Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

174 THE FRASERS OF PH1LORTH, LORDS SALTOUN.
On the 10th of January 1644 he attended the meeting of the Presbytery
held on that day, accompanied by Hugh Fraser of Easter Tyrie, and after
stating that his ward, James Urquhart of Old Craig, was not in the kingdom,
and was ignorant of the process instituted against him, requested the Presby-
tery to give him time to inform the said James of the circumstances, and to
bring him home to answer for himself, which he would undertake to do if
the Presbytery would suspend the process meanwhile.
The Presbytery replied that they could not suspend the process without
authority from the Commissioners of the General Assembly, but consented to
write a letter to them on the matter, which Philorth was to carry to them,
and to return their answer to the Presbytery.
On the 28th February, at the meeting of the Presbytery, a letter was
received from Philorth, excusing his not having returned them the answer of
the Commissioners of General Assembly in time for their meeting, as that
body was not to meet until the 25th of that month, but promising to send it
as soon as possible, meanwhile requesting that the suspension of process
against James Urquhart might be continued, and protesting that, if they
proceeded in the matter, whatsoever they did should be referred to the
Provincial Assembly.
The Presbytery, however, resolved to proceed, although on the 27th March
they received a letter from James Urquhart and Patrick Meldrum, offering
to make satisfaction for whatever transgressions they might have committed ;
and at their meeting on the 24th April, in reply to the demand of the
Moderator, the members of the Presbytery reported that they had all given
three public admonitions, and that some had offered up two public prayers in
the matter of James Urquhart of Old Craig, Patrick Meldrum, sometime of
Iden, and Adam Gordon, accomplices in the slaughter of William Crichton.
Whereupon Mr. William Stewart, notar-public in Fraserburgh, appeared in
the names of James Urquhart of Old Craig and the Eight Honourable
Alexander Fraser of Philorth, and offered, in their names, that James
Urquhart should appear, within a competent time, to undergo his trial, and
also protested against the Presbytery proceeding to excommunication in his
absence, and that, if they did so, the matter should be referred to the General
Assembly.