Biggar and the House of Fleming

BIGGAE KIRK. 203
good among theme, and one whome they had so eamestlie socht
for, that they wold testifie yr thankfullnes to God for him, and
that they wold reverence and obeye him as yr pastor in all
things in the Lord. Thairafter the said ministeris, elderis,
deacones, and parochiners respective, in signe of yr consent,
did tak the said Mr Alexander Livingstone be ye hand, and
gave to him most heartilie ye richt hand of fellowschip.' Mr
Livingstone was one of the ministers of the province of Lothian,
Teviotdale, and the Merse, that were appointed by Cromwell
on the 17th October 1650 to visit the Universities, and
authorize able and godly men to enjoy their livings. Having
in 1661 joined the protesting party he was suspended and
summoned before the Privy Council on the 23d of July of that
year, when he was placed in confinement in Edinburgh, and
then ordered to wait on the Archbishop of Glasgow and give
him satisfaction regarding his conduct. As is well known he
demitted his charge in 1662, rather than comply with the new
ecclesiastical arrangements then established by law. Of his
future history very little is known. A reference is afterwards
made to him in the records of the Presbytery of Lanark. On
the 18th of May 1665, nearly three years after he had left his
living, Mr Robert Livingstone was appointed by that Presbytery
to speak to him regarding the book of the Presbytery of Biggar
in order that it might be delivered to the Lanark Presbytery.
On the 15 th of June following, Mr Livingstone reported that
he had seen the ejected minister of Biggar, who had stated that
the book in question was not in his possession, but that it was
in the custody either of Alexander Bertram, some time Moder-
ator, or of Mr Crichton the Clerk.
Biggar, during the persecuting period extending from 1662
to 1688 had two incumbents, the first being Richard Brown
who was translated from Blantyre in 1665. His name appears
repeatedly in the books of the Earl of Wigtown, as having re-
ceived his stipend, which appears to have been paid partly in
money and partly in victual. For instance, it is recorded that
there was allowed " Richard Brown, minister at Bigyar, the
soume of fourscore pund qlk completes his silver stippand cropt
1674." The following order regarding the payment of his
victual stipend, from William Earl of Wigton, to Bailie James
Law of Biggar, is still preserved : — " James Law at sight heirof