Series 2 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society

DISTRESSED CHURCH OF FRANCE IN 1622 187
amply borne out by the fourth volume of the Register of
St. Cuthbert’s Kirk-Session, to which volume I obtained
access through the kindness of Mr. Lorimer (one of the
original members of the Scottish History Society, and
author of The Early Bays of St. Cuihbert's Church, Edin¬
burgh) ; and Mr. A. B. Campbell, W.S., session-clerk. I
have copied its long list of subscribers, the formal receipt,
and the relative minutes. There are in all 265 contributors.
Sir William Nisbet of the Dean gave £100. Sir George
Touris, Sir William Fairlie, and the Laird of Wariston
each gave 100 merks, or £66,13s. 4d. The interest of the
list is enhanced by the occupations and places of abode.
To give some idea of the value of money in those days a
few notes of prices are here added from documents in the
Register House. In 1614, ‘ a muchkin aquavytie,’ 8s.;
‘ a pound of fegis,’ 5s. ; ‘a pound succour,’ 32s. ; ‘ a
pair broune glufis,’ 6s. 8d. ; ‘a pair dry leder schone,’
30s. ; ‘ a pair wemenis glufis,’ 5s. ; ‘a blak sowrd belt,’
13s. 4d.; ‘ a kist,’ i.e. a coffin, 50s. ; ‘ a winding scheit,’
48s. The following rates of wages were paid, in 1622, for
work at Holyrood and the Castle, for six days: the master
wright, £4; three other wrights, 53s. 4d. each; one
mason, £4 ; another, 53s. 4d. ; other two, £3, 12s. each ;
one slater, £4; another, 36s. ; three barrowmen, 36s.
each. These prices and wages, like the contributions, are
in money Scots, then a twelfth of money sterling.
On the 23rd of April 1623 a complaint was brought
before the Privy Council ‘ by William Dick, William Speir,
John M‘Math and Alexander Colvill, “ commissioneris
nominat be Mosure Bosnage for ressaveing of the contri-
butioun voluntarlie grantit be the subjectis of this king-
dome for support and releiff of the distrest people of the
Protestant Kirkis in France,” as follows : There was
collected within the bounds of the presbytery of [blank]