thumbkins, and then loaded with irons. After an imprisonment of a year and a half, he was transported and sold in Barbadoes as a slave. It is said he returned after the Revolution, and was a minister in Scarborough.* In August, 1684, eight or ten persons confined in the prison for rebellion and refusing to take the oath of abjuration, managed to escape by breaking one of the barred windows, and passing through it to the roof, and thence to the adjoining house on the west. A council of war was held on the soldier on duty at the part of the Jail where the window was situated through which they had escaped. He was condemned to be shot, and the Magistrates were threatened to be fined for allowing the prisoners to escape.

In 1685† a number of prisoners died in the Jail. On 16th February, 1686, several persons in the Canongate Jail for refusing to take the Test, were sent to the plantations (banished); 24th July, same year, several others were banished to the plantations—the women being burnt in the cheek before they were sent abroad. Cutting off the left ear of prisoners who had been in the "Rebellion with Argyle" as it was termed, was not an unusual punishment, and this was done by the common hangman. After the Rebellion in 1715, when severe enactments were made against those holding the Roman Catholic faith, numerous persons charged with the crime of meeting together for worship, were apprehended and put in jail. On 24th January, 1720, about thirty persons, mostly females, were

* Defoe's "Memoirs of the Church of Scotland," vol. 2, p. 157-8. + Ibid, ante. pp. 348, 404, 406.

seized within the lodgings of the Dowager Duchess of Gordon, whose house was then almost opposite the Council Chambers and Jail of the Canongate, charged with being Papists and assembled together for worship, and committed to prison. The Records, after reciting the names of the persons inter alia, bear that, "We the said Magistrates having called all of them, furth of the Tolbuith, before us, in our Court House, and there caused read the formula in their hearing, and desyred all of them, one by one, to take and swear the same in the terms of the Act of Parliament, which they all refused to do, except the beforedesigned Janet Murray (she was a servant to David Jamieson, merchant in Edinburgh), whereupon we caused return them to prison till they should fynd caution in terms of the said Act of Parliament. Archibald Wallace, Baillie; Adam Thomson, Baillie."

As illustrative of the disordered condition in which Scotland was during the years 1650–1651, and more particularly when Edinburgh was in the occupation of Cromwell and his army, the following entry from the Register of Marriages of the parish is given :—“There were no parties married within the Kirk of Holyroodhous from the 23rd August, 1650, till the 26th June, 1651, by reasoun of the Inglish armie in and about the toune."

Undernoted are a few extracts from the Register of Baptisms, viz. :

24th July, 1666.-There is as follows:-" Baptism of a daughter, Marie, to Earl of Wintoun, and Marie, his Countess. Witnesses,—Earle Witnesses, Earle of Dumfries; Alex

ander, Viscount of Kingston; Lord Bellenden, Treasurer-Depute; Sir John Gilmour, Lord Presi

dent."

25th February, 1668.-" Baptised to John Bellenden (one of His Majesty's Life Guards), and Elizabeth Trotter, a daughter, named Margaret. Witnesses,Lord Bellenden, Treasurer - Depute ; Lieutenant

Mungo Murray; Sir Alexander Hume of Kintoun."

28th November, 1669.-"Thomas Lord Dunkeld to Dame Margaret Thomson. Witnesses, William Lord Bellenden; Sir William Thomson; Mr. Thomas Gray, minister."

The above are noticed principally from the Bellendens being witnesses,-the family of that name, for several generations, being Superiors of the Burgh.

19th June, 1668.-"Baptized, a child found on Sundaye the 16th June, 1668, named 'Theophilus.' On the breast of the child, affixed to its dress, was a paper, on which was written, 'For Jesus Christe's saik, Bap.”” On this occasion the child had as godfather David Patoun, designed as "one of the gravediggers of the Kirkyard," and whose name appears on various occasions at the baptisms of foundlings.

Tuesday, 30th July, 1672.-" The quhilk daye there was baptized in the Kirk of Holyruidhous a child that was found at St. Leonard's Craigs, named Jean, presented by John Meikleham. Witnesses,-James Taylor, John Barclay." On the margin of the book there is noted, "The child was found at the Park Dyke in St. Leonard's Craigs."

On Tuesday, 18th February, 1676, an illegitimate child was baptized, the reputed father being one

G

Alexander Mackenzie, and the mother Margaret Patoun. The entry bears that "it was baptized 'Agnes,' be a letter received from Alexander when he went away with the Blue coats."

Saturday, 10th March, 1677.—“Margaret Thomson, a son, named John, begotten in fornication with George Ross, souldier." There is, in addition to the entry, the following:-"This woman fled out of the parish before she made satisfactioune."

At this period also, unmarried persons who had begotten children had to appear before the Kirk Session, confess their misdeeds, and be rebuked. If not willing to marry, they were ordered to be punished, sometimes by being placed in the Pillory or "jougs" for a certain time, fined, or made to appear in church during service, and sit in a place set apart for such offenders, and be publicly rebuked by the officiating clergyman. The male offender had also to find caution to appear in Court before the Bailie, whenever called upon, to fulfil the law's demands, so as the child might not become a charge or burden upon the parish. It is unnecessary to give any further illustrations of these cases.

In January, 1701, "the Bailies appointed the Treasurer, immediately to cause to be erected upon the Burgh charges, ane pillorie or rackstool upon the south side of the High Street of the Canongate, a little above the Cross, opposite to the middle of the old walls, betwixt Sarah Maxtone's Land and Gilliestoun's Lodgings."

For many years after this, the punishment of being placed in the Pillory" was frequently pronounced on offenders against the law.

CHAPTER X.

WITCHCRAFT, AND THE WITCHES OF THE CANONGATE.

N the "olden times" the Burgh of the Canongate, like numerous other places in Scotland

and England, had, as residenters, "Witches" and "Warlocks," several of whom were tried by the Privy Council and the Magistrates. As a historical fact, it is recorded that one of the Superiors of the Burgh,* Sir Lewis Bellenden, Lord Justice Clerk, died in the autumn of 1591 from fright, occasioned from seeing certain ceremonies and enchantments performed in the Courtyard of his house in the Canongate by a noted "warlock," called Richie Graham.

About that period a general belief existed that such persons as Richie Graham possessed supernatural powers, and the greater proportion of trials for witchcraft, sorcery, and using incantations, occurred. King James the Sixth, by his writings on "Demonology and personal presence at the trials of the accused,

*

"Senators of the College of Justice," p. 196.