The Right Reverend James Nicolson, Bishop of Dunkeld

RIGHT REVEREND JAMES NICOLSON

Minister of the Gospel at Cortachy; Minister of the Gospel at Meigle; Bishop of Dunkeld

Evidence from the National Records of Scotland

                   1

1 March 1571-72: Charter by which James VI, King of Scots, confirms a gift of a annual pension of £60 to: "Johanne Duncanesoun minister of Christis ewangell at Strivling toun and in oure soverane lord the kingis hous." The pension had previously been held by: "James Nicolson clerk of the thriddis" who had resigned it in favour of his son James Nicolson, who had also resigned it because he was: "vexit" with infirmity and was not expected to survive for very long. RMS 1456-80: charter number 2026

                   2

1 July 1609: Agreement between Jeane Ramsay, widow of the late Mr James Nicolsone, sometime minister at Megill, as tutrix to James, Margaret and Elizabeth Nicolsone, their children, and Mr David Lyndesay, minister at Dundee. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Lindsay family of Dowhill, reference GD254/361

                   3

6 and 10 December 1619: Contract of marriage between James Lindesay, son of Mr John Lindesay of Dowhill, and Margaret Nicolsone, eldest daughter of the late Mr James Nicolsone, parson of Megill. National Records of Scotland, Papers of the Lindsay family of Dowhill, reference GD254/373

Evidence from Bamff Charters

14 and 22 July 1609: Bamff Charters: charter number 140

Printed Evidence

1. Registrum Magni Sigilli Regum Scotorum. The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, A.D. 1546-1580. Edited by John Maitland Thomson, MA., Advocate. (H. M. General Register House, Edinburgh, 1886), 1180 pp. including indices and errata
2. Bamff Charters A.D. 1232-1703, with introduction, biographical summary and notes. Edited by Sir James H. Ramsay, Bart. of Bamff, Litt.D., LL.D. (Oxford University Press, 1915), 392 pp. including index

Genealogy

The County Families of the Shetland Islands: Nicolson of that Ilk, Lasswade and Lochend

Biographical Summary

JAMES NICOLSON, the second son of James Nicolson: "He received a grant of a pension of £60 per annum on 6th February, 1571, from Robert, Bishop of Caithness, payable from the Abbey of St Andrews, “becaus he hes bene twyis schorne of the stane, and is continewallie vexit with that infirmitie.” He was a prominent man in the Church of Scotland soon after the Reformation, and was minister of Cortachy in 1580, and Meigle in 1583. He was selected by the General Assembly to sit in conference regarding stipends in 1592, 1596, 1606, and 1607, was appointed Bishop of Dunkeld in 1606, and died 17th August, 1607, when Gavin, Bishop of Galloway, was appointed to fill his place. He married Jane, daughter of Gilbert Ramsay of Banff, and had issue: (1) James
(2) Margaret (3) Bessie." The County Families of the Shetland Islands