Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

38 HISTORY OF STRATHENDR1CK
stood. A visitation of the Presbytery accordingly soon afterwards took place,
when Bontine of Balglass reported that he had, in presence of some of the
heritors, measured the Parish of Balfron, and that he had found " the local
centre of the parish to be half a mile east from the Burn of Ballacharn, and
that the centrical part of the parish with respect to inhabitants was the Burn
of Ballacharn itself, there being 88 families on the east side of the
said burn, and 88 families on the west side thereof, which Bandalloch
absolutely refused." The Presbytery thought the church and manse should be
built in the centre of the parish, and recommend the heritors to come to an
amicable agreement.
On the 6th Feb. 1733 Mr. Sinclair reported that Balglass had "dropped his
insisting for the transportation of the Kirk and Manse," and shortly afterwards
it was arranged that the heritors were to rebuild the church at a cost of
^940 Scots, and the manse at a cost of ^1000 Scots, both on their old
sites ; and after some time these arrangements were carried out. During the
remainder of Mr. Sinclair's incumbency there were no ecclesiastical events which
need be recorded. He died 7th October 1759.
REV. HUGH GOURLAY.
1760-1787.
At a meeting of the Presbytery of Dunbarton on the 6th May 1760 the
heritors and elders of Balfron asked a hearing of Mr. Hugh Gourlay. He had
been licensed about a fortnight before by the Presbytery of Stirling, and was
no doubt connected with the district. The Presbytery agreed to this request,
and as they were to meet at Buchanan on other business on the 27th May he
was invited to preach before them there. He did so, and was appointed to
preach at Balfron. This he did to the satisfaction of the heritors and elders.
The call was moderated on the 24th July, and on the 25th August 1760 he was
ordained. Everything thus went smoothly, and Mr. Gourlay's pleasant settle-
ment is an agreeable contrast to the stormy ordination of his predecessor. The
patron, Lord Kinnoul, does not seem to have exercised his right of presenta-
tion at this vacancy.
There is nothing of interest in the ecclesiastical history of Balfron to
chronicle during Mr Gourlay's incumbency. He died nth January 1787.
REV. JAMES JEFFREY.
1787-1824.
On the 19th April 1787 a presentation by the Earl of Kinnoul, in favour
of the Rev. James Jeffrey, to the parish of Balfron, was handed to the Presby-