Footnote 705:
_Edin. Ev. Courant._
Footnote 706:
Stewart’s _Highland Regiments_, i. 49.
Footnote 707:
_Dom. Annals_, under March 1, 1701.
Footnote 708:
French, _commère_, a godmother.
Footnote 709:
_An Essay on the Means of Inclosing Scotland_, 1729, p. 229.
Footnote 710:
Records of the Bank, quoted in Chalmers’s _Caledonia_, i. 873, _note_.
Footnote 711:
_Edin. Ev. Courant._
Footnote 712:
Wodrow’s _Analecta_.
Footnote 713:
_Domestic Ann. Scot._, ii. 495.
Footnote 714:
See under June 24, 1736.
Footnote 715:
It is rather curious that, in a subscription for the relief of the
sufferers by a fire in the Lawnmarket of Edinburgh, in 1725, ‘Colonel
Francis Charteris, £4, 4_s._’ is the only contribution from a private
individual. Uncharitable onlookers would probably consider this as
intended for an insurance against another fire on the part of the
subscriber.
Footnote 716:
_Private Letters_, &c., p. 80.
Footnote 717:
_Gentleman’s Magazine_, ii. 674.
Footnote 718:
_Caledonian Mercury._
Footnote 719:
_Cal. Mercury_, August 8, 1732.
Footnote 720:
Chalmers’s _Life of Ruddiman_, p. 136.
Footnote 721:
_Caledonian Mercury_, May and July 1733.
Footnote 722:
_Caledonian Mercury_, February 14, 1734.
Footnote 723:
_Historical Register_ for 1721, p. 253.
Footnote 724:
July 21, 1744, died at his seat of Orangefield, in the shire of Ayr,
James Macrae, Esq., late governor of Fort George.
Footnote 725:
The son, Captain James Macrae, was a person of most unhappy history,
having shot an innocent gentleman in a duel, and obliged, in
consequence, to leave his native country.
Footnote 726:
_Caledonian Mercury_, July and August 1733.
Footnote 727:
See under 1718, pp. 440, 441 of this volume.
Footnote 728:
A riding of the stang, attended with tragical results, happened in
March 1736. George Porteous, smith at Edmondstone, having severely
beaten and abused his wife, was subjected to the ignominy by his
neighbours; which so highly ‘affronted’ him, that he went and hanged
himself.—_Caledonian Mercury._
Footnote 729:
_Caledonian Mercury_, passim.
Footnote 730:
Edinburgh newspapers, _passim_.
Footnote 731:
James VII.’s _First Parliament_, chap. 12.
Footnote 732:
[Sinclair’s] _Stat. Acc. Scot._, xviii. 362.
Footnote 733:
Wodrow Pamphlets, vol. 275.
Footnote 734:
From Mein’s original paper, apparently prepared for publication, 1735.
MS. in possession of Society of Antiquaries.
Footnote 735:
Act of Town Council, August 29, 1740. Robert Mein died in 1776, at the
age of ninety-three.
Footnote 736:
Amongst the papers of General Wade, in the possession of the Junior
United Service Club, is a letter addressed to him by a lady who felt
interested in behalf of Porteous. It is here transcribed, with all its
peculiarities of spelling, &c., as an illustration of the exceptive
feeling above adverted to, and also as a curious memorial of the
literary gifts then belonging to ladies of the upper classes. The
writer appears to have been one of the daughters of George Allardice
of Allardice, by his wife, Lady Anne Ogilvy, daughter of the fourth
Earl of Findlater:
‘I dute not Dear general waid but by this time yon may have heard the
fattel sentence of the poor unhappy cap^t porteous how in six weeks
time most dye if he riceve not speedy help from above, by the
asistance of men of generosity and mercy such as you realy are it is
the opinion of all thos of the better sort he has been hardly deelt
by, being cond’mned but by a very slender proof, and tho he was much
provokted by the mob and had the provest and magestrets order to fire
which th’y now sheamfuly deney nor had he the leeberty to prove it tho
even in his own defence, but the generous major powl will assure you
of the trouth, and yet tho the cap^t had thos crule orders it is
proven my [by] commiserer wesly mr Drumond doctor horton and severel
other gentel men of undouted crided he realy did not make use of them,
that there eyes were fixed on him all the while and have declar’d upon
oth he deed not fire, true it is he presented his firelock in hopes to
frighten the mob when ane unlucky felow at the same time and just by
the cap^t fired which lead the two witness into the fatel mistake that
has condmn’d him the unfortenat pannal both befor and after the dismal
sentence protested befor god and the judges he was entierly inesent
puting all thes circomstances to gether the miserable state he now is
in most draw your generous pity on his side ther’for dr general waid
continwa your uswal mercy and plead for him and as our sex are neturly
compassinot and being now in the power of the quin, so generous a
pleader as you may easely persuad, considring it is a thing of great
concquenc to the whol army which yourself better knou then I can
inform the duke of buccleugh, marques of Lowding [Lothian] Lord morton
geneal myls all the commissioners and chiff baron are to join ther
intrest with yours in this affair, by your own generous soul I beg
again Dear sir you will do whats in your power to save him, thos that
think right go not through this poor short life just for themselves
which your good actions shou you oft consider, and as many just now
put a sincer trust in your generous mercy I am sure they will not be
disapointed throgh aney neglect of yours let this letter be taken
notes of amongst the nomber you will reseve from your frinds in
Scotland in behalf of the unfortunat capt which will intierly oblidg
Dear general waid
your most affectionate and most
obident humble servant
CATHARINE ALLARDICE.
‘you would be sory for the unexresable los I have had of the kindest
mother, and two sisters I am now at Mrs Lind’s where it would be no
smal satesfaction to hear by a Line or two I am not forgot by you
drect for me at Mr Linds hous in Edenburg your letter will come safe
if you are so good as to writ Mr Lind his Lady and I send our best
complements to you, he along with Lord aberdour and mr wyevel how has
also wrot to his sister mrs pursal go hand in hand togither makeing
all the intrest they can for the poor cap^t and meet with great sucess
they join in wishing you the same not fearing your intrest the
generals Lady how is his great friend were this day to speak to the
Justes clarck but I have not since seen her, so that every on of
compassion and mercy are equely bussey forgive this trouble and send
ous hop’
Footnote 737:
_Caledonian Mercury._
Footnote 738:
Statutes at large, vi. 51.
Footnote 739:
In November 1737, the poet is found advertising an assembly
(dancing-party) ‘in the New Hall in Carrubber’s Close;’
subscription-tickets, two for a guinea, to serve throughout the winter
season.—_Cal. Merc._
Footnote 740:
_Caledonian Mercury._
Footnote 741:
Newspapers of the time.
Footnote 742:
_Caledonian Mercury._
Footnote 743:
_Daily Post_, Aug. 17, 1738, quoted in _Household Words_, 1850.
Footnote 744:
His name was William Smellie. The fact is stated in his _Memoirs_ by
Robert Kerr, Edinburgh, 1811.
Footnote 745:
_Scots Magazine_, January 1739.
Footnote 746:
_Scottish Journal_, p. 313.
Footnote 747:
Houghton’s _Collections on Husbandry and Trade_, 1694.
Footnote 748:
Arnot’s _History of Edinburgh_, 4to, p. 201.
Footnote 749:
Robertson’s _Rural Recollections_, 1829.
Footnote 750:
‘The man has not been dead many years who first introduced from
Ireland the culture of the potato into the peninsula of Cantyre; he
lived near Campbelton. From him the city of Glasgow obtained a regular
supply for many years; and from him also the natives of the Western
Highlands and Isles obtained the first plants, from which have been
derived those abundant supplies on which the people there now
principally subsist.’—Anderson’s _Recreations_, vol. ii. (1800) p.
382.
Footnote 751:
‘This singular individual died at Edinburgh [January 24, 1788]. In
1784, he sunk £140 with the managers of the Canongate Poor’s House,
for a weekly subsistence of 7_s._, and afterwards made several small
donations to that institution. His coffin, for which he paid two
guineas, with “1703,” the year of his birth, inscribed on it, hung in
his house for nine years previous to his death; and it also had
affixed to it the undertaker’s written obligation to screw him down
with his own hands _gratis_. The managers of the Poor’s House were
likewise taken bound to carry his body with a hearse and four coaches
to Restalrig Churchyard, which was accordingly done. Besides all this,
he caused his grave-stone to be temporarily erected in a conspicuous
spot of the Canongate Churchyard, having the following quaint
inscription:
“HENRY PRENTICE,