152 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
death of his wife, which occurred in September 1807, is thus recorded in one
of the Edinburgh periodicals of the day :-'' Died on Monday last, with the
well-merited reputation of an honest, inoffensive woman, Mrs. Charteris, who
has been in this theatre for more than thirty years. She succeeded the muchadmired
Mrs. Webb, and, for many years after that actress left the city, was an
excellent substitute in Lady Dove, Juliet's Nurse, Debmah Woodcock, DOTCUMST,S .
Bundle, etc., etc."
To her succeeded Mrs. Nicol, whose merits are too well known to require
any comment from us. She retired from the stage in 1834, after a career of
twenty-seven years, and died the year following. Her daughter at present (1 837)
fills her range of characters in the Edinburgh theatre, and bids fair to become
as excellent and as popular an actress as her mother.
No. LXIV.
THE REV. JOSEPH ROBERTSON MACGREGOR,
FIRST iWINISTER OF THE EDINBURGH GAELIC CHAPEL.
THE old Gaelic Chapel at the Castlehill was erected in 1769, principally by
the exertions of Mr. William Dickson, then a dyer in Edinburgh, who set on
foot subscriptions, and purchased ground for the purpose, which was afterwards
conveyed to the Society for propagating Christian Knowledge. In the course
of seven years afterwards, owing to the rapid influx of people from the Highlands,
it was found necessary to enlarge the building, which was then done so as to
accommodate eleven hundred sitters ; and although in connection with the
Established Church, the subscribers and seat-holders chose their own minister,
and provided him with a salary of €100 a-year. The same method of choosing
a pastor still exists. The management of the chapel is placed in the hands of
elders, who pay over the seat-rents to the Society for Propagating Christian
Knowledge, and the Society takes the responsibility of making good the
minister's stipend, which is now considerably increased.
MR. JOSEPRHOB ERTSONM ACGREGORth, e first minister of the chapel,
was a native of Perthshire. For some time after he came to Edinburgh he
was employed as a clerk in an upholstery warehouse ; but in a few years was
enabled,' by great industry, to push himself forward. He became a licentiate
of the Church of England, but subsequently joined the Established Church
of Scotland.
Previous to the erection of the Gaelic Chapel he was employed as a Lecturer
and Catechist to the Highland families, who obtained the use of the Relief
Chapel, in South College Street, to assemble in after sermon, for the purpose of
instruction. Mr. Macgregor was originally known by the name of Robertson,
