Covenanting History – Marion Fairlie

Marion Fairlie was born in 1638, the very year the National Covenant was signed in Greyfriars Kirk. Both her parents were strong in their faith and through their example, and being raised in a Christian home, Marion became a Christian and adherent of the National Covenant at a young age. She actually says it was the reading of one of Samuel Rutherford’s letters that had a huge impact on her.

In 1660 Charles II was restored to the throne and almost immediately began to assert his authority on the Scottish Kirk and outlawed the Covenants. In 1662 around 300 Ministers were ejected from their churches for refusing to come under control of the imposed Bishops. One of them was the Rev John Veitch from Roberton. Marion fell in love with his son William who was also a Covenanter and they were secretly married in 1664. As the persecution increased, both went through many trials. Due to participating in the Pentland Rising, William became a wanted man. He suffered some real hardships, but all the time he was fully supported by his loving wife.

William had to escape and sought safety in England where many Covenanters found refuge. Whilst he was away Marion was very badly treated by the Government troops who would regularly visit the family home in search of her husband. When word of her poor treatment reached William, he persuaded her to abandon the family farm and find safety in the populated city of Edinburgh.

After a short while she joined William in England where he had been preaching to a group of English Non-conformists. Marion talks about her time in England, writing in her diary she says:

“Being deprived of what once I had in Scotland, I renewed my suit to God for me and mine, and that was that He would give us the tribe of Levi’s inheritance, ‘ For the Lord God was their inheritance’. When I entered into a strange land, I besought the Lord that He would give me food to eat and raiment to put on, and bring me back to set His glory in Scotland. This promise was exactly made out to me.”

Their time in England was fruitful, but eventually the authorities caught up with them and on the 19th January 1679 their home was raided and William was taken to prison. He had been sentenced to death in Scotland for being at Rullion Green, so both he and Marion feared the sentence would now be carried out. Many of William’s friends tried to get him released but to no avail. It was an extremely dark period for Marion, but William writes that despite his wife’s anguish, her faith was strong and a great encouragement to him in his prison cell. William was transported back to Scotland and after a short while, Marion followed him.

Before the sentence of execution was carried out a miracle happened, William was freed. But after a short while he was again a wanted man and had to escape to Holland. While he was away, one of their sons took ill and died. Marion had to deal with this heartbreaking situation without the support of her husband, but she took comfort that just before their son died, the child had prayed for his mother and siblings and then closed his eyes and passed away. Marion was reassured of his faith and said “So we parted in the hope of a glorious meeting.”

In 1688 the persecution ended with the arrival of William of Orange. William returned and rejoined Marion. He became the minister in Peebles then Dumfries.

Marion passed away peacefully in 1722 at the age of 84. Her loving husband William died the very next day. They had been married for 58 years.

The memorial where they are buried in Dumfries reads:

Here Lies
William Veitch
1640 – 1722
Covenanter, persecuted and banished
Suffered but survived
Minister of this Parish 1694 – 1715
Also
His praying, supportive wife, Marion
Who predeceased him by one day