100 ST CUTHBERTS [PRESB. OF lain to the Earl of Angus, and continued till the Earl's death in Aug. 1588. He got license to transport himself to some other parish, as " he could not continue for lack of provisioun, 12th July 1586, and had ane testimoniall from the haill parochin " ; was settled at Pittenweem in 1589. — [Booke of the Kirk; Spottiswood's, Row's, and Calderwood's Hists., iii , vi. ; Pitcairn's Cr. Trials, i. ; Sime's West Kirk, MelvilPs Autob. ; Edin. Com. Dec, 27th Feb. 1588.] [Dr Hew Scott incorrectly enters James Daes (minister of Earlston in 1586)as succes- sor to Nicol Dalgleish. Dalgleish made his last appearance at a meeting of kirk-session in the middle of Oct. 1586, but that he was expected to leave at an earlier date appears from the fact, that on the 2nd July preced- ing, the kirk-session agreed to grant him a testimonial ; while Aird, his successor, is found presiding at a meeting of kirk- session on the 3rd Sept. The two incum- bencies therefore overlapped, while the name of Daes is not even mentioned.] WILLIAM AIRD. He was a mason till 1586 his twentieth year ; was taught to read English by his wife, and after- wards acquired a knowledge ofLatin, Greek, and Hebrew. After having attended the divinity classes for several years, he was called to the ministry (1584), but shortly thereafter fled with others of his brethren to England. He was adm. to this charge 13th Sept. 1586. He pronounced the sentence of excommunication passed by certain ministers who met at Edinburgh, against Francis, Earl of Bothwell, 18th Feb. 1585; was on the leet for the ministry of Edin- burgh with fourteen others, 2nd June 1596, out of whom four were to be chosen ; and in 1598 was proposed by Robert Bruce along with others as suitable to be his colleague. At the Assembly of same year he was one of those who maintained that ministers should have no vote in Parliament ; he was also a member of the Assembly of 1602. His last appearance in the kirk-session was on 19th July 1606. According to report, being at one time straitened in circumstances. James VI., previous to a meeting of the Assembly at which he intended to prepare the way for Episco- pacy, forwarded to him a purse of gold, which he refused to accept, though then in the utmost privation, considering it as designed for a bribe. Next morning his fidelity was rewarded by the generosity of a person unknown, who left several bags of meal for the support of his family. His son John was his assistant for a time, and subsequently settled at Newton. — [Edin. Counc., x. ; Test. Keg., Sime's West Kirk Assig., Booke of the Kirk, Melvill's Autob., Calderwood's Hist., Livingston's Charac. ; Select Biog., i. ; Craufurd's Univ.] WILLIAM ARTHUR [ARTHOR], leQt. M.A. ; trans, from Corstorphine ; called 20th Sept., and adm. 8th Oct. 1607 ; trans, to Collegiate Charge in 1626. — [Keg. Assig.; Keg. Sec. Sig., xcix. ; Orig. Lett. ; Calderwood's Hist., vi., viii. ; Sime's West Kirk ; Bannatyne Miscell., iii.] JAMES REID, M.A. ; pres. by Charles ,_„„ I. 10th March, and adm. 10th Sept.loou /-in • n, 1630 ; trans, to Collegiate Charge in 1649.—[Reg. Sec. Sig., cii. ; Sime's West Kirk ; Balfour's Hist. Works, iii.] PETERBLAIR, M.A.; called 10thMarch, and adm. 22nd June 1653; trans, to Jedburgh in 1661. — [Inq. Ret. Gen., 3875 ; Sime's West Kirk ; Wodrow's Hist., i.] DAVID WILLIAMSON, bapt. 2nd 1661 Sept " 1636 ' son of William w-> glover in St Andrews ; graduated M.A. at the Univ. of St Andrews in 1655 ; was recommended by the Masters of the New College 24th March, and licen. by the Presb. thereof, 23rd June 1658 ; became helper to Alexander Balfour, min. of Abdie, in 1659; pres. by Charles II. 13th July, and ord. 30th Nov. 1661. Deprived by the Act of Parliament 11th June, and that of the Privy Council 1st Oct. 1662, for not conforming to Episco- pacy, but continued to 13th April 1665, having refused a call to Glasgow in June preceding. When preaching his farewell sermon, he declared, " I will return and die minister of this kirk," which he did (see page 96). — [Edin. Counc. and Min. Book Reg.; Priv. Seal, Sime's West Kirk,