19 September1999 alan.hewat@gmail.com 19 September1999 alan.hewat@gmail.com
The Minister or Moderator of the Roxburgh Kirk (1718-1734) at the time of the 1727 Heuitt Bussiness was a certain Mr John Pollock. Here he is described at the end of the 1790's in the Statistical Account by one of his successors, Andrew Bell, who served (1781 - 1819), immediately after Barbara (Hogg) Hewat's brother Robert Hogg 1735 -1781, about which he has little good to say, although he does acknowledge that the church built in Robert's time is a fine place.
Mr Pollock lived not long to prosecute the remarkable sucess with which his ministry was attended in this parish. Designed by Providence to instruct a rude race of men, he was endowed with many qualifications requisite for that important task. A robust constitution, and a bold impetuous temper; unweried attention to the care of his pastoral office; and a rigid execution of discipline; a competent share of various erudition, and very condiderable powers of address, procured for him the lasting memorial of having turned many from darkness to the light. Scarely above one in a family, from his days, having been taught to read here, under his tuition the youths not only obtained the elements of useful knowledge of school, but were olbiged to commit the principles of religion and morality, as recommended by the constitution of this kingdom, carefully to memory, and repeat them publically at church, which gave early and salutary ideas of civil and sacred virtues that the lapse of time has not entirely wiped away.
His few surviving disciples talk of these things with delight; and discover the mingled sensations of joy and trembling, while they speak of the great oaken stick wherewith Mr Pollock always walked, over-awing the insolent; or the engaging means by which he encouraged the timid and deserving.
Mr Hogg was a native of the Parish, and wore out his days in serving this cure with much esteem, respect and usefulness. He died on the 3rd day of February 1781, in the 46th year of his ministry, and was succeeded by the present incumbent in the month of November following.
The church was built in the year 1752; was the first modern house of that kind in this corner of the country; is in good repair, neat and commodiously fitted up for holding the people. Though plain and simple in construction, the present church forms a striking contrast to the old one here, and shows how differently men in ancient and modern times think of places fittest for devotional excercises. Agreeably, as it would seem, to the old idea, that the spirit of devotion likes best to dwell in gloomy retreats, the kirk at Roxburgh was almost wholly under ground, roofed with a strong arch, and totally overgrown with grass. The people entered to the place of worship through an aisle* of the same construction, and descended by six or seven steps into the body of the church (perhaps the particular construction of that edifice had been intended as a kind of security to the worshippers in times of persecution and danger).
[I don't imagine any of the Hewats I know, having a certain disregard for Authority, would greatly appreciate Mr Pollock and his stick; no wonder James had problems. Andrew Bell then procedes to complain about the damp conditions of his manse and his own salary, before giving us in very general terms his statistical account, from which we learn that there are only 8 extensive farms, plus 14 small tenants, and a dozen cotlanders in the village, possessing only 2 acres each. Unfortunately he gives few details, which would have been interesting since Andrew was back from the Carolina's at this time. He does give a fine account of the beauty of the place, but laments the poor state of the roads and the lack of fuel, to drive out the damp no doubt].
Memorials of death and slaughter appear in many parts of this parish, from human bones, sometimes scattered in the open field uncoffined; sometimes huddled together head to foot, in a hole in the earth, and covered with rugged stones; and sometimes found in cells of mouldering towers, with instruments of murder in their bowels.
Surveying the plains where armies a hundred thousand strong had marched, empurpling the earth with blood, now abundantly yielding food for man and beast, men grasp in joyful expectation that halycon era, when the spears of every land shall, as here, be beat into plough-shares, and the still voice charm the warriors confused noise into perpetual silence.
The earth was clearly not the only thing empurpled.
*This aisle is still remaining, and is the family burying-place belonging to the Sunlaws (in 1790)
Such as wish a full account of this place, may consult the History of Scotland, Redpath's Border History, Pennant's Tour, and particularly a manuscript History of Roxburgh, formerly in the Advocate's Library, Edinburgh, and the writer supposes may still be seen there.
Alan William Hewat (alan.hewat@gmail.com)