to Johne Robertsone last thesaurar and possessor thairoff and now our soverine Lord hes pntit [presentit] unto us be his hienes letters of presentatioun under the privie seill Robert Munro minister at Urquhart and Logy to be resavitt and admittit to the said thesaurie with all teindis emolumentis rentis and dewties thairoff to be bruikit and possessit be him in tyme cumming during his lyftyme and to ye ministrie of ye Kirkis thairto apertening. According ye tenor of ye said presentation and of our offices in that pairt hes takin tryell off the doctrine literature and guid conversatioun off the said Robert Munro and finds him apt and able to serve in ye chairge and cuire off ye ministrie within the Kirk off Ros and indewit with sik graces and qualities as ar meit for the said functions and willing to travell [labour] as of befoir yrintill Thairfor be yir pntis [by these presents] dois resave and admit him to ye said thesaurarie and cuire off the ministerie yroff with all and sindrie commodites and dewities apertening thairto dureing his lyftyme. And hes resavit the professioun of his faith his aith acknawledging and recognoscing of our soverane lord his authoritie Quhairfor we requeist you or ony ane off you being heirto requyrit that incontinent efter the seicht heiroff ye () with ye said Robert Munro or his procurator in his name to the cathedrall Kirk off Ros or to ony uther Kirk place or places neidfull and there enter him or his procurator in his name to ye reall and full possessioun of ye said thesaurarie with all and sindrie teinds fruittis profeitts and emolumentis deweties and pertinentis yroff quhatsumever Be delyvering off ye buik of God in his hands . . according to ye order usit and observit be the reformit Kirk to ye admissioun off benefices Provyding allwayes that the said Robert Munro sall in his awin persone visite the Kirk of the said thesaurie tak ye oversight thairoff and teitche the word off God and sa'l be subiett to ye generall assemblie of ye Kirk in all thingis concerning his dewties and office in the said thesaurarie Requyring thairfor the Lords of Counsall and Sessioun to grant and giff letters in all the four formes . . . In Witness... to thir our Ires off admissioun and collatioun subscryvit with our handis our seill is affixt. . . the xvi day of Junii the zeir off God Iaj Vct fourscoir seventene zeirs befoir thir witnesses John Munro off Pithonochtie, Nicoll Cleapane burgess of Bruntyland, Mr Walter Mowbry burgess off Edinburgh, Farquhar Munro portioner of Litill Kindeiss, Mr Johne McGillechallum maister off ye grammer skuill of ye Chanonrie of Ros, and Mr James Lauder writer heiroff. [Here is further development, we may say the high-water mark, of the First Presbyterian Period. King presents to the vacancy the Commissioner and Moderator of Presbytery, judge of fitness-in fact, have the old bishop's power-and the minister becomes bound to The be subject to the General Assembly. There is a hint as to worship in George No. 47, 1596.-Paper, precept and inhibition.] Dunbar persone of Kilmuir and commissar of Ross for sameikle as it is humelie meanit and schawin to me be my lovit Robert Ross minister at Alness and persone and vicar yrof yat quhair he is lauchfullie provydit to ye said personage and vicarage with all and sindrie the rentis teindis teind-scheaves. . kaines [payment in kind] . . hes bein. . . . in peciable possession of ye samyn thir divers yeiris bygane yet nochtyeles the fewaris . . tacksmen occupiares . . intendis at yair awin handis to intromitt [deal] with ye teind-scheaves and teind (vicarage). . . of ye instant yeir and crop 1596 but [without] permission. . . I charge you [i.e., the officers]. ye pas to ye paroche Kirk of Alness quhair ye said. . . collectors lyes and yair upon ane Sunday befoir nune in tyme of preitching or common prayeris. . . . inhibit and forbid. . the fewaris fermoraris in generall and be yr names . . . that nane of yame presume ... .. to intromitt affixing ane attentive copie heirof upon ye maist patent door of ye.. Kirk . . If they will not suffer.. Robt. Ross . . . to dispone at his pleasure. . thai sall be persewit before ane juge [Here are: a parson who is also a judge and a minister, also parson and vicar; the use of the church for legal notices on Sunday; and the common prayer or liturgy. Robert Ross of Keandloch was second son of D. Ross, 2nd of Shandwick; his son William was minister at Kincardine and Fearn, and inherited Shandwick. Another son, Thomas, was minister at Alness and Kincardine. B. No. 48, 1602.-Receipt.] I Hucheon Ross persoune and minister at Kincairne.. receavit fra . . George Ross of B. ane hundreth punds complete payment personage and vicarage... Witness Alexr. Ross of Invercharron Robt. Ross minister at Alness. [See No. 18. This stipend has greatly advanced; he has got the revenues along with the titles. Two years after comes No. 49, 1604.-An 18th century copy of submission for an arbitration between feuars of the Abbacie of Fearn]. .. Geo. Ross of Balnagown for Easter Drum of Fearn and Mr George Munroe Minister of Tarbat heretable proprietor and feuar of the miln, kiln, and girnel of Fearn immediate tenant of His Majesty and in that part successor of the Abbots of Fearn . . . Judges . . . Honorable Geo. Sinclair of Moy, John Monroe sub-dean of Ros and John Ross parson of Logie. [In No. 22 we have had John Ross as minister of Tain. He was translated to Logie in 1581. He is next in No. 50, 1608.-Paper-Obligation.] I George Ros of Balnagown be yir pnts. confess me reallie and wt, effect to haiff recavit in freindlie borrowing frae my belovit kinsman Mr Jon Ros persoun of Logie.. sex hundreth merks usuall money of North Britane. . . Witness Walter Ross apeirand of Invercharron, Alexr. Denune portioner of East Drum of Ferne. [John Ross was son of Alexander Ross, 1st of Little Tarrel, legitimated son of Walter Ross, 8th of Balnagown, thus George's kinsman. He inherited Little Tarrell about 1581, on the death of his brother Alexander. B. No. 51, N.D.-] Mr John Ross minister at Logie his petitione of.. George Ross and his perticular ansrs. to ilk head wt. ye ressouns seing his chise is, as the Lorde knawes, to agrie wt. ye laird but [without] onie kynde truble .. craves ye laird to lat him heff possessioun wt. his hartlee kyndnes off ye haill teind schaves off Glastulich Drumgillie Meikle Meddat, and Pitmaduthye be resoun ye minister yr. may heff to leiff on reasonable or els no pastor yr. as alsua he onlie hes guid tytle yroff and ye laird nane Mair desyrs ye laird to giff him iictlxx merks as he quha is hair to umqll. Alexr. Ross of Balnagown seeing my brother umquhill his hairs was constranit to pay ye samyn to George Sinckler be ressoun of ye cautionary my umqll. father became for ye sd. umqll. A. Ross. Item desyrs ye laird to find me cautioun for redelyverie to me off ye soume of iii ct 1 merks . . giffin to Margaret Monro my umqll. brother's relict and to be bruiket be hir during her lyftyme. . . Item I desyr ye laird to caus his servands Dod. Reoch and his compleces repare sic wranges as was done to me in Esbolk seing my servands was dung [knocked about] my geir spulzeit my guids slane [cattle killed] durrs upbroken and guest inconveinenct by and attour ye geir I was compellit to pay for raising his ma'ties Ires and putting ye samyn to executioun. [After friendly borrowing came strained relations between kinsmen. The parson's resentment makes him rather incoherent. In No. 49 we have had John Munro sub-dean; next he is in B. No. 52, 1605.-Contract.] I Geo. Ross of B. . . sellis to my luiffing freind Mr Jon Munro subdene of Ross . fiftie bollis. . victual. . ye full pryce receavit.. to delyver 25 bolls of the crope 1605 wtin the burgh of Tayne . Merche 1606 and other 25. . Merche 1607 .. [He was also minister of Tain, and was one of the 19 who in the above year held a General Assembly at Aberdeen in defiance of the King's interdict. For this he was sentenced to imprisonment and banishment to Kintyre, but escaped home and resumed his ministry for 3 years, when a Privy Council letter ordered the Tain Magistrates to imprison him. What followed has not been known, but seems to be implied in No. 53, 1612.-Paper, some holes and abrasions.] The number of all the bollis beir sowings wtin ye brughe of Tayne and tenements yrof Beinge stentitt [taxed] for ye reparatione of the Kirk in the yeir of God 1612. Item in the first Robert Munro of Assint 4 scoir 4 bollis 2 tenements, Hector Douglas 3 scoir 4 bollis 10 tenements [and so on, 35 other names, a few of which only need be given.] The mill of Aldie, McGilandreis bairns, The tutor of Foulis, James Innes of Inverbrackie . [Next page is headed] The tenements and hes no land [a list of 34, among whom are:-] Mr Johne Ros 3 tenements, Androw Mitchell 1 tenement, Helene Petter 1 t., Alexr. Denune of Pittogertye 1 t., The Laird of Balnagowne 1 tenement . . Summa the holl-nyne scoir 4 tenementis, xxxiij scoir v bollis stentitt at vi shillings the boll and 3 sh. the tenement-the scor bollis at 6 lib. Walter Ross. [The signature shows the paper ended here, but we can finish the calculation, and see the total cost of repairing the Kirk was £227-a very large sum for those days. It must have been neglected and in a bad state. Mr John Ross being mentioned without any other designation seems to show he was then minister, and that Munro had been deprived. On the same paper as No. 52, on the other side, and in quite different handwriting, is Geo. No. 54, N.D., but after George's death in 1615.] Ross of Balnagowne gafe to Issobel Mackintosche his spowes ane tack of the miln of Balnagowne without my consent and the said Issobel maries Mr Jhone Munro minister at Tarbet. quho refuss is to possess himselfe wt. the said miln and siclyke.. the tenentis . schukiners. . cumis to it and offeris.. to the miller.. multur and kneifschip. and the miller refussis becaus he hes nather warrand of me David Ross now of Balnagown nor of Mr Jhone Item the said umquhill George gave to hir. . livrent tack . . certaine . widis of oack birk fir &c. .. querie-gif the said Issobel or.. Jhone may sell .. the saidis Widis [woods] to mak irone or uther use said Mr Jhone desyrs me ayther to renunce in his favor. his effect [and so on, a set of queries to a lawyer as to the complications concerning property between David and his clerical step-father. Next is or consent to No. 55, 1613.-Paper, docketed] Band to caus the Laird of Balnagowne elder to resave Mr Johne Monro tenent to him of the lands of Balnasirach Understanding that George Monro of Mekill Tarrall being heretabill proprietor of Balnasirach, Culln, Ester Leweldgowne, McCoaltes Croftis and McCroreis Croftis and the Meinyis. . hauldin be him of George Ross of Balnagown.. said George Monro hes maid alienatione . . of said lands to Mr Jon Monro of Ferne.... binds. . to resave &c. [Witnesses not entered. In 1616 there is an obligation by John Ross, persoun of Kincairne, to Mr John Munro, minister at Tarbat, witnessed by Mr Robt. Ross, minister at Alness, and then ... B. No. 56, 1617.-Letter to David Ross of B.] Ryt. honl. sir Pleis according to our last communing to receive ye heids qlks I desyr to be performit to me but [without] ony forther delay failyeing qrof I will tak . as ane refusell. I have stayid lang on your promise. . I will not continow .. langer nor Wednesday at Eddertane . . . Mr Jon Monro. Tarbat 1 Sepr. 1617. [In these 3 papers we see another and contemporary John Monro, muister. He was 3rd son of Andrew, V. of Milntown, and, as we see, was John Munro, I. of Fearn. The Tain minister was 3rd son of Hugh Munro, I. of Assynt. As to the cause he strove so boldly for : B. No. 57, 1606.-Receipt.] I Andra Moresoun collector deput and factor to Mr David Lindesay Bischop of Ross . . resavit fra . . Geo. Ross of B. twelf bollis beir for the fermes of the myln of Kincardine . . . Witness Wm. Ross appearand of Invercharron . . Alexr. Denune portioner of the Drum of Ferne. [King James had got the General Assembly for a time suppressed, and bishops appointed, one of the first being Lindsay. He had been a priest before the Reformation. In same year: B. No. 58, 1606.--Receipt.] I Androw Freser minister at for [No. 59, 1611.-Entry, January 19, in minute book of Consistorial Courts held at Chanonry, 1610-1616.] In pns. of James Dunbar of Newton compearit Wm. Lauder. Mr Johne McKenzie Archdene of Ross by whome Rorie McKenzie of Coygach Mr John McKenzie minr. of Dingwall Adam Finlay in Ochterneid, Hutcheon McGillichrist in Inchvannie and Wm. Dingwall portioner of Meikle Ussie war summonit for spulzeation. ... withholding teynd scheaves. . in the parochin of Fodderti.. [Decree was given against all. Next year we have: No. 60, 1612.-Parchment, Latin.] To all . . . Robert Grant burgher of Chanonrie ( ) by a decree in arbitration pronounced by Mr John Mackenzie minister at Dingwall, Mr James Mackenzie Archdeacon of Ross, Mr Thomas Urquhart minister at Arderseier, and Mr James Lauder minister at Avoch as judges. [Rest is illegible. In these we have the minister of Dingwall summoned to pay the Archdean, and next year acting along with the Archdeacon. paper of 1618 we have him as witness, with the title Rector of Dingwall. In a No. 61, 1626.-Receipt.] I Mr Gilbert Murray subdean of Ross and minister at Tayne. . receavit fra Mr Thomas Ross son to Walter Ross of Morinsches the haill teynd scheaves aucht punds.. money crops 1623-4-5-6. [We have Lauder again in the first augmentation case in these papers. |