deliberations, they resolved to build a church and call a minister, which they accordingly did, and erected on the present site, a church capable of holding twelve hundred people, which was not long of being completely filled. At the small historic gathering just mentioned the assembled company had only ten pence half penny among them, but whether this was before or after the refreshments were paid for tradition sayeth not! While the church was building, the infant congregation met for public worship in a disused circus at the foot of Sugarhouse Lane. This meeting in a change house to form a congregation may be considered by us as somewhat out of place, but we know that ecclesiastical affairs were most frequently transacted in similar places, and it may be mentioned, in corroboration of this, that the bonds issued by the Council, for the expense of building the Mid Kirk, were

I

as

signed in what was then known "M'Dougall's Tap Tap Room," in Room," in William Street.

From what has already been said as to the strict Presbyterianism of the town, it follows, as a matter of course, that breaches of the Fourth Commandment bulk largely in the old Session Minutes, from which records these glimpses of the old life of our town have been largely drawn. In the Minutes we find notices of women placed under Session discipline, for alleged breaches of that commandment, by carrying water (in one case the accused pleaded that it was a work of necessity, being for a sick cow), another for cutting kail, another for carrying a bundle of pease, another for selling bread to a young maid (both buyer and seller being rebuked in this case), and another, for entertaining idle company, and setting ale to them in the hours of Divine worship. The cutty

stool on which delinquents under Session discipline were compelled to sit, in presence of the assembled congregation, while rebuke was being administered, still forms part of the ecclesiastical furniture of our Old West Kirk. As for the men, notwithstanding frequent admonition anent observing the Sabbath day, we find that they continued 'vaging in the streets and fields, and gathering in companys in yards, and at the harbour heads in both towns' [i.e., Greenock and Crawfurdsdyke], and the Session accordingly ordained that 'two Elders, attended by one of the Town Officers, should go through the two towns in the forenoon, and other two in the afternoon services, and give an account of any they found vaging or walking disorderly.' Many delinquents were brought under discipline by means of this roving commission, or other ecclesiastical inquisition—one man for remaining in his

boat on the Lord's day, while another unfortunate wretch is censured for 'leading turf from the moor so soon on Monday morning, by break of day, that the same could not be done without breach of Sabbath, the night having been of the shortest when he did it,' and so on in endless variety. Even children were dealt with. Thus, we find one, Robert Hamilton, being brought before the Session, and not being able to give any satisfying reason for, or account of, his staying in the boat, received a Sessional rebuke, and was dismissed with a certification, if ever he be found doing so hereafter, he shall be censured more severely, and its ordered James Craford [Elder] apply in name of the Session to Sir John Shaw, or his Bailiff, that some corporal punishment may be inflicted on him, to the terror of others; and his father being present is admonished to take care his children observe the Sabbath better in