Series 2 > Seafield correspondence from 1685 to 1708

1699]
FIRST EARL OF SEAFIELD
271
parochial call, which your Lop. with my Lord Secretary
may alter, as shall seem good in your Lops, eyes, observing
only the substance thereof, and which we humbly intreat
your Lop. may be pleased to subscribe, and endeavour
to induce the other heritours and parochiners of Rathven
to doe the like, which will exceedingly facilitat the desired
transportation. And we syncerly declare to your Lop. yt
if this project fail (especially my Lord Seafield being in
the countrey), we cannot imagine where to fix, for we
truely apprehend that our very r. dear brother Mr.
Chalmers is as much adapted for that post as any man
we can think upon. So begging pardon for this trouble,
we referre what we have further to say to our r. brethren
Mrs. Tait and Murray, who will show your Lop. the call
wt. the reasons for the transportation. And wishing grace
mercy and peace from the Lord to be multiplyed upon
the noble family and all its branches and descendents, we
subscribe by our moderator, Very Noble Lord, Your Lops,
truely cordial and most humble servants in Christ Jesus,
Mr. T. Thomsone, modr.1
Turreff, Aug. 30, 1699.
On 24th April 1700 Mr. Chalmers2 on his admission as minister
of Rathven was rabbled, and was prevented from preaching in the
church until August the same year. On 3rd August 1704 he was
translated to King Edward, Aberdeenshire.
To THE RIGHT HONRABLE ERALL OF FFINEATER
thes
Blairfindie, the 12th of7hr. 1699.
Reight Honrable My Lord,—I am so very ill sir-
comstanced heere, that it obliges me to give your Lord-
shipe the truble to mynd yow of calling an corom of the
comisshoners, and the heritours of the heed of the shaire,
if your Lordshipe thinks it fitt, houping that your Lord-
shipe and the rest of the comisshoners will take care that
we be provided of heeding coll and candell and necis-
sareis for dresing our vittells in, which without these we
1 Dr. Cramond, Church and Churchyard of Rathven, p. 31.
2 Ibid., pp. 34, 35-