Saturday, September 21, 2019

Rutherford Revised (325)

325. Sir James Stewart, Lord Provost of Edinburgh    From St. Andrews 30 Jun 1649

[Sir James Stewart of Kirkfield and Cultness b.1608, d.1681)The progenitor of the Coltness family was Sir James Steuart, second son of James Steuart of Allanton. Born in 1608, Sir James was a banker in Edinburgh, of which city he was in 1649 elected lord-provost. He acquired a large fortune, and in 1653 purchased the lands of West Carbarns or Kirkfield, Lanarkshire, from Sir John Somerville of Cambusnethan, and soon after the estate of Coltness, in the same county, from Sir John Hamilton of Edston. Being a zealous Covenanter, he was, in 1650, chosen, with the marquis of Argyle and the earl of Eglinton, on the part of the Scots, to hold a conference with Oliver Cromwell in Bruntsfield Links. IN 1659 he was again elected lord-provost of Edinburgh, but on account of his covenanting principles, was dismissed at the Restoration, and after being confined in the castle of Edinburgh, was sent prisoner to Dundee, and fined £1,500 sterling. In 1670, he obtained a pardon. Archbishop Leighton was brought up at Edinburgh under his care, and the undaunted Hugh Mackail, executed in 1666, had been chaplain in his family.. Rutherford wrote this letter on occasion of his own election tobe Professor of Divinity in the College of Edinburgh.]

Right honorable
The matter of my transportation is so poor a contraversy, I truly not wanting to be the subject of any noise in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland who have greater business to do, and having suffered once the pain of transportation, moist humbly entreat your worships that favour as to put your thoughts on some fitter man; for as it is not fitting me to lie or conceal, so I must freely show you it will only make me the subject of suffering and passive obedience, and I trust your worships do not intend that hurt to me, and I am persuaded it is not your mind, it shall be my prayer to God, to send that worthy society an able and pious man. Grace be with you.
   Yours at all humble observance in the Lord, Samuel Rutherfurd

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