154 NORTH LEITH [PRESB. OF
NORTH LEITH.
[Formerly the Chapel of St Ninian,
built by Robert Bellenden, Abbot of the
Monastery of Holyrood, July 1493 ; pro-
posed by the Presb. 4th Sept. 1599,
ratified by General Assembly 10th Dec.
1602, and erected by Parliament 9th July
1606. The patronage vested at the same
time by Parliament in "the hail of the
inhabitants," was exercised by male heads
of families until the passing of the Patron-
age Bill, 1874. Lands of Newhaven
with corn tithes and money stipend were
annexed from St Cuthbert's, 1630. The
corn tithes of Hillhousefield purchased from
William Chalmer and his spouse, and fish
tithes of Leith and Newhaven purchased
from John, Lord Holyroodhouse, both by
subscription, were confirmed by Royal
Charter, 11th June 1631. New church
erected 1815-16, after sale of old church,
which had become too small ; opened 1st
Sept. 1816. Halls erected in 1866. The
fish tithe was commuted on payment of
£2500 by Leith Dock Commission, 1892.]
1599
JAMES MUREHEAD, M.A. (Edin-
burgh, 28th July 1598); authorised
to preach in the North-West Quarter
of that city 21st Dec. 1598; elected by
the parishioners, and adm. 19th Sept. 1599.
One of those deputed by the Synod, April
1603, to wait on His Majesty near Hadding-
ton (while on his way to England at the
Union of the Crowns), regarding grievances
affecting the interests of religion. He
signed the Protest against the introduction
of Episcopacy, 1st July 1606. Died "in
his upper chalmer, at sevin houris in the
morning," 29th Oct. 1612, "and was buried
in St Nicolas Chapel on Friday thairafter,
at x houris before none at the west gavel."
He marr. (1) Paterson (Reg. of Deeds,
ccxciv.,397) : (2) (pro. 15th Dec. 1596) Janet
Dennistoun, who survived him (Edin. Com.
Decreets, 22nd July 1617). His sisters
(Agnes, wife of Michael Cranstoun, min.
of Cramond ; Margaret, wife of Andrew
Cautoun, in Craigmarvie ; and Grisell,
wife of John Salmond in Auchingray)
were his executrices.— [Test. Beg., Beg.
Assig. ; Row's, Calderwood's, and Steven-
son's Hists. ; Select Biog., i.]
DAVID FORRESTER, M.A. (St
1613 Andrews, 22nd July 1608); ord. to
Denny 3rd April 1610 ; trans, and
adm. 16th Dec. 1613 ; suspended by the
Court of High Commission 2nd July
1619, and confined to Aberdeen ; again
summoned 25th Nov. following, for ad-
ministering the Communion in a manner
not in accordance with the prescribed order,
when he was left in the hands of the
Bishop of Aberdeen [Patrick Forbes], who
said of him that " though he stand on his
own conscience, he is as modest and subject
to hear reason as the youngest scholar in
Scotland" ; trans, to Rathven April 1620 ; re-
trans, in 1627.
—
[Stirling Bresb. Beg.,Row's
and Calderwood's Hists., Beg. Assig.]
HENRY CHARTERIS, born probably
in 1570, eldest son of Henry O,
King's printer, was one of Rollock's
students from the opening of the college
at Edinburgh. He took his degree of
M.A. in 1587. In 1589 he became regent,
and in 1599 was Principal and Professor
of Divinity. Disagreeing with the Town
Council, he res. the office of Principal,
and accepted a call to this charge, being
adm. (by the Archbishop at St Andrews)
in April 1620. In 1627 he was retrans.
to the Professorship of Divinity, and died
in July 1628. "He was certainly one of
the most learned men of his time, both
in the tongues and in philosophy and
divinity." He marr. (1) a lady whose
name is unknown, and had issue—Mar-
garet, bapt. 28th Sept. 1600 : (2) 8th Sept.
1602, Agnes Mason, and had issue—Henry,
W.S., bapt. 3rd July 1603; Isobel, bapt.
1st Dec. 1605 (marr., pro. 12th Aug. 1624,
Laurence Henderson, merchant, burgess of
Edinburgh : Beg. of Deeds, 539) ; Catherine,
bapt. 12th Feb. 1609 ; William, bapt. 18th
Feb. 1610 ; Agnes, bapt. 24th Feb. 1611
;
Rachel, bapt. 18th April 1612 : (3) Janet,
daugh. of John Bell, min., and had issue
—
Jean, bapt. 15th Aug. 1617 ; Elizabeth,
bapt. 28th July 1618; Catherine, bapt.