Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

1 6 HISTORY OF STRATHENDRICK
REV. WILLIAM BROWN.
1766-1771.
The next minister of Fintry was Mr. William Brown who was presented by
the Duke of Montrose, and was ordained on 4th September 1766. He was
but a short time in the parish, for he died on the 18th October 1771.
REV. ARCHIBALD BRUCE.
I 772 — I 786.
At a meeting of the Presbytery of Dunbarton on the 31st March, 1772,
a presentation by the Duke of Montrose to the parish of Fintry in favour of
the Rev. William Grant, of the parish of Arrochar, was laid on the table along
with Mr. Grant's acceptance of it ; and also a letter from Colonel Napier of
Culcreuch enclosing a petition from himself, as the heritor, and the elders of
Fintry, giving it as their opinion " that we could be happily provided with a
Gospel minister if Mr. Grant was settled as our minister." This, however, did
not take place, for about the same time he received a presentation to Luss
which he preferred, as he could use the Gaelic language there. The Presbytery
referred the matter to the General Assembly who decided in favour of Luss.
The vacancy in Fintry continued till 19th November 1772, when the Rev. Mr.
Archibald Bruce was ordained minister of the parish. This gentleman had been
previously presented to Aberfoyle, but he was objected to as he could not preach
in Gaelic. The General Assembly, to whom the dispute was carried, found by
a majority that he was "unqualified" to be minister of Aberfoyle; he accordingly
accepted the presentation to Fintry. During the time he was minister of the
parish Mr. Bruce did his duty faithfully; in 1786, however, he received a call
to the parish of Shotts, and on the 6th of June he was loosed from his charge.
REV. GAVIN GIBB.
1787-1791.
The next minister of Fintry was Mr. Gavin Gibb, who was presented to
the parish on the recommendation of Professor Richardson of Glasgow.
The following extracts are from letters by Mr. John Smith, writer in
Buchanan, to the Duke of Montrose. Mr. Smith was the Duke's local agent,
and very careful of his employer's interests both in Church and State. Writing
on the 23rd October 1786, he says:
"I have likeways delivered to Mr. Professor Richardson the presentation
to Fintry in favour of Mr. Gavin Gibb, but he is not to propale it till the