340 ORMISTON [PRESB. OF JAMES BENNET, M.A. ; adm. in 1585 ; . _ member of Assembly 4th Aug. 1590 ; trans, to Liberton (by order of As- sembly) 19th Nov. 1590.—[Act. Red. Univ. St And., Reg. Assig., Booke of the Kirk.] NATHANIEL HARLAW, son of William H., min. of St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh ; one of the original students at the Univ. of Edinburgh, under Pollock, from whom he received his degree of M.A., Aug. 1587. He was on the exercise at St Andrews 30th Oct. 1589 ; offered his services to the Presb. 10th Sept. 1590 ; called by the parishioners of Temple 17th Sept. but on 19th Nov. 1590 ordered to preach at Ormiston till further notice ; adm. 8th April 1591 ; pres. by James VI. to the vicarage of Aberlady, Nov. 1593, and to the vicarage of Borthwick, March 1594, but not collated to either. He died in 1637, aged about 70. He marr. Mar- garet Porteous, who died before 25th Sept. 1657, and had issue—William, took orders in the Church of England ; James, ap- prentice to George Crawford, cordiner, Edinburgh, 11th Jan. 1626; Elizabeth— [Edinburgh Aj)prentice Reg., St Andrews Presb. and Test. Reg. {Haddingt.) ; Calder- wood's Hist., Forbes's Records, Pitcairn's Cr. Trials.] DAVID MERCHISTON, born 1603, son 163*7 °^ Richard M., min. of Bower, and brother of Thomas M., Archdeacon of Caithness ; M.A. (Edinburgh, 25th July 1623) ; min. of Keir 1632 ; trans, and inst. 28th April 1637 ; died in March 1646. He marr. Isobel Colt {Reg. of Deeds, dxlvi., 117), and had issue—Robert, min. of Kirkpatrick-Juxta ; Helen ; Rachel (marr. Samuel Menzies : G. R. Inhib., 17th Aug. 1665) ; Isobel, for whom Thomas Ramsay, min. of Foulden, Patrick Inglis of Elving- stone, and Cornelius Inglis of Eastbarns, were trustees. — [Test. Reg., Durie's Dec] JOHN SINCLAIR, born probably in 1647 East Lothian, brother of George S., author of Satan's Invisible World Discovered; regent in St Leonard's Col- lege, St Andrews ; M.A. ; pres. by Patrick Cockburn of Ormiston, and adm. 14th Jan. 1647 ; a member of the Commission of Assembly 1648; one of the visitors of the Univ. of Edinburgh 31st July 1649; one of those who adhered to the Protesters in 1651 ; named by the Protector for the visitation of the Universities, 8th Aug. 1654. Refusing the Test, 1662, he removed to Holland, where he prepared many of his countrymen sojourning there, for the ministry. He was elected to the church at Delft 2nd June 1663, the foundation of which had been laid by the exiled Forbes of Alford, but was not adm. till 30th July 1684, the call having been inter- rupted by his offending the Government in Scotland, who had raised a process against him for treasonable practices, which ended in his forfeiture 9th Sept. 1684. He died 24th March 1687, aged about 69. He marr. Christina, daugh. of James Fleming, min. of Yester, and had issue— John, min. of Kirkpatrick-Irongray ; Patrick (Laing Charters) ; Rachel (marr. (1) April 1676, William Hog, W.S., and (2) Thomas Wilkie, min. of Canongate) ; Sarah, alive in 1700.—[Steven's Hist., Scott. Ch. Rot- terd. ; Acts of Ass. and Pari., vi., vii. ; Fountainhall's Dec. ; Inq. Ret. Gen., 5530 ; Nicoll's Diary ; Connell on Tithes, iii.] 1668 JAMES GRIERSON, M.A., is men- tioned as min. in 1668. He marr. Beatrix Livingston (Edin. Com. Diet.). 1683 JOHN COCKBURN, born 20th April 1652, son of John C, tailor in the Canongate and Sara Inglis [not as stated in Diet. Nat. Biog.] ; educated at Edinburgh Univ. and King's College, Aberdeen, where he graduated M.A. (20th June 1671). In 1673 he became tutor to Lord Keith, son of George, Earl Marischal. Presented by his uncle to Udny, he was inst. there 21st May 1676, but not without " great tumult," the Laird of Udny claiming the right to present. In 1677 he declined a presentation to Langton, Berwickshire, and was trans, to Old Deer between 10th Aug. and 7th Sept. 1681. At first he refused the Test, but after-