| Administrative History | Born in 1670, William Mitchell was minister of two churches in Edinburgh, the Canongate in 1695 and Old Kirk in 1708, before being called to the second charge of St. Giles, the High Kirk, in 1718. He was moderator of the General Assembly on six occasions from 1710 to 1726. He died, still at St. Giles, in 1727. |
| Description | Volume of notes made by William Mitchell of sermons by James Nisbet (1676 - 1756), Samuel Semple (1666 - 1742), James Walker (d 1752) and others, 1699 - 1723. It is unclear whether Mitchell made these notes while acting as Moderator or whether he took them in his own church while others were preaching. The manuscript consists of summaries rather than transcriptions and appear to be in Mitchell's own hand, except those on folios 96 - 99. Eleven sermons are unascribed and may be notes by Mitchell for sermons of his own. On folio 1 recto is a list of twelve texts of sermons for which notes are given on folios 2-21, with the names of the preachers added in a later hand in pencil. Folio 1 verso is blank and folio 2 recto begins: 'Notes of Sermons as I can remember them'. At the end of the volume is a collection of extracts from or comments on the writings of Thomas Manton (1620-1677), the English Presbyterian divine.The contents are as follows:
Sermon, 'Edinburgh Mr James Nisbet, begun at his entry in the old Church which was 27 Septr 1713'; text: Ps. xxi.13 (folios 2 recto - 4 recto)
1 November 1713
Sermon, Old Church, Mr James Nisbet; text: Ps. xxxix.4 (folios 4 recto - 6 verso)
6 December 1713
Sermon, Old Church, Mr James Nisbet: text: Ps. cxvi.16 (folios 6 verso - 7 verso)
17 January 1714
Sermon, Old Church, 'Sab[bath] after Com[munion]', Mr James Nisbet; text: Heb. x.36; followed by lecture on John xv.8 (folios 7 verso - 8 verso)
14 March 1714
Sermon, Old Church, preacher unnamed; text: Ja. i.22 (folios 8 verso - 9 verso)
16 June 1717
Sermon, Mr Nisbet; text: Ps. cxxxviii.6 (folios 10 recto - 13 recto)
2 November 1718
Sermon, 'O[ld] Church, Mr Nisbet;' text: Isa. lvi.7 (folios 13 recto - 17 recto)
24 January 1720
Sermon, 'N[ew] C[hurch], Mr Mathieson; text: Mark ix.44 (folios 17 recto - 18 recto)
21 August 1720
Sermon, 'N[ew]'C[hurch], Mr McEwen': text: Rom. vi.21 (folios 18 recto - 18 verso)
not dated [?1720]
Sermon, Old Church, 'Mr Lesly at St Fergus'; text: Ps. cxi.19 (folios 18 verso - 19 recto)
26 November 1720
Sermon, 'Bo'ness Mr Johnston'; [in list on f.1, Johnston is given in pencil for this text, but name may be Houston]; text: Ps. xxv. 10 (folios 19 recto - 20 recto)
Monday, 9 September 1723
Sermon, New Church, Mr Mathison, 'before Com[munion]'; text: John iv. 10 (folios 20 recto - 21 recto)
6 October 1723
Blank page (folios 21 verso - 26 verso)
List of 12 texts of sermons for which notes are given on folios 28 recto - 56 recto; names of preachers added in later hand in pencil (folio 27 recto)
not dated
Blank page (folio 27 verso)
Sermon, Mr Nisbet; text: Phil.i.27 (folio 28 recto - 29 verso)
not dated
Sermon, Mr Nisbet; text: 2 Cor. iv.10 (folios 30 recto - 37 recto)
not dated
Sermon, Mr John Walker; text: Heb. xii.14 (folios 38 recto - 41 recto)
Monday, March 1718
Sermon, Mr John Walker; text: Col. iii.2 (folios 41 verso - 44 recto) [Tron Church [Edinburgh] where sermon may have been preached is mentioned on folio 43 recto]
Monday, 9 March 1719
Sermon, O[ld] Church, Mr Brand; 'Notes as I remember them'; text: Ps. x1.17 (folios 44 recto - 44 verso)
Monday, 7 March 1720
Sermon, Old Church, Mr Nisbet; text: 1 Pet. i. 17-19 (folios 45 recto - 47 verso)
13 March 1720
Sermon, Mr Jo. Walker, preached 'Sabbath after the tables'; text: Rev. v.12 (folios 48 recto - 49 verso)
16 April 1720
Sermon, Mr Samuel Semple; text: Luke i. 74, 75 (folios 49 verso - 50 recto)
Monday 17--
Sermon, Old Church, Mr Nisbet; preached Sabbath after Communion; text: Ps. lxxiii.24 (folios 50 recto - 54 recto)
6 November 1720
'Action' sermon, Cannongate, Mr John Walker; text: Jo. i.29 (folio 54 verso)
29 January 1721
Afternoon sermon, Mr James Walker; text: Prov. iv.23 (folios 54 verso - 55 recto)
not dated
Sermon, Mr Wisheart; text: Isa. vi.5 (folios 55 recto - 56 recto)
Monday
Blank page (folio 56 verso)
List of three texts of sermons for which notes are given on folios 58 recto - 60 verso (folio 57 recto) [the names Craig and Walker are added in later hand in pencil]
not dated
Blank page (folio 57 verso)
Sermon, 'Mr Craig begun Teusday 13 Jne 1721'; text: John xiv.6 (folio 58 recto - 59 recto)
13 June 1721
Sermon, Mr Matheson; text: Tit. ii 14 (folio 59 verso)
1721
Sermon, Mr John Walker; text: John xvii.17 (folio 60)
not dated
Blank page (folios 61 - 72)
Sermon, no preacher named; text: ?Hos. vii.1 (folios 73 - 79 recto) [there are numerous other scriptural references and this section may contain notes of more than one sermon although it is continuous.]
Blank page (folio 79 verso)
Sermon. preacher unnamed; text: John xiv 1 (folio 80)
11 July 1708
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: John xiv.2, 3 (folios 80 verso - 81 verso)
25 July 1708
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: John xiv.6 (folio 81 verso)
10 October 1708
Sermon, preacher unnamed: text: John xiv.12, 13, 14 (folios 81 verso - 82 recto)
5 December 1708
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: John xiv.12 and 13 (folio 82 recto)
12 December 1708
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: John xiv.15 (folios 82 recto - 83 recto)
2 January 1709
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: John xv.2 (folio 83 recto - verso)
20 November 1709
Blank page (folios 84 - 87) [86 - 87 uncut at edge]
Sermon, 'Collingtown' (Colinton, Edinburgh), Mr Samuel Semple; text: John iii.29 (folios 88 recto - 89 recto)
Saturday, 24 July 1708
Action sermon, Mr Walter Allan; text; Rom. viii.32 (folios 89 recto - 90 verso)
not dated [Jly 1708]
Sermon, Collingtown, Mr Thomas Paterson; text: Tit. iii.8 (folios 90 verso - 91 verso)
Monday, 26 July 1708
Sermon, Mr John Shaw; text: Song of Solomon iv.16 (folios 91 verso - 93 recto)
not dated
Blank page (folio 93 verso)
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: Isa. lv.1 (folios 94 recto - 95 verso)
1699
Sermon, preacher unnamed, perhaps delivered on a 'Fast Day'; text: Neh. i.4 (folios 96 recto - 99 recto) [may be in a different hand from the others; single word in Greek at commencement]
not dated
Blank page (folios 99 verso - 102) [folios 100 - 102 partly uncut]
Sermon, preacher unnamed; text: Ps. cxlix. 4,5 (folios 103 - 106 recto)
1700
Blank page (folios 106 verso - 110) [partly uncut]
Inscription, in later hand, in pencil, 'Extracts from Mar,ton' (folio 110 verso)
Paginated 1-14 and containing quotations from or comments on works of Thomas Manton (1620-1677); (folios 111 recto - 117 recto)
not dated
Blank pages (folios 118 - 134) |