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244 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
A FAMOUS MINISTER OF DAVTOT, 1G72-172G.
In Roman Catholic times the parishes of Daviot and Dunlichity,
which were united in 1618, wore separate charges, Daviot
being what was called h common or mensal church, and Dun-
lichity a parsonage. After the Reformation the parishes were for
a time served by readers, lint in 1579 Hiigh Gregory was parson
of Dunlichity, and since his time the parislies have not, except
for an occasional short period at the death or removal of a minister,
been without an ordained clergyman.
The Strathnairn lairds early ranged themselves on the side of
Protestantism, and the people followed the lairds ; but notwithstanding
this, old customs died hard, and for a long time darkness
and superstition prevailed. Even as late as •23rd November
1643, it was reported to the Presbytery of Inverness "that there
was in the Paroch of Dunlichitie ane Idolatrous Image called St
Finane, keepit in a private house obscurely," and the brethren of
the Presbytery appointed Mr Alexander Thomson, minister of the
parish ; Mr Lauchlan Grant, minister of INIoy ; and Mr Patrick
Dunbar, minister of Dores, "to try iff possible to bring the said
Image the next Presbitiie day." These gentlemen were successful
in their search, and on 7tli December Mr Thomson "presentit the
Idolatrous Image to the Presbitrie, and it was delyverit to the
ministers of Inverness with ordinance that it should be burnt at
their merkat corse, the next Tuysday, after sermone." It is not
clear from this minute, whether Tuesday was a day ordinarily
set apart for preaching, or whether the " sermone '" was specially
ordained to be i)reached in connection with the discovery and
destruction of the image ; but in any case poor St Finane was
doomed, and at a meeting of Presbytery held in Inverness on 21st
December "the ministers of Inverness declairit that according to
the ordinance of the Presbitrie the last day, they caused bimie
the Idolatrous linage at the Merkat Corse, after sermone, upon
Tuysday immediately following the last Presbitrie day." How
unfortunate it is that it was not pi'eseiwed for a place of honour
in one of our museums !
Mr Thomson, who was the means of the removal of St Finane
from his obscure temple, was himself deposed three years later.
He was succeeded by the Rev. Alexander Rose, who was succeeded
by the Rev. Alexander Fraser, who in his turn gave place, in the
year 1672, to the Rev. Michael Fi-aser, the subject of this paper.
For years previous to Mr Fraser's induction. Episcopacy was