Anniversary Address. 15 



face in Stichill, where the scandal was clamant, he tried 

 preaching at Home. The two parishes do not always seem 

 to have been in accord.^* During his incumbency, 20th May 

 1610, James VI. granted the teinds of this and certain other 

 parishes to Alexander, Earl of Home, but reserved the right 

 of ecclesiastical patronage, as stated before, and made 

 provision that the minister of Stichell and of the church 

 of Home should receive 40 bolls of victual (half barley, 

 half lie muckit-land aittis) with the vicarage, etc. 

 Thereafter, on 16th October 1621, James VI. accepted 

 the resignation of these gifts by James, Earl of Home 

 (with consent of his mother, the Countess Maria, who was his 

 guardian), and granted them to John Stewart, son of Lord 

 Bothwell.''^ He reserved the Crown patronage of the living, 

 and secured for the minister of Home 22 bolls of victual and 54 

 lib., as the proportional part of 100 lib., destined for the 

 augmentation of his stipend, besides the vicarage teinds, etc. 

 On the 20th November 1621, James VI. again granted this 

 to Lord Henry Stewart. 



Mr David Courtie succeeded to the living, on his presentation 

 by James VL, in 1613. He died on the 29th April 1655, 

 aged 84, and in the 42nd year of his ministry. With the 

 assistance of Robert Hopper, Alexander Gordoun, Johne 

 Donaldsone, and Thomas Fairbairne, his parishioners, he 

 drew up the Statistical Account of the Parish in 1627. 

 In the united parishes were 400 communicants. The 

 minister's stipend was twenty-two bolls victual, half beir, 

 half muckit-land aittis, with £54 paid by the Abbot of 

 Coldingham. The vicarage teinds were let for £60 yearly. 

 The minister had neither 'foggage nor fewall,' contrary to 

 the Act of Parliament. There was no school nor foundation 

 for one ; no chaipleinries, no hospitallis, no prebend ries. 

 Thereafter follow the details of the lands in the parish, as 

 well as of the kirklands, already referred to. "The haill 

 paroche payit of auld bot xl. schillingis the teind. The teynd 

 of this paroche is drawn be the Abbot of Coldinghame. It 

 payit 1700 marks: bot thai tint thrie thairof in zeir of God 

 1614, in the whilk zeir they drew the teynd. Befoirr this the 

 Parochinieris had ane tak of the teynd fyve zeires for 1000 



^* Records of Presbytery of Kelso. 

 ?* Reg. Mag. Sig., 1598-1608, p. 109. 



