Wars, witches and worship were key elements in the nation of Scotland and the local life of Dalgety Parish during the 17th Century. It was a period when Scotland was moving from medieval feudalism into the early modern era. Post-Reformation and people were still trying to get to grips with the new order of life.
The National Covenant, signed in Greyfriars Kirk, was a catalyst in uniting the country but the start of a period of bloodshed and persecution. The Wars of the Three Kingdoms erupted, civil war in England saw a king executed and the struggle for ecclesiastical supremacy lasted until the end of the century.
Caught up in all this were the villagers of Dalgety, a small parish in Fife. Eking out a living, by farming, coal-mining or salt-making, they did not escape the frenzy of the witch-hunt or the clutches of the militia. Into the milieu came Andrew Donaldson, a Presbyterian minister, whose aim was to see people living a Godly life, with a focus on educating childr
