Hounded out of town...

Despite a little help form the local Burgh Fiscal who was an adherent Buchan found it difficult to continue her ways in the town. There were many times when violence was seen at the meetings as locals tried to capture the "witch wife." One time they drummed her out the town. It was not long until She again had to flee to Glasgow.

In 1783 Andrew Innes from Muthill met Buchan at a communion in Glasgow. Later after a meal and a walk on Glasgow Green, Innes was completely taken in by Buchan chats over scripture. Despite his family he decided to join the group in Irvine which was now about 40 in number.

Innes had persuaded the local s of Muthill that it would be worth hearing Buchan. So off the group went with Innes as body guard walking to Muthil from Irvine.  Rev Scott had taken special meeting in Muthill and denounced orthodox faith...claiming Buchan was to be the new incarnation of the Holy Ghost!

mean while the group in Irvine was growing and so was local hostility. By May 1784 the local magistrates were asked to proceed with action against the blasphemers.
The first night of the expulsion ws spent in a cart shed near Dundonald.
The group were now settling in Closeburn  south of Thornhill. General house keeping and some sort of established community was set up including care and finances.
In due time they were re housed in Buchan Ha at new Cample. The group now numbering 60.

Once again locals in December 1784 were agitated to try and deal with this un-orthodox group.


Elspeth died in 1791 of natural causes.
(My Thanks to Richard Hopkins for some of the details of the last few days.)

Buchanites

Buchanites

Rev Hugh White. Duped or follower or even like minded

Elspeth having ran away from Banff shire to Glasgow avoiding potential murder by Captain Cook husband of Buchans convert Mrs Cook made a real connection with Rev White. He had recently returned from America and had seen first hand the "Shakers". White had been flattered by Buchans letters he allowed her to speak at his congregation in Irvine. Her doctrine was extreme with white trying to tone things down. Some of the congregation began to suspect the soundness of her faith and indeed whites.

She was given three weeks to leave town!
Before leaving she had made known her views on some of her theology like she good free people from the bondage of law.  This meant she advocated no marriage and a sharing of all assets and wifes.
White and Buchan were charged with heresy , White being ejected from his church (relief church) and both White and Buchan setting up a  meeting in a house in Seagate. Their meetings became so popular that  the had to erect a tent in the garden to accommodate the group.

A Society with Buchan at the head as "Friend Mother of the Lord" was set up and local hostility was not long in coming...  

Hard times brings spiritual wakening...

I am continuing the discovery of Mrs Buchan

The potters business did not perform and Robert went back to Glasgow presumably to get work leaving Elspeth and children at home in Banff shire to make ends meet.
She Elspeth raised living expenses from educational work by opening a school teaching basics including the ability to read.  However she got bored with the standard Scottish theology and returned to her young years visions and revelations which stimulated her into passing on her interpretation of the Bible. She started with fairly orthodox views which then grew into more unorthodox views.

As  an eager interested follower she mixed with a local fellowship meeting and on the face of it showed great Piety and value to the group. She was able to influence many that she had almost a direct access to the truth  and that she was a prophetess. Now it would seem she had found her mission in life .

The family and school suffered as she developed her mission with opposition coming from all parts including her children.

Gone was the sewing and teaching and then the money dried up. So off to Glasgow back to the husband in 1781 where she seems to have done very little apart from spending her husbands money so she could promote her thoughts.

Letters to the Rev Hugh White a relief church minister in Irvine had resulted in meetings together and for him to come under her "spell" believing together that she was the women in Revelation 12.

   Coming next group of followers ...heresies ...Muthill ...the Buchanites.

Mrs Buchan not Simpson

Mrs Buchan Elspeth Simpson daughter of John and Margaret Simpson was born in Banff-shire in 1739 in the parish of Fordyce. Her mother died when she was about three years old. Elspeth was brought up in hard situations. She was a herdswomen but did not like the work. As a girl she was allowed to run wild and spoke of seeing visions. A local relative tried to take her under her wing and taught her home skills like sewing and reading. The plan was to go to America with her cent husband and Elspeth to work in the plantations of Jamaica. Having spent some time in Greenock waiting for the appropriate ship the bored girl found the new life of the docks and city interesting and fun. She found her self in Ayr and fell in love with and ”married” Robert Buchan a potter. After having several children the couple moved to Glasgow allowing Robert to work at the Delftfield potteries. Elspeth managed to gain employment with the wife of one of the business partners of the pottery. Robert was ashamed of Elspeth's loose ways and thought that moving to Elspeth roots might help them regain some stability as a couple. They moved to Banff and set up their own pottery business. …..to be continued.


 Ann Lee (1736-1784) “Shakers”