A man by the name of James Murehead was ordained as a minister at Edinburgh on 28 July 1598.(3.28) His ancestry is unknown; neither he nor his sisters (noted below) fit into the genealogical record of Willielmo de Muirhead. Nor does that genealogical record mention any James who went into the ministry.
James Murehead was authorised to preach in the north-west quarter of the city of Edinburgh on 21 December 1598. He was elected by the parishioners and admitted on 19 September 1599. He was among those deputed by the Synod in April of 1603 to wait on His Majesty James VI of Scotland / James I of England near Haddington. The King was on his way to England to be proclaimed King of the uniting of Scotland and England. James signed the Protest against the introduction of Episcopacy on 01 July 1606. According to a contemporary account, James died on 29 October 1612 “in his upper chalmer, at sevin houris in the morning and was buried in St. Nicolas Chapel in Friday thairafter, at x houris before none at the west gavel.”
In regard to his personal life, James Murehead was married twice, first to ----- Paterson, and secondly to Janet Dennistoun. Neither marriage resulted in the birth of any children apparently.
James’ siblings were three sisters: Agnes, the wife of Michael Cranstoun, the minister of Cramond; Margaret, the wife of Andrew Cautoun in Craigmarvie; and Grisell, the wife of John Salmond of Auchingray.
3.28 The information for this section on the life of the Reverend James Murehead and his descendants was derived primarily from the website Scottish Ministers at the URL address: http://www.dwalker.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/default.htm. The information on the marriages of James Murehead were derived from the Register of Deeds, ccxciv., 397, and the Edinburgh Com. Decreets 22nd July 1617.
