Robert Bennet | |
|---|---|
 Field of stubble above Chesters Glen | |
| Personal | |
| Religion | Christianity |
| School | Presbyterianism |
Robert Bennet of Chesters was a 17th-century Scottish gentleman. He lived in the Scottish Borders. Chesters or Grange lies on the banks of the Teviot and is close to the town of Ancrum in Roxburghshire.
Lilliesleaf Moor, which then extended westward to Satchels and Grundistone, was the scene of many a conventicle. From Government papers we are warranted to infer that field-meetings were held for some time regularly nearly every Sabbath during summer and winter on Lilliesleaf and Hassendean moors, Blackriddel hill, and other places in the neighbourhood. Meldrum, the notorious Border persecutor, made the following statement before the Privy Council : — "The shire of Selkirk and the country there about is notoriously known to be the most disorderly part of the kingdom, and there have been always more conventicles there than in any other shire." The place in the neighbourhood of Selkirk where conventicles were most frequently held seems to have been Lilliesleaf Moor. [1]
Robert Bennet became a religious man. His own minister was the famous John Livingstone of Ancrum. He in his own writings records how he was greatly affected following the preaching of Rutherford (possibly Samuel Rutherford) at a communion service, led by Livingstone, in Wilton church on Sunday 22 June 1656.
Afterwards Bennet, who was around 35 years old at the time, made a personal covenant with God:
"The Lord, who is rich in mercy to all that call on Him, by providence in my portion of Scripture that morning, did not leave me comfortless, but held forth the sweet promise of Isaiah chapter 55 verse 7, 'Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.' Quhairunto as I could with heart and goodwill, I engaged, with my hands lifted up, to the Most High to forsake all my wicked ways; and, as He would enable, to devote myself to His feare; and solemlie vowes myself to be a Nazarite unto God; and earnestly beggs a heart to call Him my God and Father, and nocht depairt from His wayes, and mak me mindfull of my vowes, and enable me with strenth from above to perform the sam. So help me God. (Signed) ROBERT BENNET."
The Covenant thus made had a most powerful influence on Bennet's walk and conversation. He renewed it each year on 16 January as long as he lived. His wife's extravagance brought him into troublesome debt, but he faced all trials in a noble spirit. [4]
In 1676, Robert Bennet of Chesters was declared an outlaw and had all his possessions seized due to the fact he had attended conventicles by John Blackadder and others. [5] The conventicles took place on Lilliesleaf moor. [6] [7] He was known as a prisoner from the Bass Rock. He was heavily fined and repeatedly imprisoned on the island in the Firth of Forth for stating that he would not attend open air church services. The main reason behind his detention in the Bass was his taking part in "armed conventicles". He was sentenced on 2 May 1677 and transferred from the Tolbooth to the Bass by 3 horsemen and 6 footmen. [8] [9] He was fined 4000 merks on 28 June 1677. [10] Other counts were preferred against him, such as refusing to wait upon the "preaching of the curates" and to forego the ministrations of one "John Welsh; a declared rebel and traitor". He was fined four thousand merks Scots, and ordained to be carried to the Bass until he made payment thereof. [11] He was ordered to be set free on 9 October 1677. [12]
He married Anna Douglas. He was given leave to visit her from the Bass when she was on her deathbed on 18 February 1678. [13] He was ordered to be put into house arrest on 13 June 1678. [14] Robert seems to have had a least one daughter: Christian who married Walter Scot. [15] He also had a son named Archibald. [16]
John Michael Welsh of Irongray was a leader of the Scottish Covenanter movement. Dunlop an early 20th century writer says: "It is a noteworthy fact that there exists no memoir of John Welsh of Irongray, though from the Battle of Rullion Green till Bothwell Bridge he was the most conspicuous Covenanting minister in Scotland. Had he glorified God in the Grassmarket, or fallen in some scuffle with Claverhouse's dragoons, or even like his friend Blackadder of Troqueer languished in prison on the Bass Rock, some pious hand would have been moved to write his story." Dunlop also wrote: "The events of Welsh's life must be sought for in the pages of Wodrow and Kirkton and in the letters and State papers of the reign of Charles II. After spending a fortnight hunting him in the British Museum, I have come to sympathise with Clavers and his dragoons. Mr John Welsh is a most elusive gentleman."
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the Scottish monarch. In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of the Kingdom of Scotland. The council supervised the administration of the law, regulated trade and shipping, took emergency measures against the plague, granted licences to travel, administered oaths of allegiance, banished beggars and gypsies, dealt with witches, recusants, Covenanters and Jacobites and tackled the problem of lawlessness in the Highlands and the Borders.
Sir John Lauder of Fountainhall, 2nd Baronet, Lord Fountainhall was one of Scotland's leading jurists who remains to this day an oft consulted authority. He was knighted in 1680 and matriculated his Arms with the Lyon Court on 15 June 1699.
Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth, Knt., was an armiger, lawyer and Clerk of Exchequer in Scotland. In 1683 he was made a Justice of the Peace for Haddingtonshire. As Robert Lauder of Belhaven he was in the old Scottish parliament for Haddington in 1685, and, as Sir Robert Lauder of Beilmouth, in 1704. He was also Commissioner of Supply for Haddington in 1689 and 1690.
John Stewart was a 17th-century Scottish minister.
Robert Garnock was a Scottish covenanter. He was baptised by James Guthrie and like him was hanged in Edinburgh although at a different time and place; Guthrie was executed about 20 years before Garnock.
Robert Dick of Prestonpans was a 17th-century merchant and inspector of salt works to Lord Carringtoune. He was arrested on 4 September 1676 for attending an open-air service in the Pentland Hills.
John Dickson was a 17th-century minister from Rutherglen in Scotland. He was a Covenanting field-preacher and a close associate of John Blackadder. For preaching outdoors without a licence he was imprisoned on the Bass Rock from 1 September 1680 to 8 October 1686.
Robert Traill was a church minister at Cranbrook in Kent. He was born at Elie in Fife in 1642. He was incarcerated on the Bass Rock, an island in the Firth of Forth from July 19, 1677 to October 5, 1677. His work was often quoted by J. C. Ryle and is still published in the 21st century.
Rev Archibald Riddell (1635–1708) was a Scots-born 17th-century Presbyterian church minister in Scotland and America. His name is sometimes spelled Riddel. He preached at conventicles in a time when such actions were considered high treason. He was imprisoned on the Bass Rock and was later banished to New Jersey.
John Rae was the son of William Rae, burgess of Edinburgh. He served heir 7 February 1666. He was educated at the University of Glasgow and graduated with an M.A. in 1651.
Alexander Dunbar was a Covenanting field preacher and school teacher. He was imprisoned on the Bass Rock for about a year between 1685 and 1686.
John Greig was a Presbyterian minister from Scotland.
William Lin or William Line was a 17th-century Presbyterian lawyer from Scotland. Phillimore calls him a Writer to the Signet which would make him a senior lawyer. He may have been from in or around Kirklistoun.
Thomas Ross of Nether Pitkerrie, was born about 1614. He was the son of George Ross of Nether Pitkerrie. He continued in Kincardine after the establishment of prelacy and owes his leaving to a meeting with John M'Gilligan.
Robert Ross was a Presbyterian preacher. He did not have a government licence to preach. He was apprehended at Leith and sent to the Bass Rock. He was kept in confinement there for upwards of three months from April 4-July 19, 1679.
John M'Gilligen was a 17th-century Presbyterian minister. He resisted the demands of the Episcopalian authorities and was imprisoned on the Bass Rock. His name is sometimes also spelled as John MacKilligen or John M'Killican or John MacKillican or even John M'Gilligine.
John King was an outlawed minister of the Covenant, chaplain at one time to Lord Cardross, but seized by Claverhouse among the insurgents after the affair at Drumclog. King was taken to Edinburgh along with another preacher named John Kid. They were each subjected to torture, condemned to death, and executed. Following his death King's head and limbs were displayed at the Netherbow Port on Edinburgh's Royal Mile beside James Guthrie's skull.
John Kid was an outlawed minister of the Covenant. He was seized by Claverhouse among the insurgents after the affair at Drumclog. He was released by the insurgents but recaptured in a bog a few miles from Bothwell Bridge with a sword in his belt. Kid was taken to Edinburgh along with another preacher named John King. They were each subjected to torture, by the boots, condemned to death, and executed. Following his death Kid's head and limbs were displayed at the Netherbow Port on Edinburgh's Royal Mile beside James Guthrie's skull.
John Balfour of Kinloch was the principal actor in the assassination of Archbishop Sharp in 1679. For this crime his estate was forfeited and a large reward offered for his capture. He fought at Drumclog and at Bothwell Bridge, and is said to have escaped to Holland, and to have there tendered his services to the Prince of Orange.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain . This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .