Scotland's Forgotten History Podcast

Why did William Reid promise to give himself up to the authorities as a wanted field preacher? And why did he once preach in church with a loaded pistol hung around his neck? There are other stories of narrow escapes even in his death when he escaped the malice of the leader of the Jacobite troops, Lord George Murray who wanted "to have the old dog's bones to bristle in the flames of his own manse". We can see why Thomas Boston described Reid  as "a worthy man, one of the old sufferers in the persecution". Note: Cover Photograph by Simon Warren. This depicts the Rollo Standard referred to in the podcast episode. It was captured at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679 by Major Archibald Rollo, 3rd Lord Rollo (d. 1701), who fought for the royalists. It now hangs in the private collection of the home of the present Lord Rollo, who lives near Dunning in Perthshire and is not readily accessible (information from the Scottish Covenanter Memorial Association).

People suffered a lot for attending the preaching of Alexander Pitcairn. For many years he continued to minister near Perth without compromise or capture. We find out how. Returning again to Dron near Perth, we discover more about its minister and his experiences.Cover Photo © Becky Williamson (cc-by-sa/2.0)

We explore the story behind a secret burial at dead of night.  The deceased young man was only 30 years old but his brief life is worth remembering and some of his dying words retain a unique power. It was the field preacher John Welwood, and he left an abiding influence on another young man Richard Cameron.

Wrestling an armed kidnapper and going on the run as an outlawed preacher: the personal history of James Kirkton is certainly dramatic. But he was more interested in writing a history of the momentous national events through which he lived. That too is an arresting narrative. Find out more in this episode.

How did hissing pupils lead their teacher to discover Reformation teaching? And how did the number 7 feature in the life and ministry of Archibald Simson of Dalkeith? We explore his imprisonment and attempted murder along with other incidents in this episode.

We conclude our series about the Solemn League and Covenant in Ormiston and we discover how and why the international covenant made an international journey from here. What abiding significance did the covenant have after it was publicly burned by the authorities?

The renewing of the Solemn League and Covenant at Aberlady, East Lothian in 1648 gives us the opportunity to consider the international covenant further. The General Assembly had published A Solemn Acknowledgement of Public Sin and Breaches of the Covenant; and a Solemn Engagement to all the Duties contained therein which was to be made use of in this.  It would be publicly read by the minister after a period of public fasting when the Covenant was to be renewed. It was a document that certainly emphasised the "solemn" in Solemn League and Covenant and it was the duty of the Aberlady minister to do this too. We find out more about this event in the penultimate episode in a mini-series on the international covenant.

More than 370 years ago two men were in deep conversation as they walked on the hill now known as the Necropolis in Glasgow. The impact of those deliberations still endures in a publication that they planned together. We also find out how it had a close connection with the final moments on the scaffold for some Covenanters.

The Royal Mile was the trunk of Old Edinburgh with a large number of small alleyways called closes, courts or wynds branching off on each side. Most of the alleyways are called “closes” which tend to be narrow with tall buildings on both sides and access private property. They all have their own names. One of them is called Covenant Close and as you might have guessed there is a story behind this.

You would never realise that this neglected spot within the grounds of Newbattle Abbey witnessed considerable events of such historical significance. Our story weaves around Robert Leighton and the leading Covenanting noble the Earl of Lothian. But there are some other famous Covenanters that share some connection with the location too. 

Could this Covenanters cave in Newbattle near Dalkeith have been a hiding place for the local minister George Johnstone? Who was Johnstone and why was he wanted by the government? We learn much about his life, sufferings and decisions. Will he always stand without wavering?

What exactly was the Solemn League and Covenant all about? Many people were asking this at the time of course. And some tried to help them with published explanations. In this episode we get an overview of the International Covenant and how it was applied by a leading member of the Westminster Assembly - Edmund Calamy.  

Revival came on two different occasions in the 1650s in the same area by the same preacher. Samuel Rutherford said that John Carstairs had "much of heaven in his bosom". We find out more about the prayers and preaching of the man who experienced remarkable revival in Cadder and Kirkintilloch. Cover Image: Cadder: Parish Church cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Martyn Gorman Below Image of Kirkintilloch Auld Kirk cc-by-sa/4.0 © Roger Griffith    

Archibald Campbell's portrait seems stern and forbidding at first glance, but there is an unfortunate reason for that. And as we discover more of the life and words of the Marquis of Argyle it is clear that it would be a big mistake to judge him by his appearance. He was a friend to reformation in life and death.

Interrogated on your way to an illegal worship service. Would you admit where you were going and endanger your life as well as others? Would a lie be wrong? This happened to one young woman and in this episode we find out more about the circumstances and her ingenious response.

A very small glimpse of some ordinary spiritual experiences during a time of widespread revival. If you have wondered what Covenanting communion services were like, including their impact, listen to this episode. Andrew Hay records experiences in the place where Knox and Wishart once preached. N.B. Please note that the ruin is on private land in a domestic garden without public access. Photographs are here.

In the various twists and turns of unfolding events, Alexander Henderson is greatly favoured then scorned by the king within months. But as incidents erupt, negotiations fail and positions harden the destinies of some in England and Scotland begin to move together. For some this is a highly spiritual matter and a reformation movement. Find out more of the eventful journey towards the Solemn, League and Covenant in this episode.  

What was the connection between reformation and covenant? Why did English puritans as well as Scots come to think it was necessary to have a covenant for the whole British Isles?  Most people today know little about the Solemn League and Covenant and what makes it different from the National Covenant. Yet it would certainly cost both blood and tears in Scotland. Over a number of episodes we can follow something of its history and influence, as well as how people responded to it. In this episode we look at the context that gave rise to it.

Many narrow escapes and other experiences filled the life of the man marked by a fine table stone grave at Kirkliston Parish Church. Alexander Reid from Broxburn tells us a lot about his experiences in evading capture. He wrote it all down at the end of his life as a record of "the Lord's mercies to my body, to my soul, and towards the church of God, which has been very remarkable in my days".

We visit the last church to be built in Scotland before the Reformation to discover some of its later history. In 1659, the Covenanter Alexander Peden was here and about to begin his ministry when some dramatic events threatened to put a stop to it. It was said that his anguished prayers could be heard as he paced up and down by the side of the river on stormy winter nights. Jimmy Fisher explains what happened and the significance of Alexander Peden in this episode.

James Harkness from Dumfriesshire was the special object of loathing for the dragoons. They called him Harkness with the "long gun" and were only too pleased to capture him and treat him with brutal contempt. But strangely, that experience was going to turn out for good to the captain of the persecuting dragoons. Jimmy Fisher tells us more about an unusual incident with lasting consequences which took place in the town of Biggar.

We find out about the Covenanter connections with the pretty little village of Skirling. While there is not much information about James Ramage and Alexander Smith, we know much more about Peter Gillies. Driven out of his native district he narrowly escaped from soldiers sent to arrest him. But the next time the curate reported him the soldiers seized him and before he was carried away cruelly interrogated him. Follow his tragic story as told by Jimmy Fisher. Peter's wife was involved in this incident and she received a letter from her husband while he was a prisoner. It is full of affection and faith committing her and their five children (one newly born) to God's care.

Often the scene of danger, Greenhill House now stands in a tranquil corner of the town of Biggar. Lady Greenhill was a wise and courageous protector of Covenanters who sought out her home as a place of refuge. She was a wanted woman by the authorities. Once Claverhouse arrived suddenly with a band of soldiers and there was no time to escape or hide. "Is Lady Greenhill within?" he demanded. " I am Lady Greenhill," she replied coolly. "If you were the lady, you would not so readily acknowledge it." Her working clothes made her seem like a mere servant. After a search, they once again demanded the same question. She replied: "I am all that you will get for Lady Greenhill today". Enraged they continued to search but got nowhere. Listen to some other stories connected to this remarkable place. Once a museum, sadly it is being sold, there are photographs of the interior here. You can sign a petition to retain the house for the community here.  

The long and interesting life of John Flint, encountered many notable theologians. Despite his initial promise and youthful mistakes he proved to be, as Robert Wodrow says, a pious, warm-hearted, useful minister that continued in his commitment to the values of the Covenanters. We visit Lasswade Old Kirk to talk more about this lesser known Covenanting preacher.

We are at the remote spot near Mauldslie, close to Gladhouse Reservoir with the Moorfoot Hills as a backdrop. During the first half of 1679 field meetings were held here on the boundary of the Borders and Midlothian. It was a brief window of powerful preaching. James Currie tells us of the dramatic and lasting impact and how they managed to escape being disrupted.

If you have ever viewed and appreciated the Covenanter Martyrs Memorial at Greyfriars Churchyard in Edinburgh, you have James Currie to thank. It is said that Currie indeed sculpted the panel for the memorial himself. But who was he? He himself had experiences of suffering that he could relate and he was a close associate of leading Covenanters. His wife Helen Alexander was another noted Covenanter and the mother of the girl who organised the Children's Covenant.

We might easily be tempted to romanticise conventicles in the time of snow. In later times poems were written of how "all around the snow was falling, yet there they held their place". The hardship was, however, acute. Such weather also certainly added to the dangers they faced yet people still gathered. We follow the account of one conventicle held during thick snow in the area surrounding Closeburn, near Dumfries to find out more about what they faced.

In the small town of Turriff in Aberdeenshire you can still see the bell that tolled for people to come to worship and hear David Dickson’s sermons. But Dickson was not there voluntarily, he had been banished as a civil punishment. Why was this and what can we still learn from this episode?    

Sometimes a date or an event from Scotland’s Forgotten History crops up unexpectedly in current affairs. In this episode we consider such an echo from 1592, a year of liberty for the Church. What was the Golden Act and how can a simple piece of legislation have such abiding significance in the history of Scotland?

The field preacher Gabriel Semple was incarcerated in the Canongate Tolbooth in 1681. But it was only a brief interlude in a long history of preaching despite persecution. We find out how his experience here fits into the rest of that eventful life of being hunted down with a large price on his head. "What does it matter" he once asked, "how long we suffer in the furnace if [it is] with the company of the Son of God?"                    

Politics and government often present complex realities. How do you face a turbulent political situation and an unwanted regime with conscience and principle? We visit the Scottish headquarters of Oliver Cromwell's regime to consider how Covenanters decided to respond to it. There was much soul searching about the appropriate conscientious obedience they could offer. Was it right to submit to an invading power? Could they preserve principles intact while being peaceable citizens who respected authority? Discover some of their answers in this debate about authority, power and obedience. This episode made use of historical research by Calum Summerill Wright, Scott Spurlock and John Coffey.   

The grave of a Covenanter can be found at the ruined Old Parish Church in Bathgate. We know very little about James Davie except that he lost his life for the sake of hearing the gospel preached. Let's discover what we do know about the circumstances surrounding his death and reflect on what we can learn. Credit: Photograph of grave by Bob Nevada and of Old Parish Church by Semiaza. 

The charming story of a Covenanter forced into exile from Midlothian. He moves right into the heart of Covenanting territory where there are frequent conventicles and Covenanters are ferociously hunted down. So he finds a home in exile very like his own and lives in comparative freedom from trouble while steadfast to his principles. Image: Holy Linn Waterfall near Barscobe, During Flood Conditions cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Duncan McNaught - geograph.org.uk/p/1134531. This was a site for conventicles in the place where Ramsay of Arniston Mains settled.

Join us at the stunning mansion house of Arniston, Midlothian to discover a lesser known principled landowning Covenanter called Sir James Dundas, first Lord of Arniston. His direct descendant Althea Dundas-Bekker invites us to her home to tell us about his life, significance and a forgotten manuscript. As we sit in the part of the house in which Sir James lived, we find out how he faced the choice of whether to sacrifice his conscience or career. If you would like a guided tour of Arniston House from Althea during May to September go to www.arnistonhouse.com to book. You can also arrange private group tours on request.

David Dickson’s sermons on the book of Lamentations, preached in the year 1628 have been forgotten. They were never ever published. But they have now come to light and contain some very relevant teaching for us in our current context. The published volume can be purchased here.  

During several weeks in the spring of 1674, meetings with Covenanter preachers spread like wild fire everywhere across the south of Scotland. Thousands attended and the government could scarcely restrain them. In this episode, we are at the site of Woolmet Chapel in Danderhall. We discover a little more of this dramatic interlude in a dark period of suffering and its significance.

We continue to follow John Fraser and Jean Moffat's journey to Glencorse Old Kirk. Surviving a woeful Atlantic voyage, they find liberty and marriage in New England. But their haven of rest in Glencorse will be shortlived. Find out why. The intertwined hearts in the window in Glencorse Old Kirk is an appropriate motif for their experience. Please note that Glencorse Old Kirk is privately owned by Glencorse House and any visits must be prior arrangement with them. Grateful thanks to them for the opportunity to visit and their very kind assistance.

The tranquil setting of Glencorse Old Kirk has enchanted many and is a popular wedding location. John Fraser and Jean Moffat settled nearby but their journey there from the Highlands and the Borders was one of intense suffering. Only in their twenties, their troubled experiences are uncovered in this episode.  Please note that Glencorse Old Kirk is privately owned by Glencorse House and any visits must be prior arrangement with them. Grateful thanks to them for the opportunity to visit and their very kind assistance.

William Traill started out as a chaplain near Borthwick, Midlothian but after many years in Donegal and Maryland he returned to minister here. His brother Robert Traill addressed his book Justification Vindicated to him here. We discover how he influenced Francis Makemie to establish some of the earliest churches for the Scots-Irish communities.  Find out also how he was helped in his work at Borthwick by some mysterious knocks.

A lot was going on in Edinburgh during the time that all meetings outside the parish churches were made illegal. People were gathering for worship in houses every day, right under the noses of the authorities. This is why the story of a not especially well known minister and the street in which he lived on the edge of the Old Town has more to it than meets the eye.  

Not everyone in Scotland's history kept silent about the evil of slavery. Samuel Rutherford made a very powerful case against slavery in his classic book Lex, Rex which was published in 1645. Listen to find out how his resistance to slavery was crucial to his whole understanding of civil freedom. You may wish to listen to episode 63 "Royal statues, Slavery and Persecution" in addition to understand how appallingly easily slavery reconciled with Stuart Absolutism.  

Some of James Guthrie's last words are well known, others not so much. We look at the abiding relevance of some of what he said on the edge of eternity. It was a message of both hope and warning that we still need to hear today. If you want to know more about James Guthrie take a look at this video or listen to this podcast episode.

This is a third reading from Samuel Rutherford’s book Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself. For more about the book see the podcast episode 57 interview with Rob McCurley. This reading is kindly supplied by Rev Bryan Peters of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Columbus, Indiana.

This is a second reading from Samuel Rutherford’s book Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself. For more about the book see the podcast episode 57 interview with Rob McCurley. This reading is kindly supplied by Rev Bryan Peters of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Columbus, Indiana.

This is a reading from Samuel Rutherford's book Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself. For more about the book see the podcast episode 57 interview with Rob McCurley. This reading is kindly supplied by Rev Bryan Peters of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Columbus, Indiana.