Statistical tables relative to the city of Glasgow, with other matters therewith connected online

to be taken down and destroyed, viz. all superstitious pictures, crucifixes, &c. both
in private houses and in the Hie kirk. Next day it was reported, that they found
only three that could be called so ; viz. the five wounds of Christ, the Holy Lamb,
and Quintigerne, or a pro-nobis.

1641 No Marriages on Sunday. — Dec. 30th. The session enacted, that no marriage be
granted, upon any pretence whatsoever, upon Sunday, after this at any time.

1641 Hutcheson's Hospital. — The foundation stone of the hospital, which stood on the
north side of the Trongate, where Hutcheson-street is now formed, was laid by
Mr. Thomas Hutcheson, on the 17th August, 1641. It had an ashler front, with
a steeple 100 feet high, fronting the street. The hospital had been intended to
form a quadrangle, two sides, however, was only built. In 1756, the 12 old men
who lived in the hospital, went to the Tron church on Sundays, in dark gray
cloaks, green necks and sleeves. On the south side of the intended quadrangle,
statues of George and Thomas Hutcheson, were placed in niches. The statues are
now in the vestibule of the new Hospital, fronting Hutcheson-street.

1642 Searchers. — April 14th. The session directs the magistrates and ministers to go
through the streets on Sabbath nights to search for persons who absent themselves
from church ; the town officers to go through with the searchers.

1642 Incestuous Persons. — Dec. 22d. One incestuous person appointed by the presbytery
to stand at the kirk door half a-year, &c. in sackcloth, barefooted and barelegged,
without ruff or colar.

1642 Market day altered. — On 27th Sept. in this year the market day which had been
some time ago changed from Thursday to Monday, was now changed to Wednesday.

1643 S'wearers. — July 13th. The session appoints some of their number to go through
the town on the market day, till the magistrates provide one for that oflice, to take
order with banners and sivearers, &c. The council was applied to, on the '_'3d July,
to provide an honest man for that effect ; swearers to pay 12d. and searchers to go
through and observe the transgressors. The act of parliament against swearers, &c.
to be read from the pulpit on Sunday next. Intimation was given that swearers,
blasphemers, mockers of piety, for the second fault, to be rebuked at the furm be-
fore the pulpit, for the third at the pillar, »beside the fine.

1643 Church seats and Elders' Gallery. — July 20th. It is enacted, that none win into the
session loft till the sessioners be placed, and also to raise out of the fore seats ail
that wear blue bonnets.

1643 Women in Church. — Aug. 3d. The session ordained, that a woman forgiving the
searchers ill language, and for being absent from the kirk on the fast day, shall pay
5 pounds and appear at the form and be rebuked.

1643 Adultery. — Adulterers imprisoned, and banished out of the town on a cart, with
a paper on their face ; to stand in the jugs three hours, and be whipped, which was
presently done. 1647, Aug. ."ith, two hair gowns bought for the use of the kirk.

L I



17S APPENDIX.

Years.

1644 Commuiikn. — June 20th. The session diii-cts tliat the magistrates shall attend the
tables nt the communion in the Hie kirk, and keep order; and the dean of guild and
convener, and the old magistrates in the new kirk.

1C44 Barony Church. — July 24th. An act of session, discliar^ing; the town's people
from going to hear sermon in the barony kirk on the Sabbath day. And Mr. Zach-
ariah Boyd desired to inhibit them also.

1G45 Earl of Montrose entirtained Ly the Magistrates. — James, earl of Montrose, having,
on I5th August, been successful in an engagement at Kilsyth, provost Bell sent a
deputation inviting him to Glasgow ; having accepted the invitation, the earl was
sumptuously entertained by the magistrates and principal inhabitants.

1G1.5 Toivn Lihi under contribution — General Leslie having defeated the earl of Mon-
trose r.t Philliphaugh, on 15th Sept. laid the city of Glasgow under a contribution of
:f 20,000 Scots, which he jeeringly said w.is to pay the interest of the money the
town had laid out in entertaining the earl of Montrose.

1645 -^ Parliament summoned to be held at Glasgoiv. — The earl of Montrose, as the king's
lieutenant, summoned a parliament to be held at Glasgow, on 20lh October. Digbv
and Langdale, who were to have opened the parliament, retired when they heard
thEt Leslie, with one half of his horse, was approaching the city.

1645 Prisoners Executed. — Sir Walter RoUock, Sir Phillip Nisbet, and Ogilvie of Inver-
quharity, three of the prisoners taken at Philliphaugh, were executed at Glasgow,
RoUock on 2Sth,and the others on 29th October. On this taking place, Mr. David
Dickson, professor of divinity, in this college, said, " the work goes bonnily on,"
which passed into a proverb.

1645 Sabbath, observance of. — Dec. 4th. That no horse meat, nor any other thing be
cried through the streets on Sabbath ; and that no water be brought in after the
first bell to the forenoon sermon.

1645 Discord betiveen Man and Wife. — April 24th. Discord between man and wife
first admonished in private, then rebuked before the session ; if they continue, be-
fore the congregation ; if they continue, to stand before the kirk door between
the second and third bell with a paper on their brow, and make their repentance
in sackcloth at the pillar.

1646 Marriages. — Feb. 26th. The session enacted that proclamation of marriages be in
all the kirks of this town in all time coming, and that none be booked privately;
parties to bring testimonials of their parents' consent.

1646 Ceneral Assembly. — i\Iay "th. Eight dollars given to the commissioners to the ge-
neral assembly, the same also next year. Provost Porterfield, of Durhal, having
been nominated by the council as commissioner to the general assembly, the session
approves thereof, and gives him power to vote and act therein. The provost got
eight dollars.

1 616 Trenches. — Aug. 4th. The session make mention of trenches that people walked
beside on the Sabbath. (Additional trenches were formed around the city at the
Union and the rebellions.)

1646 Plague in Perth. — Dec. 2d. Compeared a minister and elder with a supplication
from Perth, they being visited with the pestilence : a collection was ordered for them
on Sunday next, forenoon and afternoon.

1647 Bepentance Stools. — ^lay 27th. The session orders pillars and a place of public re-
pentance to be made in the New kirk (Tron) and Blackfriars, and the council to be
applied to for erecting them.

1647 Ports to be shut. — The session enact, that the ports be well kept in time of sermon,
because of the highlandmen.

1648 Ministers^ Burial Place. — Nov. 3Cth. The ministers apply for a burial place in the
aisle called Blackadder's aisle, the session thinks fit the desire be granted, and re-
commends the same to the magistrates and council to give their consent. This is the
south transept. Mr. James Durham, who was minis^ter in the High church in 16.5 1 ,
and afterwards private chaplain to Charles II. seems to have been the first clergyman
who was buried here; his initials are still seen on the west wall of the aisle.

164S Pestilence. — Jan. 13. Next Sabbath a public thanksgiving for the Lord's remov-
ing the rod of the pestilence from this city, and a sermon for preparation on Satur-
day afternoon in all the kirks. Some speak of folk who are on the muir for the
pestilence.

1648 Outer High Church. — May 1,7th. The session earnestly desire the magistrates may
cause repair the Outer Hie kirk, and put up a pulpit in it. This desire was attend-
ed to, as tiie church was opened this year, Mr. Patrick Gillespie, minister. The
communion was celebrated in this church, for the first time, in June 1649.

16-18 Laivfulnestofthe IVar. — On the 17th May the session of Glasgow declare, " that
they are not sati'fied as to the lawfulness, necessity, and manner, of prosecuting the



APPENDIX. 179

Years.

war, and desire that the levy may be stopped, and that reHgion, hiyalty and the king,
may be kept in their proper place. IMr. Baillie, professor of divinity, and Mr. Gil-
lespie, minister of the Outer lurk, to draw up a remonstrance to parliament." These
clergymen were highly respectable, Mr. Baillie had been minister of the Tron
church, afterwards professor of divinity, principal of the University, and a member
of the famous assembly which met at Westminster, when the Confession of Faith,
&c. was drawn up.

1648 Magistrates Imprisoned. — The western district of Scotland having been required to
furnish quotas for the army during the troubles in Charles I.'s reign, the city of
Glasgow refused to comply; the magistrates and council were therefore summoned
to answer to parliament for their contumacy. Although their conduct was common
v^fith the great part of the nation, provost Stewart and the magistrates were impri-
soned for several days, and an act passed 1st June this year depriving them of their
offices. On the 4th June thereafter the town council met, when they elected Colin
Campbell to be provost, and John Anderson, James Tran and William Neilson, to
be baillies. The council was completely changed, and made up of those who served
in 1 645. The degradation of the magistrates, and the undue interference with the
poUtical concerns of the burgh, did not sum up the misery of the town, for four re-
giments of horse and foot were sent to Glasgow, with orders to quarter solely on the
magistrates and council and the session. This order was most punctually executed,
for the members of council and the session, had each to quarter and entertain with
meat and drink, ten, twenty, or even thirty soldiers. The oppression was so great,
that in ten days, they sustained a loss of ^40,000 Scots. — Charles I. was beheaded
at Whitehall on 30th January, 1649.

1648 Sabbath, obser-uance of. — June 7th. All keeping cattle out of doors on the Sabbath,
except by the town herd, forbidden on pain of censure.

1649 Parochial Sessions Jirst appointed. — On J 3th of April this year, parochial sessions
were first appointed; but as these clerical courts assumed the power of censuring the
measures of government, his majesty Charles II. put them down by royal proclama-
tion, and it was not till April, 1662, that the legal restriction was removed.

1649 Witchcraft. — July 6th. The session intimate, that any who knows any point of
-witchcraft or sorcery, against any person in this burgh, shall delate the same to some
of the ministers or magistrates.

1649 I'lagi/e and civil -war The city of Glasgow was afHictad this year with the plague,

civil war and famine.

1649 Poor. — Oct. 9. The whole poor in the several quarters combined, and allowed
so much maintenance, or half or quarter maintenance. The full maintenance is ISd.
weekly, and the magistrates afterward applied for settling a stent roll accordingly,
which, together with the weekly collection, was given them for their allowance;
and no beggars allowed on the streets or at doors, and constables appointed for that
end in every quarter. Such as will not pay their monthly maintenance for the poor,
to be debarred from the communion.

1650 Schools. — Jan. 15th. The session enacted, that poor scholars were to be equally
divided among theyb«r schools that are allowed in this burgh ; they are to be taught
gratis.

1650 Psalms. — The paraphrase of the psalms in metre, was first used in Glasgow on the
15th May, in this year, by order of the presbytery.

1650 Barony of (lorbals. — The magistrates and council of Glasgow purchased the lands
of Brigend and Gorbals, from Sir Robert Douglas of Blaickerston, in 1647, for the
sum of ^81,333, 16s. 8d. Scots, the one half for Hutchison's hospital, and the other
half between the corporation of the city and the trades' house. The magistrates of
Glasgow in 1650, received a crown charter to the lands of Gorbals, together
with the heritable office of bailliery and justiciary within said bounds, formerly held
by the dulie of Lennox. The duke's commissioners confirmed this charter on 8th
Sept. 1 G55.

1650 Oliver Cromivill. — Oliver Cromwell having been appointed captain general of the
forces, the English parliament sent him down to make war upon the Scotch. Having
arrived at Dunbar, an engagement took place on 5d. Sept. which gave him imme-
diate possession of Edinburgh ; having marched to Glasgow, he took up his lodgings
and held his levees in Silver Craigs' house, on the east side ef the Saltmarket, nearly
opposite the Bridgegate, now used as a sale-room for old furniture. Mr. Patrick
Gillespie, the minister of the Outer High church, at that time had the chief sway
in ecclesiastical affairs ; Cromwell having sent for him, gave him a long prayer ; on
the following Sunday, Cromwell went in state to the cathedral church. 31 r. Zac.
Boyd, the distinguished paraphrast, took occasion to inveigh againsc Cromwell, on
vvhich, Thurlow, his secretary, said he would shoot the scoundrel. " No, no," said



180 APPENDIX.

Years.

the general, " we will manage him in his cwn way ;" having asked the minister to
dine with him, Oliver concluded the entertainment by prayer, which lasted three
hours.

1651 Tlie Enemy in Toivn. — April 25th. The session bewail, several times, of the ene-
my being in town.

1651 Session Books. — The session books that had been keeping in the castle of Dumbar-
ton brought back.

1652 Jioys breaking the Sdlbafb. — April 1st. A committee was appointed, who brought
boys and servants before the session for breaking the Sabbath, and other faults ;— r-
thcy had clandestine censures, and gave money to some for that end.

1652 Great Fire. — In this year there was a great fire in Glasgow, by which, a great
part of the houses in the Saltmarket, Trongate, Gallowgate and Bridgegate were
destroyed, being nearly one-third of the citj*. It began on Thursday, 17th June, at
1 o'clock, p. m. and lasted till Friday.

1652 Collection for Glasgozv. — There was a collection through the kingdom for Glasgow,
on occasion of the great fire. The session empowers a committee of council to dis-
tribute all such money, for the use of those that suffered by the fire.

1652 Milk Sellers. — July 1st. The session appointed a clandestine committee to go about
searching for persons who sell milk on the Sabbath ; the committee to be four elders,
and they to get two-pence a-week each of them, from the treasurer.

1652 Enumeration of Sick. — Aug. 5th. One gets ten pounds yearly, for writing and
taking up the names of the sick in town.

1652 I'oor assessment. — Dec. 27th. The whole roll of the poor is 437 lib.; the magistrates
only stent the town with 300 lib. and refer the rest to the ordinary collections.

1652 Lands of Provan. — The city acquired the lands of Provan from Sir Robert Ham-
ilton of Silverton hall.

1652 Magistrates. — The magistrates and council continued in ofHce three years.

1653 Oliver Cromxvell. — Cromwell, in 1652, got his friend Mr. Gillespie promoted to
the principality in the College. On his being appointed protector of the kingdom, and
supreme magistrate of the commonwealth, he showed great respect to the principal,
and granted several favours to the college.

1655 Shipping Port. — At this period, the merchants of Glasgow had their shipping har-
bour at the bailliary of Cunningham, shire of Ayr.

1654 Surgeons offer their services. — June 1. The surgeons gave in a paper to the session,
offering their service in behalf of the diseased poor within this burgh. That any
known distressed poor being recommended by the minister, or the committee of the
poor, be sent to the visitor of tlie surgeons, who will nominate such of their number
as may contribute their best skill for the said persons, without payment or reward,
except allenarly the payment of tlie medicines, which will be at a rate not considerable.

1654 Sabbath, observance of. — The session enacts that the ministers, time about, after
sermon on Sabbath nights, do visit the bridge with one elder, and exhort the people
that flock there, to go home.

1655 Suspension of Censure. — Jan. 8. The west session resolves, that so long as the Eng-
lish continue in town, they will put no person upon the pillar, because they mock
at them, this the other kirks have also determined.

1655 Preaching dai/s. — llie fast is to be on the Thursday before the communion, there
are to be sermons on Saturday and Monday at the three kirks, and on Sunday at
the Blackfriars, to such as will repair thither. The doors will not be open on Sunday
till 6 in the morning.

1G55 Merchants' Hall. — This hall was built on the south side of the Dridgegate, from
designs by Sir William Bruce of Kinross, architect to Charles 1 1. Dean of guild
Bell laid tlie foundation stone in this year. T!ie hall, from its situation, and the want
of proper accommodation, having become unfit for the use of the merchants of Glasgow,
dean of guild Ewing eflectcd a beneficial sale of it and the adjoining ground in 1816,
on whicli the buildings of Guikiry court have since been erected. On this occasion,
the merchants' house, in tl.c most handsome manner, acting on principles at once
liberal and disinterested, made a present to the corporation of tlie city of their elegant
steeple. M'Urc says, the entry to the hall, was very fine and splendid; above the
top thereof there were three old men resembling the decayed members of tlie mer-
chants' rank, and a ship with full sails and arms of tlie city, all purely cut out of free-
stone and well illuminated. When provobt Aird was dean of guild, he caused a board
to be put up in the hall, on which there were scripture directions how to buy and
sell with a safe conscience, llie provost's dwelling-house was opposite the hall,
having one front to the Bridgegate and another to the Goosedubs, formerly called
Aiid's vvynd.



APPENDIX. 181

Years.

1656 Edinburgh, Collection for. — May 1. A collection made for Edinburgh for a late
fire there ; gotten 900 lib. and some odds.

1656 Galleries in Churches. — Aug. 7. Tlie session request tlie magistrates to make more
room in the Hie and Laigh kirk, in regard they do not contain them that come to
hear Sabbath and week days. Reported, 4th Sept. that the magistrates and council
had made an act that tJie kirks should be enlarged by lofting and otherwise, as shall
be convenient.

1656 Fines of scandalous Persons. — Sept. 4. The session spoke to the magistrates anent
converting the fines of scandalous persons for the use of the poor. Reported after-
wards that the magistrates slighted it.

1657 St. Andrew^ s Bridge. — May. 7. Tlie session reported that 1015 lib. had been ga-
thered for St. Andrew's bridge and the distressed people of that town.

1658 Poors Mnnei/. — June 10. The elders report, that when they had gathered the col-
lection for Kirkaldie, &c. at the kirk doors, the bailies of the town, Walter Neilson,
James Barns and John Walkingshaw, came and took away the collection from them
by force, and disposed of it as they pleased. This was represented to the presbytery.

1658 Oliver Cromwell. — The protector Cromwell, in a letter to the lord provost, dated

30th Sept. desired that the election of the magistrates should be delayed till he had

time to make up his mfnd on the subject.
1658 College. — Dec. 2. Mr. John Young and Mr. Burnet, from the college, desire in

name of the masters of the college, that the session may think on a way how the

regents and scholars may be the principal's ordinary hearers.

1658 Dumbarton Harbour. — The magistrates of Glasgow being desirous to make a har-
bour for their trade at Dumbarton, were opposed by the magistrates of that burgh, on
the ground that the great influx of marines and others, would raise the price of pro-
visions to the inhabitants.

1659 Blackfriars Church. — Jan. 27. The session directs that the magistrates be spoken
to about repairing the Blackfriars kirk, which is like to be ruinous.

1659 Outer Church. — Oct. 7. The magistrates are spoken to for making a partition wall
in the Outer kirk, or lofting it above, in respect of the great prejudice comes to the
minister and hearers, by cold in that kirk.

1659 College Church accommodation. — Nov, 7. The session allow the college the wester
loft in the Outer kirk, as far as they have interest in the matter. A committee sent
to desire the principal to preach in the Outer kirk, to which congregation he hath
still a tye, and offering any other seat, even the session loft, to the college. The
principal answered, he thanked the session for their respect to him, and said it was
the coldness that moved him to come down to the college to preach, and that he would
think on their desire in due time. Thereafter, Mr. Gillespie the principal, represents,
that in regard the magistrates had refused his scholars and the students a seat in the
Inner kirk, and had set town officers to keep the seats and door, he thought good to
acquaint the session, for his own exoneration and vindication, that for eschewing
contention, he intended to preach to the scholars in the college hall, on the afternoons
on the Sabbaths following, till the Lord should please to give him liberty, with peace,
to preach to them and to the people elsewhere. The session cannot admit this expe-
dient, in regard he continues fixed minister of the easter quarter congregation, as to
preaching to them once on the Lord's day wlien his health permits, and was never
yet altogether loosed from that charge; and a committee appointed to speak to him
and to the magistrates about giving back the beddal the keys of the kirk, and suffer-
ing him to go about his calling. Soon after this, the principal declared his willino -
ness to preach in the Outer kirk, as his health would permit him, and he would have
the college to hear him in any of the kirks. At this time the magistrates appointed
a kirk officer, and took the bason, &c. from the former officer in the Outer kirk; on
this the session appointed that no baptisms be in the Outer High kirk till the plate
and cloth, &c. be restored.

1660 Restoration of Charles II. — June 16. The session taking to their consideration
the Lord's merciful providence in returning the king's majesty to his throne and
government, do judge it their duty to set apart some time for public thanksgiving to
God for the same. The restoration took place on 1st May, and on 14th Sept, in
that year the privy council sent an order to the magistrates of Glasgow, to desire prin-
cipal Gillespie to appear before them, which he did on the 17th August, when he
was sent to Edinburgh jail, and was afterwards imprisoned in the Bass island along
with a number of ministers. After a period of confinement, the principal was brought
before parliament and liberated.

1660 Candles in Churches. — Dec. 6. The session enacted that the magistrates be spoken

to about candles to the morning sermons in the winter time.
166'2 Episcopact/ in Scotland. — Charles II. being determined to establish episcopacy in



182 APPENDIX.

Years.

Scotland, t!ie carl of Middlcton and a quorum of the privy couucil, were sent to
Glasgow to enforce obedience. The court sat in the fore hall of the College, on '2()th
Sept. when they were waited upon by provost Campbell and tlie magistrates. Arch-
bishop Faiifoul complained that the ministers did not acknowledge his authority as
bishop, on which an order was made for all the clergymen of the district to acknow-
ledge Fairfoul as the archbishop, under the pain of ejection. In a few weeks, more
than 400 ministers in Scotland ^\ ere turned out and took leave of their flocks in one
day; among whom there were 14 belonging to the presbytery of Glasgow, of these
were principal Gillespie, Messrs. Robert M'Ward, John Carstairs, and Ralph Rod-
gers of Glasgow, and Mr. Donald Cargill of the barony parish.

1662 I'orl-Glasaoiu. — The magistrates of Glasgow purchased 13 acres of land from Sir
Robert Maxwell, near the village of Newark, on which they built harbours, and the
first dry or graving docks in Scotland.

1664 Caldir and Monkland. — Charter in favour of the college of the patronages of the
churches of Calder and Monkland.

1665 Barony Glebe — The presbytery ratify and approve the designation of four acres
in Parson's croft to be a glebe to the Barony, but delay consideration of the manse
and grass.

1666 Kun- conformists. — Several persons were hanged in the streets of Glasgow, merely
because they, would not conform to episcopacy.

1667 Conventicles. — The magistrates of Glasgow were fined ^100 for allowing Mr.