Chapter XXIV: The Abercorns and the Kirk
Thereafter, the Bailies of Paisley, according to the Lords' ordinance, intending in outward appearance to put Mr. Robert again into possession of the house, [8] they found the locks stopped with stones and other things, that they could have no entry, and they would not break up the doors ; and Mr. Boyd being going away, the rascally women of the town coming to see the matter (for the men purposely absented themselves), not only upbraided Mr. Robert with opprobrious speeches and shouted and hoyed him, but likewise cast dirt and stones at him, so that he was forced to leave the town, and went to Glasgow, not far off, [9] and from thence went to Carrick, his own dwelling-place ; and miskent all and would not complain, so that the Bishop of Glasgow, for his own credit, complained that justice should be done to the minister, and caused summon the said Master of Paisley and his mother, the Ladye thereof, who was thought to have the wyte of all, to compear before the Council to hear and see order taken for the contempt done to the minister. Likeas the Lady and the Earl, her eldest son, and the Master, her second son, in great pomp, with her eldest son's gilded carosche (he being lately come from his travels), accompanied with many gentlemen and friends, came to Edinburgh to the Council day ; and there, the matter being handled in Council and reasoned where the Bishop of Glasgow was and five or six other bishops were, all that was resolved upon by the Council was, that it was promised by the Earl and his brother and their friends that the minister, Mr. Robert Boyd, should be repossessed, and no more impediments made to him, and no order taken with the delinquents and contempt done him by the rascally women ; and this was one of the fruits of Papistry in the west.” [10] Mr. Boyd had quite enough of these. Nothing would induce him to go back to Paisley. The Presbytery besought him to “continue in his charge, but the said Mr. Robert absolutely refused, and requested it to be planted with some qualified person.” [11] This was done, and Mr. John Hay became minister of Paisley.
The Presbytery now took up the case of Lady Abercorn as a “suspected Papist” with great zeal, and she and her household—one of whom, Thomas Algeo, there is reason to believe, was a disguised priest—were persecuted with the utmost rigour. The following extracts from the records of Presbytery, though somewhat lengthy, best tell the story, and shew how admirably the clergy acted the part of inquisitors. Had they been members of the “Holy Office,” they could scarcely have done better.
“April 20, 1626.—Apud Passlay,—The which day the Moderator and brethren being credibly informed that Thomas Algeo and John Naismith, servitours to the Countess of Abercorne, did neither frequent the house of God for the hearing of the Word preached, neither did communicate with others of the congregation at occasions offered, whereby they gave just occasion of suspicion of their apostacie and defection from the true religion, grounded on God's sacred Word, publickly professed within this kingdom, and authorised by His Majesty's laws : Therefore, they ordained the said Thomas Algeo and John Naismith to be summoned literatorie to appear before them in the Kirk of Paslay the next Presbyterie day to answer to the saids brethren anent the points aforesaid—pro primo.
[8] This was the manse of the parish. Presb. Record, Sept. 28, 1628, “The mans of the parochin of Paslay.”
[9] The names of these viragoes, as we learn from the Presbytery Records, April 27, 1628, were Isabell Greenlees, spoils to James Smithe or Smith in Smithhills of Paslay, Jean Kibbil, spous to Malcolm Parke there, John Foreman, smith there, and Janet Greenlees, sister to the said Issobel. They were accused of “boasting and threatning to stane Mr. Robert Boyd of Trochrigge, the King his messenger and others who accompanied him for giving him possession of the said mans, according to the laws of the kingdom.” The tradition in Paisley is that these irate females escorted the unfortunate minister as far as Williamsburgh on the road to Glasgow.
[10] Dr. Sibbald writes Boyd, 22d Sept., 1628, “Yesterday, and no sooner, your purpose was handled in the Council and decided. They have ordained the Earl of Abercorn (who used his power here and all his friends and credit against you), his brother, family, and bailies, in peaceable, amicable, and honourable way to repossess you, under pain of all highest penalties ; yea, he hath promised (nec ultro) to do the samein, otherwise presently he had been sickerly fined. Yea, it was told him in Council (asserte) that, had it not been your intercession, they could not have deserved less than a year's ward to his bailie, and the highest punishment to his brother.”
[11] Of the many eminent men who have been ministers of Paisley, Robert Boyd is probably the most noteworthy. He died at Edinburgh, 5th January, 1627. He published several works, the most celebrated of which is his “Commentary on the Epistle to the Ephesians,” which had formed his lectures at Samur. He wrote some beautiful Latin hymns ; one on “The Holy Spirit” has been admirably translated by the Rev. Dr. McGill.