NOTES ON CHURCH AND BARONY OF LINTON 157 



of that name in the parish. One interesting relic of this 

 incumbency is the old dead bell. Now, alas! it is cracked 

 and voiceless, but round the outer upper rim is still clearly 

 embossed the legend, Mr R. Ker, Lintoun. 



EGBERT BOYD, M.A. (1658-1662). Restored (1690-1697.) 

 A Westland Whig and Protester, he first came into the Border 

 country as chaplain to the Earl of Home. As the Presbytery, 

 with only two exceptions, were Resolutioners, he probably 

 won but little sympathy from his clerical brethren. Although 

 " outed" in 1662, he was clearly no extremist, since we find him, 

 at a later period, accepting the Indulgence at West Kilbride, in 

 Ayrshire, his native county. So, again, in 1684, when some of 

 the high flying Covenanters were brought to court, after the 

 Archbishop's murder and the consequent rising, Mr Robert 

 Boyd is "known to have been noto7^ioudy loyal, and refused to 

 read the rebels' proclamation." On his refusal, however, in 

 December of the following year, to give a bond that he would 

 not minister anywhere in Scotland, he was cast into prison, 

 but released in January, and " confined to a house in 

 Edinburgh."* After an absence of eight and twenty years 

 Robert Boyd was restored to Linton, at the Revolution. He 

 came home an old, spent man, and lingered on here for seven 

 years. One piece of clerical duty allotted to him during this 

 period was to provide a sermon for the ordination, at Ednam, 

 of Thomas Thomson, father of the "Scottish Virgil." Stern 

 Covenanter though he was, evidence is not lacking that he 

 could, on occasion, enter with zest into mundane employments 

 and recreations. Thus, for instance, in the autumn of 1659, 

 we find it recorded that there was "no exercise,"! because 

 the exerciser, Mr Boyd, was "so much taken up with the 

 biggiug of his house." While one winter evening, in the 

 old manse, his voice is heard bidding Susanna, his servant, 

 to fetch him a candle, "that he might take ane pipe of 

 tubaccall." Among his own party]: Mr Boyd was accounted 

 "a very knowing man, and of great experience in matters 

 of discipline." At length, on the plea of " weakening 



* Wodrow, II., 204 ; iii., 468 ; ir., 40. 



t Presb. Reg. 



X Kirkwood's Plea. 



