REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1901 89 



continued minister of the parish for the long period of 63 

 years. Then followed the late Mr Gillespie, who was succeeded 

 by himself (Mr McLaren). Referring to the old minutes, 

 he said it was on record, July 1 6th 1696, that an effort was 

 being made to celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 

 which had not been done in the parish for 36 years previously. 

 There was something there of a hint at Episcopacy. James 

 Noble, who wrote or dictated the minute, belonged to the 

 extreme evangelical party in the Church, and he would 

 doubtless refuse to follow in the footsteps of William TurnbuU 

 or William Nasmyth, who both conformed to Episcopacy. 

 Noble jumped over all the years of their ministry, and went 

 back to the time of Robert Mairtine, who, according to Mr 

 McLaren's view, was the last to preach the gospel pure and 

 undefiled in the kirk of Eckford. In confirmation of his inter- 

 pretation of the minute, he pointed out that at the foot of 

 the stone erected on the wall of the church to the memory 

 of his wife or daughter, Mr Noble had had cut the name and 

 date of the death of Robert Mairtine. It has been said that 

 William Turnbull was buried in Eckford churchyard, but there 

 is no trace of his resting-place. The Sacrament referred to was 

 duly observed, and the officiating clergymen were Semple, 

 Jedburgh ; Williamson, West Kirk, Edinburgh ; Guthrie, 

 Oxnam ; Boreland, Bedrule ; Thomson, Ednam (the father of 

 the poet of "The Seasons"); Cranstoun, Crailing ; and 

 Liber (?), Hownam. Mr McLaren showed us the minute books 

 of the years 1694 to 1754 ; where, under date March 9th 1718, 

 there was mention of an account of one pound ten (Scots) 

 "for the Jougs put up at the kirk door." And he quoted 

 one quaint entry, which, with unconscious humour, stated 

 that a fast-day was ordained " for the excessive drought and 

 many other besetting sins of the parish." Amongst the 

 tokens exhibited, the oldest was marked 



on one side, 



on the other, 



16 

 96 



In the Mailefield room, adjoining the church, and leading 

 to the heritors' gallery, attentioii was called to th© textg 



M 



