of Kilmadock, in the western district of Perthshire, 8 miles north-west of Stirling, and 4 west of Dunblane.

Several persons resident in the parish of Kilmadock acceded to the Associate Presbytery in April 1738. In December following, the praying society of Baad and Drip, in the parish of Kincardine, which adjoins Kilmadock on the south and west, gave in a paper of adherence to the Presbytery. In July 1739 several persons resident in the Port of Monteith, which adjoins Kilmadock on the west, acceded to the Presbytery; and in July of the same year, Mr Patrick Buchanan, elder in the parish of Callander, which also adjoins Kilmadock on the west, formally joined the Secession. These persons attended the ministry of the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine in Stirling till July 1740, when, along with the Seceders in the parish of Dunblane, they were united into one Association, under the designation of "The Correspondence of Monteith," and had sermon supplied to them as the Presbytery could afford it, which was upon an average once a month at the Port of Monteith, and once in six weeks at Thornhill, the adherents attending at other times at Stirling or Balfron. On 17th July 1740 Ebenezer Erskine was appointed to ordain elders; the meeting was held at the burn of Sessintillie in Monteith, and on the 3d September 1740, 7 elders were ordained. A tent, designed to serve as a pulpit, having been set up at the end of Thornhill, on land belonging to the Earl of Moray, Mr More, his factor, applied to the Sheriff of Dunblane to interdict its use and have it removed. He appeared on the ground with the interdict in his pocket as the people were engaged singing these lines of the 2d Psalm, which the preacher had given out:

He retired without serving the interdict, and refrained from molesting the Seceders ever afterwards. In July 1741, 5 elders and about 50 private persons resident in the parishes of Kilmadock, Kincardine, Monteith, and Callander acceded to the Associate Presbytery, and were joined to "The Correspondence of Monteith." In 1744, the place of meeting was removed from Thornhill to the south end of the Bridge of Teith, where a site for a place of worship had been obtained, and a church erected on it. On 17th September 1744, Mr Erskine preached at the first full meeting of the eldership since the disjunction of the Correspondence of Monteith from that of Stirling. A new church was built in 1838, containing 642 sittings.

1st Minister.-DAVID TELFAR. Ordained 19th March 1747. Adhered with the majority of his congregation to the Associate (Burgher) Synod at "The Breach," which took place in April following. Called to Ballybay in Ireland, 1750; to Auchtermuchty, 1751; to Donachlonny in Ireland, and Torphichen in Scotland, 1755; to Kennoway in Scotland, and a second time to Donachlonny in Ireland, 1756; continued in Bridge of Teith till 1766, when he proceeded to America by appointment of Synod. He returned to Scotland in 1770, and was sent out a second time in 1771, and became minister of a congregation in Nottingham, Pennsylvania, or Philadelphia, and died there.

2d Minister.-WILLIAM FLETCHER, from Ettrick. Called to Burntshields, Glasgow, and Bridge of Teith. Ordained 25th March 1772. Died 1815, in the 85th year of his age, and 44th of his ministry.

Author of "The Scripture Loyalist: containing a Vindication of Obedience to the present Civil British Government in Things Lawful," etc., 1784; "The Scripture Loyalist Defended from Unfair and False Reasoning, etc.,' in a letter to the Rev. William Steven, Crookedholm, 1795; "The Evil and Danger of Schism," 1800 ; also an edition of "Brown's Letters on the Authoritative Toleration of Popery."

3d Minister.-ALEXANDER FLETCHER, D.D., son of Rev. W. Fletcher. Called to Leslie, Stow, and Bridge of Teith. Ordained as colleague to his father 16th September 1807. Called to Kincardine 1810, but continued in Bridge of Teith till 7th November 1811, when he was translated to London (Miles Lane.)

4th Minister.-JOHN M'KERROW, D.D., from Mauchline. Called to Ecclefechan and Bridge of Teith. Ordained as colleague to Mr William Fletcher, 25th August 1813. Had the degree of D.D. conferred upon him by Washington College, United States, 1841. On 25th August 1863, Dr M'Kerrow's jubilee was celebrated, when he was presented with a silver cake-basket and a purse containing 600 sovereigns. Died 13th May 1867, in the 77th year of his age, and 54th of his ministry.

Author of a "History of the Secession Church;" "The Office of Ruling Elder in the Christian Church," to which the prize of £50 was awarded ; joint author with the Rev. John M‘Farlane, Kincardine, of The Life and Correspondence of the late Henry Belfrage, D.D., of Falkirk ;""History of the Foreign Missions of the Secession and United Presbyterian Churches," published in May 1867.

5th Minister.-WILLIAM HUIE, from Campbelton. Called 20th April 1867 to be colleague to Dr M'Kerrow. Ordained 25th July as his successor.

DUNBLANE.

Dunblane is a city and parish, and the seat of a cathedral, in the western district of Perthshire, 4 miles east of Doune, and 6 north-west of Stirling.

FIRST CHURCH.

In March 1738, there was laid before the Presbytery of Dunblane a long paper complaining of defections in the Church, and seeking redress, by Archibald Edmond, Robert Duncanson, John Hendrie, and John Crawford, belonging to Logie parish. They were dealt with by the Presbytery, and suspended. They applied to the Associate Presbytery with this sentence resting on them, and the Presbytery agreed, after a thorough investigation of the case, to receive them, provided, upon examination, they were otherwise found qualified. The fact of having received these men in the circumstances in which they were then placed, and particularly Archibald Edmond, who, for some reason or other, was peculiarly obnoxious to the minister of Logie, was made one of the counts in the libel drawn up against the "Four Brethren" in 1739, preparatory to their deposition. It runs thus:

"Further, you or some other of you, did, upon the 20th day of May last 1738, upon one or other of the days of that month, or of the months of June, July, or August of that year, in a pretended judicial manner, take under your cognisance the case of Archibald Edmond, against whom sentence of the lesser excommunication had been passed by the Presbytery of Dunblane; and you found that the said Presbytery had acted unwarrantably, and you declared the said Archibald free from the scandal for which he had been censured as above by the said Presbytery, and appointed the said Ebenezer Erskine to baptize the said Archibald's child,- -at least you, the said Ebenezer, did, in the church of Stirling, upon the 10th day of August last, or one or other of the days of that month, baptize the said child, and at the same time declared your warrant for so doing to be as above.'

The defence of the "Four Brethren" to this count was as follows:

"The said Archibald having, for the help of his memory, drawn up a paper, as subject of private communing with his minister, relating to the public defections, and any concern he judged his minister had therein, with a declared design, mentioned in the said paper, to pave the way for his continuing to join his ministry with the greater freedom and edification, at the same time submitting to his minister's instruction in case he was in the wrong. But the minister, instead of endeavouring to instruct or gain his parishioner with a spirit of meekness by friendly communing, upon his reading the said paper, falls out into a passion, carries it before the session. The session

referred it to the Presbytery of Dunblane, where, after long dependence, it issues in a sentence of lesser excommunication against him, which was intimated by order of the Presbytery from the pulpit of Logie. The said Archibald, judging himself injured, and having no hopes of redress from the superior judicatories, lays an extract of the whole process before the Associate Presbytery, who, finding by the said extract that the above paper for conversation was the only foundation of the process against him, and that the man had a good title to represent unto his minister what was aggrieving unto him without fear of censure, and considering that the great end of their Presbyterian Association was the relief of the Lord's oppressed heritage, groaning under the arbitrary proceedings of the present judicatories, did therefore relax the man from the said sentence, and appointed Mr Erskine to baptize his child, which he did accordingly, and they can easily justify their conduct herein before the unprejudiced world, by publishing an extract of the whole process, if it be found needful."

A petition from societies in the bounds of Dunblane Presbytery, asking supply of sermon, was laid before the Associate Presbytery in 1737-8.

In July 1739, 19 persons resident in the parish of Dunblane acceded to the Associate Presbytery, and, with the persons previously referred to, became members of the congregation of Stirling, under the ministry of the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine. In 1740, the Seceders in the parishes of Callander, Kilmadock, Kincardine, Monteith, Dunblane, and northern and western parts of Logie, were joined in an Association under the designation of The "Correspondence of Monteith," out of which the CONGREGATION OF THe Bridge of TeitH arose soon after.

The Breach, 1747, divided the Seceders in these places as elsewhere, and prevented their formation into separate congregations so speedily as would otherwise have taken place.

In April 1750, two elders were elected by the session of Stirling for the district of Dunblane, from which it would appear that the Seceders in Dunblane constituted part of the congregation of Mr Erskine. In consequence of the death of Rev. W. Simson, minister of Dunblane, 17th October 1755, and the appointment of Mr Robertson on 11th February 1756 as his successor, a violent opposition was made by the people against Mr Robertson's ordination. Mr Robertson was ordained on 12th May 1757; but, on 11th January of that year, the Seceders in Dunblane were organised as a congregation. The congregation thus formed applied, in March 1758, for union with Bridge of Teith, the minister to preach alternately in Dunblane and Bridge of Teith, each congregation having its own session for managing its affairs. The Presbytery sanctioned this junction, and the two congregations, under one minister, continued united for seven years. In 1765, the congregations were disjoined, and Dunblane gave a call to Mr Telfar, of Bridge of Teith, which was signed by 350 members and 93 adherents. Mr Telfar having been appointed by the Synod to proceed as an evangelist to America, the call was laid aside. In January 1767, the congregation called Mr David Walker, but the Synod appointed him to Pollokshaws. First church built in 1758; second church built in 1835, seated for 600, at a cost of £1500. A manse was built in 1858, at a cost of £1000.

1st Minister.-DAVID TELFAR. Ordained 19th March 1747. Joint minister of Bridge of Teith and Dunblane, 1758. Sole minister of Bridge of Teith, 1765. 2d Minister.-MICHAEL GILFILLAN, from Stirling (First). Ordained 28th April 1768. Called in 1780, and again in 1781, to Edinburgh (Bristo Street), but neither of the calls was sustained, because of want of unanimity in the congregation. Died 16th September 1816, in the 69th year of his age, and 49th of his ministry. Author of the "Synod's Warning against Socinianism.”

The congregation called Mr Baird, who was appointed by the Synod to Auchtermuchty.

Called to Girvan and
Died in Leslie 19th

3d Minister.-JAMES ANDERSON, from Leslie (East). Dunblane. Ordained 15th April 1818. Resigned 1854. March 1858, in the 68th year of his age, and 40th of his ministry.

4th Minister.-WILLIAM BLAIR, M.A., from Lochgelly. Called to Whitby (Yorkshire) and Dunblane. Ordained 16th April 1856.

Author of "The Chronicles of Aberbrothock," 1853; "Rambling Recollections, or Fireside Memories of Scenes Worth Seeing," 1857; "Memorial of the Celebration of the Centenary of Dunblane Congregation," 1858; "The Prince of Preachers, a Memorial of Rev. Dr Fletcher,” 1860; "Ordination Charges given at the Admission of Rev. J. Mitchell Harvey, M. A., Alloa," 1861;"Notes of a Tour in France, Switzerland, and Italy in 1861;" and papers in Logan's Words of Comfort," The Christian Journal, The Scottish Christian Journal, The United Presbyterian Magazine, "Grant's Advocate of the Law of Kindness," "Reid's Authentic Records of Revival," The British Messenger, "Mackenzie's Imperial Dictionary of Biography," and The British and Foreign Evangelical Review.

SECOND CHURCH (Now EXTINCT).

At "The Breach," 1747, the majority of the congregation of the Bridge of Teith adhered to the Associate (Burgher) Synod, and retained the property, while the minority adhered to the General Associate (Antiburgher) Synod, and returned to their original meeting-place in Thornhill, which lies 3 miles to the south-west of the Bridge of Teith, and 8 from Dunblane. Thornhill was soon considered incon veniently distant by the adherents resident in and about Dunblane, who on that account insisted upon the seat of the congregation being removed to their locality. To this the others would not consent. The interference of the Presbytery was found necessary, who compromised the matter by deciding that sermon should be afforded at each place on alternate Sabbaths. The meetings were held at both places in the open air in summer, and in barns in winter, till 1761, when the section of the congregation assembling at Thornhill took possession of a place of worship they had built for themselves.

In 1758 the Seceders assembling at Greenloaning, who had been previously included in the congregation of Comrie, were disjoined from it, and united with those meeting at Thornhill and Dunblane, under the designation of "the congregation of Strathallan and Monteith," but still meeting as before at Greenloaning, 5 miles north-east of Dunblane, where a place of worship had been erected in 1752. After this junction of three congregations under one minister, sermon was granted to Dunblane and Greenloaning regularly on alternate Sabbaths, but to Thornhill only occasionally. In 1769 the congregation applied to the Presbytery for a moderation, which was granted on the following conditions:-That the minister chosen shall preach five Sabbaths in the year at Thornhill, two of which shall be taken from Greenloaning, and three from Dunblane; the Presbytery to grant such further supply to Thornhill as may be in their power, the collections made there upon such occasions to be appropriated, if need be, for defraying the expense thence incurred; and that fast-days be ordinarily observed at Dunblane, as the centre of the congregation. Church built 1763.

Before obtaining a fixed pastor the congregation called Mr Buchanan, who was appointed by the Synod to Nigg, and Mr Wilson, who was appointed to Lauder.

1st Minister.-THOMAS RUSSELL, previously of Colmonell. Admitted as minister of the congregation of Strathallan and Monteith, 29th July 1769.

The conditions on which the Presbytery granted the moderation issuing in the call of Mr Russell were not found to work well, more particularly the financial part

1

of them. They were therefore brought under the Presbytery's review in 1773, when the following finding was adopted :-" That the people of Greenloaning shall have the equal half of Mr Russell's labours, both as to Sabbath-days and fastdays; that the Presbytery make up to the people of Thornhill the two Sabbaths they formerly had of Greenloaning." These, however, were so dissatisfied with this arrangement that in 1778 they requested the Presbytery to allow them to dissolve, and join the congregations of Buchlyvie and Stirling. This request was complied with. Thus the Thornhill section of Strathallan and Monteith congregation became extinct. The place of worship was subsequently disposed of, and was afterwards occupied as a schoolroom.

Mr Russell died 13th February 1803, in the 80th year of his age, and 34th of his ministry. After his death the congregations of Strathallan and Dunblane were divided into the congregations of Greenloaning and Dunblane, and each left to make choice of a minister for itself.

2d Minister.-JOHN WALLACE, from Glasgow (Duke Street). March 1804. Died 18th August 1828, in the 55th year of his age, ministry.

Ordained 30th and 25th of his

Ordained 19th

3d Minister. ALEXANDER HENDERSON, from Alloa (First). July 1829. Resigned 11th May 1849. Emigrated to America, and became minister of Fitzroy Harbour, Tarbolton, and Pakenham, Canada West. He also supplied Arnprior station. Died 28th October 1858, in his 59th year.

Author of "The Pilgrim, a Poem;" a pamphlet on "The Liquidating and Supplementing Boards of the U.P. Church and the East Church of Dunblane; and The Effects of Intemperance on Individuals, Families, and Nations, and the Propriety of Temperance Societies: a Sermon."

The congregation joined the Evangelical Union after Mr Henderson's resigna· tion, and soon after expired.

GREENLOANING.

Greenloaning is a hamlet in the parish of Ardoch, 6 miles north of Dunblane, and 13 south of Comrie.

The Rev. Mr Halley of Muthil co-operated with the Four Brethren in several of the steps which led to the Secession, but did not himself secede. Several of his people pursued a different course, not, however, till the Associate Presbytery emitted their Testimony, and only then after its statements had been fully discussed in a public meeting, convened by them for the purpose. The persons who acted thus travelled for some time to Stirling to attend the ministry of the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine, but when the congregation of Kinkell and Comrie originated, they were included in it, and subsequently in that of the latter when disjoined from the former. Greenloaning had been one of the meeting-places of Kinkell and Comrie congregation from its formation, and a place of worship was erected there in 1752, containing 200 sittings, which was supplied occasionally with the other two while the congregation continued thus united. When Kinkell and Comrie were disjoined, Greenloaning continued part of the latter, the minister preaching at each place alternately. On the 21st September 1762* the Seceders assembling at Greenloan* It is somewhat difficult to fix the precise year, or reconcile the dates here given with those on page 32. Dr M'Kelvie had 1760 as the date of disjunction of Greenloaning from Comrie, which we have altered to 1762, on the authority of the minutes of Presbytery. The contributor to Dr M'Kerrow's statistics (Rev. R. Paterson, Aberchirder) says that "the Rev. John Ferguson, the first minister, was ordained on the 4th March 1760, and died in July the same year. It is mentioned