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Topic Originator: Paralex
Date: Mon 14 Oct 23:35
Having been in North Berwick last week meeting up with Buspasspar, he mentioned a Covenanter by the name of John Blackader whose grave is in a churchyard just south of the High Street, in North Berwick. It put me in mind to read up some of the circumstances of his life. This quotation, I thought, might be interesting to Fifers of West Fife. "Some of the conventicles in which John Blackader played a principal part, were very noteworthy. There was, for example, the gathering on the Hill of Beath, near Dunfermline, in the midsummer of 1670. It was a district where ignorance and profanity were prevalent and to ensure a sense of decorum and appropriate solemnity from a barbarous people, he took his friend John Dickson with him." (The folk on the Hill of Beath couldn’t have been that barbarous because they assembled on the hill at 8am and listened intently till 11am).
Post Edited (Mon 14 Oct 23:43)
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Topic Originator: red-star-par
Date: Tue 15 Oct 14:20
"Ignorance and profanity were prevalent", it`s no` changed
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Topic Originator: Paralex
Date: Tue 15 Oct 14:44
From my part Red-star, I couldn`t go pointing any fingers because, all of my ancestors that I know of came from various parts of Fife, including West Fife. But it seems slightly strange that certain areas were regarded in that light during a period of Scottish history where great deeds of self sacrifice were being offered in the cause of national ecclesiastical freedom. I am fascinated in the reasons why so many, including John Blackader, were prepared to be imprisoned (on the Bass Rock, in his case) and eventually die, for a matter of the autonomy of the people of Scotland to establish and regulate their own form of Christian worship.
There are many monuments and sites in Scotland associated with the Covenantors including the memorial in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, where very bold young and older adherents of the National Covenant gave cheerful speeches from the scaffold. I don`t know of too many in Fife. But there is a grave with five Covenanters in a wood near Strathkinness.
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Topic Originator: Paralex
Date: Wed 16 Oct 00:15
Cheers Buspass, I`ll check out the one in Aberdour, next time I`m there. I think the one in Cupar is in a graveyard with a chained gate but I`ll find out about that too. It`s a wee hobby of mine.
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Topic Originator: Bletchley_Par
Date: Wed 16 Oct 20:19
Here is the entry on Blackadder from the Annals of Dunfermline and Vicinity (Ebenezer Henderson, 1879) the whole book is available online and in print, it covers Dunfermline history from 1069 - 1878 and is recognised as a book of historical and cultural importance.
I remember reading about Blackadder`s name from it and his meeting on Hill of Beath.
CONVENTICLE MEETING ON HILL-OF-BEATH.—In the middle of June, 1670, a conventicler, or field meeting, was held on the Hill-of-Beath, four miles north-east of Dunfermline. The preacher was the celebrated and pious Mr. John Blackadder, the ejected minister of Troqueer, which produced a profound sensation in the parish; great numbers assembled from places 12 to 20 miles around. About 2000 are supposed to have been present at “the gathering.” Shortly after public worship had begun, on the Lord’s day, some officers of militia rode up, as if to disturb and disperse them. These officers were promptly met by the men on watch, armed for self-defence. The prudent interference of Mr. Blackadder prevented an “outbreak,” and worship under the canopy of heaven was continued without further molestation. There was a remarkable manifestation of spiritual influence in the sacred services of that day, long held in remembrance.
The news of “this horrid insult,” as the treatment of these military officers was called, having reached Edinburgh, Archbishop Sharp caused a rigorous inquiry to be made as to who were there; so that many country gentlemen who were at the meeting were put to much trouble and expense in consequence. Among others, Robert Wellwood of Touch, one mile and a half east of Dunfermline, confessed before the constituted Council that he had been present, and was fined in 500 merks (£27 15s.6d. sterling), and ordered to lie in prison till he paid it, and to engage in a bond of 2000 merks to frequent no more such meetings. This was “the first armed conventicler after the Restoration.” In one way, this Prelatic “Persecution” between 1670 and 1688, was as bad as the Roman Catholic “Persecution” between 1538 and 1559. (Chal. Hist. Dunf. vol. i. p. 278, and Hist. Scot.)
https://www.electricscotland.com/history/dunfermline/index.htm
You can buy the "Annals of Dunfermline and Vicinity" on Amazon for about £18, it a great read even just to open at a random page and get some local history.
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