he producit at the 

 Lordis Tabill ane fangyeit tikket, quhilk wes gevin him be David 

 Robertsoun." And again, " Androw Broun younger tailyeour 

 lykewys accusit for presenting him self to the Lordis Tabill, he 

 nocht being at examinatioun, nocht ressavand ane tikket, bot be 

 his maisteris tikket." Possibly it w^as owing to the frequent 

 occurrence of such tricks that the change to metal tokens was 

 made at ST. ANDREWS. An entry here on 27th May, 1590, 

 runs as follows : " The quhilk day Patrick Gutherie, at command 

 of the Sessioun, hes maid the ironis for streking of the takynnis 

 to the Commuiiioun and hes ressavit fra the Sessioun for his panis 

 xls." On 15th July "the Sessioun hes payit to Patrik Gutherie, 

 for twa thowsand taikins to the Communion, ten merkis." An 

 interesting item from the EDINBURGH Burgh Records is of 

 date 1579-1580, January 6th: '" Ordanis thatt in all tymes cuming, 

 fra this communion furth, thair be na allowance maid to the denes 

 of gild, present or to cum, in thair comptis of ony expenssis for 

 stamping of the communion tikketis, because the samyn is ane 

 nouatioun quhilk hes nocht bene vsit of befoir, and ordanis that 

 quhensoever ony auditouris beis chosin for hering of the dene of 

 gildis comptis, this ordinance be intimat to thame for the better 

 obseruing heirof." Apparently against the will of the Town 

 Council, metal tokens were introduced into Edinburgh City 

 Church in 1579. This is the earlFest record of metal tokens 

 being used for Communion purposes in Scotland. Though the 

 metal token was adopted in ST. ANDREWS parish in 1590, 

 cards were again in use in 1596, and continued at least until 

 1656.5 On April 13th, 1588, the GLASGOW Kirk Session 



5. In "Faithful Contendings Displayed" (Michael Shields), Mj 

 Robert Hamilton, in a letter to the societies, dated 7th Dec, 

 1685, refers to the treatment meted out to Rathillet by his 



