126 TRINITY [PRESB. OF
royal favour. On 2nd Jan. 1586 he
preached before the King (though James
"rebuked him from his seat in the loft"
for some of his opinions) ; he attended the
coronation of Queen Anne, 17th May 1590.
In 1596 his bold utterances again brought
him into conflict with the sovereign, and a
warrant having been issued, again he
escaped to Yorkshire. He demitted in
May 1597, in order to admit of new
parochial divisions of the city, and on
18th April 1598 he was admitted to this
charge. On 10th Sept. 1600 he was called
before the Privy Council for questioning
the genuineness of the Gowrie Conspiracy,
but, professing to be satisfied with its
reality, he was dismissed. He was a
member of the Assembly of 1602. Along
with Robert Pont he took protestation at
the cross of Edinburgh, in name of the
whole Kirk, against the verdict of the
Assize finding the brethren who met in
Gen. Assembly at Aberdeen guilty of
treason. For condemning the proceedings
of the Gen. Assembly, 1610, he was again
called before the Privy Council, and
admonished. Falling into bad health, he
ceased preaching, 16th July 1616, and died
4th Aug. 1617. He bequeathed 1000
merks towards the stipend of a Professor
of Divinity in the Univ. of Edinburgh.
He marr. Margaret, daugh. of James
Marjoribanks, merchant, in right of whom
he entered burgess and guild-brother of
the city, 15th Feb. 1591, and had issue
—Robert, min. of Tranent; Walter, D.D.,
Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, 1611,
chaplain to James VI., Dean of Rochester
1624, Dean of Durham 1639, one of the
executors of George Heriot, and author
of the Statutes for the regulation of
Heriot's Hospital, born 1586, died 25th
Dec. 1645 ; John ; Samuel, bapt. 11th Jan.
1595-6 ; Katherine (marr., pro. 30th Sept.
1601, Nicol Udward, Dean of Guild, Edin-
burgh) ; Rachel (marr., pro. 31st Oct.
1605, John Makcubine, merchant, Edin-
burgh) ; Sara ; Margaret ; Libra. (Edin.
Com. Rec Dec, 20th Nov. 1592-3); Anna
(G. R. Inhib., viii., 384).—[Edin. Counc,
Guild, and Reg. (Bapt.) ; Steven's Mem.
of Heriot, Boolce of the Kirk, Craufurd's
Univ. Edin., Melvill's Autob., Diet. Nat.
Biog.]
THOMAS SYDSERFF, M.A., formerly
1626 of ®* Giles; adm. 26th Jan. 1626;
trans, to the Deanery of Edinburgh
in 1634; Bishop of Brechin 1634; Bishop
of Galloway 1635 ; Bishop of Orkney 1662
(q.v.).—[Edin. Counc. Reg. ; Orig. Lett., ii.
;
Diet. Nat. Biog.]
WILLIAM COLVILL, M.A. ; trans.
1639 from Cramond; pres. by the Town
Council 14th Jan. 1639, and adm.
soon afterwards. In the same year he
was sent by the Covenanters to solicit
the aid of the King of France against the
despotic proceedings of Charles I. On
his way through England his papers were
seized, and he was incarcerated at New-
castle till the victory of the Scots at
Newburn, when he was released, Aug.
1640. On the new parochial division,
Dec. 1641, he was removed to the Tron
Parish.
—
[Edin. Counc. Reg.]
ROBERT LAURIE, son of Joseph L.,
1644 m*n ' °^ ^ertn > M.A. (St Andrews
1636); ord. to Perth 11th May
1641 ; pres. by the Town Council 25th
Dec. 1643 ; trans, and adm. 29th March
1644; trans, to the Tron Parish in 1648;
trans, to the High Kirk Parish 1662, and
being the only min. of the city who con-
formed to Episcopacywas popularly known
as "The Nest Egg." In 1672 he became
Bishop of Brechin, but returned to this
charge in 1674.
HEW [HUGH] MACKAIL [MAC-
KAILE], min. of Percietown [Presb.
of Irvine] 1633 ; trans, to Irvine
1642 ; elected by the Town Council, trans,
and adm. after 12th Oct. 1649 ; died March
1660. He marr. Sybella Stevenson (died
between 9th March 1665 and 26th Sept.
1666), and had issue— Matthew, medical
writer, M.D., Aberdeen, 1657-96 [see Diet.
Nat. Biog.] ; Margaret (marr., pro. 2nd Sept.
1653, George Dickson, merchant, burgess
of Edinburgh).
—
[Edin. Counc, Test., and
Canongate Reg. (Bur.) ; Mackaile's Ser-