EDINBURGH] OLD GREYFRIARS 41 friars Bur. Reg. ; Wodrow's Anal., iv. ; family information.] JAMES STEVENSON, M.A. (St 1747 Andrews, 6th May 1713) ; licen. by Presb. of Dunblane 25th Oct. 1720 ; ord. to Second Charge, South Leith, 17th Aug. 1721 ; trans, to New Greyfriars 20th June 1745 ; trans, and adm. 24th Dec. 1747; died 15th July 1760, aged 67. He man*. 16th Sept. 1724, Anne Laniont, of the parish of Scoonie, who died 24th March 1766, and had issue—Anne, died 4th July 1760 (marr. 12th April 1747, Robert None, painter, Edinburgh) ; Christian (marr. William Aitken, min. of South Leith) ; James ; Barbara ; Andrew ; Mary ; William, died 25th Dec. 1759 ; Alexander. — [Scoonie Sess. Reg.] WILLIAM ROBERTSON, born Borth- 1761 w^c^' 8th Sept. 1721, son of William R., min. of Greyfriars ; educated at the Grammar School of Dalkeith, and Univ. of Edinburgh ; licen. by Presb. of Dalkeith 28th June 1743 ; ord. to Glads- muir 17th April 1744 ; enlisted as a volunteer 1745 ; trans, to Lady Yester's 15th June 1758; D.D. (Edinburgh 1758); chaplain of Stirling Castle 1759 ; one of His Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary 1761 ; trans, and adm. 26th Nov. 1761 ; Principal of the Univ. of Edinburgh 1762 ; Moderator of the General Assembly 26th May 1763 ; Historiographer-Royalfor Scotland 6thAug. following ; died 11th June 1793. Unrivalled in persuasive eloquence, he acquired great influence in the General Assembly and guided its business for twenty-eight years. He insisted on the independence of the Church in opposition to dependence on the policy of political parties ; on obedience being shown to the General Assembly by the inferior judicatories ; and on the en- forcement of the law of patronage, unless on cause shown, of erroneous doctrine, or immoral conduct. His industry, accuracy, and profound views, joined to the elegance and beauty of his style, entitle him to a high rank among historians. He marr. 22nd Aug. 1751, Mary (born 10th Jan. 1723, died 11th March 1802), daugh. of James Nisbet, one of the min. of the Old Kirk Parish, and had issue—Mary, born 2nd Aug. 1752 (marr. 4th April 1785, Patrick Brydone, F.R.S., author of a Tour through Sicily and Malta, by whom she had three daughs., who marr. the 2nd Earl of Minto, Admiral Sir Charles Adam, K.C.B., and Gilbert Elliot, Dean of Bristol) ; William, advocate, Procurator of the Church of Scot- land 26th May 1778, Senator of the College of Justice, with the title of Lord Robertson 14th Nov. 1805, born 15th Dec. 1753, died 20th Nov. 1835; Eleanor, born 5th Aug. 1755 (marr. 8th June 1778, John Russell, jun., W.S.), died 17th Jan. 1837 ; Janet, born 3rd Dec. 1756, died Dec. 1789, unmarr. ; James, born 26th Jan. 1762, served in 1st Batt. of Lord Macleod's Highlanders (afterwards the 71st Regt.), was lt.-col. 92nd Gordon Highlanders 1798- 1804, and subsequently promoted general, died 29th March 1845 ; David, born 29th Sept. 1764 (marr. 2nd Oct. 1799, Margaret Macdonald of Kinloch-Moidart,and took the additional surname of Macdonald when his wife succeeded to the estate of her brother, Lt.-Col. Donald Macdonald of Kinloch- Moidart), served in the 92nd Regt., and then in the 23rd Regt., was Deputy Adjutant-General of Ceylon 1801-3, and retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, died 7th Sept. 1845. Publications— The Situation of the World at the Time of Christ's Appearance and its Connection with the Success of his Religion Considered, a sermon (Edinburgh, 1755), which went through several editions, and was trans, into German ; The History of Scotland during the Reigns of Queen Maryand King James VI, till his Accession to the Croivn of England, 2 vols. (London, 1759 ; 17th ed., with his last emendations, 3 vols., Edinburgh, 1806); The History of the Reign of the Emperor Charles V., 3 vols. (London, 1769) — The History of America, 2 vols. (London, 1777), (its translation into Spanish was far advanced, when it was stopped by order of the Spanish Govern- ment) ; Books IX. and X., containing the History of Virginia to 1688, and the History of New England to 1652 (edited by his son, William), (London, 1798); An Historical Disquisition concerning Ancient India