Act, 27 December 1694, Edinburgh

Edinburgh the Fifth Aprill J^aj vj^c nyntie four years

D1694/4/8

D1694/4/8¹

Act

Act Mr John Arthur

Anent a Petition given in to the Lords of their majesties privy Councill bee Mr John Arthur present minister at the Church of Elie within the Shirefdome of Fyfe for himself and in name of the elders of the kirk sessione and other parishioners of the said parish Shewing That Mr Alexander Wilsone the former incumbent being deprived by the saids Lords in anno J^aj vj^c Eightie nyne, And the said Church of the Elie Declared vaccand the same Continued so untill the petitioners entrie quherby ther are two years and half a years vaccand stipend due viz J^aj vj^c nyntie J^aj vj^c nyntie one and half of J^aj vj^c nyntie two years and Seing that not only the said Church and Manse are altogither ruinous so that the petitioner Can neither live in the one nor preach in the Other, as alsoe the Church yeard dykes are so demolished and the ground therof being only Sand divers of the Graves are blowen up and the very Coffins seen, And the said stipend being on of the meanest within the said parish Lyable to pay the stipend but that of Ardross It would take the said wholl vaccand stipend to repair the said Church manse and Church yeard dykes And Seing the samen cannot be better applyed then Towards this so pious Charitable and necessar a work within the said parish it self And the saids lands of Ardross being now in the Creditors hands a part quherof are at a Considerable Distance whose subscriptiones could not at present be procured yet all of them when spocken to by the minister Declared their willingnes to have the said vaccand stipend abovementioned applyed for the repairation forsaid and desyred the said minister and Kirk session to supplicat the saids Lords for a grant of the said vaccand stipend to the ends abovewritten as the saids Lords have done frequently in the like case And Therfore humbly Craveing the saids Lords upon Consideration of the premisses to allow the said two years and ane halfs stipend to the said parishin of Elie to be applyed towards the repairation of the Church manse and Church yeard Dykes of the Ellie And to grant warrand to James Baillie merchant in the Ellie to Collect and ingather the said vaccand stipend from these Lyable in payment that it may be applyed to the ends aforsaid, And also to ordaine letters of horning to be direct at the said Collectors instance for the same as the petition bears The Lords of their majesties privy Councill haveing Considered the above petition given in to them be Mr John Arthur, And the Councill Considering that ther is at present no particular patron of the above parish of Elie, The estate of the Lairds of Ardness who were formerly patrones therof being Divyded amongst a great many Creditors They heirby allow the vaccand stipend of the said kirk of Ellie for the saids haill years and cropts J^aj vj^c nyntie and J^aj vj^c nyntie one, and the half of the year and Cropt J^aj vj^c nyntie two To be Imployed for repairing the said kirk, kirk yeard dyke, and ministers manse, And nominats and appoints James Baillie merchant in Ellie to be factor for uplifting therof And Ordaines him to be readily answered obeyed and payed therof be the heritors fewars lyfrentars wodsetters and others Lyable in payment therof And Ordaines letters of horning to be direct at the said factors instance under the Signet of Councill against them for that effect He produceing a decreet of Locallity and incase ther be non ordaines these Lyable to make payment to the said factor of their respective proportiones of the said two years and ane half years stipend according as they shall be Decerned by the Judge ordinary In Respect the said factor has given bond and found suficient Cautione acted in the books of privy Councill that he shall apply the said stipends for the ends and usses abovementioned.