Download Volume 12 here

422 Gaelic Society of Inuerness.
—
—
others for want of room (|ch frequently occasions an intolerable
ajid unwholesome small in the Congregation, and may have very
bad efll'cts on the people while attending Divine worbhip. The
Session do refer tlie consideration yrof to tlic Pbty entreating they
may put a stop to such a bade practice."
Tiie fiddling propensities of the Badenoeli people of the time
appear to have been altogether irrepressible, and to have, for a
lengthened period, greatly exercised the reforming zeal of the
Kingussie Session. Here is one of numerous entries of what the
Session term " heathenish practices " at Leickwakes
March lOth, 1728.—This day were called John Campbell, in
Kinvonigag, John M'Edward, in Knockichican, and Donald
M'Alvea, in Killiehuntly, and only conijieared John M 'Edward,
who confessed that he had a tiddler in liis house at tlie Ijcickwake
of a dead person, but said he did not think it a sin, it leingso long
a custoine in this country. The Session finding tliat it is not easie
to rout out so prevailing a custonie, do agree that for the more
eflectual discouraging such a heathenisli practice, the INlinister represent
from the Pulpit how undecent and unbecoming to the
designs of ye Christian religion such an abuse is, they all appoint
that the civil Judge be applied for suppressing the same."
The result of the application to the Civil Judge is recorded a
few days later as follows :
" March \lth, 1728.—This day tlie Minister read from the
pulpit an Act of the Court, enacting and ordaining tliat all fiddlers
playing at any Leickwakes in time coming shall pay to James
Gordon, Procui-ator-Fiscal of Court, five ])ounds Scots for each
contravention, and each person who calls or entertains them in
their families shall pay to the said James Gordon twenty pounds
Scots for each contravention, and the said James Gordon is hereby
empowered to seize any fiddlers t-o playing at Leickwakes, and to
secure ym until they pay their fines, and find caution they shall
not play at Leickwakes in time coming."
The watchful Session appear to have been fully alive to the
possible danger of allowing unaccredited interlopers to settle in the
Parish. In one of their minutes, an " Angus M'Intire, now in
Coirarnisdel "—even although a " Mac " and presumably a Highlander—is
peremptorily summoned to a])pear before them to " give
an account of himself, as a stranger come into the Parish without
a testimonial."
Tn the next extract we have an enactment directed against
matrimonial contracts on the Saturdays :
—