William Niven

Abt 1654 - Aft 1703  (> 50 years)

• Name	William Niven
  Birth	Abt 1654
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	1678	Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland   [1]
  	Smith in Pollokshaws
  Imprisonment	12 May 1678	Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland   [1]
  	Arrested after attending a conventicle
  Legal	28 May 1678	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1]
  	Sentenced to be transported to the plantations for refusing to divulge who preached and attended a conventicle.
  Imprisonment	Jun 1678	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  	Held in Edinburgh Tolbooth
  Legal	6 Jun 1678	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [1]
  	With others from Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, accused of attending conventicles - to be sentenced to fines, close imprisonment for refusing to name others present
  Legal	12 Dec 1678	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [2]
  	Warrant given to hand Niven and others over to Edward Johnstone, master of the St Michaell of Scarbrugh, for transportation to the plantations
  Arrival	Bef 31 Dec 1678	Gravesend, Kent, England   [3]
  	Transportees released by Edward Johnstone who was not prepared to pay for their aliment - the responsibility of Ralph Williamson of London, merchant who had failed to materialise. The intended destination had been Virginia
  	William Layng also one of the group of prisoners
  Residence	Abt Sep 1679	Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland
  	Returned about nine months after he was released
  Residence	Sep 1684	Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland   [4]
  	Tenant to Maxwell of Pollok
  Imprisonment	9 Oct 1684	Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [5]
  	Imprisoned in Canongate Tolbooth. Charged with disloyalty to the Church and the King, and ordered to be 'transported as occasione offers" for outright refusal to make plegdes.
  Role	1685	East Jersey, New Jersey, USA
  	Transported prisoner - returned
  Legal	Abt 18 May 1685	Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland   [6]
  	Ordered to be banished, having refused the oath of allegiance. Held in Canongate Tolbooth
  Imprisonment	24 May 1685	Dunnottar, Kincardineshire, Scotland   [7]
  	Held in Dunnottar Castle until c12 August, then marched to Leith arriving 17 August
  Imprisonment	Abt Jul 1685	Dunnottar, Kincardineshire, Scotland   [8]
  	One of 15 Covenanter prisoners who escaped and were recaptured and endured torture by lit matches attached to their fingers
  Departure	5 Sep 1685	Leith, Midlothian, Scotland   [7]
  	Aboard the Henry and Francis. Prisoner - 'banished'
  Arrival	7 Dec 1685	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA
  Legal	25 Feb 1685/86	Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA   [9]
  	One of several Covenanter prisoners successful in opposing a case brought by Captain Richard Hutton for the costs of their transportation (£5)
  Arrival	Abt 1692	Scotland
  	Check
  Name	William Neiving  [6]
  Name	William Nevin
  Name	William Niveing  [9]
  Name	William Niving
  Religion	24 Dec 1703	Pollokshaws, Renfrewshire, Scotland   [10]
  	Church of Scotland elder
  Origin	Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland
  Death	Aft 1703	Pollokshaws, Renfrewshire, Scotland
  Person ID	I44680	East Jersey Genealogies
  Last Modified	7 Dec 2025

  
  

  Children	1. William Niven  [Father: natural]
  Family ID	F31423	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	7 Dec 2025

  
  

• Event Map

  Occupation - Smith in Pollokshaws - 1678 - Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland Imprisonment - Arrested after attending a conventicle - 12 May 1678 - Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland Legal - Sentenced to be transported to the plantations for refusing to divulge who preached and attended a conventicle. - 28 May 1678 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Imprisonment - Held in Edinburgh Tolbooth - Jun 1678 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Legal - With others from Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, accused of attending conventicles - to be sentenced to fines, close imprisonment for refusing to name others present - 6 Jun 1678 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Legal - Warrant given to hand Niven and others over to Edward Johnstone, master of the St Michaell of Scarbrugh, for transportation to the plantations - 12 Dec 1678 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Arrival - Transportees released by Edward Johnstone who was not prepared to pay for their aliment - the responsibility of Ralph Williamson of London, merchant who had failed to materialise. The intended destination had been Virginia - Bef 31 Dec 1678 - Gravesend, Kent, England Residence - Returned about nine months after he was released - Abt Sep 1679 - Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland Residence - Tenant to Maxwell of Pollok - Sep 1684 - Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland Imprisonment - Imprisoned in Canongate Tolbooth. Charged with disloyalty to the Church and the King, and ordered to be 'transported as occasione offers" for outright refusal to make plegdes. - 9 Oct 1684 - Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Legal - Ordered to be banished, having refused the oath of allegiance. Held in Canongate Tolbooth - Abt 18 May 1685 - Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Imprisonment - Held in Dunnottar Castle until c12 August, then marched to Leith arriving 17 August - 24 May 1685 - Dunnottar, Kincardineshire, Scotland Imprisonment - One of 15 Covenanter prisoners who escaped and were recaptured and endured torture by lit matches attached to their fingers - Abt Jul 1685 - Dunnottar, Kincardineshire, Scotland Departure - Aboard the Henry and Francis. Prisoner - 'banished' - 5 Sep 1685 - Leith, Midlothian, Scotland Arrival - 7 Dec 1685 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Legal - One of several Covenanter prisoners successful in opposing a case brought by Captain Richard Hutton for the costs of their transportation (£5) - 25 Feb 1685/86 - Perth Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey, USA Arrival - Abt 1692 - Scotland Religion - Church of Scotland elder - 24 Dec 1703 - Pollokshaws, Renfrewshire, Scotland Origin - - Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scotland Death - Aft 1703 - Pollokshaws, Renfrewshire, Scotland  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, V, p471. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, VI, p76. [S3714] Wodrow, Robert, The History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution, Volume 2, p476. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, X, p3. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, X, pp3-4. [S3611] Privy Council of Scotland, The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd Series, XI, pp289-294. [S3610] Anderson, James, The Black Book of Kincardineshire, p10. [S3610] Anderson, James, The Black Book of Kincardineshire, p19. [S3731] Edsall, Preston W., Journal of the Courts of Common Right and Chancery of East New Jersey, 1683-1702, p206. [S3776] Wodrow, Robert, Early Letters of Robert Wodrow, 1698-1709, p273.