James Kirkton (1628–1699) was a

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

minister and author. He is best known as author of ''The Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland'', which despite being over 300 years old, remains in print.

Life

He was born in 1628. He studied at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

graduating MA in 1647. He was a bursar of the Presbytery of

Jedburgh Jedburgh (; gd, Deadard; sco, Jeddart or ) is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and the traditional county town of the historic county of Roxburghshire, the name of which was randomly chosen for Operation Jedburgh in su ...

and was first ordained as "second charge" minister of

Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...

in 1655 translating to

Mertoun Mertoun is a parish in the south-west of the historic county of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Together with the parish of Maxton, Roxburghshire it forms the Maxton and Mertoun Community Council area. It was included in t ...

in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

in 1657. He was deprived of office in 1662 for differences with the new political and religious climate (primarily the reintroduction of Episcopacy) and sought refuge first in England. He was in Edinburgh in June 1676 when he was seized as a rebel by Captain Carstairs, but his release was negotiated by his brother-in-law, Robert

Baillie of Jerviswood Robert Baillie (known as Baillie of Jerviswood; 24 December 1684) was a Scottish conspirator incriminated in the Rye House Plot against King Charles II. He was executed for treason. Baillie was the son of George Baillie of St John's Kirk, Lana ...

, who had great influence. He afterwards took refuge in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

. He returned to Scotland in July 1687 after the "Toleration" and preached from a meeting house on Castlehill, at the head of the

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. In 1691 he succeeded William Gardyne as minister of Tolbooth Parish, one of the four parishes contained within

St Giles Cathedral St Giles' Cathedral ( gd, Cathair-eaglais Naomh Giles), or the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Old Town of Edinburgh. The current building was begun in the 14th century and extended ...

, a very prestigious charge. During his ministry in Edinburgh he is noted for criticising

cockernonnie A cockernonnie or cockernonie was an old Scottish women's hairstyle. It was a gathering up of the hair, after a fashion similar to the modern '' chignon'', and sometimes called a "cock-up". Mr. Kirkton of Edinburgh, preaching against "cock-ups" � ...

s - a hairstyle fashonable with women in the late 17th century, and was affronted when he saw his own daughter in church sporting this "cock-up": "I have spent all this year preaching against the vanity of women, yet I see my own daughter in the kirk even now, with as high a 'cock-up' as any of you all." He died on 17 September 1699. He was buried in the Trotter vault at the north end of

Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town, adjacent to George Heriot's School. Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a num ...

. Not until 1706 was a replacement minister found for Tolbooth parish: Rev John Mathison.

Family

On New Year's Eve 1657/8 he married Elizabeth (Grissel) Bailie (d.1697) daughter of George Bailie of Jerviswood and sister of Robert

. Their children included: *George Kirkton MD an Edinburgh physician *Dr Andrew Kirkton (d.1694) *Captain James Kirkton RN *William Kirkton, drowned in the

Water of Leith The Water of Leith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Uisge Lìte'') is the main river flowing near central Edinburgh, Scotland, and flows into the port of Leith where it flows into the sea via the Firth of Forth. Name The name ''Leith'' may be of Britto ...

in 1676 *Elizabeth died 1673 *Rachel died 1700 His wife and most of his children predeceased him and all are buried at Greyfriars near the Trotter monument.

Publications

*Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland (c.1690)Herald (newspaper) 21 October 1995 *Life of Mr John Welch, Minister of the Gospel at Ayr (1703)

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkton, James 1628 births 1699 deaths Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Ministers of St Giles' Cathedral Burials at Greyfriars Kirkyard 17th-century Ministers of the Church of Scotland