Series 6 > Perth Kirk Session books, 1577-1590

THE PERTH KIRK SESSION BOOKS: 1577
75
(4) The assemblie thinkis guid on Monday forrow nun to sicht the funda-
cionis46 and efternun to tak order with the comptes.
xix Augusti 1577
(5) The quhilk day James Davidson elder dischargis him self of his part of
the maisterschip of the hospitalitie as also he sayit he dischargit him self afoir.
(6) Quhilk day compeirit Robert Millar and Margaret Blair and confess
thair mutual cohabitation befoir thair mariage, for the quhilk thai sail pay as
thai promest xl s, and Nicol Blair cautioner for the samyn.47 (p)
(7) Comperit Elin Mikalston and confesses hir fornication with Andro Grant
and submittis hir self to the disciplein of the kirk and the civil puneisment.
(1 2 3 R)
(8) The kirk desyris Jhon Peblis48 to speik [to] the laird Balhousie desyring
him to us[e] the exerceis of religion and to report his answer on Thursday
nixt.49
(9) Quhilk day comperit Jhon Gray and being demandit gif he rasit ony
letters upon his pension awand50 to him as ane sumtymes of the brethir of
the Blakfferes of this town, quha answerit that quhowbeit he rasit letters
thairupon, thit in hoip of gud payment in tymis cuming as the rest gettis,
he dischargis the said letters and the executionis thairon and all that may pas
thairupon of the dait the 2 day of Februar in the yeir of god IM vc Ixxvii
yeir.51 (Act of Jhon Grayes pension)
(10) Thursday nixt is ordainit to witness the confession of Jhon Sw[enton].
46 In the morning (forenoon) they will examine the foundation documents.
47 One may presume that they confessed because Margaret was too far along in a pregnancy
for their antenuptial fornication to go un-noticed; however, there is no birth recorded for
the couple in the following nine months (NRS-NRH ms OPR 387/1, n.f). One must
consider the possibility that they were assuaging guilt.
48 One of the elders.
49 This local family with extensive lands north of the burgh (including hospital lands) were
suspected of Catholicism. Balhousie Castle, erected 1422, originally pertained to the Eviot
family, then went to Robert Mercer in 1478, then to the Hays earls of Kinnoull (W.H.
Findlay, Heritage of Perth (Perth, 1984, 2nd edn 1996), 70). On their properties, see Milne,
36-37,161 (Cohn Eviot of Balhousie indebted to the hospital of 200 merks), 196,230. The
outcome of this summons is not noted in the subsequent minutes.
50 Owed.
51 Grey was a former Dominican and as such received a pension from the protestant kirk since
his friary was now abohshed. He initiated legal action in February to secure back pay, but
now terminates (‘discharges’) it as an act of good faith (and doubdess to save legal expenses).