Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (First volume)

TURNBULL’S DIARY
1688 Sunday, 15.—I preached in mary’s chappell, Mr. Erskins
meeting place,1 all day; I lectured on Zech. 13, and preached
on philip. 1, 27, last part of ye verse, and baptised a child.
Twesday, 17.—On the same text in the canongat meetinghouse.
Sunday, July 29.—At lenny, in cramon parish, I lectured on
Isay. 66, from v. 5 to 15, and preached two dyetts on Isay. 66, 2.
Aug. Sunday, Aug. 5.—Preached at Dundass on psa. 2, 11, and
lectured on the wholl psalme, and baptised tuo children.
Sunday, Aug. 12.—Preached at Dundass on psa. 2, 11, and
lectured on psa. 3, and baptised four children.
Moonday, 13.—IconveydyeLaird of moriston and his Lady2
as farr as bleckburn3 on there way to Berwick, and returned
next day to Edenr.
Sunday, 19.—Preached at Falkirke on Joh. 13, 8, and lec¬
tured on psa. 73. moonday, 20, mariyed two persons called
William brash and Jennat marshall, and returned to Queensferry.
Sunday, 26.—Preached at Dundass on Joh. 8, 36, and lec¬
tured on Joh. 5.
Sept'. Sunday, Septr. 2.—Preached in the Magdalen chappell4 in
Edenr for Mr. John Law on 1 cor. 2, 2, two dyetts; and lectured
on Joh. 5, to v. 13.
1 William Erskine, M.A., a son of Erskine of Shielfield, and cousin-german
of the famous brothers Ebenezer and Ralph, was born about 1631, and graduated
at Edinburgh 1st August 1651 ; became minister of Girthon, in the Presbytery
of Kirkcudbright, in 1658, from which he was ejected in 1662. From 1676 till
1684 he was imprisoned at Stirling, Dumbarton, and Blackness. In 1687 was
one of the four ministers called to Edinburgh, and was appointed one of the
ministers of the city by the Town Council in 1689, being ultimately admitted to
theTron Church. He died May 1692.—Scott’s Fasti; Fraser’s Life of Lbeneztr
Erskine, p. 48 seq. 2 See note, p. 328. 3 See note, p. 330.
3 The chapel of St. Mary Magdalene in the Cowgate, still extant, and now the
property of the Protestant Institute of Scotland ; originally the chapel of an
hospital erected in 1504, chiefly by the contributions of Michael Macqueen (or
Macquhen), a wealthy citizen, and largely endowed by Janet Rhynd, his widow,
about 1545. It was used by the Corporation of Hammermen, to whom it was left
in trust by the founders, as a hall for their meetings. Within it in 1560 the first
General Assembly is believed to have met, as well as that of 1578, which ‘ rati¬
fied and allowed’ the Second Book of Discipline. After his execution on the
30th of June 1685, the headless body of the Earl of Argyll was laid on the table
which still stands before the pulpit or desk, till it was conveyed to Kilmun—the
burying-place of the family—in Argyllshire. It appears to have been used as a
meeting-house by Mr. John Law, after he became one of the ministers of Edin¬
burgh in 1687, till he was settled in the New or High Church in 1692.