Hellen Ramsay Testament dative 1693

[tillypeg]

This is taken from the Testament dative of Hellen Ramsay and is dated 29 July 1693.  I am uncertain about several words and would be grateful for some help, once again.

In The ffirst yernres? restand oweing to ye said umq[uhi]le
Hellen Ramsay ye tyme of hir deceis forsaid
Be John Blair writter in Ed[inbu]r[gh] ffactar appoynted
by ye Lords of privie Counsell for uplifteing of ye
vacant stiepenes belong to ye sd defunct ye somme of
lxx lib Scotts money
[in margin]: bond taken for the sd noatt?
Suma of ye debts oweing to ye dead – lxx lib
Devisione
Mrs Hew Dalrympell understandeing nedeceun?
yr upon John ffinlayson writter in Ed[inbu]r[gh] becoms ca[autio]n[e]r
as and act Bears

Thank you,
Tilly

[GR2]

Each time you have written "ye" it should be "the". What you have interpreted as y is actually a cursive th.

In line 1, ther wes restand oweing (it's the same cursive th)

In line 3, ffactor (o rather that a at the end)

In line 5, stiepends = stipends (ie minister's pay - the d does look like an e here, but it is a d)

In the margin, bond taken for the quoatt (the quot or quoat is the payment made to the bishop of the diocese in the pre-Reformation and episcopal periods of a twentieth of the moveable estate. It was later reduced and became a fee to the commissary clerk)

In 2nd last line, nedecern - I have not come across this before, but it must mean something like necessity (nede = need/ needcessity = necessity)

In last line, as ane act Bears

[tillypeg]

Thank you again GR2, it is all so clear to me when you have explained it!  I will add all your comments to my growing list of helpful hints that I will revise before I start another thread on here.

I have found references to my Livingston/Levingstone people in The Diary of Andrew Hay of Craignethan 1659-1660 and it has been interesting to read some of his descriptions of the sermons preached by Mr Alexr, as he refers to him.  The Scots words are in abundance and you get a real feel for those times, what a pity there seems to be only one volume extant.

Many thanks,
Tilly

[GR2]

It is worth checking the kirk session minutes for his parish, if they exist for his time as a minister. That will throw up zillions of details about his doings. The presbytery minutes will do the same.

[tillypeg]

Thanks GR2, that's something else to add to my to-do list.

Tilly

[GR2]

Presbytery of Biggar 3rd March 1647:

This day was reported the receaving and placeing of M^r
Alex^r Livingstoun and his installing in the office & functione
of the holie ministerie at the kirk of Biggar Quhilk reporte
the presbyterie did ordeane to be reg[ist]rat in y^r records And
the extracte y^rof to be given to the said M^r Alex^r as there
Testimoniall of his receiveing and installing in ye said office
and charge of the Whilk the Tenor followes At Biggar
The third day of februar an[n]o jaj vj^c fourtie seaven
The whilk day Efter sermone had be M^r Alex^r Som[m]ervell
minister at Dolphingtoun text Revel. 3.20 The said
M^r Alex^r Conforme to ane acte of Transporta[ti]one of M^r
Alex^r Livingstoun from the kirk of Carmichell To the kirk
of Biggar granted be the presbyterie of Lanerk In favo^r
of ye parochiners of Biggar earnest petitioners for ye same
as in the act of the daitt at Lanerk the Tent day of
decemb^r 1646 at Lenth is conteined And Conforme
To ane p[rese]ntatione granted in favo^r of the said M^r Alex^r
Livingstoun Be ane Nobill Earle Johne Earle of Wigtoun
Together with ane contracte betuix the said noble Earl & him
conteining the settling to him of ane Locall and co[m]petent
stipend as the saids L[ette]res of presenta[ti]one and contracte
seene and approven be the presbyterie of Lanerk Testiefieing
that the said M^r Alex^r Livingstoun had been by theme admitted
to ye actuall cure of the ministerie at the kirk of Carmichell
and in his ministerie y^r had carie[d] himself as a faithfull
painfull and proffitable minister of Jesus Chryst as the said
testim. subscryved be all ye ministers of that presbyterie of the daitt
at Lanerk ye 24 of decemb^r 1646 at more Lenth beires
And conforme to ane acte of ye presbyterie of ye last day
of y^r meeting choyseing the said M^r Alex^r Livingstoun
Som[m]eruell and ordeaning him to preache the said day
as also with assistance of the remanent ministers & elders
of the said presbyterie To receave and place and install
the said M^r Alex^r Livingstoun in ye office and functione
of the holie functione of ye ministerie at ye kirk of Biggar
and to join him w^th the parochiners y^rof as y^r pastor as in
the said acte of ye daitt at biggar ye 27 of Januar 1647 at
more Lenth is conteined Haveing called upon the said
M^r Alex^r Livingstoun And he compeirand And upon the p[rese]nt
elders of ye said kirk and they also compeirand in p[rese]ns of the
remanent parochiners And Haveing first declared
that the ceremonie of Impositione of hands needed not to be
used in this caise In regard hee whome he was to place & plant
in this kirk had receaved the same alreadie Therfore the
said M^r Alex^r Som[m]ervell w^th assistance foirsaid did ordo[r]lie
and Lawfullie Install and place the said M^r Alex^r Livingstoun
according to the practeise of the kirk of Scotland p[rese]nt
government y^rof and actis of ye Gen assemblie of ye samyn
And that in and to ye actuall cure & exerceise of all the pairts
of the ministeriall functione as Lawfull and ordinar pastor
of the kirk and congrega[ti]one of Biggar And Haveing
seriouslie exhorted the whole people of that congregatione
especialie the p[rese]nt elderis of the same That in regaird they
had beene so long destitute of a pastor And that now they had
receaved one so hopefull to doe good among theme and one
whome they had so earnestlie socht for That they wold Testifie
y^r thankfullnes to God for him And that they wold reverence &
obey him as y^r pastor in all thingis in the Lord Thairefter
the saids ministers elderis deacons and parochineris
re[  ] in signe of y^r consent did tak the said M^r Alex^r
be the hand and gave to him most heartilie the rycht hand
of fellowschip

[goldie61]

Gosh, you've been busy GR2! 

Are these Presbytery records on scotlandspeople? Maybe as part of the kirk minutes?

[GR2]

They are on ScotlandsPeople. They are free to read but have a watermark over them. If you actually want to download a page without the watermark, it costs some credits. I just transcribe without downloading.

Go to "Advanced People Search", click on "Kirk Sessions", click on "Place Search", type in "Biggar". What comes up is "Biggar" and "Biggar Presbytery". Unfortunately, if you click on "Biggar" it says there are no records available, so no Biggar kirk session minutes uploaded yet. If you click on "Biggar Presbytery", you get the minutes for 1644-50, 1660-62, 1688-94 etc. The presbytery was a body consisting of the ministers of a group of parishes. It was one step up from the kirk session.

[GR2]

I don't know if you have seen his signature before, but here it is in the minutes of the Presbytery of Lanark on 10th December 1646 at the end of a paper which he asked to be inserted in the minutes. I haven't read the paper, but may be interesting as it is in his own words, whatever the content.