New Spalding Club > Records of Elgin > No. 36, 1908

402 RECORDS OF ELGIN.
and maner as is obseruit in the best reformit musik scoles within this realme . . .
to attend vpone Godis seruice within the panoch kirk of the said burgh everie
Sabbath day and vther dayis and tymes vsit and wount for vptaking of the salme to
the honour of Godis seruice als oft as salbe thocht necessar and expedient. Lykas the
said Dauid sail attend the ordinar dayis of Session and effairis belonging to the
discipline of the kirk as clerk thairof" He is to receive "ane letter of gift and
prouision to the preceptorie of Messindew," and the fruits and rents thereof to be
made up by the Council to ^loo Scots, if necessary. He is also to receive ^20 Scots
" by and attour his chalmer maill." The contract was written by Alexr Hay, notary
public and brother to Mr. John Hay, town clerk, and witnessed by John Guthrie, sone
to the reverend father in God John Bishop of Murray, Mr. David Philp, minister at
Elgin, and Robert Dumbar, one of the officiars.
1689, April loth. — Cotitracl bcUii.x the Tounc of Elgin and Mr. John McKcan.
— Mr. John McKean, present schoolmaster at Cromarty, agrees to become master of
the Grammar School for one year from first day of May. Clauses the same as in
1624 contract. " Siclyke the said Mr. John is to meet at the said Gramar SchooU each
Sabboth dayes morning where he is to conveen all those vnder his discipline and to
convoy them orderly to the seatts erected and appoynted for them in the church
where also he is to sitt in the dask appoynted for the master of the gramar schooU for
notifeing the disorders that may arise amongst the children vnder his charge and
imediatly after sermons he is to repair again to the gramar schooll and there to call
and conveen his schoUars and e.\amine them respective for what they heard of the
fore and afternoons sermons and therafter to conclude with prayer and praise, and
alseweell vpon the week day as Saboth day to keep the schoUars from perturbing in
the streets after the ordinar tymes appoynted." The contract was written by Robert
Young, writer in Elgin, and witnessed by John Dunbar and Robert Donaldson,
merchants in Elgin.
1769, October 28th. — Contract hetidxt the Magistrates and Mr. William
Farquhar. — Mr. Wm. Farquhar, late schoolmaster at Auchterless, agrees to become
master and teacher of the Musick and English School for three years, "to teach and
mstruct the young people of both sexes which shall come there in English, Writing,
Arithmetick, vocal and instrumental musick and all other the sciences he knows which
the students incline to be taught, that he shall also precent in the church both on
Lord's days and week days." His salary to be 100 merks with "the benefits of
proclamation of banns, marriages or baptism of children within the town and parish
of Elgin, the records whereof he is hereby authorised and appointed to keep." He is
"to give due attendance upon the school and to set a good e.xample before these
under his charge in all morality and sobriety," and is bound "not to procure himself
to be licensed as a minister of any Church under the penalty of forfeiting any salary
that may be due him for the time and ^20 Sterling over and above payable to the
Town Treasurer for the use of the common good."