Biggar and the House of Fleming

THE PRESBYTERY OF BTGGAR. 213
jurisdiction. The Presbytery of Lanark desired that her Lady-
ship and the other delinquents should be sent by the Presbytery
of Biggar to Lanark to make atonement before the court, the
authority of which she had violated. After much altercation,
the answer of the Biggar Presbytery was, " That they woiild
do nothing of that kind till they should receive a pairt of the
soume lately determined by the Council to the Presbytery of
Lanark." The ground on which this claim was made, was
that several members of the Biggar Presbytery had, while
members of the Lanark Presbytery, expended money in pro-
secuting the case.
The Presbytery of Biggar itself resolved to deal with the
Lamington Ladies ; and, accordingly, they were cited to appear
before it on the 25th December 1644. The minute of that
date states, " This day compeired the Ladie Lammingtoune
and being accused of ane scandell committed be her in ye Kirk
of Lammingtoun by her resisting and stopping of Andro M'Ghie
(expectant sent yr be ye Presbyterie of Lanark), who came
yr upon ye Lord's day to preach, schoe did confesse the samyn
resistance, bot withal did solemnlie protest that she had no ill
intention, neither any thocht either to profane God's Sabbath
or house, or to hinder preaching, bot onlie scho satt and stayed
Mr Andro to enter ye pulpitt, and went into the samyn, onlie
for fear of losing her husband's richt (he being absent for the
tyme in England in the public service), or for fear of some ill
or greater inconvenience which might have fallen furth. And
nothwithstanding whairof, yett was content to refer herself to
ye Presbyterie to mak satisfactione as they pleased. Whair-
upon the Presbyterie, after dewe advyse, did ordaine her, the
next Lord's day, in her awin kirk, and in her ordinary saitt, to
confess her fault, and in most humble manner to crave pardon,
when schoe suld be called upon be the preacher efter his ser-
mon. And being also desyred to delaite these who were her
helpers and attendants in the said resistance, schoe did declare
ingenuously upon her conscience that none of all her folkes did
stirre, or move out of yr places, except two, who went to the
pulpitt doore with her, to witt, Catherine and Jennet Bailyie.
Whairenent the Presbytery having called in ye wholl summoned
persones, did absolve them except these two, whom they en-
joined to mak yr public repentance, the same day and place,