This document recalls a most important episode in the religious history of Scotland, the secession of the more "pure" Calvinist elements from the Established Church of Scotland (or perhaps vice versa), a division which persists today. The document briefly rehearses the essential arguments in favour of the secession - in short, the Free Church felt that the only head of the church was Christ, while official Scottish thought was to follow the English tradition (as, incidentally, it already had for 200 years) by accepting a political head. It is, in effect, a continuation of the struggle which had many years before caught up Samuel Marjoribanks (the "Sam" ancestor) at the battle of Bothwell Brig in 1679; the Free Church people were the spiritual descendants of the Covenanters. I won't go in to it in more detail, partly because it is really only of major interest to religious historians and members of these particular churches, and partly because not being a specialist in Scottish history I don't want to risk falling in to error! The bits at the end are the toast list; toasts were proposed to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, etc. "From the chair" means that the toasts were formally proposed by the chairman of the dinner. I can only assume that the Fenwick mentioned is the Fenwick in Ayrshire; I assume that Mr. Barr resided at a local farm or importantish house called Marchbank of which we have no record. It is just possible, however, that he came from our Marchbank and, as you say, a check on the 1841 or 1851 Census might settle the question. If I find myself adjacent to the relevant Census some time I'll check it out. Roger