John Balfour

John Balfour of Kinloch was the principal actor in the assassination of Archbishop Sharp in 1679. For this crime his estate was forfeited and a large reward offered for his capture. He fought at Drumclog and at Bothwell Bridge, and is said to have escaped to Holland, and to have there tendered his services to the Prince of Orange. Early life and legal problems Among the hearers of the field-preachers in Fife, in the summer of 1672, was 'John Balfour, portioner in Kinloch,' in the parish of Collessie. He was reportedly a squat, squint-eyed, fierce-looking man, and was known as 'Burly'. He disobeyed the order of the court to compear and answer for conventicling, for which contempt of court he was under warrant for arrest. Balfour's brother-in-law, David Hackston, proprietor of Rathillet, in Kilmany parish, succeeded his father in 1670.' He was esteemed a gallant country gentleman, at first of the prelatic party, and having employment of some kind from Rothes. Early in October 1667, the outlawed John Balfour of Kinloch stole home to meet his friend and neighbour, Alexander Hamilton of Kinkel, Robert Hamilton, son of Sir Thomas Hamilton of Preston, and other conventiclers. Captain Carstairs and a dozen troopers rode up to capture the meeting. A boisterous Irish soldier, called Garret, took a trial shot, to which the defenders replied by a volley which brought down Garret and put his comrades to flight. Account of Sharp's killing In 1678, Sharp's faction regained control and supported by the government, stepped up actions against non-conformists; 3,000 Lowland militia and 6,000 Highlanders, known as the "Highland Host", were billeted in the Covenanting shires, as a form of punishment. James Mitchell, who had been arrested in 1673, was executed in 1678, making him a Presbyterian folk hero; Sharp gave evidence at his trial and was accused of perjury.