An Account of Simprin, Benuickshire, by Jas. Hardy. 307 



6. George Wilsone, formerly of Killallan in Renfrewshire, was collated 

 to Simprin, Sept 12th, 1672 ; and translated to Westruther in 1683. 



7. James Adamson, was deprived by the Privy Council, Sept. 3rd, 1689, for 

 not reading the proclamation of the Estates, and not praying for their 

 Majesties, William and Mary, but for James VII.* 



8. John Moir, schoolmaster of Wemyss, having acknowledged his sin in 

 taking ordination as a deacon under Episcopacy, was licenced by the Presby- 

 tery of Kirkcaldy, July 14th, 1691 ; called in September, and ordained De- 

 cember 24th of that year. He died two or three years after. Elizabeth 

 Areskin, his relict, had £30 allowed her by the Synod out of the Centesima 

 fund, in April, 1700. 



9. Thomas Boston, A.M., was born in- Dunse, March 17th, 1676. His 

 grandfather. Andrew Boston, came from Ayr to Dunse, and possessed house- 

 hold property in the town, one tenement whereof descended to John Boston, 

 the father of Thomas. He was educated under Mr James Bullerwall from 

 1684 to 1689. While still a youth, he attended a Presbyterian meeting at 

 Whitsome Newton, where Mr Henry Areskine, minister at Cornhill, and 

 afterwards of Chirnside, preached ; and he also frequented a meeting-house 

 that Mr Areskine had at Revelaw, "near about four miles from Dunse." In 

 1691, he was employed at Dunse, by Mr Alexander Cockbum, a notary, and 

 then acquired the style of composing and drawing papers, which he after- 

 wards turned to advantage. He entered the University of Edinburgh, Dec. 

 1st, 1691, where he studied for three successive seasons ; and took his degree, 

 July 9th, 1694. His College expenses were less than £11 sterling. In 1695 

 he was parochial schoolmaster at Glencairn for one month, and then became 

 tutor to Andrew Fletcher of Aberlady, a boy of nine years of age, and in 

 charge of him proceeded to Kennet, Clackmannanshire, the mansion of Lieut. - 

 Col. Bruce, who had married Aberlady' s mother He was licenced by the 

 united presbyteries of Dunse and Chiinside, June 15th, 1697 ; called to Simp- 

 rin, August 11th, and ordained Sept. 21st, 1699. The stipend was five 

 chalders of victual and 80 merks. Simprin was the smallest parish in Ber- 

 wickshire. On his first night at Simprin, he says, he felt " a desire to be 

 very remote, and in an inconsiderable post, and even a kind of content to be 

 posted there ;" but then to occupy " such a mean place," and " the prospect 

 of a small congregation," was very disheartening ; and this was aggravated 

 by " the unbeseeming carriage of the people, few as they were, partly by 

 sleeping, partly by going out." Besides, the two elders who proposed his 

 settling with them, " seemed not to be very pressing." He was, however, 

 induced to accept the little charge, and did not regret his determination. At 

 the ordination he had no heritor, nor representative of a heritor, to take him 

 by the hand. At the outset he visited the school, which shows there was 

 one, and afterwards the town, and found " there was some need for it." In 

 one instance on a Saturday night, his meditations for the morrow were much 

 disturbed. ' ' Towards the time of going to bed, I heard an unsavoury noise 

 of men drinking in a neighbouring house, on the occasion of a wedding in 

 view. After waiting a while, and finding they were not dismissed, I went 



* Peterkin's Constitution of the Church. 



1 M 



