deed dated 26th July, 1576, in which he is designed Dominus hereditarius et empluteolicus molendini de Partik, and grants a chalder of meal to be annually taken, as it is to this day, for the support of a bursar in philosophy, out of that mill and the mill lands thereto belonging, and also by building the bridge over Kelvin at Partick, which still stands there, having his name and arms with, it is said, the following inscription beneath-quaint but not altogether inappropriate, perhaps, to the present attempt at vindication of the character of our quondam Lord Provost: "He that by Labour does ony Honestie, The Labour goes-the honor bides with thee; The shame remains, the pleasures soon agoe." A word more on another of the corporations of the Trades' House— the Cordiners, of which their charter, dated 27th February, 1558, is said to be in excellent preservation. I would like to see it in return. for informing them where I accidentally saw, some time ago, one of their earliest, if not actually the earliest, of their minute books, in much better preservation than, I fear, can be said of many other documents. TRANSACTIONS OF THE GLASGOW ARCILÆOLOGICAL SOCIETY. NO. IV. JOURNAL OF A SOLDIER IN THE EARL OF EGLINTON'S TROOP OF HORSE, ANNO 1689. TRANSCRIBED FROM HIS MANUSCRIPT BY GABRIEL NEIL, Esq. [Read at a Meeting of the Society held at Glasgow on 6th December, 1858. ] PRELIMINARY REMARKS BY THE TRANSCRIBER. THE little parchment-covered manuscript pocket memorandum Book now submitted to the inspection of the Members of the Society, may of itself be deemed a curiosity; and, from the narrative which it contains, it is additionally of interest, as referring us back to some of the stirring incidents that immediately followed the memorable BRITISH REVOLUTION of 1688. To the reader of history it is unnecessary to enter into the details that characterised this great event in the Annals of Britain, from which we reap many of those blessings of religious and political freedom now enjoyed. The fact is well known, that with feelings of deep fervency and gratitude the citizens of Glasgow hailed the advent of William, Prince of Orange, to the throne. During the preceding reigns of Charles II. and James II. they had suffered much in their lives, their liberties, and their estates, fully warranting them heartily to desire a constitutional alteration in government. It may simply be mentioned as a tribute of their loyalty, that a regiment* of 500 soldiers was raised in Glasgow, and sent to Edinburgh to guard the Convention of Estates,† who met on 14th March, 1689; and, also, as a noticeable circumstance, that on 2nd July, 1689, the Magistrates and Council were elected by a poll vote of all the burgesses, in consequence of the effects of the Revolution. The fine equestrian statue erected to William III. at the Cross, so familiar to every eye, This regiment then got the name of the Scotch Cameronians, and, subsequently, the 26th Regiment of Foot. Ibid, p. 21. + Annals of Glasgow, by James Cleland, 1816; Vol. I., p. 20. along with its noble inscription,* may therefore be looked upon as of more significance than the mere pageantry of artistical embellishment. There were, however, in other parts of Scotland, many disaffected persons to the new settlement of affairs; some of them of no mean power and note. These were chiefly confined to the northern Highland districts. It is alleged against these parties that they could have had no sufficient pretext for war and opposition to the government except through a love of plunder; but this charge may be harsh enough, and we should at least give them credit that, although with no important public principle for which to contend, they, no doubt, from a native affection and a generous sympathy, deplored the fate of the extruded Monarch, and sighed for "their ain Stuart back again." Be that as it may, to suppress the turbulence of these mountaineers, who, with Colonel Cannon at their head, made frequent depredations on the neighbouring country, General MacKay and Sir Thomas Livingston were despatched, with large forces, on behalf of Government. The Battle of Killiecrankie, fought on 16th July, 1689, was a severe blow to the future prospects of the rebels; and, according to what may be gathered from the MS. narrative before us, the principal proceedings which had afterwards happened were, in pursuing the "rogs" from place to place, apprehending them, and gaining, in occasional skirmishes, small advantages over them.+ Alexander, Earl of Eglinton, was at that time one of the Lords of the Privy Council of King William, and also one of the Commissioners of the Treasury. Doubtless, with the view of aiding the cause of the King, his royal Master, he had collected a body of men, under the designation of the Earl of Eglinton's Troop of Horse, in which the Optimo Principi Willielmo III. Britannarum Regi, Pio, Forti, Invicto, In summo Sæpe discrimine spectatis, Religio Purior, Jura, Libertasque Sub legitimo piorum Principum Brunsvicensium Intentatum Denique a Gallo toti Europa Hoc immortalium meritorum monumentum, Posuit Civis Strenuus et fidus Coloniæ Madrassianæ Expræfectus. MDCCXXXV. The clans, wearied with repeated misfortunes, laid down their arms by degrees, and took the benefit of a pardon which King William offered to those who should submit within the time specified in his proclamation.-The History of England, by Smollett, Edit. 1828, p. 8. Author of the MS. had enlisted in May, 1689, and in which he continued for two years, though bringing down his Journal only till 10th November, 1690, a period of about eighteen months. While in the service he appears to have kept a regular account of his own military movements in the troop, and also of those in the progress of the main armies, so far as the latter had come under his observation; and had subsequently, at his leisure hours, extended his notes in his pocket memorandum book in the manner in which we find them. In respect to the peculiarities of his MS.-the handwriting is of a good style though not easily deciphered, the orthography is irregular, and from beginning to end of the composition he is regardless of punctuation, and of the ordinary divisions into sentences and paragraphs. Notwithstanding, by a careful study of the contents, they form a plain, clear, and succinct narrative, in which there is conveyed a lively idea of what he intends to represent, and the valiant trooper may be discovered toiling in his marches over muirs and mosses, and through mountain passes, faithful in the discharge of the various duties assigned him. Unfortunately, the surname of the author has been abraded from the parchment cover of the pocket book with the exception of the initial R., and we know no farther of him on this point than that his Christian name was Alexander. A memorandum at the end of the Journal is as follows,-" The 27 day Nover, 1695, my father was infeft in Cairnbrok and Balfiroch-the clark was Alexr. griarson; John Camell, Jam. M'Kie, Tho. Doibie, John Carsall, witnesses; John Ros, James Blair, wt ym." The two landed Properties noticed, namely Cairnbrok* and Balfiroch are situated in Wigtonshire, and from his father having been the proprietor of them, the parentage of the author had been respectable. In Notes of his business transactions (including another department of the pocket-book), he frequently alludes to his father as the "old man," and to his "brother," and it is therefore probable that he was the younger son of his family. After his return from the troop, his pursuits appear to have been those of a grazier and rearer of cattle, for which Galloway is still famous; and, on reference to his annual Inventories, his stock of "nolt, milk cous," &c. was numerous. Many of his book entries give the current prices of such live stock in "dollors, miled crouns, By a rather singular coincidence Cairnbrok was that of which the millionaire John Ferguson, Esq., residing at Irvine, died infeft, whose munificent benefactions for benevolent and literary uses are almost unprecedented. half-crouns, pounds Scots, grots, &c., it having at that period been customary to reckon both in English and in Scots money. Some of his building operations from their primitive specifications will amuse modern architects, and on this topic we may be excused for quoting an example verbatim.-" The yeir of God 1702 I came out of Litel Galdinock to Mikel Galdinock to live, and that yeir I bulded 21 cupell raike (a range of 21 couples or rafters) of houses, and laide the lofte of the chamber 30 dailes in it 27 lib.-a put 8 doore loftes up with 8 paire of bols and bans, evry doore havinge 3 fire dailes in them being 24-5 windows, 5 fire dailes, they havinge 15 paire of bands the halle hath, and the chamber, 2 hunder turfe of hether, and 4000 scobs-the 2 houses at the end of the close a hundred turfe of hether 5 kleus-the stabel four-score and tuo turfe 4 kleus-the barne 9 score a turfe and 9 hether kleus-the litel barne 5 score and 5 kleus-the litel stabel 33 turfe 2 kleus-tuo men 20 days bulding stone wall at sixpence a man 12 lib.-5 bols of lyme to doore and window chikes at 2 sh. ster. the boll 6 lib (Scots)-Kile 3 days 2 men." We have thus in the foregoing, together with a list of the materials used, some insight as to the expense of erecting, and the amount of accommodation in a homely Gallovidian steading 156 years ago, the buildings apparently having been wholly constructed of turf, heather, deals, and splints, the door and window "chikes" or rybets only being favoured with a tasting of mortar, and, moreover, what in those days would be thought an ornamental feature of the plan, a dry stone dyke fencing in the premises. Through similar jottings and glimpses, he may be traced from 1694 till 1704 in lustriously and attentively engaged in the occupations of a man of his class. The narrative of the author in its particulars bears every mark of genuineness and authenticity, and as a fragment relating to the troubles of the times is of considerable historical value. The MS. book in question to which we are indebted for it, was, I believe, found by a workman in the rubbish of a building several years since, and was placed in my hands. In adverting to this accidental occurrence, I may advise that those persons who are in possession of old Title Deeds, Papers, or similar Documents, should carefully preserve them till examined, as they may contain much valuable information both to themselves and to others. It is rather, I may add, an inconsiderate mode of argument indulged in by some individuals, that such writings cannot possibly be of use to any one, and on this account, F |