[1661/1/253]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estates of parliament, having heard a petition presented to them in name of the heritors and inhabitants of the parish of Newbattle, mentioning that the kirk of Newbattle was for a good while vacant and without a minister and that the elders and heritors did, according to the constitution of that time, call a worthy person to be their minister who was not actually received by the presbytery of Dalkeith, but allowed by them to preach and do all ministerial duties at the said kirk which he very well performed for diverse months to their great contentment and satisfaction, yet the presbytery would not upon their earnest pressing suit admit him. And also representing that there is a bridge over the water which passes by Newbattle that is the most useful and ordinary passage in that quarter of the country which bridge is much ruined and decayed by very frequent floods, to which that place is obnoxious so that the repairing of it will exceed the power and ability of the heritors and parishioners; humbly therefore, desiring that some fit proportion of the vacant stipend of the said kirk may be given to the minister that served the cure thereat, and that the remainder might be allowed for reparation of the said bridge, as the supplication bears. Which being taken into consideration, the king's majesty and estates of parliament do modify the sum of 500 merks to be paid out of the readiest of the vacant stipends of the kirk of Newbattle to Mr Hugh Archibald for his bygone service at the cure of the said kirk, and for the remainder of the vacant stipend of that kirk they are hereby allowed and appointed to be employed for repairing of the said bridge over the water near Newbattle, and for helping of the highways and other ruins in and about the said town, and appoints Mr John Wilkie, collector of the vacant stipends, to allow and discount the same accordingly.