Reforming the Scottish Parish: The Reformation in Fife, 1560-1640

287 Pages·2010·3.672 MB·English

by  John McCallum

Reforming the Scottish Parish
The Reformation in Fife, 1560-1640
John McCallum
Reforming the Scottish Parish
For my parents
Reforming the Scottish Parish
The Reformation in Fife, 1560–1640
John MccalluM
University of St Andrews, UK
© John Mccallum 2010
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission
of the publisher.
John Mccallum has asserted his right under the copyright, Designs and Patents
Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Mccallum, John.
Reforming the Scottish parish : the Reformation in Fife, 1560–1640. –
(St andrews studies in Reformation history)
1. Reformation – Scotland – Fife. 2. Parishes – Scotland – Fife–history –
16th century. 3. church management– Scotland – Fife – history –
16th century.
I. Title II. Series
274.1’2906–dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mccallum, John, Dr.
Reforming the Scottish parish : the reformation in Fife, 1560–1640
/ John Mccallum.
p. cm. — (St. andrews studies in Reformation history)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7546-9624-7 (ebook)
1. church of Scotland—history—16th century. 2. Fife (Scotland)
—church history— 16th century. 3. Reformation—Scotland—Fife.
I. Title.
BX9071.M33 2009
285’.2412909031—dc22
2009046528
ISBN 9780754669104 (hbk)
ISBN 9780754696247 (ebk)
V
contents
List of Charts vii
List of Tables ix
Abbreviations xi
Conventions xiii
Acknowledgements xv
Map of Fife xvii
Introduction 1
1 The Reformation of the Ministry 11
2 The Reformation of Discipline 37
3 The Reformation of Worship 73
4 Sermon, Song and Text: Religious Instruction in Fife
and Beyond 95
5 The Ministry as a Profession 121
6 The Kirk Session in Context 153
7 ‘Ecclesiastical Discipline uprightlie ministred’: Discipline
in action 189
Conclusion 231
Bibliography 237
Index 255
ThIS pAge hAS Been LeFT BLAnK InTenTIonALLy
list of charts
1.1 Parish provision in Dunfermline area/presbytery 18
1.2 Parish provision in Kinross area/presbytery 18
1.3 Parish provision in St andrews area/presbytery 20
1.4 Parish provision in Kirkcaldy area/presbytery 21
1.5 Parish provision in cupar area/presbytery 22
1.6 Parish provision across Fife 23
1.7 Proportion of Fife parishes sharing ministers, 1576–1601 25
2.1 Sexual cases as a proportion of total cases, St Andrews Kirk
Session, 1580–1600 49
2.2 Number of meetings p.a. of Abercrombie Kirk Session,
1597–1633 58
2.3 Cases before Abercrombie Kirk session in six-year blocks,
1597–1640 58
3.1 Frequency of communion in Fife parishes, 1600–1640 82
5.1 length of service by Fife ministers 129
5.2 Proportion of university-educated ministers, by decade
intake 136
6.1 Inventories of Burgh Elders’ Testaments 163
7.1 Breakdown of offences in Burntisland using broad
categories 194
7.2 Breakdown of offences in Culross using broad categories 198
7.3 Breakdown of offences in Abercrombie using broad
categories 201
ThIS pAge hAS Been LeFT BLAnK InTenTIonALLy
list of Tables
1.1 Dates of creation of second charges, 1589–1641 19
1.2 The sharing of ministers 26
2.1 Earliest survival of kirk session minutes in Fife up to
1640 44
2.2 Disciplinary acts in anstruther before James Melville,
1575–85 53
2.3 Disciplinary acts in anstruther under James Melville,
1586–90 55
2.4 Disciplinary acts in abercrombie, 1597–1640 60
5.1 Number of parishes served, by decade intake 126
5.2 Number of moves between parishes, by decade intake 126
5.3 Length of service in Fife parishes, by decade intake 127
5.4 Number of years served per parish, by decade intake 128
5.5 Number of presbyteries served in, by decade intake 130
5.6 Disciplinary proceedings against Fife ministers, 1560–1640 133
5.7 Educational background of Fife ministers, by decade intake 135
5.8 Educational attainments of Fife ministers at St andrews
university 139
6.1 Attendance by members of Anstruther Kirk Session, 1601 157
7.1 Numbers of cases pursued by Burntisland Kirk Session,
1602–40 193
7.2 Numbers of cases pursued by Monimail Kirk Session,
1629–40 196
7.3 Numbers of cases pursued by Culross Kirk Session,
1630–40 197
7.4 Numbers of cases pursued by Abercrombie Kirk Session,
1597–1640 200