Notices concerning Oxnwm Water. By J. Hardy. 107 



the Parish. (New St. Acet. iii. ) 



Daring the Stuart period, when the people were not at liberty to hear 

 the ministers of their choice ; during what is called James VII. 's " First 

 Toleration for Scotland," of date Feb. 12, 1687, Mr William Yeitch (see 

 Report of Eothbury meeting) after many sufferings, " returned with great 

 joy and affection to his native land ; the people in the parishes of Oxnam, 

 Crailing, Eckford, Linton, Morebattle,and Hownam, having joined together 

 to give him a call to preach at Whitton-hall which was almost the centre 

 of these parishes, the most of the hearers being within three miles of the 

 meeting-house which they there erected. He entered into it in April 

 1688." " The call was subscribed by above seventy masters of families 

 in the forementioned parishes, some whereof were gentlemen of good 

 quality." "The meeting increased daily, not only from the Scotch side, 

 but also the English ; his old friends and hearers in Coquet-water and 

 Reedsdale frequenting that place, and inviting him over on week-days to 

 preach with them, which he willingly complied with. He preached also 

 in those parishes mentioned on the week-days, time about, both before 

 and after the happy Revolution by the Prince of Orange (who landed at 

 Torbay, with his fleet and army, the 4th of November 1688) ; and then in 

 the churches about, as they were cleared from the prelatical clergy.'' 

 (Memoirs of William Veitch, pp. 182, 183, 184.) 



Except^ the annoyance to which the minister, Mr Scot, was exposed, the 

 inhabitants of the parish were left undisturbed, in the period of forced 

 conformity, to follow their religious convictions; and only one man, of 

 date May 1684, was proclaimed an outlaw for having been engaged in 

 rebellion — "Andrew Hare servant to Andrew Ainslie in Cleugh." 

 (Wodrow's Hist, iv., p. 25.) 



In Middleton's Parliament, 1662, among the seven or eight hundred 

 noblemen, gentlemen, and others arbitrarily fined for participating in the 

 measures of the Cromwellian rule, William Kerr in Swinside was fined in 

 £1,200 Scots. (lb. p. 273.) 



(4). Lady Yester's Charity. 



Any notice of the parish, would be incomplete without allusion 

 to the Alms-house. " Dame Margaret Kerr, Lady Yester, by her 

 letters of mortification, dated 4th November 1630 and 14th March 

 1638, caused to be built a school, and a schoolmaster's house, at 

 Oxnam bridge end, and little dwelling houses, for accommodating 

 four poor people, commonly called alms houses, at Oxnam Rawfoot ; 

 and likewise mortified £1,000 Scots, the annual rent of which 

 being £4 3s 4d, together with the weekly collections, is distributed 

 in small proportions, amongst such indigent poor as are not on 

 the roll." (Sinclair's Stat. Acct. vol. xi. p. 324.) Only one 



