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An incident in the persecution of the Scottish Episcopal Church in 1746 painted by George Washington Brownlow. (See also the file 'Notes on the Baptism...' below)
A4 and A3 size artprints are available from George Masson at george.masson@lineone.net All profits will go to the upkeep of St Ternan's (Muchalls) Church.
The event portrayed in Brownlow's painting took place during the winter of 1748-49. The Episcopalians of the time were mainly Jacobite and after the unsuccessful 1745 Rising severe
restrictions were placed on Episcopalian clergy because of the church's support for the Jacobite cause. Forbidden to meet together for worship in groups larger than four, both priests and
congregation members faced imprisonment if found guilty. Despite this, Episcopalians managed to find ways of holding services. This was often achieved by having the priest standing
in the lobby of a house, with four people in each room leading off the lobby listening to the service, thereby keeping within the strict letter of the law. In 1748 three local clergymen6 were
arrested and put on trial at the Stonehaven Tolbooth: The Rev. Alexander Greig of Stonehaven, Rev. John Petries of Drumlithie and Rev. John Troup of Muchalls. All were accused of
having ministered to congregations larger than the legal size. In spite of an appeal that the witnesses, by being present at the services, had incriminated themselves, the three clergy were
imprisoned in Stonehaven Tolbooth for six months during the winter of 1748-49. The Rev. Alexander Greig continued to minister to his Stovehaven congregation through the Tolbooth's
prison bars. Rev. John Troup baptised a number of infants through the prison bars. The fisherman's wives from Skateraw would bring their babies secretly to be baptised through the
prison bars, walking along the foreshore, wading across the 'Water-Yett' and clambering over the rocks to reach the#
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