MEMOIR

J S O EPH T RA IN,

F . S . CO A . . S T

THEANTIQUARIAN CORRESPONDENT OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.

B Y O PA T T ER S O N J H N , "

A U TH OR o r S H A DOWS o r w a s PA ST .

M M RR A G LA S G O W : T H O A S U A Y N D S O N .

ED INB U RG H : J OH N MENZ IES.

‘ MD CCCLV II.

7 7 ! " TTP KJ E PREFA C .

IN offering to the public this Memoir of JOSEPH

I of w riter h as no TRA N, the Antiquary Galloway, the

thin u m apology, convinced as he is that such a g is necessary . !

He must acknowledge that the materials were i scanty. Many d sadvantages were in the way . Had

e gr ater time been expended, and more careful research

h as been made, the writer no doubt but that a more minute Memoir might have been produced ; b ut while

his ac he laments this , he begs to tender grateful know ledgm ents to those kind friends who have warm

o h s ly entered into his views . Am ng t e e h e is happy

m thus publicly to mention the na es of Mr. R . W .

- n of G reenock . Trai , the Inland Revenue, , and Mr

l of Wi liam Bennet, Burntisland, whose assistance has

been both valuable and frequent .

Trusting that this Mem oir of Train may be ac c ep table to his many friends, and those who have read of him in connexion with Sir Walter Scott, the writer dedicates it to the world .

K IRK T H L 4 ON O M 1 th A ril 1 8 57. , p

4 24 675

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I .

p o — ’ — Introduction Joseph Train s Early Days His Appren i hi a W —E th e M t c es p to eaver nlists in Ayrshire ilitia, — 1 7 —H e th e o m 1 802 H 99 returns to l o , is appoint m th e E c ent to x ise,

CHAPTER II . — Publishes poetical reveries Pride h as dung the K intra —H e m Balna uard b wrang re oves to g near A erfeldy , — — 1 8 1 0 Narrow escape from a party of sm ugglers Is to L ISM— P his appointed args, ursues researches — — there with great success Lord Lyle Rem oves to — N - S 1 8 1 3 P of th M ewton tewart , ublishes strains e oun — — tain Muse El aine de Ag g art Becom es acquainted — — w ith Sir Walter Scott Maggie Osburn Th e weird ’ m —H er wo an s revenge fate,

CHAPTER III . — Begins to c orrespond with Sir Walter Scott Sends Sir — Walter inform ation respecting Turnberry Castle Also ’ — — about K ing s Case Captain Jam es D ennistoun Sends

Sir Walter th e m azer or drinking- c up used by th e lepers — — there Projec ted history of G alloway Gaberlunzies c m and him old r —D h o e tell sto ies om estic appiness, CON EN S vi T T .

V CHAPTER I . PA G E Ignorance of the earlier antiquaries c oncerning Galloway — — A c urious spell found by Train Th e story upon — which G uy Mannering w as founded Wandering Willie — of Redg auntlet Sends som e reli c s to Sir Walter — V isits Sir Walter in Edinburgh H e from th e Sullen — — ’ Orr Tells Sir Walter of Old Mortality Sir Walter s

next letter,

CH APTER V .

’ T r i C m C ain s introduct on to hal ers, author of aledonia — i Traces out an old boundary long disputed Story of ‘ — ’ — Ulric k M VVhirter Sir Walter s next lett er Story — of Donald - na- Nord Ancestor of Donald th e prototy pe W —O of th e D m of D evor oil of averley rigin oo g ,

CHAPTER V I.

Train discovers an ancient granite weapon called a Celt —V isits Edinburgh—Meets Sir Alexander Boswell — ' Th e flitting of th e Sow Sir Walter s next letter Th e proto type of Madge Wildfi re —The Norlings of F — r o 1 20—Fa indhorn T ain app inted Supervisor, 8 lk P c —St F land ala e . lanning,

CHAPTER V II. — Is appointed to Queensferry Th e Riding Of the Marches — —Th e Palac e Nest—H e rem oves to Falkirk Sir W al ’ — — ter s next letter Tyrann y of the Exc ise Offi c ials Is — appointed to Dum fries Bec ornes acquainte d with Mr . ‘ — M D iarm id and others Is reduced from th e rank of

S o b ut r m h —L D um upervis r, resto ed in six ont s eaves

for C - D a fries astle ougl s, CONTENTS . vii

CHAPTER V III . PA G E

’ — Train s settlem ent in Castle- Douglas Sends Sir Walter

inform ation respec ting th e m orri c e- danc ers—Sir Wal ’ ter s next Letter—Further inform ation regarding Old Mo —L om S W in c h e o rtality etter fr ir alter, whi h intr — S m l to S Wa duces a friend ends so e re ics ir lter,

H P C A TER I! .

— Further antiquarian gleanings Ac c ount of th e wassail — bowls—Mons Meg Threave Castle—Brawny K im o of B n — R G Anecd te ur s orie ill ,

CHAP ER ! T . — Account of th e prototype of Edie Oc h iltree Willie Mar K of th e R — H shall, ing andies is levelling propensities D of S W S c o eath ir alter tt,

CHAP ER ! I T . — Further acc ount of Train An anecdote— His address to — a favourite horse His retirem ent from ac tive servic e — — — Th e Carlinw ark Loch Its traditions Publishes

h is l ong-c ontem plated History of th e Isle of Man — Sum m ary of History of th e Isle of Man Duke Of Lo Of Man— Po c m —E c c Athol , rd liti al atters clesiasti al — — history of Man T ow ns—Population Progress of th e — Arts in th e Isl and Soc ial position of th e Manx Sm uggling in th e Is le of Man—Francois Th urOt — — Sm uggling Inland Sm uggling Further ac c ount of — “ Th urOt Death of Th urOt- Train publishes Th e ” B uc 1 846—D of T 1 52 hanites , eath rain, 8 ,

MEM IR r SEPH TRAIN O o JO ,

F S CO A. . . S T

E C H A PT R I .

' — ’ — INTRODUCTION JOSEPH TRAIN S EARLY DAYS H IS — APPRENTICESHIP TO A WE AV ER ENLISTS IN TH E AY RSHIR E MILI IA 1 7 — H E RE URNS TO T H E T , 99 T — 11 1 8 APPOIN MEN T O TH E E! CISE . LOOM, 1 802 T T

TH E i t taste for antiquarian research, though nteres

ing to all, is not popular, and its votaries have very

rarely received the reward of th eir labour s . It is

i in l ke every liberal and scientific undertak g, it must necessarily be confined to a few who can appreciate its resour ces and enthusiastically join in the pursuit . It is a science in which all men ought to be in ter ested us all alike, and that deeply, for it unfolds to

i of the strange do ngs the past, and what appearance

our world had in times gone by, together with the

our n customs of forefathers, which time has cha ged

so m uch . O ! MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

m The poet and the painter have, fro an admiring

e i a world, received their me d of pra se ; their brilli nt

n i i and glowi g thoughts , the r fine colouring, their art s

r ri tic g ouping, and symmet cal proportions, have sealed

to the page or lif e- breathing canvas our undivided

attention ; but the antiquary modestly retires into

h is i th e the background, because deal ngs are not with i present but with the past . The pa nter records the

his k present on canvas the poet, li e a fearless pro

S tu m phet, peaks Of the fu re with fiery and i passioned

' a diction the antiqu ry retires to some quiet retreat,

his Of and, among hoarded relics other years, moralizes

on the past .

But we bring not these three into j uxtaposition

of a i for the purpose disc rding or elevat ng, but for

establishing an equa lity between them which we think

they deserve .

The labours o f th e antiquary have been invaluable

o m i of n d to the c munity, reveal ng a fund k owle ge i highly interest ng, and elucidating points of dispute

n s f for in a manner i geniou yet truth ul but, all this ,

k s li e the poet he has been neglected, and his exertion

repaid with ridicule and contum ely . Still he com

n n o bu t oar plai s t, is happy in the thought, that the

n m which he quietly puts i to the water, renders so e

assistance in propelling the bark of knowledge on OD O INTR U CTI N . 3 its cour se ; this thought cheers him on to greater e xertions and more m inute investigations of that dr eamy past which to the eye of the world is dim

and uncertain .

In no coun try is there a greater field for the inves t of a igations the antiqu ry than Scotland, rich in his toric memories and events un paralleled in the annals o f d ur the worl B ied deep in the ground, the relics o f - the many a hard fought fight have, by antiquary , b e in an d een rev aled to the view, while the cairns

r mounds which abound th oughout the country, Druidi cal remains have been brought to light, illustrative of

a o a w as e the d ys when Sc tl nd a barbarous land, p opled by wild and savage tribes, who were continually at war with each other, and whose delight was in .Only blood and deeds of vengeance .

The events which occupied but a traditional and

o e fi uncertain p sition in history, have b en con rmed by

a i d antiquari n research, and are so authent cate , that they have bec ome minor eras in the ann als of our

Nor country . is it only to the historian that the antiquary has confined his labours, the poet and the novelist have clothed his legendary gleanings in match

i a less verse and glow ng im gery, rendering still more

di of beautiful the romantic tra tions Scotland .

In no one instan ce has the relationship of the anti OI OF JO MEM R SEPH TRAIN . quary and the novelist been more exemplified than in

the valuable assistance which Joseph Train , the sub

ec t of our w h o j Memoir, rendered to the man wielded

of th e the potent sceptre romance, pride of Scotia, her

i son . g fted , Sir Walter Scott ll Humble and unpretending as he was, yet sti we

deem him worthy of a niche in the gallery of history . Every association connected with the life Of Scotland’ s

s in la t minstrel is nearly swept away, and only the

fluenc e of his transcendent genius remains in the

of hearts his countrymen, the fittest memorial Of a

Those who have read the enchanting tales of Scott, and enjoyed his powerful delineations of character

l ad of with appreciating zest, wi l be gl to hear the

m an to whom the great novelist was indebted for

m any of the incidents related in these fas cinatin g

works of fiction . This man was Joseph Train , the

a en antiqu ry, who for the period of eighteen years, joyed the friends hip and esteem of the illus trious

Sc ott .

Garrick In the wild districts of Galloway and ,

r where few antiquaries had ever ventured, there we e

many legends of great beauty connected with the iron age of feudalism and the days Of the great- hearted i Bruce, wh ch were uncelebrated except in rude and L 5 HIS EAR Y DAYS . barbarous verse these were rescued from the oblivion

s n to which they were fa t hastening, by Joseph Trai , and in the hands of the Great Novelist became more beautiful still.

’ r e Joseph T ain s ancestors were, we b lieve, natives o f Ayrshire . His father lived for many years in the capacity of land - steward on the estate of Gilm inscroft

Of of . in the parish Sorn, near to the water Ayr It

on 6th of was there Joseph was born, the November 1 9 77 . o f his When he was eight years age, father, from some caus e for whi ch we are not prepared to

n Gilm inscroft accou t, left and removed to the Town

head of Ayr, where he followed the occupation of a

- day labourer.

Education at that period was not so easily pro

e cured as it is now, and the fact that Jos ph received

not . but a limited education, is to be wondered at The time which he spent at school must have been

for short , we find him early apprenticed to a weaver in Ayr and during the period of his apprenticeship mani festing a strong desire to advance in m ental m m i prove ent .

In r the inte vals of labour, and after his toil was

n fi ished for the day, he was drinking deep at that fountain of knowledge from which the disadvantag es

of his position originally debarred him, and planning 6 MEM O o . IB. r JOSEPH TRAIN

t n schemes for the fu ure, by which he might attai an i no ntelligent position among men . But we have doubt that notwithstanding all the perseverance

his with which the poor lad was endowed, pro

s n an d gress mu t have been a ything but satisfactory, many doubts and fears would necessarily intrude to disquiet and discourage him ; how could it be

w ! h is other ise he had no pilot to direct course, and

iz n on no sympath i g spirit to cheer him , and strengthen

is his resolution . We say th , from the fact that it was the general belief at that tim e among the pea

of h l santry Scotland, t at education on y engendered

e idle and discontent d habits, at variance with their humble walk in lif e ; a fallacy which we rejoice to

e say the same class in our day do not ent rtain .

But notw ithstanding all the hindrances which

di l r popular preju ce, fa lacies, and dogmatic ideas, th ew

’ in the humble student s path ; though he was brand

Of e ed with the epithet dr amer, and shunned by

w n di those of his o class as a dangerous in vidual, we find him possessed of a great amoun t of general in formation unkn own to many who were his superi ors

c as in rank ; and this, in spite of vulgar prejudi e ,

Cobbett says, never fails to give a man a certain

d n degree of influence in the worl We are i formed,

h ad that ere he had reached his twentieth year, he p V H IS APPRENTI CES HIP T O A WEA ER . 1

s made considerable progre s in the study of antiquity,

and begun those researches for which he was after

wards so em inently distinguished.

Situated as Joseph Train was, we cannot conceive anything more noble than his ambition to advance in

m if the pursuit of knowledge, facing any d ficulties,

and in of the midst poverty, and, we have no doubt , s m m s di o eti e privation, stan ng forth a man deter

m i and a of ned to conquer, gr sp the glorious prize honour which is the reward of the thirster after

m m a knowledge . A an y, inspired with a courage which

a m m is more th n hu an, rush onward ag ainst the ene y

o f his country, and deal death and destruction at e fi Of m very blow, red by a kind maniac enthusias ,

w hich receives from an applauding world the nam e of

m i m heroism . But he who deter nes to bec o e a self

made man, has more Of real heroism than he who

n rs - wi s his honou in the battle fi eld .

The hig h mo ral courage which animates the m ind

o f c i the student, is a sour e of far more real satisfact on

to him than th e heroism which fires the heart of the

s i m old er. Patient a idst a host of difficulties which

lo t - enth u are often the of the poor, the great hearted

siasm of a noble m ind w as the innate characteristic of

a Joseph Train, symp thizing with his peers in their

e i i struggle for wher withal to maintain l fe, and add ng 8 OI o r JO I MEM R SEPH TRA N . his scanty earnings to the scantier pittance which an aged father w as receiving for the nerveless labour — of declining years in all forming but a meagre allow

of ance for the wants the fam ily.

e With so many obstacl s in the path, it is no great cause for wonder that there are so few of that class T to which Joseph rain belonged, inclined, irrespective O o . N of p sition, to rise wonder that we find the peasant class in many instances not possessed with Al ! the ordinary activi ty of hum an beings . as we

fin d hi r ffi even to t s day in ou ow n dear Scotland, su

n cient evidence of the tyra ny of the superior, as he looks with contempt on the man who makes him d what he is, who scorns the man who is flesh an

i s blood like h m elf, and delights in making heavier

the chains that bind the peasant to his lot . But we

m s a of one turn fro the cla s, and spe k who rose by his

o w n exertions superior to that class . 1 9 9 i In 7 , the cogent ex g encies of war called forth the dormant energies Of the country gentlemen Of

rs m of Ay hire ; and, accordingly, at the de and the

al i Crown , a loc m litia was in the course of being l organized . This was done by bal ot, a proceeding in

n which the inh ab itants no way concurred . Ma y were draw n for the militia who regarded serving in the local corps as little better than being pressed and

1 0 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH RAIN T .

as legendary lore, for his t te for the past and all its

w as wonders then beginning to be form ed .

The impassioned strains of Burns were relished by him of with fond delight, and at the radiant blaze the

’ m i his poet s genius, the si ple Tra n had lighted humble torch not the wish to be a poet (for, alas, there were in his days, as well as ours, many unworthy of the

m i of of na e), but the burst ng forth the flood fancy

l w as which fil s the soul, constitutes the poet . It

him b e a even so with , dmired his native land, and in

pleasing verse sang of the past .

While the militia were stationed at Inverness, he

’ was anxious to procure Curri e s edition of the works

u w as ri a of B rns, which p nted at Liverpool that ye r

m s t e In order to acco pli h his object, he solved to save every farthing he could possibly scrape

sub together, and with that resolution he became a scri ber for the work.

’ m s The volu e, when lying at the book eller s , previous i to del very, was seen by Sir David Hunter Blair, who,

n s on expressi g a wi h to have it, was astonished when

his he w as informed that it was for one of men . He was so well pleased with this honest ambition in

r Train, that he gave di ections that the work should

be n . handsomely bou d, and sent to him free of charge A love for everything that was Scottish, was the RE URNS To TH E 1 02. 1 1 HE T LOOM, 8

— chief characteristic of Joseph Train an enthusiasm in the investigation of the ancient manners and cus

m Of d hi to s his native lan , w ch continued throug h

life . The romance with which the past is enveloped h ad no doubt its infl uence in forming the tas tes of the

youthful antiquary . Be that as it may, we are fully

r his de assu ed that from early days, he was more

a voted to crooning over old ballads, than the occup

ul tion which he nevertheless sed ously followed.

c of 1 802 h At the Pea e Amiens, in , the Ayrs ire m di an ilitia were sb ded, and Joseph returned to his

r m labou at the loo in Ayr, reluctantly, we doubt not , but with th e resolution to w in an honest livelihood

r of n pursuing a calm cou se labour and study, everythi g went sm oothly and noiselessly along until love stepped

s his in and di turbed the calm of life, by whispering that there was a dear one on the earth every way h fitted to make his humble hom e a paradise . T is

was Mary Wilson, the daughter of poor but honest

parents, who resided near Ayr . After a rather pro tracted courtship they were united, and Joseph never

for had reason to regret this union, after years proved

all i v that she was he could w sh, the lo ing wife, the

m agreeable co panion, and the judicious adviser.

r a Ea ly and l te he is found at the loom, conscious that he has other wants to provide for besides his 1 2 MEMOIR Or JOSEPH TRAIN .

- own , yet still inspired by the great hearted resolution of knowing more and advancing in the study of the

r past, and in some measu e following his darling pur

suits . i The friend who, dur ng the time he served in the m h ad ilitia, marked him as a man who was superior to his position, and had been in search of him ever since

the militia was disbanded, now found him . He entered

i - b m S . the weav ng hop one day, accompanied y Mr. Ha il

n u ton of Bellisle, a gentlema disting ished for his great

ri hi s i . O public spi t, and friendly aid to the deserv ng n

m seeing Joseph at the loo , they both expressed their

him regret at seeing at such an employment, and in

” “ ose h such a place . What, gentlemen, says J p , you

” ” Z Y ou would not have me to be idle are right,

“ in rejoined Sir David, you are right showing such a

u spirit of industry, but for the f ture we will look to

hr you . The loom must be t own aside for something m ore congenial to your tastes and inclinations leave it for brainless pates and silly old men you must no t waste your days at such an occupation . What say you to become a gauger ! I confess it is no very

a i dl i ple s ng occupation, but, candi y speak ng, it is the

of s I only one worthy your acceptance at pre ent , and

” ou think m y interest can procure y that .

Joseph thankfully accepted th e kind offer o f Sir APPOINTM ENT To TH E E! CISE . 1 3

David, and they departed to put their plans into exe c ution m s , he to com unicate thi anticipated change to

Mary . A few months after he had the satisfaction of b eing appointed an excise- Offi c er in the Ayr district which was at that tim e under the supervision of a

ll our Mr . Gi ies, whose memory antiquary ever cher

ish ed with fond recollection . 1 4 AIRMOIR o r JOSEPH RAIN T .

C H A PT ER I I .

— PUR LISH ES POETICAL R EV ERrEs PRIDE HAS DUNG T H E EINTR A WRANG— H E REMO V ES To RA LN A

GUARD NEAR A RERPELD Y s — ES CAPE , I l e NARROW — F ROM A PARTY OF SMU GGLERS IS APPOINTED To LARGS 1 1 1— PURSUES H rs RESEARCHES H RE , 8 T E — — WIT H GREAT SU CCESS LORD LY LE REMOV ES To

W O - W l l — r NE T N STE ART, S S PUBLISHES STRAINS o — — TH E MOUNTAIN MUSE ELCIN E DE A G G A RT RE COMES ACQ UAINTED WITH SIR WALTER SCOTT — ’ MAGGIE OSBUR N THE WEIRD WOMAN S REV ENGE — HER F ATE.

S s BURN , the mighty minstrel who ung in passionate strains of the beauties of Scotlan d and his ow n native

ils n in Co , had su k into an untimely grave , but the

fluence of his wondrous verse was working its way into the hearts of all throughout the land H is

n ul ge ius had made pop ar a dialect, which was re

s e o n e gar ded as barbarou and fast b c mi g Obsolet , and all who possessed a single spark of poetic fire were singing in the sim me and expressive Doric of Cale donia . Many instances can be show n of poets bursting ” h POETICAL REV ERIES . 1 0 into song after drinking deep at the gushing stream

i m — of rich thoughts, wh ch some aster mind has poured — forth o f becomi ng inspired when they have tas ted

the distilled inspiration of transcendent genius . This was the case with Joseph Train, who, although he possessed little which may as similate him to the great

bard, yet it is evident that Burns must have been his study .

It is not our wish to place the two men on a re

—it to lative footing, would not be doing justice the memory of either but we speak of them not in the

m language of co parison, but of association . Burns was

- of an di S n of the great high priest song, st ng forth ingi g — the present and the future in matchless verse h am modestly chanting the wild legends and traditionary memories of the past like some bird in a solitary muir

land glen, unheard except by some casual wanderer.

1 8 06 r u P etic a lReveries In , his fi st vol me, entitled o ,

Was is in publ hed Glasgow, and Train, in remembrance

of r of kindness no common natu e, dedicated it to l Sir David Hunter B air, the man whose friendship

him dl a e and interest had made , as far as worl y m tt rs went, what he was . This little volume, though far

of ll S o d from being worthy its author, sti hows in b l

of relief the antiquarian bias his mind. Though faulty, there are many beauties in it worthy of trea 1 6 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

r d n s m suring rega i g the pa t and at that ti e, we may

add, they were favourably received by the public .

We give the following as a specimen

P ID E W N R HAS D U NG TH E K INTRA RA G .

T o rest a m om ent ruthless w ar H w h as a h at a is gory s ord she t ed l st , ’ ’ ’ An Britain s fam e stan s higher far ’ n r Tha e e it did in ages past . But w as it fo r an em pty nam e We tholed th e wasting tug sae lang ! ’ Tw ill be rec orded to o ur sham e

That pride h as dung th e ki ntra wrang .

’ Loud peals each other nation s j oy T o see th e P c stranger ea e return, And w hy alone should Britai n sigh ! And w hy alone should Britain m ourn ' ’ ' O c r a h er hills an valleys green ’ Is felt destruc tion s deadly pang ; ’ sh in An could e this plight be seen,

H ad pride na dung th e kintra wrang .

' Our uafled th e m fathers q li pid spring, ’ m b in th e m o c An slu ered ssy ave, Th e shaft sent from th e s ounding string S th b upplied e anquet whic h they gave . ’ Ah ! could o ur sires look doun an see H OO b w ou ra their y ng descendants gang, ’ In dolour they would a agree h a th That pride s dung e kintra wrang .

th e in m Against universe ar s, Th e n of I h as ob Quee sles n ly stood , ’ ’ An 11 00 th e sound o f war s al arm s

- Is hushed in battle field and flood .

1 8 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

this time peculiarly illustrates the dangers to which

i ofli c ial . O he was exposed ne day, hav ng no duty

m out l to perfor , he set across the hil s to where a

l n High and Gatheri g was that day to be held . This

was what Joseph of all things wished m ost to see

but how often do we find our m ost com m onplace ex

ec tations n p balked He did not reach the "gatheri g, for com ing suddenly on a deep glen which lay along

m e his track, he espied a gang of s ugglers who wer busily pursuing their nefar ious Operations in the dell

O n m below . n perceivi g the gauger they ade directly

s for where he was . Judging that their intention

of c towar ds him would be no pea eful nature, he took

to his heels in a homeward direction, but he was

soon overtaken som e Of them were for administering

m condign punish ent upon the spot, but others, who

hi s had previously been in power, and had experienced

m his u kin d treat ent at hands, wo ld not allow him to

n so o f be i jured, he was marched down to the bottom

the glen where two stills were at work . He was

r placed between two of the party, who were a med,

ueen Anne i h e the one with a Q , wh ch took care to

load With gr eat formality in his presence the other

C m with a rusty lay ore, which, they said, had killed

’ several king s men on the haughs of Cromdale .

T here he was detained until the whole contents of the APPOIN ED TO LARGS . 1 9 Is T , 1 8 1 1

Off . i r stills were wrought Th s done, and the spi its

e and utensils remov d, he was set at liberty, so late in f the evening, that it was with considerable di ficulty he reached Balnag uard. That he was a favourite among the smugglers there is not a doubt, even

m f ofii r although he was a vigilant and ost e ficient c e . S So much O, that the jealousy of his equals, and the danger which his superiors thought might aris e from hi s not being of that fi r e- ea ting nature (the peculiar

of - offi c er d characteristic the efficient revenue ), cause him to be removed from Aberfeldy district in the 1 of 1 8 1 . spring , and appointed to the Largs di strict

him This was an agreeable change to , the situation

being less dangerous, and the locality more congenial

t n to his tas es than even Aberfeldy had been, pri ci pally ou account Of the antiquarian associations with

which Largs is abundantly stored . In hi s boyish days he had become well acquainted

m d of with the i dle portions of the county Ayr, and his residence at Largs gave him a knowledge of the northern sections of it which he had not previously

r F or ac qui ed . a period of two years he was allowed

m to re ain in that, to him, pleasing locality, employing

u all his leis re moments, which, when we consider his

in arduous duties, no doubt were but few, collecting legends and incidents connected with the sanguinary 20 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN . conflict which ended in the defeat of the Norwegian

am Haco, when he c e to vanquish, deeming that he had the power to crush the kingdom of Scotland.

an In one of his letters to a friend, he gives account o f a sporting char acter who had obtained considerable celebrity in the West it is as follows

L A RG S 14th A u ust 1 1 1 . , g 8

“ s Since my appointment to Larg Ride, I have

i e ! become acqua nt d with, whom do you think no less

an L le . w h ose a personage th Lord y , single match, some

on - r twenty years ago Ayr race cou se, with the Duke o f Hamilton in person , is yet, I daresay, memorable in the annals Of the turf. You know his Lordship .

of ri an d kept at that time a pack bar ers, the finest ! stud in Ayrshire, but ah what a change has come over him since . His only residence now is a small

’ r — i ga ret room above a weaver s shop, at M llport, in

r the Isle of Cum b ae. I was introduced to him at this unaristocratic and unseemly abode by Brown the

i ou tidewa ter at this port, who, y may remember, was formerly in Ayr. His Lordship was seated on a bu et—sto l d n - if old f o at his i ing table, an broken backed chair s upporting a herring an d a few potatoes

l . might be so ca led He rose as we entered the room,

e e and while we remained, spoke fre ly of the ext nt to 1 LORD LY LE . 2 whi ch sm uggling of foreig n produce from ships pass

‘ ing up the Clyde to Greenock is at present carried on .

Cum brae w as A . He said Mr. , the parish minister of ,

im f or a pusillan ous varlet, having, several years past, purchased smuggled wine from the sailors of these

S m on one vessels for his acra ental occasions, and that,

his S e occasion, stock was O small, that when the vess l

m happened to be detained beyond her ti e, the sacra m ent was postponed until the accustom ed supply was obtain ed from on board .

L w His ordship laid do n a very plausible, and, I

n f n th e thi k, e fectual plan for i tercepting wine when

m m in transit fro the shore to the anse, but I did not find it conveni ent to attend to the directions offered

” on this subject .

L of m ittle is known this unfortunate noble an, but there is no doubt but that he died in Obscurity and

a nd di misery, the fruits of early extravagance ssipa

tion .

1 8 1 3 s New ton In , from Larg he was removed to

ur Stewart in Galloway, and as his s vey extended over the greater part not only Of Upper and Lower Gallo

way , but also a considerable part of Carrick, we may

a conclude he was not idle . Few p rts, even in the

” of m in North Highlands Scotland, he re arks his

m “ r of personal me oranda, present a g eater variety 22 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN . savage scenery than that of the borders of Galloway and Ayrshire, and , with the exception of the store

ar e i e farmers who generally shrewd and nt lligent, the simplicity of the people corresponds with the wildn ess

” of the country .

In this primitive distri ct Train gathered many n i teresting traditions of bygone days, then only b confined to a few who were fast ecoming fewer.

e i h ad Th se, w th others, which been collected in

hi u the various places in w ch he had sojo rned, were

and woven into verse published, in the early part of 1 8 1 4 , by Ballantyne of Edinburgh, with the title of

tr a ins th e M u nta in M e l u S of o us . This ittle vol me w as i to well received by the public, and was dest ned give a permanent direction to the researches of the

m of - of author. So e the proof sheets the work when in course of publication were seen by Sir Walter

ri h e (then Mr. ) Scott , who was fast sing to fame ; w as so pleased with them that he wr ote im m edi ately to the author desiring him to place his name

ai on the subscription list for several copies . Tr n,

d o f i u flattered by the commen ation one so dist ng ished,

lost no time in forwarding the book, when ready, to

is the gifted minstrel . Th led to a correspondence

Sir w as e between Train and Walter, which carri d on until the death of the latter . ELCINE DE A GG AR T . 23

— Sir Walter wrote to Newton Stewart on receipt Of the book just as he was setting out on his mem orable

llad o tour to the Hebri des . The ba of El ine de

A art him and hi s al gg pleased much, , in geni way, suggested an improvem ent in one Of the lines Of that

m is o ir an d is poe . The legend p pular in Ayrsh e, something like the following

At the time when the Invin cible Ar mada fitted out by the Spanish Governm ent against Great Britain was

ri an as l overtaken by a violent hur c e, and, is wel known,

or e was wrecked among the Hebrides, on the west rn

Elcine A art shores of Scotland, de gg , an aged woman

of w who was honoured in Carrick with the title itch, sat on a rock near Turnberry Castle with a ball of blue

m y arn in her hand, and unwound it as so e of the

i S as Spanish sh ps came in ight, and she unwound, their

m i s danger became more i m nent, till, at la t, they sunk

S S is under the mystic pell of the weird ister. Th

A ar supposed witch Train calls Eloine de gg t, and such is the name by which she w as know n ; but som e a re of Opinion that she was none other tha n the weird woman who was generally known under the m a i of O ore f m liar name Mar garet sburn, the Ayr s i hire w tch . Though we have no faith in either

i or i as w tches witchcraft, yet th s legend, and such

i l r th s, i lustrate the superstitions of other yea s . 24 m om o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

We give the legend as Train expresses it

E CIN A R L E DE A G G T .

W H Y gallops th e palfrey w ith Lady Dunure ! ’ Wh o takes aw ay T urnberry s kine from th e shore G o e in C c and el in K t ll it arri k , t l it yle , A lthough th e proud Do ns are no w passing th e Moil On m a c c u this gi l e,

T a w h t in fairyland gre , Old Eloine de A g g art h as taken in hand

T o n er w i wi d up their lives e they n to our strand .

That Heaven m ay favour this grand arm am ent A a s us o o c n e g in t p r hereti isla ders s nt , F o m a a a o n u a c fl r lt rs th usa d , tho gh fr nkin ense y ,

- Though ten thousand c hapel bells peal in th e. sky ;

B m c c y this ysti al lue,

M a w elf- w as new de hen land , O Elc ine de A art l all c o m ld g g wi l unter and , w s r And ind up their lives ere they c om e to our t and .

Th b m ob our c as to ey ring with the n les tles fill , T b m u a our m o to hey ring with the plo ghsh res an rs till ,

T e w b i o ur b a o to b h y like ise r ng fetters r ns ind , Or any wh o m they m ay refrac to ry find ; But this m agic al c lue O th e o b f indig lue, ’ W c few D e A art c o l e er an hi h like g g u d underst d ,

Will baffle their ho pes ere they w in to o ur strand .

Was ever th e sprite of th e wind seen to l our ’ So dark o er th e Clyde as in this fatal hour ! R o c r o ne m a to see th e w now ej i e eve y y aves , ' Eac h ship passing o er from th e poop to the prow W m v stical c e ith this lu ,

M w elf - n w as new ade hen la d , Wh o i not a h er ow n e n w ll give pr ise in nativ la d , To Elc ine de Agg art fo r guarding th e strand

26 M ME OIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

n merly kept, and conti ued in this em ployment for

s of fi upward fty years . During this time Sh e fre

l of quently made excursions into Ga loway, most them

l of n during the si ent watches the ight, when she played her pranks on the simple inh abitants Of the district.

The course she generally took w as over the Car rick hills . The track is still pointed out by the

’ neighbouring peasantry as M agg ie s g ate to Ga l

’ l w a f i i o y . They a firm that ow ng to the w tch having

’ so many attendants of devils and devil s imps, the heat of their feet w as so great that it burned the earth in such a. manner that no grass will grow on it

from that day to this .

One evening as Maggie was passing over the

Of al Nick the B loch, seeing a large funeral approach, and being afraid that she might be discovered by

n m some of the mourners, ma y of who had good

of in cause to know her, in consequence her hav g

ri l n played her cant ps upon them, she sudden y cha ged

o herself int the form Of a large beetle, and went creeping along the side of the road lest she should be

trampled upon by some of the crowd. She escaped

m en very narrowly ; one of the set his foot upon her,

b ut l w as . she, being in a hol ow, safe The man who

a thus unwittingly pl ced her in such jeopardy, she ’ TH E W EIRD W OMA N S REVENGE . 27

strove with all her art to ruin ; but being a very pious

person, she never could get him in her power, until

n one eveni g he forgot to say grace before supper, his

e a good angel desert d him, and the witch obt ined per

mission to roll a large wreath of snow from the

moun tain immediately behind the house upon him

u and his family, ten in number, who th s fell a victim f to the fury o the weird woman .

“ This melancholy catastr ophe was not sufficient to

son of n glut her revenge . One the unfortu ate man escaped the fate of his parents by being on a visit to

ri m l a f end in so e of the High and Isles, but she was

resolved to sacrifice him likewise to her resentment .

As soon as she understood that he h ad returned

A r in a vessel to the Bay of y , she shut herself up in

a e a g rret of her hous , in which no other person was

allowed to enter. fi Before con ning herself in the garret, she desired

- - her servant girl to put some water in the mash tun,

an - to a and set ale cap s il in it, and then place herself

at the foot of the garret stair to await the commands l l of her mistress . The maid having fu fi led these i orders, and hav ng taken her station at the place

m appointed by Maggie, where she re ained a consider

able time, until she was desired to go down to the brewhouse and see in what part of the tun the cup 28 R o r J OSEPH MEMOI TRAIN .

was sailing, and if there were any ripples on the sur

face of the water .

r n The girl did so, and retu ned, sayi g the bicker

in t of i was the cen re the tun, rock ng with the ripples

’ o n . w i the water That ll do, said Maggie, but in

a few minutes you must return to the brewhouse,

’ u and bring the partic lars as before . i The young woman again, accord ng to the direc

es tions of her mistr s, went to the brewhouse, where she found th e water rising in waves over the lip of

an d i the tun , the bicker dash ng from one side to the other with the rapidity of lightning. She inf ormed i Magg e of this, and that she also heard like the cries l I of people drowning . They wil cry long ere pity

’ them , replied the witch ; but go again the girl

went and found the water unagitated, and the bicker

g on nowhere to be seen . Ma gie, being informed of

m this, ca e from her garret, and, with a grim smile ,

’ said Th e devil has served me weel for an c e .

The representation of the bicker in the tun w as d the vessel in the bay, in which was the devote youth It is said that dur ing the time she was con

ih u fined the garret there was a dreadful h rricane , and a vessel was seen tossing to and fro at the mercy o f on the waves, and latterly dashed to pieces the d Nicholas Rock at the bar of Ayr. All on boar ANOT HER ANECDOTE . 29

m of perished, and among the number the far er Far

’ ” den s son .

Another anecdote of Maggie w ill be sufficient to

u show the depravity of her nat re .

After quarrelling with her servan t about som e

flin tri g affair, she caused her to brew at night . About

’ m of m the Witching hour, a nu ber cats ca e jumping

m m i . into the brewhouse, and i ed ately began to fight

’ One of the largest took a spring into the gir l s neck

r r i of with g eat fo ce, evidently w th the intention tum blin g her into a cooler newly filled with boiling worts ; but the girl being in the act of taking the

of worts out a boiler with a ladle, scattered the boil

m ing liquor among the , and by no means sparing the

one who jumped upon her back . After they had all

received their portion, they, without much ceremony, m n e ade a quick exit, maki g a m st hideous noise .

Maggie not rising at her usual tim e next morn

m ing, the girl became so ewhat suspicious that her mistress was one of the cats recently scalded in the

brewhouse, and to make herself more certain , went

’ to her m istress s bedr oom to inquire the cause of her confinem ent ; but Maggie obstinately refusing to

m g ive her any satisfaction, she beca e determined,

l off and, pu ling the blankets her mistress , plainly per c eived her back covered with blisters, which she 3 0 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

naturally concluded to be the effect of the boiling

w i orts . This circumstance hav ng reached the know

of ledge the magistrates, Maggie was imprisoned and

and on sen tried for witchery, , her own confession ,

tenc ed to be burned at a place called the Pric ely

Knowe, near Ayr .

g i to While Ma gie was in prison, the dev l is said

ar ff have visited her, and to have volunt ily o ered to

assist her in escaping from the hold of her persecu

tors . Her liberation was to be effected by means of

two pewter plates that were new and never had been

hi i as i wet, w ch upon her us ng w ngs at the place of i execution, would nstantly raise her from the earth, at which time Satan would conceal her in the sm oke of her funeral pile, and carry her away to a place of

on i safety . Early the morn ng of her execution all the neighbouring clergy assembled round the unfortun ate f i criminal to assist in the last ac ts o devotion . Magg e appeared very penitent before the divines, and said if they would furnish her with two pewter plates that

of exec u never had been wet, she would at the place

ow n tion, not only convince the world that her sen

of l tence was just, but for the good religion, wou d reveal the actions of other witnesses and participators

u in her awf l spells, who were equally deserving to suffer for their crimes . The ministers instantly con ’ 3 1 MA G GIE s FAT E .

sented, and as the procession began to move, a Crown offi c er was despatched for the plates, but as he was returning in great haste he unfortunately let one of

m of hi the fall, in consequence w ch it had become

f u f wet . The o ficer thinking there co ld be little di fer ence between a plate that had never been wet and one i d that had been a l ttle so, and afterwar s well dried, — proceeded with the plates the ministers, with per m of i ission the mag strates, presented the plates to

i i . Magg e, immed ately before she was tied to the stake i She received them joyfully, and immed ately by some of f in her arts, a fixed them to her shoulders, and the full hope of her succeeding began to ascend, but the

fla ed plate which had been wet pp like a broken wing, f and af orded her so little help, that before she could

m one ascend many feet fro the earth, of the guards hooked his halbert in her petticoat and pulled her

’ down again . By this fatal accident Maggie s last

hope was frustrated .

an d She was instantly bound to the stake, as the

flam es of the fagot were rapidly ascending aroun d

l e a d her, she reproached the devi , who s emed to st n

at her side,

‘ ’ O 0 h ye fause loon, instead a black goun ye

’ ’ hae gi en me a red ane ha e I deserved this for serv ing ye sae lang ! 3 2 o r MEMOIR JOSEPH TRAIN .

C H A P T E R I I I .

BEGINS TO CORRESPOND WI T H S IR WALTER SCOTT “ SENDS S IB WALT ER INFORMA TION RESPECTING — ’ TURNBERRY CASTLE ALSO ABOUT KING S CASE CAPTAIN JAMES D ENNIS TOUN SENDS H IM TH E MAZ ER OR DRINKING- CU P USED BY TH E LEPERS — T HERE PROJECT ED HISTORY O F GAL LOWAY GABERLU NZ IES COLIE A ND T ELL H IM OLD ST ORIES — DOMEST IC HAPPINESS .

SIR T TT WAL ER SCO , in his second letter to Train ,

his professed ignorance of Galloway traditions, and knowing that there was no district in Scotland so

l him plentifu ly stored with them, he requested to

f o let h im hear of any o which he might be p ssessed .

The answer which he received was so satisfactory,

” “ a u that he wrote again , asking, as an especi l favo r, that Train would send him some inf ormation con

n cerning Tur berry Castle, for a work in which he was

Our at that time engaged . antiquary , although he

” “ ri had climbed Brown Gar ck Hill in his boyhood, and traversed the shores of that district of Ayrs hire

3 4 m om o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

Lanthorn) could not have been seen across the Firth ” between the Ayrshire coast and Ar ran .

Notw ithstanding the great assiduity which Train displayed in as sisting the Great Minstrel in eluc i dating legendary facts, intended to be interwoven

i l nor in mmorta verse, he was always at his duty, w as it generally known that he in any way engaged

i r in l terary pu suits ; had it been known, he would have been ma rked as one likely to forget his duty for other and more fri volous purs uits unconnected with

- offi cer his profession as a revenue , and this would have materially injured him in the estimation of the revenue authorities .

T e h question may be asked, why Joseph Train gave all the interesting legends and traditions which

ow n he collected to Scott, when, in his hands, they m ight have added much to his fame and fortune !

The answer is the foregoing reason which we have adduced he had too great solicitude fo r his wif e and family to embark so largely into the sea of literature ;

m m prudential otives, highly co mendable, were the

Obstacles which deterred him from embarking in an

n un dertaki g so precarious, and on forming that reso

on all his to luti , he resolved to devote leisure time

’ ir the furtherance of S Walter s views .

About this time he supplied his patron with much ’

I G S 1 1 4 . K N CASE, 8 5 v aluable inf ormation relative to the esta blishment of

’ a h ad King s C se, near Ayr, which been endowed by Bruce for the maintenance of persons afflicted with a i l scorbutic d sease, which was at that time cal ed leprosy .

The circumstances which led Bruce to endow this plac e f i was his being cured of a cutaneous a fection, by dr nk ing of a m edicinal spring situated about a mile from

c . the pla e alluded to In his gratitude, he founded a

m s s Do inican monastery, and cau ed hou es to be built in the neighbourhood for the maintenance of eight

f is e ar persons a flicted with d eas s simil to his own .

in This was put force, and donations were exacted from the neighbouring landh olders to maintain this

of m establishment . The ruins the onastery are now

’ level with the ground, and King s Case exists but in

name .

Train had the good fortune to obtain one o f

or ri k - the mazers , d n ing cups used by the lepers of

’ of ~ King s Case, and it formed one the earliest contri

Of l m butions to the museum Sir Wa ter, with who it was an object of great interest . These drinking

cups were presented by Bruce to the establishment, and they became hereditary in the house to which they were first granted. The district over which Train travelled was to tally isolated, from the inaccessible nature of the 3 6 M r EMOIR o JOSEPH TRAIN .

u g ro nd, from all intercourse with the more inland hi s res, and except a few thiggers and gaberlunzies,

in n C “ and the summer a wanderi g hapman, by a far ” out i f time, the nhabitants saw little o the great world from which they were excluded— they were necessarily ignorant, and consequently superstitious

O is i ne anecdote related by Tra n, in his Memo

e n of in randa, to illustrat the ig orance the people these w ild localities. He says that it was second h nd ot a when he g it, nor does he vouch for the truth

us if thereof. Let not be blamed for irreverence we quote it

“ okinan r A b o , striving to pass the count y in a

Ben ellarie K nocknallion direct line from y to , when

’ B achh ill th e Bush l at the of , cal ed at the herd s house, w i ff d and fin ding the gude fe at home, o ere her for

u én a nd D eath J esus h sale Th e S fi er g s of C r ist .

’ ad ad Hech, sirs, said she, is that man de De

m c exclaimed the man in astonish ent at her ignoran e,

I thought every person knew that he was dead lang ’ l ’ syne . Hoo cou d we hear that, rejoined the ma

‘ ’ tron, when we dinna get the newspapers here. So much for these days of ignorance .

But these people, though ignorant in the extreme, i were kin d and hospitable, and many a long w nter

fi resides n t o night Train spent by their , listeni g E D E I TO 3 CAPT AIN JAM S N N S U N . 7

s t and their wild and uperstitious tales of the pas ,

u f or storing them p future use . His enthusiasm in the collecting of old ballads and legends became so

one old well known , that every who had any story, related it to the gauger and all the gaberlun zies and

e oinin wandering b ggars in that, and the adj g shire , — resorted to Newt on Stewart to recite to him any old

o tale they might be in possession f.

’ Som e time after Train s settling at Newton

e am a e w Ca Stewart, he b c e intim tely acquaint d ith p a m D ennisto un of t in Ja es , the ingenious author

Le end s o G all w a i of a g f o y, and ed tor the ncient Gallo

a l of r i a n vidian b l ad C a g/ dd er . In Captai Dennis

a ri o f e i toun he found a congeni l spi t, a man st rl ng

s v a uprightnes , whose friendship was a alu ble acqui

. fo r sitiou Their tastes and inclinations were, the

a a a n d most p rt, the s me, and on this cco u t they forme the resolution of writing conjunctly a History o f

al . n hi e G loway Acti g on t s r solution, they got cir c ulars printed and sent to all the schoolmasters and

a s - s in h o f p ri h clerk the sout Scotland, requesting them

rn to n con to fu ish answers the queries therein pri ted,

s e of m r cerning the exi t nce camps, Ro an fo ts, and every obj ect which might serve to illustrate the manners and

of m a hi customs remoter ages. The c o munic tions w ch they received from ma ny sources were full and ex 3 8 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

lieit h e hi p , t rowing great light upon subj cts w ch, till

e m u then, had be n enveloped in isty Obsc rity, so that they were soon in possession of abundanc e Of materials

m for wr iting a co plete history . But the idea was soon abandoned on ac count of the labour which it

u — a r i wo ld necessarily have demanded , labou wh ch neither the one nor the other was in a position to b an s estow upon it, apart from the more import t dutie

of his occupation .

’ To Train s connexion with Sir Walter we may attribute partly his disinclination to engag e in such a

r o task, for all the leisu e he could p ssibly have from

e n . his arduous profession, was devot d to his i terests

his ow n for Indeed, we have words the support of such

s in his s an a sertion, for, personal memoranda, he say ,

m a From the day I beca e acquainted with Sir W lter, the ambition of authorship was superseded by a desire

” to serve the great novelist .

nnis oun r Captain D e t , on the othe hand, we pre

m did in k su e, not wish to engage such an underta ing h of so imself, unassisted by the superior tact Train , the affair fell to the ground. About this time the

n - l 10“ Sy od book of Ga loway, which had been for m a r ff r ny yea s, was found by Train, and this a o ded him u on much usef l information ; but the clergy,

in had learn g that it been found, became clamorous 3 PROJECTED HISTORY OF GALLOWAY . 9

of — m - for the restoration the long lost volu e, and even threatened to resort to legal measures unless it was

o m delivered over to their keeping. This Train c

e e plied with, though not b fore he had collect d there

m from as uch information as suited his purpose .

The greater part o f the com m unications received from

m - the school asters and parish clerks were very valuable, and were (seeing that there was no other use for them )

. O forwarded to Sir Walter from time to time ne, d i ula . Tra n mentions partic rly, was from Mr Broa foot,

of Pennin h am teacher at the clachan g , author of the

The H ills G a ll w a celebrated song of o y , and several poems on traditionary subjects it w as signed “ Clash

” botham . This facetious gentleman was the proto

of edediah of G anderc leu h an d type the celebrated J g , ,

” “ e like him, drank the mountain dew with the excis

Wa llac e Ia n man and the landlord, not at the at Gan derc leu h Sh uld er Mutton g , but at the sign of the o of

- in Newton Stewart .

Not only do we find Train exerting himself to the utm ost in supplying Sir Walter with much valu

to of able information relative the traditions Galloway , but also from time to tim e gathering many relics of

i an d r in m ant quity, fo ward g them to the museu which

his illustrious friend was forming. Among the relics o f a past age of error and superstition which our 40 MEMOIR or JOSEPH TRAIN .

ar e ri antiqu y succeed d in procu ng, were the thumbkins

” u - not i nder which the high souled Carstairs did fl nch, and the more terrific iron crown which encircled the

throbbing brow of the great hearted Wishart . These relic s were much prized by Sir Walter on account of

ass of their painful ociation with the fearful past, a time which has not its parallel in the annals of the

world.

The subject of our memoir, in the pursuit of the

ri ul l l antiqua an pec iarities of Ga loway, not on y grati

fi ed t eu his own tas e, but also contributed to the

i of on of lighten ng the world matters antiquity, ff which, till then, had been the cause of much di er

n o to i ence of Opinion . Ma y things were br ught l ght

l m which material y strengthened the theories of so e, and dashed to the ground the opinions of others.

l e him in in Yet sti l for all that, we nev r find one i stance thrusting himself into not ce, but in secret and t silence patiently working and saying but lit le . For a moment we turn from the chronicling of his public

fi n m c d . servi es, and the man in his ho e There the

of i a u stream life was glid ng pe cef lly along, the bright sun i of happ ness lit every corner of the dwelling, and

c the pea e of mind, which is not procured by the

in of w as l th gs the world, fi ling every heart. The

Mary Wilson of his wooing days was the Mary Wil

4 2 o r S MEMOIR JO EPH TRAIN .

C H A P T E R I V .

IGNORANCE OF T H E EARLIER ANTIQ UARIES CONCERN — ING GALLOWAY A CURIOUS SPELL FOUND BY — T RAIN TH E STORY UPON WHICH GUY MANNERING — WAS FOUN DED WAND ERING WILLIE o r RED — GAUNT LET SENDS SOME RELICS To SIR WAL T ER — — VISITS SIR WALTER IN ED INBURGH EH FROM — T H E SULLEN ORR T ELLS SIR WALT ER OF OLD ’ — T T TT MORTALITY SIR WAL ER S NEX LE ER .

TH E antiquities of Galloway for many years failed to occupy the attention they merited from all writers

o . n this subject Indeed, we find Sir John Sibbald

n and many others professing their ignora ce, and it is

We a matter of no great wonder, when consider the

Of nature the country, and the inaccessible tracts which lay between it and the more civilized distri ct

i w of Kyle . Anyth ng that was kno n was furnished by the different parish m inisters for the great statis

i om m i tical work Of Sir John S nclair, and these c un ca tions were for the m ost part erroneous and flimsy l statements, which sti l stand against them as proofs 1 8 1 5 . 43 CURIOUS SPELL, of their negligence and ignorance ; consequently d Train h ad a new field, which rewar ed his patient industry in a m anner truly creditable to hi s nam e

am m and genius . Many n es are found a ong his cor respondents showing that genius and talent gratefully acknowledged his assistance ; among these is fre

f m n quently found that o Chalmers, whose na e sta ds at the head of the list of antiquaries .

Train, ever on the alert, found a curious relic of superstition in hi s wanderings in the early part of

5 i m - t 1 8 1 . Th s was an occult ixture of rowan ree

of e twigs with scraps . red cloth bound up with t xts

’ o f Scripture in a cow s hide ; it was used for the purpose of guarding cattle from witchcraft . This curious spell occupied for many years a prom inent

’ m m of place in Sir Walter s useu , along with another a Sim ilar description which the baronet h ad received

a . from Mrs. Grant of L ggan Those who have read

n the notes to the Waverley Novels, cannot but ack ow

ledge that the tribute which that great author pays,

m m from ti e to ti e, to Train , is just and generous

flat on the part of Sir Walter, and must have been

tering to the humble antiquary . One of the stori es which he forwarded to Sir Walter w as of an astro

i of loger who, w andering in the w lds Galloway, came about midn ight to a house where the gudewife was o r S 44 MEMOIR JO EPH TRAIN .

t r about to be confined . The fu u e destiny of the i child the astrologer foretold, say ng that he would

m and t encounter any dangers, af er a residence in a

- o ff h far land he would return to claim his in eri tance .

This is said to have come to pass as the w eird man

foretold ; and the story was so much admired by Sir

e of Walt r, that he made it the basis the novel of Guy

’ — n Mannering and the astrologer s wanderi g, and his

m n n n is d beco i g a guest at Ella gowa , forme from that

n hi old legendary ballad. A other wild story w ch is

e r n r cited by Wande i g Willie to Darsie Latimer, in

Red aun tlet e e the novel of g , Sir Walter r ceiv d from

w him 1 8 1 4 Train it as originally published by in ,

Stra ins the M unta in M use i in of o , a work to wh ch

as we have previously alluded. The story, told by

w — A Train, is something like the follo ing man in a the parish of New Abbey, who had the le s e of

of al a farm from the Laird Lagg, c led on him one day to pay som e arrears of rent whi ch had been due

for a considerable time . Grierson took the money,

on c i not but a count of some urgent bus ness, he did

e r writ the fa mer a discharge, but requested him to call next day for the docum ent but ere the sun had

h a d his l . risen again , the persecutor breathed ast

w as e on When the funeral over, the farmer wait d

un i d the yo g la rd, and simply state the transaction I of RED G A WANDERING WILL E U N TLET . 4 5

i f with his father. The young gentleman n ormed the old S man, that hould he admit of such vouchers he would subject h imself to impositions which the Whole of his property could not cover ; an d though he

m doubted not but the far er had spoken the truth ,

yet if the receipt was not forthcoming, he would

m resort to legal measures to enf orce pay ent .

As the poor man was returning home very discon solate at the thought of being turned out of house

sum and home, for he had no money to pay the over

i w i aga n, a person came up th him in a wood through

as which he h ad to p s .

They travelled on in Silence for som e time at last

r his h a the st anger observed to companion , t at he p

eared - S ri e p low pi t d, and begged that he perhaps could

him of if m e help out the d ficulty . The far er repli d

w as e low - ri e that he ind ed spi ted, and with much caus , and r without further preface, told the st anger his

o st ry .

The stran ger observed that his case was a Singular one o h S e a , but not alt get er O hopel ss as he im gined,

c m and added, that if he would a co pany him a short di an hi as him st ce from the ghway, he might sist in

n w procuri g his o n. Although it was near midnight

e his and very dark, the farmer, rendered desperat by

s u in mi fortune, made no scr ple accompanying the 46 o f MEMOIR JOSEPH TRA IN .

stranger. His guide then dashed into a thick wood

a e which was ne r, and aft r threading the mazes, which

if t l r t he were intricate and d fi to wa k th ough, to astonishment of the farm er they came to the gate of

s e w o a majestic ca tle, which was Op ned by a man h had an r i been for m y years po ter to the La rd of Lagg,

but who had been dead for a considerable time .

l of In the hall sat Pate Birnie, the famous fidd er

i rt Kinghorn . Th s facetious wo hy was tuning his

fiddle in order to play after supper to a large com pany who were assembled in an upper apartment of

ar his the castle . As the f mer followed guide, he saw several ladies and gentlem en with Whom he had for m e Of erly be n acquainted, all whom had taken an active part in the persecution ; at last he entered a

m roo , where, to his astonishment, he saw the old

s w i Laird of Lagg eated at a table, th a large bundle of arr n papers before him, and apparently busied in a g

m. e s in ing the His guide then addr s ed Lagg, and formed him that this w as the person he h ad expressed a a r e wish to see, whereupon L gg w ot the rent receipt

e i to and gave it to the poor man, t ll ng him go next i day and present it to the he r, and inform him that

m he had received it on the day of pay ent, but the

c d fact of his having got it had es ape his memory .

The farmer thanked him, and returned to his H E H WILLIE T w ELS MA N . 4 7

ui g de, who conducted him back the road they came,

im - an d ad h . m an b e good night, disappeared The went home in a state of mind not easily to be de

t i on transac scribed, and nex morning, reflect ng the tions Of the preceding evening and deem ing it all a , ,

i his hallucination, until search ng pockets, he found therein the veritable document fairly written in the

’ o Old Laird s handwriting. His j y then knew no

s . an bound He inst tly set out for the castle, and on

m e d presenting his receipt, was freed fro the threat ne

prosecution .

m i n On this adventure beco ng know , it was gene rally believed that the farmer h ad paid a visit to some

or other regions, f no castle could ever be found con i tiguous to the scene of his nocturnal adventure. Th s

’ a nd er in Willie s e is the substance of W g tale, as relat d by Train in the work aforementioned.

hi ad The prototype Of t s erratic individual, so

mirably described by Scott, was also furnished by

i m an Train from personal knowledge . Th s was a

of n wanderer like the Willie Scott, a Welshma by

in birth, a native of Caernarvonshire, but Train

forms u S that his chi ef residence for m any years

prior to his death was in the south of Scotland, where

he w as well known for his drollery and his skill on

one the harp and fiddle . He was not, as may sup 4 8 o r J S MEMOIR O EPH TRAIN .

s e of po e, admitt d into the halls the great, as was the i custom in earlier t mes , but he was the presiding

m - genius at erry makings, and always the chief gu t

scraper at every leir n between Gretna Green and the

G lena H abbie im s n Braes of pp, and, like the noted S p o ,

at br id a ls h e w on m n lac o g/ p lrs .

At the great fair of K irkdandie he was the chief

personage . There he usually laid aside his harp and

to l t took the fidd e, as better fit ed to charm the hearts

of the lads and lasses of Carri ck.

e At this gathering, once the most celebrat d in the

t West, he became acquainted wi h John Riddel, the b o est musician Scotland ever saw, the composer f

” ” Colzean G ri r Castle, ar ck Shore, The Mer y ” ad of i s L s Ayr, and Ayrsh re La ses, the latter composition being popularly believed to be the pro duction of the last Ear l of Eglinton but on the

of authority Train and others, we are enabled to cor rect that mistake.

’ We give Train s version of that popular song

b th e rt T he ugle sounds pa ing call , To th e 0 arm s order passes, , And Im ust bid farewell to all

O . The bonnie Ayrshire lasses,

A e sae and a e sae y frank , y free, A e sae b and c O y lithe heery , , ’ C u h e Wh a e er h e be a ld is , ’ T w lo e m O hat adna the dearly, .

5 0 r S T MEMOIR o JO EPH RAIN .

’ i s e m n trel s family, formed a band that call d into action

n onl the danci g powers not y of the other children ,

but likewise of several Of the Spectators . The appear

an ce of the minstrel was somewhat Singular he was

e i of of of s em ngly upwards fifty years age, very

i a r d minutive st tu e, the small part of his countenance

tha t appeared above his bushy bea rd was of a sallow

m r m l - co plexion, ve y uch pitted by the sma l pox, and

h n roved nowise p by his large sightless eyeballs,

which seem ed to roll instinctively as he moved his

hand across the stri ngs of the harp . His habiliments

seemed to be just whatever chan ce h ad thrown in his

’ his - n way . On legs he wore a pair of blue rigg a n f r

of stockings, partly drawn over the knees his small

of i clothes, the original part wh ch had been evidently

worn by a person of more spacious dimensions ; his

vest of red plush cloth, with deep pockets hanging

over the thighs, was in every way similar to that

r kept in the ward obe at Eglinton Castle, stained with

the blood of the unfortunate Earl w h o w as shot by

o Campbell the exciseman . The outside colour f his

w coat was bro n , the inside yellow ; it was the only part of his dress which bore any proportion at all to

his person . On his head he wore the cap in Old times

a m e islc ie Ro c lled a g , with a large man letter in front,

as w as l t such usual y worn by Chat ering Charlie, the H E T o r 1 T FA E WANDERING WILLIE . 5

o of last professional jester f the House Cassilis . From

m Creetown, the instrel and his family proceeded to

k r eburn S y , where they received quarters that night .

Next day the whole retinue m oved Slowly over the

of ri n l i Course Slakes, and ar ved at Lagga Mul an n i the evening, just in time to ass st the music of a

- m n of of merry aki g friends there, which the host has

still a lively recollection .

not Next night they were so successful . After

Ga having passed through the tehouse of Fleet, at

i r - u nightfall, they sol cited lodgings at the fa m ho s e of

Tawney Maws, and several other places, but were

m refused . Co pelled by necessity, the poor houseless

- wanderers at length lay down in a gravel pit , fast by

the great road to Portpatrick, nearly Opposite to the

m of w l i old ill T ynho m, but ere the morn ng the brow

f m v of l a il . the pit fe l in, and buried the whole seven

m in nu ber. The cuddie had been left beside the

- a dis wicker c rt, at a short tance from the pit, and i of . thus escaped the fate its owners Be ng Sabbath,

not l it was till near the midd e of the day that, by

e the braying of the ass, people were collect d to the

S m a pot and, strange as it y appear, considering the

di of . proverbial stupi ty that animal, Mr Rain assures

s me, that it was there observed pacing backward and

s e— ih forward , in front of the grav l pit which its master 5 2 M EMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN . and n his family were laid, braying anon, seemi gly for

of - the purpose rousing them from their resting place .

“ The quantity of gravel that had fallen during the

inc redi night on these unfortunate people, was almost

of bly small , to have been the cause such a sad catastrophe ; some of them were scarcely covered, but they had all incautiously reclined with their

' a s i he ds clo e to the bank, by which the fall ng gravel

and Of covered their faces deprived them lif e. By

of t n the composure their fea ures, whe taken out of

th e the pit, whole seemed to have died without a struggle .

“ t n l . The remains of this unfor u ate fami y were, at

n a the expe se of the Session, buried in the churchy rd f of Tw ynholm . The recollection o this trag ical event

i i ri is st ll kept in the d st ct, by people superstitiously

’ out H ar er s H le pointing the p o , as a nightly ren dezvous of man y an uneart hly group of uncouth figures

” in human shape .

of Willie th e Welshm an Such was the end , , in whose fate Sir Walter deeply sympathized, so much

t him so, tha he resolved to perpetuate in the enchant ing pages of romance.

n n e Mr . Train, happe i g to be at North Castle Stre t

l of Red auntlet con soon after the pub ication g , while versing with Sir Walter on some of the incidents L TT 5 3 LETT ER FROM SIR WA TER SCO .

i Y ou in that work, the Baronet sa d, will no doubt recognise an old acquaintance in the person of th e

l or Blind Beggar. Poor fe low ! I must some time

u his m other pay a f rther tribute to me ory, but you know circumstances will not permit of me doing so

” at present. i Train, expect ng that Sir Walter would mention

Wand er ing Willie more particularly in the next

Red auntlet his 8th edition of g , sent to patron, on the

O 1 8 3 0 of u un of ctober , the above account the nfort ate hi minstrel, w ch, from some cause which the antiquary

s not r . a could never di cover, did appea We h ve made

ur of s hi re a digression, for the p p ose establi ng the lationship between the Mins trel of the North and the

t of our di o subjec memoir, and of recor ng the st ry of

nd er n Willie We Wa i g in its proper place . now

’ return to Sir Walter s correspondence w ith Train .

i r all The follow ng letter is the fi st at interesting, though they had previously had much interchange o f correspondence

MY IR — I c orm tr DEAR S , was in the y when I

ordered your copy of the Lord of the Isles to be sent

off . U nfortunately the bookseller had not enough to

a ou one or answer my order, and dis ppointed y and

of ri to two my other f ends . I was therefore obliged 5 4 E M MOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

e wait the second dition , of which I have now the

e pleasure to s nd two copies by the coach, begging

u of n ou yo r acceptance one, and hopi g y may find the

i to o ri . other an acceptable g ft s me of your f ends. Mr

e s Of Port r, lately appointed a Commis ioner Excise, is

ri i u a f end of m ne . I wo ld be happy if, through his i n r be u e u te est , I could at any time s f l to you, in which case you will have the goodn ess to point me out the obj ect and opportunity of serving you . I am

i to go ng London in about a fortnight, for about six weeks, or thereabouts.

e — u I must conclude in some hast Dear Sir, yo r

TE TT . obliged servant, WAL R SCO

' ARR PORI) 1 2th Mar c h 18 1 5. O IS ,

This off er of assistance came of his o w n accord

al u from Sir W ter, nor, in all the co rse of their

r n w as t cor espondence, do we find that Trai ac uated by m ercenary motives in affording to Sir Walter that assistance which the novelist so highly valued .

This offer was made . we have no doubt, from motives

n of delicacy, Sir Walter judgi g rightly that our antiquary would not have accepted direct pecuniary i remuneration for his services . A short t me after

in r s d receiv g the foregoing letter, T ain pre ente to his

s a e- illu trious friend a Rom n battl axe, found in the S IT ST L T 1 1 8 . 5 ES AY ON ILLIC DI IL A ION, 5 5

of e m m f moss Cr e , and, at the sa e ti e, the head o a

n f spear picked up near Merton Hall, i the parish o

Pennin h am S g , together with the porran of Rob Roy, which he had Obtained from a descendan t of that

’ - m far fa ed freebooter. During Train s sojourn in Aber feld y, he had marked with particular attention the

s true cau e of so much opposition to the law, and at a

r subsequent period d ew up an essay on the subject,

u showing the defects and ab ses of the Excise statutes,

and pointing out how these defects might be remedied, so that when Sir Walter inf orm ed him that he was acquainted with Mr . Porter, newly appointed a Com i m ssioner of the Excise, he stated to him by letter, some of the particulars contained in the essay on

l n Illicit Disti lation, hopi g thereby to bring it under

the notice of that gentleman, but his sudden death

e i prevent d Sir Walter from do ng so . He, however,

e . a in a few months aft r, gave it to Mr E rle, then a

of Commissioner the Customs, upon which he wrote as follows to Train

SIR — I ns DEAR , delayed a wering your letter till I Should know what my motions were likely to be this

m m of su er, as I have been of late a good deal a wanderer. I find I will be at my farm of Abbotsford

- 26th in m 26th from Monday till the , and town fro the 5 6 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

1 2 i a i to th Apr l, fter which I w ll be again at Abbotsford for a month, and then in town during the summer session of two months. I presume your visit to

Ed ll u l inburgh wi be about s mmer, when you wil be

as sure to meet me, I am always obliged officially to attend the sittings of the Court, and shall be glad to m a ke your personal acquaintance .

i e Rorie G ll is quit a stranger to me, and I am glad to be m ade know n to him in th e m odern dress ;

s you have clothed him with considerable piri t.

l an n I wi l have Opportunity, before I leave tow , to put your co mmunication under the eye of Mr .

be Earle, chairman of the Board, with whom it may ’ i t ou . a a of service to y I h ve m de Mr . Earle s acqua n n and a ce lately, he seems a very agreeable and gen

I will be particularly gratified by your wr iting down at leisure such traditions as you mention having picked up in your late tour nothing interests me so

l s — I Sir obe much as loca anecdote am, dear , your

d T TT . ient servant, WAL ER SCO

Eh 1 INEURG H th Mar 1 . , 7 ch 8 6

We are not in possession of information as to

had d where Train been, as allude to by Sir Wal

di w as ter in the prec e ng letter, but it doubtless an

5 8 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

It would doubtless have been a rich treat to have seen the Gallovidian seated beside the Bard of A i t im r ieve. The pression made on the mind of our

r B un lin Ba rd friend, by the pictu e of the g g , was now ise relieved by his dogmatic assertions and high

pretensions during the evening. i l A pair of ptarmigans at table, wh ch Sir Wa ter said he had received that day as a present from the

North , was a treat to every one present except he O ” f d from the sullen rr, who a firmed that these bir s were as plentiful as pigeons in Galloway . So great

n of e was the va ity Morrison, that even Sir Walt r w as not allowed to pass uncontradicted . l ’ i Wi kie s picture of Sir Walter and his family, wh ch

i i w as was at th s time newly from the stu d o of the artist,

i u All u that even ng introd ced. present prono nced it

u to be a faithf l picture except he from Galloway, who

a e t most unhesitatingly decl r d , that itwas nei her like Sir

Walter nor any of his family whereupon Miss Scott

O . rem arked with much archness, h, I forgot, Mr

ri f Mor son, you are a painter yourself, and I have o ten

d e s i hear it remark d, that there is no friend h p in

trade, but I never saw it verified before . That even

l an ing Sir Walter was called away by Mr. A ex der

’

m of Alb n s A nth l . Ca pbell, the author y o ogy When he

e e m i return d, he spoke in t rms of the highest ad TRAIN A T NORT H CASTLE STREET . 5 9

ration of the enthusiastic ardour evinced by Mr .

Campbell, who, although advanced in years, travelled the country on foot collecting neglected music . He said he had wri tten several songs to assist the poor man by his name appearing in the list of contri butors

as to the work, but he expressed it his opinion, that the undertaking would never pay . This truly came to pas s and poor Cam pbell gained little but the im m or tal fam e of having his name connected with some of the finest lyrics in the language, besides those from

- the inimitable pen of his illustrious patron .

The short tim e spent by Train with Sir Walter

his and amiable family, was quite a jubilee to the

and patient and industrious antiquary, the enjoyment of this breathing time was heightened by the thought that he had served Sir Walter in such a manner as greatly to merit the kind notice of the Great Ma gician

a S r of the North . But his st y was of hort du ation his

his s hi m i n anxiety to be home to dutie , precluded from dul in in g g a protracted sojourn at North Castle Street .

On the morning of his departure he rose an d went

i h ad into the l brary, as he been directed the night i prev ous, by Sir Walter, who judged rightly, that it would be a source of am usem ent to his antiquarian

. not friend The library, although so valuable as it

r r m m afte wa ds beca e, was a ong the finest which Train 60 M EMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

n for had ever see , and it may be taken granted, that

he enjoyed him self much .

The pictures there were a full- length portrait of l the Novelist himse f, a fine view of the Island of

Staffs n , and an original pai ting of the celebrated

l . Lord Dundee, the hated C averhouse This last picture arrested the attention of the antiquary the noble- looking and amiable countenance was ill in

a e of unison with the reputed char ct r the man, and in the strange anomaly there was much to engage the attention of the thinker.

Sir Walter entered the library as Train w as ex em r ining the pictu e of the persecutor, and to the

’ l s a antiquary s remark , that C averhou e appe red more

an l Wodrow mild and gentle there, th in the ight which ,

s ri Cruickshank, and other ecclesia tical w ters had shown

” le w as him in, rep i d by saying, that no man more i traduc ed by his h storians than Claverhouse, who

in followed the belief that he rode on a gobl galloway, " w . as proof against shot, and in league with the devil

n His guest remarked, that in good ha ds he might be made the hero of a nationa l romance as interesting

l . as either Wal ace or the Pretender He might,

e e ul replied Sir Walt r, but your west rn zealots wo d require to be faithft pourtrayed to make the pic

u ee ture complete . Train f rther added, s ing that the 6 TH E HIGHLAND HOST . 1

a if Novelist was pleased with the idea, th t the story

of was delivered as if from the mouth Old Mortality, in a manner somewhat Sim ilar to that o f the Lay of

ns the Last Mi trel, it would certainly heighten the

” O ali m an 2 effect of the tale. ld Mort ty, , who was he

his a i interrogated Sir Walter, eye be m ng with lively i interest . His guest began narrat ng as much as he

u n on knew of that sing lar perso age, and promised, his

ll l e return to Galloway, to co ect all particu ars resp ct

i ir h ing him . At th s S Walter expressed himself ighly

' so i delighted, and he spoke emphatically, that Tra n had no doubt that he meant to make use of the in formation received.

f s d Co enantc At break a t, again a verting to the v rs

of is e in the West, he spoke the d tress which had b en

n a 1 6 8 the brought on the commu ity, in the ye r 7 , by

of H i hland h st rapacity the g o , and afterwards by th e visionary follies instilled by the clergy into the minds

al of their simple followers. He so alluded to the singu lar 1 3 8 charter granted by Robert H , in the year 7 ,

r of n relating to the Chu ch St . Joh at Ayr, which Train had published some time previous in a periodi cal work . He said he had never visited the ancient

town of Ayr, but should have done so long ere that

e l l time, had h not been so wel supp ied with such

valuable information as his guest h ad trans mitted to 62 o r S MEMOIR JO EPH TRAIN .

him r l din of e a , especting the an g Bruce , and the L per est b h i K i ’ lis m ent r n s ase. at Prestw ck, afterwa ds called g C

Neither had he visited Galloway ; but he said his

i er cur osity had been so excited, that if his health p

r n mitted, he would make a journey to that district du i g

the following summer . This he was never destined to

c ls . m e a comp i h Next sum er he reached Dumfri s, but w as t i compelled to return to Edinburgh, wi hout v sit

ing the wild but not unpleasing district of Galloway .

Proud of the reception he had received from Sir

d n to Walter, Train returne home, resolvi g use every means in his power to serve his patron in the col

adi m r leeting of tr tionary stories, but o e particularly

O l an m such as related to ld Morta ity, account of who

Sir him m on ar e Walter made pro ise, p ting, to s nd as

soon as possible .

his s Train kept promise, and in a few weeks ent di to Edinburgh an account of that strange in vidual,

m of as he received it fro the son Old Mortality .

This singular man was born in the parish of Close

- u w as m . b rn, in Dumfries shire, and probably a ason He had at least been educated to the use of the chisel He

i m - in wandered through Scotland, renew ng the ti e worn

r sc iptions on the tombstones of the martyrs, and cutting new ones where there were none . It was religious en thusiasm him u , not poverty, which induced th s to wan T 63 DEAT H OF OLD MORTALI Y .

c der, for he never a cepted anything but the hospitality

him which was w illingly rendered , and when that

was not proffered, he had money enough to provide

are r in for his humble wants . There few chu chyards

or - a Ayrshire, Galloway, Dumfries shire where the m rk

Bankh ill of hi s chisel is not to be seen . He died at ,

1 4 of 1 8 01 near Lockerby, on the th January , in the

- eighty sixth year Of his age . That Sir Walter had

o w little to work up n, is kno n from the fact, that what Train could learn about the Old enthusiast w as

an d from his son, this was not received from him

ur w ith the best grace, at that time, but at a fut e period he supplied Train with many interesting par

ic ulars t about his father, which were inserted as notes to a future edition Of the Waverley Novels 5 but possessing so little information as he did at that time,

n of i we are astonished, when we thi k the gen us Of

m r al the man who, fro such scanty mate i s, could, by

his al the potent wave of magic wand, create a new f O . All f rt world romance the e fo s Of modern, and, we

n may with safety say, ancient times too, si k into in si nifi canc e m g , co pared with the herculean and masterly

m literary achieve ents of the mighty Scott . What pen

e but his ever delineat d, with such truthfulness, the

n pec uliarities of character, or clothed the enchanti g page of romance with so much of reality : but we G 4 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN . turn from contemplating the man the blaze Of his

u genius dazzles and confo nds us .

ow i The foll ing letter which Train received, w ll show that the in formation which Sir Walter h ad O procured respecting ld Mortality, and other subjects , was valued much . In it we find him endeavouring to conceal, even from Train , the fact Of his being the

ld M or ta lit O or . author Of y, the two preceding works

At what tim e he directly made the antiquary one of the

Of select few who knew the secret their authorship, we

i aff are not prec sely informed. But this was mere ec tation on of the part Sir Walter, for he must have been conscious that the antiquary knew well about

e i the matt r, see ng that he was the person who sug

ld M ta lit him i gested O or y to . But th s letter appears

or to have been written either as a feeler, from the fact that the Great Minstrel had forgotten all about the matter. That the latter is improbable we assent

to r . , and consider the former as the natu al conclusion

SlR — I DEAR , have been very much to blame

i c not to write you sooner. My s n ere thanks for your very Obliging and curious communications, from which

I have deri ved both instruction and amusement. I was in the country until the beginning Of winter, which occas ioned my being late in receiving your

66 MEM OIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN . employed in burning lim e ! We know that these ancient people were traditionally renow ned for their

in e skill in architecture . They certa ly s em to have been farther advanced in the arts of life than their

rival neighbours. the Scots, which may have arisen from their inhabiting the lower and more fertile parts of the country . The Murder Hole is also a curious tra

m m e Of i dition . It confir s my Opin on that our lawy ers misinterpreted the right meaning of the Old grants of

s h l Of baronial juri diction, w ich usual y bore the right

it a n ll w s p d g a o . Our legal antiquaries hold that the

Of pit means the dungeon the castle, and that the grant applies to a right of imprisonment and execution by hanging or drowning . There seems no good reason f or n granting a right of mere impriso ment, which in

’ ahnost all fact was common to king s vassals, whether possessing the higher powers of capital execution

or not .

“ rt th e I am prevented from writing fa her, by Of t — i necessity serving pos Your obl ged servant,

WALTER SCOTT .

A BB Rr) 21 3 t D ecem b r 1 8 1 . OTe , e 6

From this letter we fi nd that the communications must have been valuable, and that they included

ac c orm t subjects which were highly interesting, on ’ TRA IN s HUMILIT Y . 67 both Of their variety and their antiquarian in

terest . Scott was the skilful workman who polished

em r the g 3 T ain the industrious miner, who brought it from its hiding- place among the hills and glens o f

one d his lovely land. The genius Of the was fanne an d encouraged by the rich subjects paid as homage

to that genius by the industrious labour of the other .

a We speak not of the two men as parallels, but Of e ch

— one of th e independently the , the mighty son song ;

other, the humble and unpretending antiquary . Scott stood forth pourtraying the mann ers and custom s o f i a past age, but ere talent and genius could beg n

i m their work, Tra n dashed aside the curtain which ti e had cast over the aspect Of other days .

Indiff erent to the applause of the world working for of — in the benefit others work g in secret, yet working not the less ; in sunshine and in sorrow

son of strangely the same, we find the simple the

hills . 1 58 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

C H A P T E R V .

‘ T R T T TO H S T O F AIN S IN RODUC ION C ALMER , AU HOR — CALEDONIA TRACES OU T A N OLD BOUNDARY LONG ‘ — fi DISPUT ED STORY OF ULRICK M W H IR TER SIR ’ — - \V A LTER S NEXT LETTER ST ORY OF DONALD N A — N ORD ANCEST OR O F DONALD TH E PROT OTYPE OF W' — AVERLEY ORIG IN OF T H E DOOM OF D EV ORG OIL.

IN m 1 8 1 5 ir the su mer of , S Walter, when in Lon do n n h lm , became personally acquai ted with C a ers,

a led nia the author Of C o , who was at that time preparing the third volume of his great work for

the press . It is that part which contains the de scription of the west Of Scotland .

Sir Walter mentioned Train as the person most likely to forward the views Of Chalmers in the getting up of som e of the topographical notices of

r r and al various pa ts of Galloway and Ayrshi e so,

Of n at the same time, related some the interesti g com m uni cations which he had himself received from the exciseman .

Mr. Chalmers had appli ed for sim ilar inform ation f! CHAL MERS . (i

from Sir Alexander Boswell some time before, but this information the Laird Of Auchinleck was unable

’ m Of to give, so he with pleasure ade use Sir Walter s name in soliciting assistance from Train .

This was the commencem ent of a correspondence

ri between these two congenial spi ts, which was unin

f m terrupted until the death O Chal ers. The esteem with which Train regarded this wonderful man was next to the high admiration he entertained for

Scott.

’ On Chalmers appli cation to the antiquary Of Gal

i infor loway, he was furn shed with much interesting mation concerning the Roman post on the Black

” of Water Dee, near New Galloway, also a sketch

a Ris ain and description Of the Rom n camp at p , near

ul Whithorn, besides many other partic ars with which

l not s Mr . Cha mers was previou ly acquainted . His ignorance had led him to assert in the first volum e of

a led n ia h ad C o , that the Romans never penetrated

W tonshire into ig , nor into Ayrshire, farther than ”

London . Of his hill Informed mistake, in the

third volume Of his work he says Owing to

or uri m i the want Obsc ty Of re a ns, it has long been

and supposed that the Romans, with all their energy

Wi tonsh ire perseverance, never penetrated into g , much B less Ayrshire . ut time and chance have at length TO M I ME OIR OF JOSEPH TRA N .

Ris ain discovered the Roman camp at p , near Whit

d i of horn, and a join ng the plantations Glasserton .

He afterwards describes the course of a Roman road

m of fro the town Ayr, from the inf ormation which

ra i O T n supplied ; and in a letter, dated ffice for

l 2otb -s Trade, Whiteha l, June he compliment

Train in the following terms You will enjoy the glory Of being the first who has traced the

m Wi tonshire Ro an footsteps so far westward into g , a — nd the Roman road from Dum fries shire to Ayr.

Y ou have gone far beyond any correspondent Of mine

” in these parts .

Th e next antiquarian pursuit which Train en

w as g aged in, the tracing Of an ancient erection,

’ D ells D ke Lo ch r an popularly called the y , from y in

Wi tonsh ire a of of g , to the f rm Hightae in the parish — f m O . Lochmaben, Du fries shire, a distance eighty miles

This h ad previously been undertaken by Dr. Clapper

l of ton , son Of the celebrated travel er that name, but di he ed prematurely, and no information could be obtained regarding the progress he had made . This

ri l rai n Lo c hr an necessa ly compel ed T n to begi at y , although he was deri ded by his friends for un

kin derta g such a task, as to them it seemed the utmost folly for a man Of his limited income to engage in such unprofitable work as tracing the butt of an S 1 T RAIN TRACE OUT AN OLD BOUNDARY . 7

Old Of th e dyke, which had outlasted every trace both

of not age and Object its erection, and which could possibly be Of any im portance to himself or to the world.

of In spite all these discouragements, which his

r n hi s friends were not chary in th owi g in path, we

find the devoted antiquary enthusiastic in his not very promising task, and making considerable pro gress in his researches . His plan was to procure the charter Of the lands thr ough which the Old dyke was supposed to pass, in order to examine it, with the view of findin g any allusion made to the dyke as an ancient

Lands Ri hts of l boundary, but the written g Ga loway

m of a s was co paratively modern d te, con equently they

m m afforded but little information . He had co enced his survey Of the Old dyke a considerable time pre

m vions to his acquaintance with Mr . Chal ers, and it was nearly completed, when he first communicated

’ Of l his with him . In one Mr. Cha mers letters to All brother antiquary, he says the antiquarian

insi discoveries in the south Of Scotland, sink into g

’ nifi cance when com pared with the Deil s Dyke .

ou But I wish y to understand, my good sir, that there are questions which ri se out of your communi cations f ‘ o . which justify the Observation Mr Hume, that there are questions in history as diffi cult of solution M 72 EMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

’ ’ u i as any of the sciences, s ch as the De l s Dyke con siderin m c is dif g all its circu stan es, it extremely ficult

or to assign its age, its Object, its builders . In Ire

’ ik i Ca land there is nothing l e the De l s Dyke, the

trael Of . , or other works that nature in Scotland

’ is i The inference , that the Deil s Dyke was not bu lt

s d by Iri h hands 5 and I am isposed to think, that it is several c enti ui es older than the arrival Of the Irish

Cruith ne or Picts in Galloway.

of l Of in The history Ga loway would, itself, your

a f l for h nds, supply su ficient materia s the curious pen o f Ob ec history, though it would be subject to the j — tion which may be formed to all history that it is i less amus ng than romance , which is so attractive in the

our ri l hands of f end, Wa ter Scott, and for which I

' ” m am informed you have supplied any m aterials .

The in cognito which Sir Walter desired to main tain had hitherto been well kept, when we consider

e that there were eight en persons in the secret,

n ri though Lord Byron, as is well k own , att buted

o e an d the Novels t Sir Walt r, popular conjecture was

n out not slow in singli g him as their author, yet

i a n r l noth ng cert in was known to co fi m that be ief.

Public curiosity w as at that time very active in search of the Great Unknown, and Train deemed this

th e allusion to Sir Walter, on part Of Mr. Chalmers,

74 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN

b t qu an, each for himself, on account, as both asser ed,

Of of his wife being first born, but as the mother the

an d an ladies, y person who might have rectified the

l a dispute were dead, a bloody feud wou d, in all prob b ilit y, have ensued, had not the relatives on both sides

prevailed on the sticklers to submit their claim to the

of decision the King, who, although young, was, as is

n e . e k own, a just and upright princ Aft r much hesi

tation , both at length agreed to do so, and for that

purpose they proceeded to Edinburgh . How to de l cide a question impartia ly, where both parties had a

claim equally good, his Majesty was, for some time, at

s di v a loss to know, as both protested again t iding the

property, but agreed to abide by any other decision . At last he resolved that one should walk and the

i Blair uh an i other ride from Ed nburgh to q , a d stance

o f about ninety miles, and he who would first kindle

a fire in that castle should keep possession not only

o f . it, but Of the whole estate

m To ake the chance, however, equal, they were

out of each to draw a straw a stack of corn, and he

who pulled the longer might ride on horseback, but the other was to walk . To abi de by a decision so admirably just both

parties bound themselves without murmuring . Ken

h edy drew the longer straw, and was consequently ” T T H E T 5 HROUGH CARNWA H BOUNDED FAS . 7 considered by many to have gained the estate : but those who knew Sir Ulrick’ s unbending spirit still entertained a distant hope that his cause was not en

m tirely lost . In high spirits Sir Cos o mounted the

fi eetest m is steed in the nu erous stud Of h family, and,

a n s st rti g at the cro s Of Edinburgh, with more than — the speed of an ancient moss trooper, he galloped over mountain , moor, and glen .

T u Ca he b a hro gh rnwath ounded f st, By Dougl as Mill rode h e Bu t w r w w as h is ea y, eary steed ,

As h e passed Oc hiltree.

rt Sir Ulrick sta ed from the same place, and at

on i the same time, foot, but took a d fferent route,

u r accompanied by Red Q inten of Dunu e, a relation Of

Sir Cosmo, with a few attendants, deputed to see

hi s r on that he performed jou ney foot, agreeable to the decision Of the King .

b S U c h e a Al eit ir lri is st rk , Albeit that h e is strong ; F m Ho o o t o B nau h ill ro lyr d en , Th o o an d n e r ad is r ugh lo g . F m a h e hie to C oc klero ast y y , r A nd eke to L ana ksh aw ,

’ But c an h e m ake th e Craigs 0 K yle Without a rest a va ! King James himself had taken such an interest in a i the singul r contest, that he set out from Ed n 76 o r T MEMOIR JOSEPH RAIN .

burgh, accompanied by a few attendants, in order to be present, and act as steward Of the race, at Blair quban . Just as he was about to cross Girvan water,

a m u at a sm ll e inence, from that circ mstance called

' King s Hill to this day , an attendant pointed out to h im a volume o f smoke risin g ou t of a chim ney of

l ir uh an B a . q Castle Upon which he exclaimed, in great surprise If y on is the work Of Sir Cosmo he has even outstripped the wind and rode hastily up

u on i n to the castle, to congrat late him hav ng take

of such speedy possession his just inheritance, and to proclaim him the rightful Baron Of Blairquh an but

as he entered a postern gate, to his surprise, Sir Ulrick was in attendance to conduct him into the

n in hr kitche , and, his presence , t ew so many faggots

fir e i . into the , that his Majesty had to ret re i At that moment Red Qu nten arrived, nearly covered with the soil Of the mosses through which he

a m had passed, and h stily exclai ed, That fellow ,

m please your Majesty, ust have been propelled by the

’ devil ere he could have performed what he has done . Has he not walked all the way inquired the

’

w as . Not one foot, the answer Sir Ulrick’ s dark eye glistened like the diamond

’ rifi el and of C , when seen at night from the Solway, ‘ M WH IRTER BLA IR U H A N . srR ULRICK , BARON OF Q 77 ungovernable rage w as seemingly taking possession of his bosom, but he uttered not a word .

m in What de anded the K g, is he here that has dared deceive m e

’ did not k He wal , my liege, rejoined the Knight

n of Du ure, he ran, he leaped, he ran faster than

m ul f l ir m any Of y attendants c o d olow him . S Cos o is far behind he has both the Ayr and the Lugar to

’ c ross yet .

Then you have won the domain you are now

’ of Blair uh an Sir M‘Whirter a Baron q , Ulrick , s id the

l i . King . Sir Ulrick bowed respectfu ly and ret red

m r - That day he gave a er y making to his tenantry,

m which was long reme bered.

It is said, the darkest hour is just before the

r m dawn . It was so figu atively to Sir Cos o Kennedy, when h is stickle for the estate of Blair quh an proved unsuccessful he had no hope whatever of succeeding

n to that property, but Sir Ulrick dyi g without issue,

h im his m it reverted to , and continued in fa ily, to

Of n h l r s gether with that Sir Joh W iteford, ti l pu cha ed, in the latter part of the last century, by an uncle

” of the present proprietor, Sir David Hunter Blair.

Train received this story from an Old lady near

- to e Newton Stewart, and forwarded it Sir Walt r,

m keeping a m , which he sent to Sir David Hunter 78 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH T RAIN .

a Blair, judging rig htly, th t it would be interesting to him , as the proprietor Of the once singularly dis

h ir uted . O i p estate f t is he appr sed S Walter, lest in

use Of the event Of his making any the story, the whole secret of hi s being the author Of the Waverley

Sir Novels might, through David Hunter Blair, be

n . all made k own to the world Train , in his com m unications Sir l e with Wa t r, never admitted a third

n hi person into his co fidence, and to t s prudence may be ascribed the strict incognito which the

An d Novelist was so long enabled to maintain . the very fact of Train mentioning that he had sent a

h is ri copy of the story to early f end, may have deterred the Novelist from making any use Of it ;

ai cert n it is, that he never did so, although it pos sessed incident an d beauty superior to many which

he clothed in the gorgeous vestments of romance .

Train never heard Of it until it appeared in Ch am

’ Picture o tlan d s bers f Sco , some years afterward , and he had no doubt that it was communicated by

Sir Walter. The next letter of Sir Walter bears the date

1 8 1 his 1 4th January 7, and, after thanking anti quarian correspondent for the story Of Sir Ulrick

‘ r ri M Wh ir te , states that a f end Of his had been

’ newly promoted to the situation Of King s Advo 1 1 . LORD MEADOWBANK, 8 7 79

n to a cate, and that he hoped by his i fluence d

o f vance the interests his friend in the Excise .

al This friend to whom Sir W ter alluded was Mr .

a onoch ie r e M c c , afte wards elevat d to the Scottish

o f Bench, under the title Lord Meadowbank, and who

r of d n had the honour, fou years afterwards, ispelli g the cloud which had so long concealed . the author

Of Waverley from public view.

nk To Lord Meadowba , Train was indebted for an

. a introduction to the late Dr Maxwell, the medic l

of r attendant and friend Bu ns, a gentleman Of amiable

disposition and agreeable manners.

That Train desired preferment there is no room

on hi s to doubt . To deny that Of e in humble posi

him tion, is to exclude from participation in the feel n i gs and aspirations which are common to all . One

c r in advan thing is e ta , however, that he did not take

a Of i m t g e the intimacy, wh ch had gradually beco e

m l for greater between the Baronet and hi se f, prefer

n n im of ri g ay claims upon h . The offer his interest Sir Walter Spontaneously made nor did that nerve the antiquary to greater exertions on his illustrious ’ ! friend s behalf . NO he was still the same, content with his humble lot still the industrious exciseman l stil the zealous antiquary, gratified to see the use which genius made Of his labours . 8 0 MEMOIR or JOSEPH TRAIN .

Another interesting relic of antiquity procured by

i n i his friend, Dr. Thomson, wh le practisi g in App n , fell into the hands of our antiquary this was an old

ai i manuscript, cont n ng a long pedigree Of the Stewart

Invernah le t fam ily of y , in which was an interes ing

- - fi n Of m . d account Donald na Nord, the ham erer On

w n u r c b e ing that it as a si g la do ument, sent a tran

ri Of his sc pt it to Sir Walter, who refers to it in next letter

SrR —I l and e DEAR , am much ob iged ent rtained

i m ni a by your continued and k nd co mu cations . Th t on the subject of the Invernahyle fam ily I am much

Al e a w interested in for exander St w rt, with hom the

’ d m e pe igree concludes, was my father s most inti at

w as friend, and I very fond Of his society when a

o f s e . boy, and li t ning to his old stories I have still on my memory no small stock o f legendary lore de ri and n ved from that source, always thi k of his

l r memory with pecu iar fondness . Pray secu e me as

r many Galloway t aditions as you can, for they are

e . most int resting Were I as poetical as I have been,

I would most certainly weave the Tale Of Plunton

o . e int verse I have be n a week at Abbotsford, and

on only found your kind communication my return .

— l i e ri Be ieve me, Sir, very much your obl g d f end,

WALTER SCO TT .

EDINBU RG H 22d F eb ua r , r y

8 2 H EMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

so . e The smith then proce ded, armed with a sword,

n ri to the margi of the ver, and when he thought i Donald was remain ng too long under water, he

i di n came up to the side of the ch ef, and was bran shi g

u his sword in great fury, when the yo ng man came

’ up with a salmon in each hand What ! says Mb ai i l T Mh c Allen, Are you going to ki l me I would

’ m a l i ‘ ost cert in y have done so , replied the sm th, had

as him that young man been drowned, you urged into

’ the water agains t his will. I would rather than a

’ n h ad hu dred merks Of land, said the chief, I such

’ ’ ai a son as he . He is your nephew, s d Gothan

Muidart sich . The smith then related his whole his

o i Mb c tory, up n hearing wh ch, ai Mhic Allen embra ed

” Donald most cordia lly .

The sword mad e by Gothan and given to his foster — son l e - of a ti , as a so the ste l cap and coat m il, are s ll in the possession of the Stewarts of Invernahyle.

a u cri Alexander Stewart, with whom the m n s pt

m an his pedigree concludes, the whom Scott loved in

his e . O boyhood, was the prototyp of Waverley n

- Of . h generous treatment Lieut Colonel Allan W iteford,

s whom he took pri oner at the battle of Preston, and

ds f w as who afterwar saved the li e of his captor,

” a x h e founded, says Sir W lter, the sort of e c ang of gallantry which is represented to have taken ORIGIN OF D EV ERG OIL . 3 place betwixt the Baron of Bradw ar dine and Colonel

” Talbot .

of Plunton l The tale , to which Sir Walter al udes

in r in the preced g letter, was communicated to T ain k by his friend, whom we had occasion to spea Of

f m in an earlier chapter o our Me oir . It was for war ded to Sir Walter in the handwri ting Of that gentleman . On it is founded that interesting drama

D m D ever oil i tic story, the oo of g , wh ch appeared as late as 1 8 3 0.

ll - We find Train sti in Newton Stewart, passing m r r o f any a day in the d ea y moors, in the exercise

his not very agreeable duty . Through sleepless nights l d and days of toil sti l the honest and upright frien ,

one h . beloved by every , ated by none O MEMOIR F JOS EPH TRAIN .

C H A P T E R V I .

T RAIN DISCOVERS A N ANCIENT GRANIT E WEAPON — — CALLED A CELT VISIT S EDINBURGH MEET S S IR — ALEXANDER BOSWELL TH E FLITT ING OF TH E SOW ’ — SIR WALTER S NEXT LETTER TH E PROTOTYPE — O F MADGE WILDFIRE TH E NORLINGS OF FIN D — HORN T RAIN APPOINT ED SUPERVISOR 1 820 — F T . I ALKL AND PALACE S PLAN N N G .

TH E fame Of Train had spread throughout the

of length and breadth Galloway . There was not a peasant from the one end to the other but w as ready

i in n to advance his nterests every shape, in givi g the

exer weary gauger the best seat in his dwelling, and cising towards him those ri tes Of hospitality for which

TO that class are so justly celebrated. this class he w as indebted for most of the legends and ancient relics which it was his delight to collect and in the m ud dwellings o f the hardy Gallovidians he spent

i of many a happy night, l stening to the stories elf

Of n o land, and the days of their a cient her es, the

sses e s. D ougla , and many hardy lords of serfdom b side T RAIN VISITS EDINBURGH A G A IN . 8 5

While the wild winds of the night raged in fury — i without, with what right good w ll he partook of their homely fare ! and when the merri m ent ran

of and high, the laugh the gauger was the heartiest the loudest .

In one of these wanderings he received from a peasant the ancient granite weapon used by the RO

m n . a s, called a Celt This very curious relic was

of K nockb rax of found in the moor , in the parish

Penni n h am r f of g , about eight feet below the su ace

e the ground . This weapon Train suppos d to be made

n on n Of freestone Of the fi est quality , but perforati g it with a chisel, he found it to be made Of the hardest

granite . T i ’ di 1 8 1 7 ra n s next visit to E nburgh was in .

’ During his stay he was Sir Walter s guest, at North

m Castle Street, where the ti e was spent pleasantly, — and with profit to both the Novelist listening with d m an d re elight to the stories of the si ple Train , he j oicing that he was enabled to contribute so much to

of . m the delight the mighty Scott It was a si ple, honest feeling moved the soul Of the antiquary .

. on m an The two men stood equal footing, with man ,

as host and guest . An honest enthusi m, more noble

h - m of m t an the high souled a bition the great, ani ated

enth u the mind Of the antiquary . It was an honest 8 6 OP A MEMOIR JOSEPH TR IN .

siasm n a . , for it had its birth amo g the he ther Not having seen Sir Walter since the publication Of Old

r l Mortality, he spoke f eely on the subject , as we l as

o of the fate of Supervis r Kennedy, as recorded in

G u i d y Mannering, a story wh ch he had receive from the usual source ; but it w as his point never to speak Of the novels when there was a third person

present .

We cannot refrain from thinking that to have en

s joyed the friend hip Of such a man, and to have b e Of m en the repository so great a secret, ust have b een an honour indeed. There were many at Sir Walter’ s table during that week who were worthy

Of e of m an notic , possessing the friendship the who

an was the host and the soul Of the comp y, and deem

ing it an honour to associate with one so gifted .

Among these was Sir Alexander Boswell of Anchiu

is leck, whose memory revered in Ayrshire, as one

of t possessing the characteristics true nobili y ; a brave,

- ar i - noble he ted, h gh souled man , whose character re — m inds us Of a Chieftain Of the Olden time a Douglas t — l i or a Stuar destined to fa l in the prime Of l fe, by

ir the hands of the duellist . S Alexander presented

on to Sir Walter, that occasion, a thin octavo volume,

w e n which he said, was ritten, print d, and bou d by

l . himse f, at Auchinleck Among other pieces, this ” H 8 FLITTING OF T E so w . 7

of of book contained the story the Flitting the Sow,

r . an Ayrshi e legend, which we append

At a convivial meeting in the town Of Ayr, the Lair d of Cassilis (for that family was not then

of Lo chnorris h ad ennobled) and Crawford , in Kyle, a violent dispute as to th e strength and bravery of their

i of clans, each be ng the chieftain the family Of his A own name. fter much altercation, Kennedy said, that to finish the dispute, he would tether a sow at

’ all s of Cassilis yett, and defy the Crawford Kyle to

flit it .

“ m n Crawford, at that ti e blind with age, but retai

ing all the haughty impetuosity of his youth, accepted i the challenge, and des red Cassilis to name the day

r when the sow was to be tethered, and the C awfords

Of Kyle would try if they could flit her.

’ out The day was appointed ; Crawford s men set ,

a his he ded by three sons, for the old laird was unable to

of m attend, on account his extre e age, but he charged

to his clansmen, and particularly his sons, at setting out,

’

n t o Lo c h norris or di e . bringKen edy s sow , in the attempt

He then seated himself in front of the castle to await the issue . The first m essenger that arrived brought him word that a most desperate conflict had taken

place, in which two Of his sons were slain, but that

the battle as yet had been w on by neither side . 8 8 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

s b e Then aid , there is yet a chance of my brave fellow s

flitting the sow . The next messenger brought him

i so n word that his rema ning had been killed, but that fli ’ e tted. ai the sow had be n Now, s d the Old man,

l die e I wi l happily, s eing that my sons have died

’ nobly, and that Kennedy s sow has been brought

Sir Alexander was an author of no mean reputa

his u tion many of songs have become pop lar, and his knowledge of antiquarian lore was neither superficial

. as nor limited As a man he was a true friend, a

w as Of gentleman he the soul honour . It was a sad day for Ayrshire when Sir Alexander w as consigned

Of to the burial vault Auchinleck.

Few gentlemen were ever more universally beloved

than Sir Alexander Boswell , and his death, to the

hi i a people of Ayrs re, was l ke a domestic bere vement

had sat r every one sorrowed alike, for he by thei

k ri m lia hearths , and tal ed to them in f endly and fa i r

Of ff rs accents their own a ai , sympathizing with the d e n istr ssed, and rejoici g with those who were free from so rrow .

Many years have passed since he fell by the hand

l hi s in c of of the duel ist, but worth the recolle tion

as many is as vivid ever.

n Experienci g a feeling common to all, Train was

9 0 r MEMOIR o JOSEPH TRAIN .

Of see From the first part this letter, we that

Of his an u merely to gratify a wish tiq arian friend,

Sir Walter w as ready to sacrifice much valuable tim e in the very arduous task of looking out for a rare b for ook, it is highly probable that much time would

’ be sacrificed, as such a book as Waldron s History

was not to be got for nothing. From the latter i part, we find that while Sir Walter was attend ng to

i not the w shes Of his friend, he was neglecting to use the means whereby his other and more important

e i to e int rests m ght be advanced . The wish s rve

Tha in in a mann er which would not only be a proof hi of the high estimation in w ch he held him , but which would also be a more substantial means Of

is recogn ing his very important services, was always

i th e of n present w th Sir Walter. But fact his bei g so unsuccessful arose from the number Of Englishm en

oar Of who, possessing influence with the B d Excise,

h a al a which d been removed to London, were ways p pointed to whatever lucrative situations were vacant .

’ The perusal Of Waldr on s History of the Isle of

c h Man, was the suggestive influen e w ich led Train to begin the collecting Of materials for a modern history Of that interesting island and people and he succeeded

h is so well in gleaning, that he resolved to draw up

n a detailed history whenever he fou d leisure to do so, TH E LAST HANGMAN OF DUMFRIES . 1 for his everyday avocations were more than sufficient

t n in to engross his attention, wi hout engagi g an

i m undertaking requir ng so uch care and labour .

n S 1 8 1 8 Trai , in the pring of , forwarded to Sir

Walter the ladle of the last resident hangman in

ri l Dumf es . This lad e was used by that interesting

m - of in individual on arket days, for the purpose tak g a ladleful from every sack of m eal which came in to

w as one i the market . This Of the perqu sites Of the i i fin sher of the law from time mmemorial, and although it was considered by all to be an unjust

‘ on of encroachment the rights the people, it was tolerated on account Of being use and wont but

m about the iddle Of the last century, as capital

hm m punis ents became less frequent, and the hang an

o dis t more an Object f gust than any hing else, the

m objections beca e more marked, and a universal

n desire was ma ifested throughout Scotland, that this arbitrary exaction on the part Of one SO obnoxious a should be done way with altogether.

m ri m on of In Du f es, it was tolerated ore account

m the age of their hangman, Roger Wilson, than fro

n . SO any other pri ciple on the death of Roger, all

who had a black coat attended his funeral, but they

of n resolved that, with his death, the practice taki g ’ S meal from the farmers sacks hould cease. 9 2 r MEMOIR o JOSEPH TR AIN .

Of d In course time another hangman was appointe , and n t in n he, no doubt, deemi g that every h g co nected with that honourable Offi ce w as to remain with it as

e - b fore, sallied forth on the market day to claim his

e his p rquisite but he soon found out mistake, for,

r m l pe sisting to clai his fee , he was level ed to the ground . i This created a great d sturbance for some time,

fe of i but it had the ef ct free ng them from the duty, and ultimately ridding them Of the hated presence of

a l a hangman altogether. The l dle was a lowed to ti rust for some fifty years, un l it was found by Train,

and he, deeming it worthy Of preservation, sent it to

Sir Walter.

It is well known that Sir Walter had always liv ing models for the more prominent characters of his

eri l e novels, and these, mat al y assist d by a general

g a knowled e of men, were the great me ns of his signal success .

o f as n u About the end the l t century, a si g lar in di a w r vidu l andered th ough Ayrshire and Galloway ,

sca of who, di rding part of the dress her sex, was

’ lrabited c O in a man s oat and plaid . n her head she

’ in wore a hat, and her hand she carried a shepherd s

and s h e crook, , strange to say, was followed by a few sheep in her wanderings .

9 4 r MEMOIR o JOSEPH TRAIN . those of a past ag e was familiar ; though nearly a century has rolled by since she traversed the mosses an d of or a wilds Galloway, the more fertile pl ins of

our rt s s m Ayrshire, yet the idea awakens in hea a y pathy for such lonelin ess

h ad The Norlings, a party of fishermen who been

settled for many centuries at Findhorn, were the next

’ objects of Train s attention and investigation . They

w h o d were a race , although they had been settle at

F d n in horn for ma y centuries, as we have said, were entirely apart and characteristic in their manners and cust oms from the rest Of their neighbours . Like the

Old e u Egyptians of , they considered the int rco rse and fellowship which ought to exist between man and

man, as an encroachment upon their prejudiced exclu siveness did not , and treated every one who belong to their colony as infi dels and unclean persons .

Through the kin dness of an excise friend in Moray

a s infor shire, Train bec me po sessed Of much valuable m as ation respecting their manners and customs, and,

su . usual, forwarded it to the u al quarter That Sir

us e of f a Walter made no the in orm tion is evident, but Train says that the next time he saw h is illus

l and e trions fri end he a luded to it, relat d a story in

Findh om i connexion with the fishermen of , wh ch he h ad heard some weeks previous it is as follows : 9 5 NORLINGS OF FINDHORN .

on hi s James I . when his way to Inverness to quell i rebellious subjects, stopped at Elg n, and wished to have some Of the fish caught by the new settlers at

m Findhorn, for dinner. A ong those served up were tw o flounders , the one laid on its back and the other

m di f on its belly, which ade them appear so ferent,

that his Majesty, not deeming them to be the same ki of i Of nd fish, after partak ng both, declared that the w hite flounder was a more delicate fish than the

of dark and such was the ignorance his attendants,

of Of that none them could correct the mistake . their royal master .

ai h ad But we turn ag n to Joseph Train . Years — rolled sw iftly and imperceptibly away laborious yet il . m w il happy years He had roa ed among the d h ls, where everygreen knoll and deep morass had a thrillin g — tale of the past to tell Of feudalism Of days when the struggle for liberty was the great feature in the

’ character of Scotia s sons . He wandered where the spiri ts Of a forgotten race were hovering around his heathery path, and in silence convincing him that he was their benefactor to the mem ory of other years mem ories which were gradually descending to Obli

vion .

ui There was not a cairn or a Druidi cal r n , from the

one o f end the land to the other, that he had not 9 6 m o m o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

of d seen . There was not a floating frag ment tra i

tio nary lore but he had collected and treasured up, so

tha t they might enjoy the immortal distinction of

being, by the gifted Scott, woven into the glorious

of his or pages fascinating romance, treasured up, that

he m ight sing of them himself in simple and pathetic

a accents . His lay was not that of the c g ed prisoner

in m its gilded home, but of the odest plumaged songster

i . among the woods, enjoy ng the sweets of liberty His

was no dreamy enthusiasm nor maudlin sentim en

talism , which is often the substitute of nobler feel

' — it w as afi ectation ings not the base coin of , nor the

’ hi in r hi love of the rel g s rewa d, w ch animated the exertions of the antiquary but it was an honest love

r of natu e and the past, ardent in its growth, yet

in ri . his s rational in its aspirations Happy f end ,

e m and though humble, honoured with the est e of the

ll i i in de end great, yet sti mainta n ng his individual p

ence w ith uprightness of heart . Happy in his

i all domestic circle, at peace w th the world , and loving all with that love which is the true indication of a noble heart .

The influence which Sir Walter h ad often used in

his behalf, had been long used in vain . At last, when

w as e the hope of preferment almost forgott n , he

received the following lett er from Sir Walter

9 8 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRA IN .

i him h nd , who missed much the cheerful conversa

the witty sallies of the humorous exciseman .

The he spent in Newton - Stewart were often in

e n aft r life looked back to, with pleasi g remembrance, as the tim e in which his wanderin gs among the wilds of that rugged land were most productive of pleasure and most fertile in legendary riches .

l as His farewe l to Galloway is ple ing and simple, and very expressive of the feelings of the author

Ye m of G w in m ountains allo ay, shrouded ist, W c o f os h I n o m m a ild s enes rep e , w ere ore y rest ; T o th e rm and o h se haunts where pta igan, sullen l ne , Loo w on th e o om h is ks do n w rld fr grey granite throne . Though c orm orant never was heard o n thy hills ; T sloew orm s and lie c o b th hough adders iled y y rills , The crooks o f th e Mi nnoc k and links of th e Cree W m m b be ill still in re e rance hallowed by m e.

No m sh allI n at m th oc ore liste night fro y r ks, ’ T o th e w c m or th e b ow l of the fox eagle s ild s rea , Nor wind through thy dingles and dells to survey ’ Th e m of m c h o ass d li its onar ies l ng p away . No o a in th o l nger guest y l neliest glen, ’ Shall th e wanderer b e found m idst th e d w ellings of m en Yet h as b and be his ri it ever een, will still p de T o l o f our h ow h ow d te l sires they lived, they ied .

But a as the c o b , l like hild wh se exulting reath lays ’ Th e c a - a low c h e to rd c stle whi h hasten d raise, Th e o I th e o j y that feel drives visi n away, c h a i m w th e da And ill dis ppo nt ent returns ith y . FALK LAND PALACE . 9 9

w I o to th e w b s of H o l ng revisit s eet ank Ayr, c m b for of u And s ra le shreds antiq ity there, ’ A s oft Ihave done where old Skerm orlie s keep ’ C n i h And arric k s proud c ity o ce sk rted t e deep .

’ Th o and c a Ive y f rtlets stles with pleasure viewed , That have often resisted a foray and feud ’ A nd m as I o m b - fi eld o er drea ed , r a ed every attle ’

O Sc o o so u of . f tland s pr ud heroes, dreadf l yore

But a to om fo r w h o I e truce c plainings , y sh uld griev , Th e o c of o u o m to l ved s enes y uthf l enj y ent leave, S c th e M n th e of his c o and i in e i strel , pride untry k ng, ’ ’ Extends e en o er m e his kind sheltering w ing F or ’ m b o all h m o to fi nd tis ine a ve ot er rtals ,

That his goodness of heart is as great as h is m ind .

His settlement at Cupar opened up a new field

of s the exercise his antiquarian predilection , and his leisure time w as occupied as usual in the pursui t of the

ri relics of antiquity . There his dist ct was interest in x e as o f n d g and e t nsive, and s on as the o ficers u er him became aware of his p en c h ant for objects of anti

uit l u i q y, they, with hearty goodwil , f rthered his w shes

m n of to the ut ost, collecting old stories and accou ts

i and superstitions wh ch were new to him , therefore

ri i al highly valuable . Indeed they car ed the r ze too far on uneasi , and in e instance caused Train great — ness o ne of them stripping part of the cloth from the f a of in o n . State Ch ir Jam es IV. the Palace Falkla d 0 1 0 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

It was true that the palace was in no way protected or

but that did not palliate the unwarrantable

f f his O ficer in the eyes O superior. He was ever anxious to Obtain relics Of that de

ri u c sc ption, but he wo ld never condes end to obtain f them in such a manner, and the o ficer who was guilty of the offence received a severe rebuke from the antiquary .

It says but little for those who were in power, that such a place as Falkland should have been so exposed It is mournful to think that the time- honoure d ruins of the past should be so neg

- did ted . e lec Time honoured, we say It is honour d

w as es by more than time . It the proud r idence of

’ n of Sc otland s ki gs in the days their pride, when a monarch of the Stuart lin e sat upon the throne of

i l f e or his s res, and ru ed the Scottish people un ett red

i — is w as uncha ned, when the th tle the emblem of the

c i independen e wh ch the Scotchman loved to speak of, and no clim bing treacherous parasite clung to its

hardy stem.

There is something in the stately decay of Falkland — which we venerate s omething tha t we prize and love - simply because it is a memorial on the waste

’ of time of Scotland s departed royalty and Sco t

’ w as land s ancient pride . Such the ruined state of

1 02 MEM OIR o r JOSEPH TEA rN . discovered that they were in possession of th e image

ri of the I sh saint, the improvement in their circum l stances was whol y ascribed to its tutelary protection .

The desire o f wealth soon gain ed so great an i ascendency over relig ous tenets, that the most stern

i to reformers in the barony, cla med as their right

Of i on take the image the sa nt at certain periods , or

a i p rticular occasions, nto their possession, till at length the idol became the join t property of all the people

of ul in the barony, but out their bounds nothing co d

tempt them to allow it to be taken . The peasants

Of thesurrounding country im agined that the people i of St . Flann ng were the happiest individuals in the univers e ; they thought they saw their sheep fatter

is than those of any other d trict, their wives and

h l r c i dren more healthy, and their property inc ease

l all w as as ar more rapid y, which cribed to the p ticular care the Saint had taken of them for preserving his

a il ri im ge, after every other of a sim ar desc ption in the country had been destroyed.

These envious neighbours had often attempted to

a l ste l away the image, but without success, ti l at

rufiians w h o i last they hired two , were l ttle known

Of in the country, to take it out the house of an old

u woman , who had it caref lly wrapped up in her

- i intended winding sheet, after wh ch they spread a TH E E! CISE A U TH ORITIES . 1 03

l rumour, that these fe lows, being smugglers, had burned the saint under a whisky- still in F annyside

Moor but the people of St . Flanning firmly believe that it is still in their neighbourhood, and are strength

n ened in their opinion, as they say, by the thrivi g appearance of the supposed possessors of the vener

” able relic .

Train was not perm i tted to remain long in Cupar. The general idea with which the Excise authorities are l f re possessed, is, that to a low their o ficers to

in one in main too long place, is inimical to the terests of the revenue . We Often see that as soon as an Officer becomes intimate with those in the

i m local ty in which he sojourns, he is re oved . This is not so much adhered to now as it was in the days of Train then the very fact Of an Officer being be S loved by the community, was to them a certain ign of his ineffi ciency . We do not prefer such a charge

ai to i ag nst Train, for to do so would be coincide w th the absurd opinions of those potentates w h o pre side over the revenue but we speak of thi s as the

h e b een general idea entertain ed . Had g judged by

ul e in that criterion, he wo d, indeed, have b en found effi c ient e anywh re, and pronounced unfit for such a service . 1 04 or J OSEPH MEMOIR TRAIN .

C H A P T E R V I I .

— APPOINTED To Q UEEN SFERRY TH E RIDING OF THE — — MARCHES TH E PALACE NEST EH REMOVES To — ’ — FALKIRK SIR WALT ER S NEXT LETTER TYRANNY — OF TH E EXCISE OFFICIAL S IS APPOINTED To DUM F — S T e H M ‘D IA R RIES BECOME ACQ UAIN ED MR. — MID A ND OT HERS rs REDUCED FROM TH E B A N K S B T T x S OF SUPERVI OR, U RES ORED IN SI MONTH

- LEAVES DUMFRIES FOR CASTLE DOUGLAS .

IN e 1 8 22 t of tw o Jun , af er a residence years in

w as e i ri Cupar, Train removed to Que nsferry, a d st ct

which had the reputation of being the worst in the

as . e whole of the e t country From its c ntral situation , it had already been well gleaned by former anti

uari es n q , yet even there the indefatigable Trai found,

” as i f l he says h msel , some re ics of a time gone bye w ith which Sir Walter w as not previously acquainted .

He used every m eans by whi ch he might increase his

in information regarding disputed facts antiquity, and add fresh tr easures to that im mense store Of anti quarian ri ches which he had already accumulated ;

1 06 r R MEMOIR o JOSEPH T AIN .

The Riding of the Marches is always a great day

n u in Li lithgow . At an early ho r the freemen con i vene in the r holiday clothes, their hats decorated

i ri n in w th bbons, like penno s streaming the wind, and mounted chiefly on the deep- galled gerrans Of the

ri n or royalty, capa soned with su k saddle, as best

Of . suits the convenience the rider Thus equipped, the banners of the respective corporations are un

e and o ff n fold d, the cavalcade marches at a fu eral

e a pace, preced d by the town piper, blowing his ch nter w m l ith ight and main , till the halls Of the pa ace

his a i k resounded marti l stra n, and flan ed by halber

‘ ’ diers in scarlet dight, profusely trimmed with

of e r chequered lace various hu s, as wo n by the servants of that ancient burgh in the days of its greatness . I was carelessly sauntering along the strand of

Of the ebbing Forth, towards the Castle Blackness, ruminating on the vari ous parts of our national his

w i d tory th which that ancient stronghold is associate , when the sound of the ancient w arpipe struck upon

u i m ro my ear, and t rn ng to the e inence whence it p

d d th e d . cee e , whole cavalca e appeared in view I w as struck with astonishment at beholding such a

dr warlike squa on of troopers , with so many pedes

a n trian attend nts, in a time of peace, bearing dow 1 BLACKNESS CASTLE . 07

s ri am in upon the old fortress, as the A sy ans, gle g in

’ pur ple and gold. Upon taking seemingly a strong m ilitary position

of d m in front the garrison, each trooper is ounted, and

th e of r committed his charger to care his esqui e, and

of proceeded, as I thought, to hold a council war,

but soon I perceived they were otherw ise engaged .

or i fi The convener, some less d gni ed personage

Of d n the Guild Brotherhoo , was undergoi g the cere

oziers mony Of being crowned with , as I supposed, — for want of laurel there being none in the imm e diate neighbourhood Others were busily employed

hi s in erecting a marquee for Majesty, to protect him from the inclemency of the weather, as I thought, in case of the Siege being protracted .

of fi re— n Since the invention arms, Black ess must ha ve been considered by military men as an inc on siderable l e p ac of defence, having accommodation

l m of on y for a li ited number troops, either to sally

to n of out upon assailants, or resist, with any cha ce success, a regular bombardment .

I h ad no means of ascertaining to what extent the garri son was provided with military stores or i prov sions, to stand a protracted siege, but when

nl u l h Li ithgow came down, the n merica force to w ose

l Of one valour the fort et was intrusted, consisted frail 1 08 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

di fuseem en S bombar er, with five veteran , whose hri velled frames bespoke great length of servitude, but who seemed determined not to yield their m ilitary r u - l eputation to the g ild brethren of Lin ithgow, whose advance on the castle they eyed seemingly with the greatest solicitude ; but as soon as they began to

a di i pitch their c mp imme ately in front of the glac s, all within the castle was seemingly h ustle an d ac tivity . Th e main gate was shut with a sounding

l ln of clash, fo lowed by ratt i g chains and the grating

e fla o f of iron bolts . The met or g England was hoist

f - us ed to the sta f head as if by magic, and the f ee m en hi s appeared upon the ramparts , each at gun, and seemingly awaiting the word Of command to pour

am death into the c p of the enemy . The Trades viewed these warlike preparations on

of m i an co n the part the ene y, without man festing y

r h ad ce n , being aware that they neither the means nor the inclination to do any harm . When the cere

o n mony f the coronation was fi ished, a herald was despatched to demand admission into the castle,

n which he i timated, by giving three loud knocks at T the great gate with his bato n . Who comes here

ld r i said the o Gove nor Bombard er, who had taken his station within the portcullis ; The Lion King at— i a m t Arms, demand ng d it ance for his Majesty and

1 1 0 MEMOIR or JOSEPH TRAIN . such was his tact in ascertaining what he wanted to

on know, that he led his informers so imperceptibly that it was often a m atter of astoni shment to them

e a selv s how they had been induced to rel te so much, and he generally left them without revealing his

in object, or attach g any importance to what he had received.

n i At Blackness, Train became i timate w th a Mr . f Struth er o . , the proprietor the Brick Works This

had hi s gentleman , in possession, a natural curi o

e of o sity which attracted the att ntion ur antiquary .

This was a nest which had been found by a drum l h mer boy, in the Palace of Lin it gow, in that apart

’ w ment hich was called Queen Mary s Chamber. It

' w as e ri state and Six m b in a p t fied , the eg gs, in nu er,

of had the appearance marble . That it had been

in formed the place where it was found, was an idea too preposterous to be entertained for a moment but the probable and most likely conclusion is, that it had

been brought thither at some remote period, and had i l escaped the fire in the t me of Cromwel This object, trivial as it may appear, was the cause of a protracted lawsuit between the gentleman before- mentioned and

t in a the keeper of the Palace, the lat er presum g th t it ought to be his on ac count of its being found in the

Struth er w as e Palace . Mr. allowed to k ep it from 1 1 S ETC . RELIC , l

want of evidence and, at his death, it fell into the

to e . hands Of Train , who sent it Sir Walt r Scott Train complains that Sir Walter did not value it as much as he would have done a skene - dhu and it is not a matter Of wonder to us that he did not, when i ’ we. consider the d rection of the great Minstrel s

taste .

The calm of his life was again destined to be

disturbed ; the cessation of the duty on salt had

the effect of removing him to Falkirk, in January

1 8 23 re , where, he says, he began researches with

” m hi s ri doubled ardour. Some ti e previous to ar val,

a brick manuf actory had been established for the

- a a of fire s r . m nuf cture brick , for Gove nment purposes i Th s required such strict attention on his part, that

not a day passed without his visiting the work . In

di of e the scharge his professional duty, he b came

w i ai Es one acquainted th Joseph St nton, q , of the

proprieto rs and the sole conductor of this extensive

is establ hment. This acquaintance soon ripened into

i hi of an ntimacy, w ch continued until the death Mr . h Stainton, a year after. From t is gentleman, Train

received many marks of kin dness ; and their ao

w as i quaintance, though short, enhanced by k ndred

e tast s and sympathetic feelings. Immediately before his death our antiquary received from him the stock 1 1 2 or TR I MEMOIR JOSEPH A N .

how of Sir a John the Gr eme, who fell at the Battle of

1 29 8 . i i Falkirk, in This nteresting rel c, Mr. Stain

ton intended to have presented to the Society of

ri d Antiquaries, but, on his f en s account, he altered

hi s intention .

Train also received from Mr. Stainton a broad

- n on cast metal plate , with ma y singular figures it,

e 1 69 6 se mingly made in . He also received a Roman

ri a T pod, found near Loudon Hill, and an Andre Fer

on of r l rara found the field battle, nea Fa kirk.

al Shortly after his arriv in Falkirk, he visited the

of Torwood, with the expectation finding some frag

- i ment of that far famed tree, under wh ch the deliverer of Scotland found Shelter from his enemies . He w as

i e for like to be disappo nt d, no vestige of the tree was to be seen above ground . He was, however, not to i be baulked, for, on obtaining perm ssion to dig, he found as much of the root as served his purpose .

Having previously procured a small portion of the yew- tree planted on the spot where the gallant Sir

ae hi - and John the Gr me, the ghly esteemed friend

of c ompanion Wallace, fell in battle, he got each piece of these celebrated trees made into a drinking- c up

uai h and h e rs or q g , lined hooped with silver ; but

on frained fr om putting an inscription them , for the same reason which Lord Byron assigned when he

1 4 1 MEMOIR or JOSEPH TRAIN .

t a th e hen Prime Minister, from whom it appe rs, by

l w n d fol o i g letter, he receive a favourable answer “ —I MR . DEAR TRAIN , have received two very

i m L e Mr . on k nd lett rs fro Lord iverpool and Peel, the

. s i subject of your promotion It eems, the appo nt m w i r of ent lies th the Boa d Excise, not with the

Treasury ; but they have recommended you to Mr.

t ul be suffi Lushing on, which one would think wo d — cient from their natural high influenc e Dear Mr .

i r i r T TT . Tra n, you obed ent se vant, WAL ER SCO

ED NBU RG H 230! u 1 824. I , J ne

F rom the tim e that the Board of Excise had been i removed to London, there ex sted a monopoly of the

m ost lucrative situations by Englishmen, and no

Scotchman , however just his pretensions might appear, had any chance of Obtaining preferment . There was a wish entirely to exclude them from the service . Some

s were reduced to a lower rank, others were di charged from the service without a reason being assigned fo r

such arbitrary measures, and not a few died broken

h ad un hearted and all this misery , for its author, an

one as principled man , named Pape, who, by d h of his

e : pen, sent destitution and mis ry to many a happy home

These heartless proceedings were taken for the pur

i o S r pose of mak ng r om for a gang of English u veyors , - 1 1 5 TH E IS 1 824 . TYRANNY OF EXC E, 5

— who came down as proud of the ink horn which hung

u ns of at their b tton, as if it had been the i ignia the

Order of the Garter.

fir They held a temporary rank at st, and were to

d d c on be promoted as they istinguishe themselves,

‘ sequently they were zea lous in the discharge of their

of old duty, so much so, that many the Supervisors

m k were, at their instigation, reduced fro the ran

fi ll in . which they were to , to a subord ate position

Train among the rest soon felt their otfi ci ous ser f . O O vices ne them, named Howard, an illiterate an of d unprincipled man, with the assistance a crow

off i of r bar, wrenched the fasten ng a distille y utensil

’ our i d in antiquary s d strict, and reported to the Boar

that it was insecure . This Train asserted to be a

. to falsehood He was, however, removed Wigtown , although he proved to the satisfaction of the Board

no l of his that he was in way neg igent duty . The

reas on assigned for his rem oval w as that he had been l too p ain with the Board, and his want of courtesy to the strangers rendered it necessary that he should i feel their d spleasure .

Thus we see that the Revenue Service must have

been in a very corrupt state indeed, when the plain

and simple truth was not equal to the un derm i ning

f ul n chicanery of its despotic O ficials. It wo d have bee 6 E 1 1 M MOIR or JOSEPH TRAIN .

s Of - r a great tretch good natu e surely, to have been

courteous to men who had come for the purpose of

taking the morsel from the lips of the men already

discharging their duty honestly and faithfully.

m Mr. Lewars, the Supervisor of Du fries District,

i O t s and who had been an int mate friend of the p e Burn , was also selected as an Object of the most heartless per sec ution every annoyance which human malice could

or invent, a depraved ingenuity devise, was put into requisition by the English Supervisors to render him

e unhappy . They at last succ eded he resigned in

S Train applied for his ituation, and, contrary to his

of own expectations and the wishes the Southrons,

n n . e succeeded in obtai i g it With Mr. L wars, he w as on the most intimate footing and when he came

ri to Dumf es, he occupied a house near what was called the Wind Mill— now the Observatory— and a

e . short dis tance from where Mr. L wars resided At

is r eunion h house there was many an interesting , and among those who were his every - day visitors may be

‘ M D iarm id D um fr ies u rier mentioned , Of the Co , a man who occupied a prominent position in the world

. l n o f letters, and Mr Wi liam Bennet, one whose i dustry and perseverance h ad raised him from a hum M‘D ble position to some eminence. John iarm id

OF MEMOIR JOSEPH TRAIN .

Train was as happy in Dumfries as was possible under the persecutions to which he was continually

subjected by the Goths of the Excise . He was in the enjoyment of the friendship of a few choice

‘ spirits, who could think as he thought and feel Al as he felt. though it was his greatest pleasure

Of to talk antiquity, yet he never sacrificed other

’ st ow n people s ta es to his , nor was it his wont to monopolize the conversation ; he rather chose

in u - i to stand the backgro nd, and, by a well t med

S n remark, how his k owledge Of the subject under d iscussion . Poetry was often the subject of their conversation ; and it was his practice to rehearse any old ballad to his friends which he might have procured during his journey of the previous day . His home was the scene Of domestic happiness and

of comfort . In the words one of his friends, There could be no finer picture of calm - flow ing mutual affec

r tion than existed between them and their child en , and nothing so pleasin g as their unostentatious h os

i e i - pitality . Mrs . Tra n had b en exceed ngly good look

of ing and when I first saw her, with her look quiet

I onl f natr y sagacity and a fection, she impressed me with

”

e m . an almost filial est e , which I have never lost

i his ri th e Some t me after settlement in Dumf es, following paragr aph appeared in the Paisley Adver 1 1 9 SIR WALTER SCOTT AND T H E SCOTCH NOVELS .

tiser not , and went the round of the press of only

m ri Great Britain and A e ca, but likewise of the Con

tinent . It ran thus

Sir Wa lter S c ott and th e Sc otch N ovels.

w o n The follo ing circumstances, which we relate good authority, go far to identify Sir Walter Scott

ul s w ith the author Of these pop ar novels and tale ,

Mr. e as cribed to his pen . Some years ago a Jos ph l Train published a sma l volume of poems, illustrated b i y notes, which ev nced considerable antiquarian

n research on the part of the author. Trai pre

of sented Sir (then Mr. ) Walter Scott with a copy

w this volume, the annotations Of hich pleased him so much that he invited the author to Abbotsford,

c r a m pro u ed his adv ncement in the Excise, and ade very favourable m ention of him in the notes to one

’

Of m . n of r n his own poe s On o e T ai s visits, the history of the Covenanters formed the principal t of Sir opic conversation . Train then related to

Walter a cir cumstance of which he was not pre

iousl v . m an e m y aware, viz , that an Old p ra bulated

. Of ni the south Scotland for many years, clea ng the

e of grav stones the martyrs, who, from the nature

of his Old M rt a lit . employment, was designated o y

A few months after this Train was not a little 1 0 2 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN . astonished to receive from Sir Walter a copy of a work to which his resear ches h ad not only furnished

i l m o i the t t e, but e b died in which he d scovered several anecdotes so recently sent by him to the rep uted author.

Our antiquary was startled at such an announ ce

e his i l ment, for it had b en study, ever s nce Sir Wa ter enjoined him to keep the nature Of their c orreSpon

in dence a secret, to do so, and no one instance did di he ever vulge any of their correspondence, except previously to his kn owing that his patron wished to remain in cog n it o. He had related the particulars of his first meeting with the Minstrel Of the North to

n D ennistoun one of his friends, Captai , to whom we

l . of G have previously a luded, and Mr Dobie range vale, Beith .

ot w h o How this paragraph g into print, or the author of it was, he could never ascertain, nor did

o f it much matter, for Sir Walter took no notice it

’ but on Train s manifesting anxiety lest he Should be

r implicated in the matter, the Ba onet remarked that he was sorry he had taken so much thought about l d so trivia a matter, for he regar ed what was said

” as little as the pas sing wind .

n rt D uri g his sho stay in Wigtown, Train, ever o n or h crui o s n the alert f somet ing u , obtai ed from

1 2 2 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH T RAIN .

t S which pleased the Barone O much that he said,

. i run out Well, Mr Tra n , you never of excellent stories ; you should really publis h a collection of them . I will assist you to prepare them for the k press . You now one good turn deserves another — it now ou . you have helped me, is my turn to help y

From my influence with the booksellers I will assur e

Y ou you Of two or three hundr ed pounds . may even publish some of the stories you sent to me they are

o s not the worse f having passed through my hand , as

” I disguise them for reasons you well know . Had the antiquary followed the advice of his

i m of l patron, the publish ng of a volu e tales wou d,

e ln no doubt, under his patronage, hav been as c rative as he could have wished , but the doing so would have brought him more promi nently before

him the public, and consequently lowered in the

’ estimation of the Excise authorities. This is Train s

e own reason, and we acknowl dge it is a weighty one , when we consider th e state Of matters whi ch then

un existed . He was proud to find that his acco t of the Surgeon’ s Daughter formed the basis Of an

interesting tale, though the fact of his supplying Sir

n to Walter with that i formation was, when known

e u . the potentates of the R venue, the cause of tro ble

He was now regarded as one who h ad d ar ed to think 1 23 AN ENGLISH DETECTIVE .

so m etirnes of other things than Excise business. An opportunity soon presented itself to the ever—watchful

m an i l i Pape, a who prided h mse f on the d stress he could bring upon those w h o were under his sway . At

- Sark Bridge Toll bar, near Gretna, there lived a person

m e na d Gibson, who applied for an Excise licence to

l . sel spirits, which was refused It appeared, how

S of ever, that he had sold privately for the pace a m — a onth, without detection thing not at all to be — wondered at, considering that the toll bar was twenty

m f ri . six miles distant from Du es However, an cecen

i of tric ndividual, named German , commander a preven tive boat on the English establishm ent stationed on the

’ l on Solway, a most at Gibson s door, took a seat the

’ m ail - coach that passed the sm uggler s door about m id

of ri night, and calling for a gill spi ts, easily Obtained it, a sea- cloak which he wore disguising him from those

aff who would otherwise have known him . This air was represented in the worst possible light ; and because Train had allowed a person of a different establishment to come into his di stri ct and m ake a detection which

m or m of should have been made by hi self, so e his

f our o ficers, antiquary was reduced from the rank

Of supervisor. At the expiration of six months he

on was , however, his own petition to the Board,

his n restored to former ra k, and appointed to Castle 1 24 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN .

P as i i Of . or Dougl d str ct, vacant by the removal Mr — teous another instan ce Of the petty tyranny Of some of the Commissioners .

Duri ng hi s residence in Dumfri es we are not aware

e that he made many important discoveri s, nor was

he brought in any way into notice during that tim e .

His leisure w as spent more in the society of inti

it so mate acquaintances than had hitherto been,

that, with the exception of what we have recorded , his researches were neither so interesting nor varied

O as at a former period f his life .

1 26 r MEMOIR o JOSEPH TRAIN .

w d of u Not ithstan ing the length his jo rneys, the

of d an d loneliness the roa , the unseasonable hours in

i h ad wh ch he to travel, he was only once in dan

ger of being molested, and on that occasion escaped

r a e so na rowly, that ever ft r he thought of it with

gratitude . i A very dreary ride, wh ch he had periodically to

m G lenesslin Of take, was fro , parish Dunscore, when

s ll as - the di ti ery was there, to C tle Douglas, through

the various wild glens and solitary moors which

Old S edloch ds r lie in the route by p , Brooklan , Ki k

&c . patrick, He was riding along about twelve

’ r l o f o clock at night . In the ve y lone iest part the d roa he overtook two men, whom he had seen pass

len sslin G e some hours before he left it, and whom

persons there had pointed out as desperadoes, who had been robbing and po c ket pic king at a recent Thom f hill air, and were now on their way to Castle Douglas for the purpose of follow ing their vocation at a fair which was to be held there on the fol

lowing day . The night being dark, he was too

n : b e to on close upo them to retreat resolved go ,

s i t u and pa s ng between them, hey stood p, one on

i d him each side, and inqu re at if they were near

” s o any habitation . Ju t cl se upon several, rejoined

s n Train, and I am ha teni g forward to prepare — - TH E MORRICE DANCERS 1 827. 1 27

for my friends who ar e coming up behind . This

an caused them to look back, and gave Train ex

r on di d cuse fo pushing , which he at good speed, and he was quite beyond their reach ere they could discover the deception he felt justified in practising on them . Next day he saw them on the scent in Castle O l Douglas fair . n their fo lowing some persons into a shop, he went in after them, called them both

w aside, told them who and what they were, ith his m of r e nc n tr e anner ascertaining this, and his o with

m the on the previous night, and said that if they

th e ul at once agreed to leave town, he wo d not

n th e denou ce them ; if otherwise, he would have

authorities upon them instantly . At this they were so surprised and overawed, that they agreed to his i proposition, and immed ately departed in the dirce

Of t r S r tion Wig ownshi e, where he hortly afte wards heard of their career being stopped in consequence Of

r fu ther delinquencies .

The next comm unication he sent Sir Walter was in

m 1 8 Nove ber 27. It had reference to the morrice

a d ncers, and the peculiar and fan tastic garb which

m of m m so e the assu ed in public processions. The

first public exhibition of thi s dress was before one Of

n on on our ki gs, a platform erected the Tay, near 1 28 ME o S T MOIR r JO EPH RAIN .

i Perth, when the river was frozen over, on wh ch occasion his Majesty was so much pleased, that he conferred particular marks of favour on the wearer.

to The dress is held hereditarily this day .

This antique dress consists of stout fawn- colour ed

l o d si k cloth, with trappings f red an green satin ,

o richly flowered, so fashioned as t cover the legs

and arms of the wearer, over which parts of the

' b ufl C - a body are buckled or hamois le ther straps, with

- twenty one small bells attached to each . The bells

all tw o t in in were about hundred and fif y, each hav g a different tone . There is likewise a cap made of

a the the s me materials, in form of a cone, covered

i i of of e w th a k nd network l ather thongs, the ends

’ h a of which ang round the we rer s neck and shoulders, and on the end Of which thong is fix ed a large nut

l e e s she l, int nd d to rattle as the person walk or moves his head.

The las t wearer of this fantastic habilim ent w as

L edoch Lord yn , who frequently paraded the streets of

ffi c Perth in it, as recruiting o cer, about the commen e

ai 9 0th ment of the French war, r sing the regiment of feet .

This ac count brought the old morrice- dancing class

u ban n Sir a of mo nte ks u der the notice of W lter, who soon afte rwards depicted their peculiarities in the

1 30 I or J MEMO R OSEPH TRAIN .

r th ough the family. The minister of Galashiels is a

m an clever , and so is his brother. i If your letter came in good t me for me, I have some groun d to hope it may not have proved a bad one for yourself . Who should happen to be my guest but Mr. Morton Carr, the young southron, who

o th e S h im is survey r of Excise. I howed what was

o fi n literary, in y ur favour, and was glad to d him i much nterested . I had just been waiting an oppor tunit to him y to speak in your behalf, and this cam e

’ like the boul i nt to my hand of a p stoup . I

him and u showed your poems, such of yo r collections as m I thought ight assist the impression, and had the pleasure of obtaining his promis e that he would

interest him self in your promotion . He has no direct

his i patronage, but you are aware nfluence must be

h O e s considerable. I p also to make ome interest with the Honourable Captain Percy, whose brother, Lord

Louvaine old ri of m , is an f end ine but we have not yet met .

Now it will be necessary for me to know which

e l . way this species of int rest, and particu arly Mr

’ n Carr s, who, I am thinki g, is serious in wishing to

i l e oblige me by serv ng you, wi l be best exert d to

your advantage . Mr. Carr seems to say the situation

w as u f ul re of collec tor very doubtf l, and di fic t, and p ’ T T S T 3 1 OLD MOR ALI Y DESCENDAN S . 1

n . carious, by the late regulatio s I said that I thought you seemed to wish to be relieved from your present situation . But I promised to learn from

o yourself how y u may be best served. Write me

soon, and let me know what you think about this .

. S Mr Carr and his isters, two very accomplished

m and pleasing young wo en, came to Abbotsford for a

an d S day, stayed a week ; O I suppose they liked us as well as we did them .

Any additional matter of tradition will be most

’ truly welcome. What a pity Old Mortality s grave

can not be discovered. I would certainly erect a

m monu ent to his memory at my ow n expense .

Always, my dear Mr. Train, your sincerely obliged d T TT . frien , WAL ER SCO

BB TSF RD 1 7th A ril A O O , p

Train communicated to Sir Walter the particulars

O in of son about ld Mortality, the handwriting his ,

of r Mr . Robert Patterson Dal y, who was alive at that

5th now . time, and in his 7 year, but who is dead

The manuscript gave a distinct accoun t of his

. ’ O son brother, John Patterson, and ld Mortality s ,

” sailing in a vessel called the 3“ Golden Rule of White

of r a haven, from the water C ee, in G lloway , for

1 4 of i America, in the year 77 ; his mak ng a con 1 3 2 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN.

sid le u n Am Of erab fort ne duri g the erican War, and

is al im h afterwards settling at B timore, where he proved his fortune by marriag e . He had a son

aft h is O named Robert, er father, ld Mortality, and a

t o daugh er named Elizabeth, after his mother, wh se

e ri maiden name was Grey . Rob rt mar ed an Am eri

him i of can lady, who, outliving , became March oness

of Wellesley . Elizabeth became the wife Jerome

him Bonaparte, and after her separation from , wedded

n erurier l Mo sieur S , the French consu at Baltimore . This ext raordinary story almost exceeds credibility

al of yet , though Sir W ter was convinced its accuracy, he only deferred publishing it to avoid giving Offence

ri of in to his intimate f end the Duke Well gton.

After this strange revelation, we conclude that the

’ Queen of Westphalia s father was the son of Old i i Mortality, the rel g ous enthusiast, who wandered throughout the land, in poverty, that he might restore the mem orial stones of those who had fallen a sacri

fi ce to the principles which they professed. Along

c n w ith this ac ou t, furnished by the son of Old Mor

l his hi ns ta ity, Train sent a sketch of life, w ch is i erted

al in the introduction to the tale . He so sent th e mallet and square used by the old man in his avoca

e t tion . The next lett r from Sir Wal er was brought

S Rubislaw to Train by Mr. kene of , who had come

1 3 4 o r MEMOIR JOSEPH TRAIN .

e 0 be n kept in Castle Rushen from 1 422 to 1 7 3 .

This manuscript contained much interesting infor d mation, nowhere else to be found ; and, eeming

rightly that they would be appreciated by Sir Walter,

ri of he transc bed much it, and, along with some t raditions of that little kingdom, which had been sent f . O o him by Dr swald Douglas, forwarded them to

. Of Abbotsford He at the same time sent a visor brass,

a i found in a morass at Torrs, in the p r sh Of Kelton,

in the stewartry Of Kirkcudbright . This antique

n mask had horns, projecti g from the place where the eyeholes should have been, and which were turned back like the horns of a goat . What was its use

m Train could never ascertain, but, to solve the proble , we have only to remember that the gr eater part of the nobility in the Middle Ages kept mummers and

m asqueraders as a part of their establishment. He

sent Sir Walter also, at this time, a Roman javelin , whi ch had been found by an Old woman at Auchen

Of gibbert, in the parish Urr, in a peat which she was i b reaking for her fire it was very ent re, considering how long it must have lain in the moss .

Some interesting particulars Of the flight of the

r f D undron unfortunate Queen Ma y , rom Langside to

r ar nan Abbey, were collected by T ain and forw ded to Sir Walter, but he considered them too local to — T 1 5 Q UEEN OF SCOTS MISS AGNES S RICKLAND . 3

appear as notes to the Abbo t . They were at a later

an w h o n period sent to Miss Agnes Strickl d, fou d them serviceable while writing her lif e of the ill- fated queen .

An enthusiastic admirer of everything relatin g to a

h is ara b past age, researches were always ch cterized y a zeal and energy w hich rendered them highly success

al in S ful ; and though he wrought comparatively ilence, his discoveries were not the less valuable . His min d

h e seemed an inex austible storehous , where everything

of a e i that was covered with the moss g had a n che.

- a He saw a romantic, softly subdued be uty in the

s of f m en transaction the of other times, which dwelt

a i n him with a ple sing and elevat ng influence arou d , and stirred him on to discover and un fold to the world the doin gs of the past . It is said that he sc arcely ever sat dow n to arrange into na rrative the traditions — e i w as o n c on which he gather d, th s done horseba k, hi s journey home through the wild moors ; an d the little tim e whi ch he could Spare from his very arduous

' duties w as em ployed in transcribing and despatching d them to those for whom they were destine Indeed, we are informed that all his verses were composed

s l of exam in when traver ing the green hi ls Ayrshire,

c e ing the old castles of the days of S ottish fr edom, or when riding thr ough the g loomy moo rs of Gallo 1 3 6 or J N MEMOIR OSEPH TRAI .

way . The following, entitled, The Ruthless Raid,

an is of an tiquarian cast .

R m en G a th e ise of allow y, spread fast slogan , ' War- beac ons kindle from Criflelto Logan B b c o en and fill ridle for attle lt, gerr , y , L a u m o s or l e ve not n unted laird vas al , gi lie ; , B i l he be th e rave w l that is first in fray, ’ To horse and to arm s for Old Galloway s glo ry !

R m en of G w u be a m ise allo ay , p and r ing, Fierc e are th e foem en that round you are swarm ing ; ’ E w Cruith ne n rin s ild again is returni g , T o pl under and slay whilst your c abins are burning ;

On w ac m t - c e o and kna a ee ith e h e tle ja k, plat , gl ve, p p , — — Com t o the b as c a - ee e each, your fathers did p a p 1 — Rise m en of Galloway l see at Loc h Ryan ’ E rin s green banners trium phantly flying ;

W th e t m of - l ild is s rew ent war gal eys stranded,

Where th e c ohorts of wild Gallowglasses are landed . ’ r Rh w lands and Me the h ad O e e nchers s am roc k is spre ing,

Whilst foes on th e graves of our fathers are treading . — Rise m en o f G alloway l like a flood gushing Drive away those w h o against us are rushing ; Th ou m a n m be u s c an w e a e gh they y out u r , fe r dang r, Wh o never c ould bow to the y oke of a stranger ! ’ h r be in th e W en there is st ife we ll first foray, ld G ’ All m ounted and arm ed for o alloway s g lory .

1 3 8 r MEMOIR o JOSEPH TRAIN . to elucidate and render visible the many hidden

of evidences of the manners and customs earlier ages . We may now glance at some of those researches

of a which engrossed the attention Tr in . ; Though they

Of were not made use by Sir Walter, yet they are o f sufficient interest to quote from the personal memoranda of the antiquary.

Formerly every burgh of Scotland had a wassail

of di s bowl, generally very capacious mension , presented

of by the respective Commissioners Parliament. That of Kirkcudbright was given to the Incorporated Trades b M‘Lellan d y of Bombic and, accor ing to the tradi tion, was first filled in public at the entertainment

n given to King James V . by the i habitants Of Kirk 1 5 c udb ri ht a 08 . g , in M rch It is built like a tub, with wooden staves, about thirty in number, with

of hoops, and a rim brass, and was made to hold nine imperial gallons .

Th e wassail - bowl of the burgh of New Galloway is i i i of s milar d mensions, l kewise of wood, hooped with d brass, and is said to have been presente to the Town

a Council by Hamilton of B rgany, in Ayrshire, about

' 1 6 ow er b 3 0. h ev een the year It has, , brought more frequently into use than that of Kirkcudbright, having

' been filled annually on the birth day Of the reigning

and s K enm ure— sovereign, al o on that of Lord not in — MONS MEG T HREAVE CASTLE . 1 3 9

- - the town hall or at the market cross, but, till the close of the last century, under a large tree that stands in the imm ediate neighbourhood Of K enm ure

” of Castle, called, time out mind, The Supper Thorn , on account of the domestics of the castle and the

r u of neighbou hood assembling ro nd it, at the close

da the y, to dance to the sound of the stock and horn , the only musical instruments then used in that pas

di an d r i . toral strict, to partake Of thei even ng meal

An n other sketch, evinci g great research on the

to th e part of Train, has much to recommend it attention of those interested in the study Of anti

i i M M e u t . ons q y It is an account of the orig n of g , which has engrossed so much attention, and has been the subject of much difference of Opinion . The i i l very interest ng informat on which Train col ected,

fills up a blank in history, and throws some light o n the early manufactur e of iron in this country.

That this monster cannon was fir st used ag ain st

of D ou lases Threave Castle, the stronghold the g , the

of r despot lords Galloway, Train assu es us there is

S of r not a hadow a doubt ; but that the fi st ball, which was made of granite from the neighbouri ng

ll l c ow hi s, and was as heavy as a Ga loway , passed

s through the ca tle, and carried away the hand of

Sh e Margaret de Douglas, as sat at table drinking 1 40 o r MEMOIR JOSEPH TRAIN .

i of w ne, admits a doubt, though Mr. Harry Inglis

hi al treats it as a storical fact in his metric romance,

entitled The Briar of Threave and the Lily of

Barholm . We give a part of the story of Mons Meg in Train’ s own words

This very singular piece of ordnance is said to 25 have been made of bars of iron, bound together

a e of with an equ l numb r hoops, to represent the exact number of persons who contributed to defray

r the expense of makin g the p ece . As a recompense

the of in for present this extraordinary eng e of war,

o M‘Lellans and for the loyalty f the , who assisted i him u D ou lases e . in s bdu ng the haughty g , Jam s II ,

i of before leav ng Galloway, erected the town Kirk c u dbri h t g into a royal burgh, and granted to Brawny

K i m of Mollanc e , the smith, the lands , in the

r th neighbou hood of Threave Castle . It is still e custom in Galloway to call people by the name of the i lands they possess. Hence the sm th was called

’

Mollanc e. f a But his wi e s n me being Meg, and she

s i being posses ed of a stentor an voice, the cannon , in

c of Mollance . honour of her, re eived the name Meg

Nor is it singular that in the course of time the name should be corrupted into the present .

There is no sm ithy now at the Three Thorns

’ Carlinw ark w of , where Bra ny Kim and his seven

1 42 R o r MEMOI JOSEPH TRAIN .

of Scotia, and which illustrates in a peculiar way the

’ - u c high so led peasant s chara ter . O ’ n the poet s visit to Kirkcudbright, during which he is said to have composed his Scots wha

” has . , he and Mr Syme took Kenmore Castle on their way, and spent a happy night with its hos

itable p proprietor, who next morning took them i down the loch in his boat, that they m ght the better contemplate the scenery on both sides . The

r . pa ty included the Rev. Mr Gillespie, the parish

i i o f i m n ster of Kells, and father the late Rev . Will am

is Gillespie, h successor in the same parish, and pre

of l nken eminently the poet G e s.

When they reached the point where hi s lordship

al . l intended to land and w k home with Mr Gi lespie,

s b e taking a hot by the way, caused the boat to be

n directed i to a shallow sedgy place, where her prow ' stuck at such a distance from firm ground as to rs quire a considerable leap to get dry ashore . His

an d lordship, in the prime of life agile, easily sprang

as did . hore, as also Mr Syme, and the two thus out

i u n immed ately t rned round, expecti g Burns to follow,

m an d highly a used at the thought, which Burns at once detected, of the dilemma in which the worthy

' Old i i l stifl m n ster wou d be placed, who was too to

and leap like the rest, must either have endangered ANECDOT E OF BURNS . 1 4 3

in or his health by wad g, returned neglected in the

hi m . of boat by self The manly, generous heart Burns

of comprehended the intentions the two at a glance .

m n an d hi s ff S His eyes bea i g, face su used, he prung at

’

- once over the boat s gunwale, knee deep in mud, and

as n old gr pi g the gentleman with outstretched arms,

- dr him on hi m he half agged to his back, and bore

ashore am id the mingled shame and conf usion of the

m two gentlemen . Mr. Sy e was the first to find

r r voice, and exclaimed, as Bu ns deposited his bu den ,

’ l Burns s Wel , a clerical burden on back is what I never expected to see ‘9 , What reply Burns made is

not mentioned but this, Train affirmed, was the real

r ar ds cause of Bu ns s silent moodiness tow Mr. Syme

a r r ri an d lin f fter pa ting from thei f ends, the spoi g o

’ Burns s new top- boots by wet was not the effects of

- on f r a thunder storm the moor, as Mr. Syme a fi ms, but of the Spontan eous act of gentlemanlin ess which

we have described .

We have somewhat accidentally stumbled on one ’ i of Train s earl er productions, which we value for its

n i a tiquarian interest, as record ng the deeds of one of

of the boldest of Galloway caterans, the pest Gal low ay and Carrick durin g the earlier part of the tenth

— a century, minor Robin Hood . 4 1 4 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRA IN .

Ro an: G IL L.

’ ’ H ve c om e and th e t m ar st is , hun er s oon

‘ Is rising th e highest hills aboon. ’ Lo th e fla th e a ud is p of e g le s wing, A s sh e starts from h er roc k by th e m ountain spring ; ’ While echo carries o er glen and brake ’ The b ow l of th e fox by Nab errie s lake . are but w e m s i Sluggards sleeping, u t r de, F or n e m and P wi t r co es, it cries rovide Bu lem en o the c l g s und rallyn al , F or a to m are th e o e all re dy ount tr op rs , W a of a ho, in defi nce d nger, still

Have fo llowed the fortunes Of Rorie Gill .

n o oft do O venis n I wish to dine , And wash it down with th e rosy wine M m m en too w and w h y erry , , love ine, y Should they not drink it as well as I ’ Y et b w e n ot th e b d reak orphan s rea , ’ Nor bring dow n w oe on th e widow s head We w m th e o f ar pass ithout har ing child c e , ’ Nor wish w e indust ry s m eed to share ; W e om th e o only take fr l rdly thane,

What honesty deem s ill - gotten gain ’ A nd even th e foem an s blood to spill ’ Was ne er the desire of Rorie Gill .

By m oonlight am ain th e shire of Ayr W as sac ked to th e fortlet o f Fairley fair ; s th e b of K i u And whil t ells lwinning r ng, th e m u And onks their latest vespers s ng, W h ed th e o a r n e filc g ld of th t holy sh i e, A nd drank their health in th e sa c red wi ne ; o s too ere w e And pi u ly, , went away, We forced th e Abbot for us to pray :

1 46 o MEMOIR r JOSEPH m am .

No s c w as c l to aid h im ju ti e there a led , ’ If his life should be spared or straightw ay ta en On a t o m his ac e rth, ake pe e with heaven, One o he a b ut w as not h ur sked , it given o ere m en c on th e And l ng his ould rise hill , ' tifi n R G S hanged o a wuddie w as orie ill .

in m th e b a Thus fell his pri e r vest knight, ’ That e er gear- hunting went at night ;

W - for h e w as b far and a ept , oth ne r, Though th e c ountry long h e h ad kept in fear

w n at h om th e b a And do nig t fr l sted tree , By his m erry m en c arried away w as h e ; b oa on th e m m And where ridle r ds ountains eet , T him o hey laid with ut a winding sheet, Save th e heathery turf that wrapped his breas t ; A nd him w a to his o o f . they le t ith te rs l ng , l ng rest There oft th e wanderer stops to see Th e big cai rn raised to h is m em ory ; m b o m aw e et And any so s with y thrill , T o of th e of R o G hear wild deeds rie ill .

Train gathered the materials for this poem in the following manner ' One night when among the

' hi e Minni afi lls b tween g and Carsphairn , he lost his

of way, and was obliged to seek the shelter a shep

’ t u old herd s cot age . There he fo nd an man and

m hi m of woman , who, a ong other legends , told the

a of exploits and de th Rorie Gill, the Robin Hood of

Galloway. Next morning, as he proceeded on his

b e vense o mountain track, arranged it into , and n

m li t n t b e his arri val at Dal el ng on , his desti a ion, com m itted it to paper. l4 EDIE OCHILT REE . 7

C H A P T E R ! .

ACCOUNT OF TH E PROTOTYPE OE EDIE OCHILTREE OF TH E S— H IS WILLIE MARSHALL, KING RANDIE LEVELLING PROPEN SITLES—DEAT H OF SIR WAL T ER

SCOTT .

I T n his of S R WAL ER, duri g the time edition the

r o f Waverley Novels was in cou se publication, had requested Train to furnish him with the particulars

i G em m il of the l fe of Andrew , from whom the Great

o f Minstrel drew the portrait the mendicant, Edie O chiltree but the Supervisor was prevented, by the

of very laborious duties his profession, from collect

n ing the necessary i formation, until too late for Sir

’ Walter s purpose . He, however, sent what he had i obtained to the Baronet, the particulars of wh ch we

our give, convinced that it will be interesting to readers .

G em m il or O Andrew , Edie chiltree, as he appears

of th e Anti u a r a O ld in the pages q y, was a n tive of

of his a Cumnock, in Ayrshire, where many descend nts 1 48 m om or J OSEPH TRAIN .

yet reside . He was well kn own throughout the whole

of - Galloway, and there was not a farm house in the whole shire but had received a visit from the sturdy

r . w as i begga He twenty years a sold er, twenty a O garrison fogie, and twenty a beggar . ne of the most intimate friends of Train’ s early days was

n Gem m il . A drew , a grandson of Andrew the soldier

- ll 1 79 9 This man was a farm servant ti the year , il when he was balloted to serve in the Ayrshire m itia,

n where he acted as servant to Dr. Colquhou till

0 e . 1 8 1 , when the regiment was disband d He was

to then taken by the Doctor pound drugs in Greenock, where, having to examine the sailors enlisted into

v the na y , he became acquainted with Captain Tat tam m - , who then co manded the Press ship stationed on the Clyde .

The Swinger gun- brig being ordered to the West

’ i a Indian station, and not hav ng a surgeon s m te,

Captain Tattam got G em m il appointed to that situa

f r i . o tion On the death the su geon, wh ch happened i a few weeks after sail ng, his mate was appointed

m to succ eed him . He ca e home, took his degree,

r e and retu ned to the station, when he was appoint d

of r i chief surgeon the fleet. He afterwa ds sa led with

i a Sir Edmund Pelew to the Med terr nean . In a letter

’ i i ~ ad dressed to Tra n, dated his Majesty s sh p Cale

1 50 E or J OSEP T I M MOIR H RA N .

fences in the country . Over these presided the

of King th e Randies . Before the period mentioned

h ad a he been frequently sent to the rmy, and had

m h e served several ca paigns in Flanders, but always

a K eltonhill ai deserted in time to re ch F r, which it is said he attended regularly for above a hundred years, without being once absent .

The levellers found in him an active leader, and under his directions they conducted their operations with such secrecy, that every stone which was laid above another for the formation of a ring fence dur

Sh am bell ing the day, between Thigger Law and y,

was thrown down in the night, without a single per son concerned therein being discovered either by the

h o l land olders r their agents . The leve lers became i at length more daring. They pract sed the use of

fir e- bills l of arms on the by the ight the moon ,

e formed themselves into companies, and Openly resist d every attempt on the part of the proprietors to en close their land . Many witty sayings are related of ik t Marshall . He was, l e the rest of his fra ernity,

e i greatly addict d to whisky, which some ndividual in his hearing denoun ced as slow poison . It maun

’ —d u for be d slow, for I ha e dr nk it a hunner

’ ’ ”

l . years, and I m ivin yet

It was found nec essary to march a regiment of ’ or 'r s E T 5 sc D A H . 1 1

dr r ui li agoons from Edinbu gh, to restore tranq l ty to

w as ak the country. Marshall himself t en prisoner, but escaped by the assistance of hi s intimate friend

d O i e n r G em m il E ie ch ltre , or A d ew , then a private

i in i sold er the reg ment of Black Horse .

a t These, with m ny such s ories, were sent to Sir

- Walter by his friend in Castle Douglas . But the

o corresp ndence which had, for the period of eighteen

e l e an d so flatter years, be n so profitable to Sir Wa t r, in g to Joseph Train, was drawing to a close . The

of h ad e for health the Baronet, which b en delicate

a w as e m n im some ye rs , now b co i g gradually more

r oi l pai ed, so that change c imate was advised .

A shi p of war was com missioned by his Royal

Master to convey the Author of Waverley to an other land ; yet even in the hurry and bustle of hi s de

parture, he remembered the humble antiquary, and

e is fr iend took up his pen to call Jos ph Train h .

Hopes were entertained that change of clim ate would resto re the illustrious invalid to his wonted

! r d vigour ; but, alas ere another yea had passe , Wal

’ D r b ur h s r l ter Scott slept in y g uined pi e, free from the clouds which h ad hovered over his later years . 5 1 2 m o m o r Jo snrn T RAIN .

C H A P T E R ! I.

— — FURT HER ACCOUNT O F TRAIN A N ANECDOTE H IS — ADDRESS T O A FAVOURIT E HORSE H IS RET IR E — MENT FROM ACT IVE S ERVICE T HE CA RLIN WAR K — — LOCH ITS T RADIT IONS PUBLI‘SHES H IS LONG T F T CON EMPLAT ED H IS TO RY O H E ISLE OF MA N .

’ J' ER ir h im ul A T S Walter Scott s deat , the st us which incited Jo seph Train to ac tion w as not so strong .

Tm e did c i his a o e re ar , he ont nue f v urit se ches, but t hey w ere not characterized by that lively enthusias tic interest that h ad dis tinguished him during his corre s ond e ll p enc with his i ustri ous patron. The incentive

o f w as no a to this kind labour t so strong , seeing th t he w as gone who had valued so hig hly his gleanings and the thought that but few apprecia ted or un der

w as o stood his labours, constantly bef re him .

s all e But notwith tanding th se discouragements, the g enial and urbane dem ea nour of the antiquary w as as

as r his marked eve . He discharged duties with the

s w as as same preci ion, frequent in his journeys to the

1 5 4 m nm om or J R OSEPH T AIN .

e h er v c satisfi d of era ity, showed evident regret at her

m s dile ma, and put many question to enable her to suggest any excuse he w as also in no hurry to

n m i g search, so that had she chose she ht well have

s h t i secreted mo t of her c allenged s ore . But she, l ke

r e r n a true heroine, stood on her fi st ground, d cla i g that she would not burden her conscienc e to escape

un if what she had done was a fault, faulty she was

a intention lly, and therefore let the consequences ensue,

n out c onse be what they might. In car ryi g those

uences i q , Tra n showed such evident regret and sym

‘ as l pathy for the poor woman , wholly conci iated her

him i towards , and made her speak of him w th respect i and k ndness ever after.

In one of his frequent rides through the moors he

i is composed the following poem, wh ch entitled, The ’ ” — Traveller s Address to his favourite Horse the faith ful im an al who bore the Supervisor for many a year,

o through storm and darkness, and to wh se sagacity he m ore than once owed his life

O and th e are ur road is long, hills steep , Th e b are and th e r are urns large, fo ds deep ; B m e not m l elate y good y steed, v A nd th e be st m o . corn shall be thy m eed T he a o f a a not l sh whip thou sh lt feel , Nor th e po inted rowel that dec ks m y heel ; F o r in m m or th e lft whether su er, when i Is b th e i ft darkened y sw rling dri , ’ T TRAVELLER S ADDRESS o HIS HORSE . 5

R and o art ac eady willing th u ap e,

- c T o carry m e on t o m y resting pl a e . ’ Th e c ourser neighs as th e huntsm an s horn Awakens th e ec ho of th e m om ’ But th e n m h o n not for hu ts an s r is thee , f h a r n f r A nd th e c harm s o t e c h c e a e ot o m e . I n ot to m a o and a c spur ke thee sn rt pr n e, o n his n a c Like lde knight with tilti g l n e,

On a m o w p lfrey unted ith high intent , n and at o r am n I single fight t u n e t, H b in m t o o is a le skill ar s pr ve, ’ n his o A n d valour deservi g lady s l ve . I not th e om n of o e spur like ye e y r , T o m eet th e Nordland on th e shore

Nor a o I on to m g ll p drive a ain,

Th e H ot - o o th e N a a n tr d ver ith g i , th e c o c a b As did wild S t ea h l wless and,

o a his a a That c am e t pill ge f therl nd . ’ Iv e reined thee beside th e obelisk stone W a a in th e m oo hic h st nds way rs alone , Wh I h sat and w a e e ere ave , ith e ger y Gazed on th e rem ains of years gone bye F or o u m a a r un th gh y gl ss is ne rly ,

’ I o o er th e o n of old to c on l ve d i gs , W th e m u to and o hen instrel s ng vassal l rd , f h Feats d one in th e land o t e fi re and sword . M u erran w a y tr sty g , a y , away , Com let us et on w et w e m a e , g hile y y I w ot w e c a o a far to w nn t h ve end, ’ T w e a at our ou n end ill rrive j r ey s , ’ W in m o a c o m m on lot here rt lity s , S o N a o o o n ic k nd his rider will he f rg t .

i i Tra n hav ng served the stated time, was placed on

al the retired revenue list . He lived in a cottage c led

Carlinw ark Lochvale, situated near the Loch, where 1 5 6 S MEMOIR or JO EPH TRAIN .

n S ~ the eve ing of his days were pent happily, sur rounded by the objects o f his early love . He now had more leisure to engage in literary pursuits and

re i r cor spond w th an extensive ci cle of friends and, if any dispute connec ted with antiquarian matt ers hap

u i l m i . pened to occ r, Tra n was general y the u p re

About this time he rendered some valuable assistance d to Miss Agnes Stricklan , in collecting materials for

if ar w her l e of M y Queen of Sc ots . The follo ing is o ne of the many letters from that amiable and talent ed lady to the Supervis or

— MR. N c D EAR TRAI , When I despat hed the

’ c m o w as s opy of y Hist rical Scenes, I too bu y to

’ line or t n to add a two by the same pos , beggi g you f it grati y me by accepting , as a very trifling acknow ledgment o f your great kindness in endow ing me with such precious additions to m y historical library as your interesting and erudite History of the Isle of

’ and e r Man No l s Life of Ma y Stuart . I am de lighted at your frankly excusing my unceremonious

e m i a way of s nding the volu e, and more grat fied th n

o I can te ll y u at your approval of my writings . If

I h ad com e into the Dum fries and Galloway districts

s as u o d thi autumn, at one time I p rp se , I should

e s c ts to ou te as hav paid my re pe y , whom I es em a

1 5 8 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

i d Roman Catholic B shop at E inburgh, who forwarded

them to the plac e whence they had been originally

taken . Miss Strickland visited Galloway in her search for

inform ation concerning the flight of Queen Mary

of through Eastern Galloway. She was a guest the

e i Count ss of Selk rk, and procured from Train a

sketch of a guitar, said to have been used by the f f un ortunate Queen, and which had been le t by her

‘ at K enm ure Castle .

Train was in hopes that the instrument could

have been procured, but all his efforts were unavail

r ing. However, by the kindness of Dr. T otter of

ai e Auchenc rn, who had se n the guitar when a boy, he was enabled to furnish Miss Strickland with the

sketch alluded to.

We have said that his cottage was situated near

arlinw ar k c the C Loch, a lo ality not without its

of ancient legends, as being the principal haunt all

the goblin s in the district . Tradition supposes that there was formerly in the

loch a town, that was on some occasion submerged,

but not to such a depth as to prevent the tops of the highest buildings from being occasionally seen in

the water down to a late period. l There were a so two chapels, whose vestiges have ARK O —IT T T 1 5 TH E CARLINW LO H S RADI IONS . 9 li kewise disappeared by the power of witchcraft, which gave to the water where these buildings stood

f r k the nam e O Carlinsw ark or Ca linw ar . In the

' 5 f e year 1 76 , when ten feet o wat r was let from the i surface of th s loch by a canal to the river Dee, a

- dam dike, composed of oak piles and clay, was dis

e cover d at the north end, near the town of Castle

Douglas . it Before this loch was reduced by draining, con

ial tained r . several artific islets, the reso t of waterfowl

h all The isle at the sout end of it, c ed the Fir Island,

e u appears to have b en s rrounded by a stone rampart .

O n this isle the remain s of an iron forge are yet to be

m i seen, which induces Mr. Chal ers to th nk that a barrack for English cavally had been there during the wars of the Succession, which belief is strengthened by many horse- shoes being foun d near that place

u f a deeply s nk in mud, and of quite a di ferent sh pe from those that are now used .

In several parts of this remarkable lake there

e have b en found the canoes Of the ancient people, similar to those whi ch have been discovered in Loch arm oss i Of le and Loch Doon, consist ng one g or trunk hollowed by fire .

Although Galloway is studded with Druidical re

n mai s, there are now none to be seen in the imme 1 60 J MEMOIR OF OSEPH TRAIN .

of Carlinw ark diate neighbourhood the Loch, and the ” l Three Thorns, celebrated in many a gob in tale,

re have likewise disappea d, but the tradition conn ected O with them has fortunately been preserved . n a

on height, near the spot which the town of Castle i Douglas has since been bu lt, stood the Three ” Thorns of Carlinw ark.

m in u Formerly, for a nu ber of nights reg lar suc

cession, three spectres of that fierce and malignant

' th at took in species, up their abode human bodies after death, were observed to proceed from Kelton ” kirkyard to the Three Thorns, and around them perform their hellish orgies, an account of which we are unable to give .

There was a loan somewhere on the read along

r which the fiends passed on their nightly pilg image .

One night a fellow of more intrepidity or less pru

e tr io dence than his comrades, Observ d the making their usual procession, but with far more than usual

O Of ri a speed . ne the spi ts was more ugly th n the

and . other two, apparently lame He was rather behind i ft his companions, but came hobbl ng a er them with l all his might, so that the fel ow could not help bawl in out u Weeld une Cr i le g , with a b rst of laughter, , pp ” th e Stiltie. The goblin instantly sprang over dike,

” ri h e ran making at the man with fu ous ettle, but

1 62 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN.

O i i s m n th s account, th s being by far the mo t i por

’ o i ar tant and lab rious of Tra n s liter y compositions, and

also because it displays so remarkably his habits of

research and persevering industry, it is felt to be but jus tice to his memory to insert here this attempt

ri r lar b efly to summa ize it the more particu ly, as the

S n n subject itself is O interesti g, that it can ot fail to

be valued on this latter ground alone . The work is d in two volumes . It was printed and publishe by a

x is is h Man publ her, and ighly creditable to the typo

graphic skill and bibliopolic enterprise of the island .

In the now generally fused state Of our very com

of on posita empire, we the present day stand as a

t n i great plain, stre chi g, from where its separate Orgi an nating heights sink down into it, far d wide, both

ar ound and before ; and to be carried back among

and those heights, where the primitive streams

c breezes gush and cir ulate, and where yet appear and

disappear the clouds and mists w ith which our sires

s c e enshr ouded the heroe , the ghosts, and the spe tr s — of their local legends, to be carried back amid all

i i c these aga n, under the gu dan e of an historian like

n Train, is both an exhilarati g and instructive treat l and he has we l chosen his subject to this end, for i h l the little island, of wh ch t is work wi l now remain

th e the standar d history, was theatre of contest for E 1 63 SUMMARY OF HISTORY OF TH ISLE OF MAN .

h ages, among Englis , Welsh, Scottish, Irish, and

o f Norwegian kings and chiefs, whereby the train

c u public occurren es that befell in it, is so mixed p

with those correlatively occur ring in the various sur

i u n round ng co ntries, that, i the hands of so well

r an info med and observant author as Train, the rela

of f tion those occurrences O ten, if not always, sheds

much important elucidative light on the contemporary h history of the greater countries in question . T is

gives the history a scope, a value, and an interest,

far exceeding the range of a more insular and local

work and it w as because of this its widely- ranging

of im c interest, and the abilities of h to do it justi e

has who now handled it, that the Author of Waverley

c suggested to him the undertaking, on the oc asion , i ’ and in the manner, narrated in Tra n s Introduction, as follows In a pursuit so publicly abandoned by the

ai n indefatigable Lord H les, Toland, the lear ed an

ti uar l q y, Maccu loch, and other eminent writers ,

r further inqui y seemed hopeless . But Sir Walter

o iff . In 1 8 0 Sc tt entertained a d erent Opinion 1 , he

o f - called the attention his brother Thomas, Receiver

al l w Gener Of the Insu ar Customs, towards riting a

history of the Isle of Man ; but fortuitous circum

stances occurred, which prevented the execution of 1 64 I T N MEMO R OF JOSEPH RA I .

. s that design At a sub equent period, Sir Walter strongly directed my views to the same subject, with the most friendly assurance that he would render me

' an y assistance which I might require in prosecuting the undertaking. He at the same time made me a

! r o f and p esent an old work on the subject, placed his

ra l valuable lib ry at my service, in fol owing out the

r r of inqui y necessa y to the accomplishment the work. I assented but my professional duty as Super

s s vi or over an exten ive district, occupied my time so

s exclu ively, that, ere I had it in my power to avail

l of s c l ri ri myse f the assi tan e of my i lust ous f end, he

e of w as no more . On the occurrenc that mournful i i event, my glean ngs were in a great measure la d aside nor was it until I had, at my own solicita

on e tion, been placed what is called the R tired

’ in e Revenue List, that, order to while away my leisur

i ri al hours, I assumed the task of arrang ng the mate s ” which I had previously collected .

These materials are more ample than could have been imagined ; for, large as the book is, it is yet

all u crammed with facts, traced to their so rces with great research and accuracy, classified, arranged, and

u r illustrated with a clearness, patience and ind st y ,

Old - n which show that the , deep searchi g, faithful, his

in of . to ric spirit, had yet an abode the breast Train

’ Waldron s History of th e Isle of Man .

1 66 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH TRAIN .

e i a ties, regaliti s, franch ses, liberties, and seaports p

n n pertaini g to the same, and all other hereditame ts

and premises therein particularly described and men

tio ned or , as holden under the several grants thereof, — any other title whatsoever reserving only their lands, i l inland waters, fisheries, m nes, mi ls, minerals, and

a i ‘ ri qu rries, accord ng to their present ght therein, d felon goods, deodan s, waifs, estrays, and wrecks at

of sea, together with the patronage the bishopric,

l b enefi ces and of the other ecclesiastica in the island, — to which they were entitled . Vol . i . p . 242.

and The property, other sovereign rights thus re

v f r of n ser ed, proved a te wards a source great an oyance

G m both to the Duke and the British overn ent for,

of when the sovereignty the island became vested,

i m i inh a by Act of Parl a ent, in the British k ng, the bi

a of f tants were so much alarmed at the ch nge a fairs,

which they considered must necessarily ensue, that

all the ruin of classes was prognosticated . Insular property sunk to a very low state of depreciation,

and many, who had the means of removal, left the island. Nor was the appearance of Lord John Mur

’ F r eicu dan D im 2d ray s , or Black Watch, as the 4 regiment was then called, who were sent by the

i ~ British Government to mainta n the peace, much cal

l a l is of en at d to al ay the d content the people, who ’

or MA N . 1 6 DUKE o r ATHOL, LORD 7

found their houses and magazines, which had been

ur let for the p poses of smuggling, left empty on their

inconveni hands, and themselves subjected to other ences ul , necessarily res ting from a resolution so sud ” — 244 . den . Vol. i . p.

O in bstruction, evasion, depreciation, and other

’ in juries to the Duke s reserved rights, followed ;

' hi h e a al consequence of w ch, eventu lly lost l par tiality towards the island, and the islanders all respect i and fealty towards him and in this cond tion, amid much negotiation with the British Government, and

on investigation and discussion both sides, matters

on u 1 8 29 of an lingered ntil , when, in virtue Act

1 8 24 n passed by Parliament in , empoweri g the

Lords of the Treasury to purchase all the manorial f ” rights of the Duke o Athol in the Isle of Man, those rights were accordingly pur chased for the sum of and the island thenceforward became an integral part of the British community aud empire .

The last honorary service of presenting tw o falcons

1 9th ul 1 821 to the king, was rendered on the J y ,

of in of by the Duke Athol person, at the coronation

. c l George IV His Gra e was an active, iberal, and enlightened nobleman he possessed considerable in

re t rt i in te s at Cou , which he un formly employed

n advancing the real i terests of the island . After a 1 68 r R MEMOIR o JOSEPH T AIN .

of fi ft - a long reign y six ye rs, he died at Dunkeld, on

29 th 1 8 3 0 in - September , the seventy sixth year of ” 25 5 his age . Vol . i . p . .

When Sir John Stanley received a grant of the did island from Henry IV. , the whole revenue not £ 400 exceed per annum . In the time of the last

of o Earl Derby, who was Lord f Man, the customs were farmed to an English . merchant at £ 1 000 per

. of a re annum The Duke Athol, however, annu lly c eived r n of £ 6000 a su plus reve ue nearly , as appears 5 th . . ca . in the schedule to the Act Geo III , p

V oL . 24 i p . 4 .

1 9 2 ! In 7 , a Commission was appointed by Parlia

on of ment to visit the island, and report the state

m and its com erce and finances, these, after a full

of investigation, and ascertainment the contraband d practices that then extensively prevailed there, state

’ to the loss to the king s revenue by illicit trade,

m am ount to about per annu , and the value of seizures made on the coast of Ireland from

” the island, to be about annually . Vol . i .

48 . p . 2 Since the British Government acquired the power o f enacting laws for the government of the Isle of

Man, those enacted laws have hitherto been confined

or - to the customs, port dues, and the regulation and

1 70 R o r R N MEMOI JOSEPH T AI .

and they feelingly regret that, in tendering so small

a is a sum , there is so gre t a d proportion between their — wishes and their abili ties having no public funds at ’ — . . . . 25 0 25 1 their disposal Vol i pp , .

The machinery of the Manx governm ent now con s of i - re re~ ists a governor and capta n general, who p

s n us ents the British sovereig ; the Ho e of Keys, or c l lo al legis ature already mentioned, consisting of

- r f tw o twenty fou members, elected for li e ; and

S i al s for ai n upreme Jud ci Court , the two m n divisio s of l the is and, each presided over by a judge, called

a Deemster, and under which are the usual petty di ri c h r f c l as st ct ourts, with t eir va ious o fi ers, as we l

c &c. oroners, constabulary,

an i of The isl d is a bishopric, wh ch is styled

SODOR i and MAN, about the origin of which t tle there has been much dispute ; but Train seems to have given a satisfactory solution of it in the 8 x 1 2th e . . . 3 5 Appendi to his chapt r, vol i p , and to

a it we refer the re der, the passage being too long for

Of extrac t . The constitution the Church is similar

a l m ll its to th t of Eng and, though, from the s a ness of

e n n da ext nt and mea s, admitti g of much fewer gra

n l tions amo g its clergy. The Estab ished Church of the island has for a long time past been well l e n i n n supported by qua ifi d mi sters, yet, notw ithsta di g 1 Ec EsrA S TICAL HISTORY OF MAN . 71

o n n ss are be this, an extra rdi ary umber of Di enters to found in the island Soon after the Reformation the followers of William Penn gained some foo ting in Man but they were ultimately banished, and fi their property was con scated. Not deterred by the

i of his fa lure the Quakers, John Wesley sent one of

1 5 e 111118. preachers to the island in 77 , to t ach the hitants the doctr ine Of salvation by faith and in

1 in 777, with the same object view, he visited the

i s a h island h m elf. From th t time the Methodists ave increased to such a surprising degree that they can

” new - — number forty fi ve insular chapels. Vol. i. 3 68 p . .

At the accession of Bishop War d to the see of

Sodor and Man (in the want of church aecom-f m odation al e to was much felt, and is gener ly suppos d have been the principal cause of the great increase of

. n i i Dissenters To cou teract th s gr ow ng evil, the

i his b shop, by personal exertions in appealing to the

of ri in benevolence, piety, and charity his f ends 8000 England, succeeded in raising between £ and

£ 9 000 i £ 000 of , and in the sland nearly 4 . By means

i e m th s sum eight new church s have been erected, so e

r e have been enla ged, and others, which were in a stat

” of l n i di apidatio , have been substantially repa red.

(Vol . i. p . The tithes have recently been com 1 2 T 7 MEMOIR OF JOSEPH RAIN .

e mut d, and from these and other sources a moderate

e c h yet r spectable living se ured to the clergy, so t at

th e h as C urch now, so far these matters go, is in a f greatly improved and more e ficient state . Educa

e tion, also, is much bett r attended to and provided

for than formerly ; and a college has recently been e e rect d in the island, at Castletown, named King l ’ Wil iam s College, which is a very noble structure, an d promises to be productive of extensive benefits

is l 1 8 3 0 e Th col ege was begun in , and open d for i students in 1 8 3 3 . On the morn ng of the 1 4th

January 1 8 44 these extensive premises unf ortrm ately

of onfla ration became the prey a destructive c g , which

in e u i broke out the west rn wing of the b ild ng, and

n Of spread with u controllable fury, till the interior

u d w as e of the b il ing destroyed, with the exc ption a

n b few apartments in the western wi g, occupied y

le the V ice Princ ipal of the college . The very valuab i library, containing many rare works , part of wh ch was a curious collection of Bibles, from the time of

in of f dif Coverdale, upwards fi ty ferent languages, with several manuscripts relating to Manx ecclesias

f r rt all tical a fai s, and also much private prope y, were 1 5 th . a c ompletely destroyed On the Janu ry, at a

u w as meeting of the tr stees, held at Castletown, it resolved that instant measures be pursued towards

1 74 E or J M MOIR OSEPH TRAIN .

- the open breasted, and consequently defenceless, ac cessibilit r y necessa y to peaceful commerce . At the commencement of the eighteenth century Douglas was

l n c of on y a fishi g village, omposed a group Of clay built cottages but as the contraband trade increased it tended to enrich the inhabitants. Adventurers who

c s of t had ac umulated wealth by mean this rafli c, generally pulled dow n their paternal habitations and

on built others the former sites, every one according

to to his own fancy, and more suitable the wealth he

of n had acquired. The number i habitants increased 1 5 so rapidly, that, in the year 7 7, it amounted to

4 s had d 1 8 1 , and, going on progre sively, it reache , in 8 3 6 8 6 1 84 1 1 1 , to 7 , and in , by the government

8 64 . census , the population of Douglas was 7 The house property of Douglas has been valued at

V ol n ( . ii. p . It is to this tow ,

in n whi ch stands picturesquely the centre of the isla d,

k n a on the shore loo i g towards Engl nd, that the great influx of summer tourists and sea- bathers resort and

m m o th e od as the acco dation is excellent, society go ,

u and the scenery beautif l, there are few places that afford more attractions during a brief sojourn . The

and numbers thus attracted are consequently great, of late years not a few strangers have purchased

u i th e l d property and b ilt res dences in is an , from TH E 5 PROGRESS OF TH E AR TS IN ISLAND . 1 7

s w hich, and from other concurrent cau es, a thorough

a revolution has taken pl ce there in habits, manners,

li — u tu intel gence, and every kind of industry, agric l re

i l u being now scient fical y purs ed, commerce developed and very active, roads repaired, bridges built, lands

hin or enclosed and planted, and everyt g else either done d l doing which in icates the social, mora , physical, and

Am pecuniary improvement Of a community. ongst

these the state of the arts and of literature must not

“ s n . be pas ed over u noticed The excellent typography, a nd e - ll hi cl ar and well executed i ustrative cuts, w ch

ff of a dorn this work, are su icient proofs the respect

” ' ab1e of attainments the Manx in these departments. There are many facts mentioned in the course of

’ Train s history to Show that th e progress has been rem arkable . He says It is only by adverting to the accounts of former writers that we can Show the progress recently made

. s in the island When Wood, the touri t, visited it in

1 808 on e , he says there was only person who sold

and b r i books, he was y t ade a bookb nder. He adds, t ri of - hat he t ed in vain to get a sheet blotting paper. if The case is very d ferent now, at least in regard to

Douglas, there being five booksellers and stationers

r n - offi ces i the e, with eight printi g , from four of wh ch

s . T i sues a weekly newspaper here are, besides, three 1 76 R MEMOIR OF JOSEPH T AIN .

. r monthly periodicals . The insular press is wholly co nfined to Douglas and as newspapers printed in

the Isle of Man are unshackled by either a duty on

vi paper or advertisements, and pri leged to pass postage

free without a duty - stamp through the post- offi ces of

i and i the United K ngdom most of the Brit sh colonies, a great stimulus has been given to periodical printing in Douglas and newspapers established there for the

purpose of being circulated in the United Kingdom i have Obta ned a high circulation. There are two

ext n and on ensive circulati g libraries in Douglas, e

called the Isle of Man Subscription Library. A

’ Mechan ics Library h as also been in existence for

l te some years ; it is liberal y suppor d, and the work

ing part Of the community have derived great benefit ” 6 3 8 . from it . p . Such are the substantial benefits derived by this

little community from a close union and identifi cation

Of with this great country, whereby all the springs

n in prosperity, both domestic and foreign, set flowi g the one a , immedi tely rush, with invigorating fresh ness, through the other . Quite analogous also are

a re the advantages, now thoroughly enjoyed and pp

ia d c te , derived by Scotland from the same cause, l although Scotland rebel ed and rioted, and raved and

te i U x ran d, aga nst the nion far more than the Man

1 78 E o r J T M MOIR OSEPH RAI N .

i i n a l pol tic a , histori n , poet, and nove ist , we give a n

ri of ab dged account the celebrated smuggling trade,

of of which the Isle Man was so long the focus ,

a Old and of which m ny people yet alive, retain a clear recollection

1 7th u Down to near the close of the cent ry, the Manx remained vassals in a manner attached to the

l s soi , employing them elves in fishing during the short season the herrings were on the coast, and for the remainder of the year devoting themselves to com plete idleness ; whilst the women performed the task

u n of c ltivating just as much la d as , on the closest

calculation, would supply the wants of the family,

’ and pay the lord s rent . They dwelt in mud huts ,

i an d without doors and w ndows, which merely served the single purpose of defending them from the incle meneies o f the weather .

1 6 0 o f About the year 7 , however, a company

o adventurers from Liverpo l settled at Douglas, for the avowed purpose of carrying on a contraband trade with the surrounding shores and to this date may be traced the commencement Of a new era in their history .

c o n The goods thus landed were, from the venient position of the Isle, exported by the barks, bo of ats , and wherries, the island , into Scotland , H E ISLE SMUGGLING IN T OF MAN . 1 79

England, Wales, and Ireland, to the detriment of the revenue and prejudice of the fair trader .

The profits attending this iniquitous trade, soon induced many of the most wealthy of the Manx

o people to engage in it likewise . The great body f

h ad al in the people, who no capit to embark speen lations , became carriers ; for which hazardous em

ui al ployment they were s tably qu ified, being inured

i f ri to hardsh ps, and trained to a sea a ng life . The island became the great storehouse for the French

an and Dutch to deposit vast quantities Of Indi goods, whi ch were carried off by the islanders in wherries l built for that purpose . The oss to Great Britain, and the gains to the French, were inexpressibly great .

d S r m In the surroun ing countries, the pi it of indus tr for y was likewise checked by a passion smuggling, which was nourished by their vicinity to the Isle of

Man .

Stringent measures were adopted, and laws enacted, by the British Government, to repress and remove i f this ev l ; but, while the sovereignty o the island i remained detached from the British Crown, noth ng could be effectually done and hence the first attempt

of al e at purchase the sovereignty, ready relat d, but

h ad f which not the good e fects anticipated from it . 1 80 M or J E T EMOIR OS PH RAIN .

The protection afforded by the Manx to smug l g ing, is thus described by Waldron, who was then residing on the island in the capacity of a commis sioner from the British Government His Maj esty of Great Britain is master of the seas ; yet the Isle of

Man has jurisdiction of so much round the islan d , that a master of a ship has no more to do than watc h

of m i his Opportunity co ing with n the piles, where he

’ is secure from any danger from the King s Offi cers

I myself h ad once notice Of a stately vessel that was

n i ar l steering her course i to th s h bour, and wou d have boarded her before she had got within the piles, but ffi for want of su cient help to execute my design .

i i of and Her cargo was ind go, mastic, rais ns the sun,

m ortifi tion s other rich goods, which I had the ca to ee

r d an sold to t a ers in Douglas, without y duty paid to

’ his Majesty .

In gloomy or tempestuous weather, when the revenue cruisers had sought for shelter under cover

set of the land, the adventurous smuggler generally sail with his contraband cargo, alike regardless of the dangers of the sea and the power of the law. Among the many daring individuals engaged in that hazar d

so as of ous trad e, no name is well remembered that

e th e 1 742 Francois Thur t, who, about year , when

of ri only fifteen years age, left Dunkirk with an I sh

1 8 2 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH TRAIN . this most audacious and detrimental traffic ; and

ff of extin these, applied with vigour, had the e ect

hin for guis g it a time .

m of So e merchants capital, who remained on the

e i o f island, turned their att nt on to the cultivation

s s e wa te land , and, consequently, great r quantities of wheat and flax were raised than formerly. Manu

r e ed dnm ken i factu s improv , and the and d ssolute life which naturally attends smuggling seemed to give place to more industrious habits but it proved only a temporary suspension of the wayward pro

ti o pensi es f these islan ders . A military force was

ai ai in e s m m nt ned the island, and a large stabli h ent

Of armed cutters and cruisers were stationed in the

for of Channel, the protection the revenue ; but, in

w as d the same ratio that this force diminishe , the

a e im contrab nd trade increas d, nor was its progress

’ peded even by what was called Pitt s Burning and

’ i a Stav ng Act, p ssed in 1 79 2.

Th e illicit traffic between the Isle of Man and the opposite shores of Scotland was now carri e d

e e r on to a great r ext nt than at any fo mer period .

Many perso ns of capital engaged in the precarious f e. o t i enterpris Companies these adven urers, ch efly

Balcar F urn i Manxmen, were stationed at y, Clone, ness, and other convenient places on the shores of I SMU G G L N G . 1 8 3

of s Galloway . Some the smuggling captain were daring, resolute fellows, of great nautical acquire

rnents. Y aw kins The exploits of , a Dutchman, who commanded a smuggling lugger, called the Black

’ i ar e o Pr nce, yet related by b th the Manx and Gal lovidian e of p asantry, and the poetasters the day

e employd their pens in his praise.

O one Y aw kins hi s n occasion, as was landing

’ Manxrnan s e tw cargo at the Lake, n ar Kirkcudbright, o

’ ’ e an d revenue cutt rs, the Pigmy the Dwarf, hove in

on ff sight, di erent tacks, the one bearing round from the

of e of Rae Isles Fleet, and the other betw en the point

s - berry and the Muckle Ross . The dauntle s free trader

n i stantly weighed anchor, and bore down between the

his on one c cutters, so close that he tossed hat de k and

st his n his wig on the other, hoi ed a cask on mai top to

S a how his occupation, and bore away under an extr

f as n n o . ordinary pressure canv , without receivi g i jury

O c as Y aw kins as n another o c ion, when c t anchor at

’ an ak - the M xman s L e, an inexperienced tide waiter,

’ supposing the Black Prince to be a tim ber ship then

c e ri on expe t d to ar ve, went board alone, but he saw

not erm itted‘ to his mistake when too late, for he was p

s e w land till the vessel arrived at Am t rdam, where he as

his set at liberty, to find way back to his station at

m Auchencairn in the way most convenient to hi self. 1 8 4 MEMOIR o r JOSEPH T RAIN .

A large establishment of revenue cruisers in th e

al English Channel, and ong the southern shores of

e S cotland, was required for the protection of the rev

’ n nue . Many skirmishes took place between the Ki g s

m en and the contraband traders ; but the briskest

fight now remembered was that of Sir James Bristo,

u near the Isle of Whithorn, when striving to capt re

all s on a smuggling lugger, that sank, with hand i ll l board, fight ng ti she was swa lowed by the waves

i of Capta n Cook, also, was long the terror every

smuggler who dared to navigate the Irish Ch annel

These commanders ably acquitted thems elves in the

a of ctive discharge of their duties, and some them

amassed considerable riches but none of their names

is associated with such a tragical story as that of Sir

John Reid , then commanding in the Solway Firth.

The practice of depositing cargoes Of vessels

d of engaged in the smuggling tra e of the Isle Man ,

to elude the laws made for the protection of British

r a e commerce, rendered it necessa y that secret pl c s

e should be construct d, for securing the goods from

- lV aldro n offi cers . o the grasp of the revenue , wh se name I have had occasion frequently to mention in

of on fi ft the course this work, resided the island y years after the commencement of the smuggling trad e

h is . ll there . In time many of the ample ce ars which

1 8 6 o r S MEMOIR JO EPH TRA IN .

Arman Water- foo t was another noted landing

a place . M ny a large cargo of contraband articles w as discharged there during the time our celebrated

” i - o ffi cer poet Burns was exc se at Dumfries .

But Governm ent at length to ok more wise and comprehensive measures for extirpating this annoy

f e Of ing tra fic, by a syst m legislation in reference to

r the island, which threw it and this count y more Open to eac h other ; an d thus did the renowned smug i i gl ng trade of the Isle of Man dw ndle by degrees , hi until now it is only a t ng of past history. The

of of a ai harbours the Isle Man , s ys Tr n , will

of henceforth be harbours refuge, Open to every tem

es — d of - i p t tosse vessel, free entrance tolls, wh ch may be

e not l hailed as matt r for general congratulation, on y by the Manx people but by the shipping proprieto rs

Of m the United Kingdo .

We could gladly have now entered upon the re k i mar able antiquities Of the island, mil tary, eccle siastical i d — s , civ l, social, and tra itionary, department

l e in which Train especia ly shin s ; but these, and many

s our i s r i t other valuable parts beside , lim ts con t a n us o

O n of i pas s ver, in co sequence wh ch we conclude with the following very interesting account of the death

fim eral Thurbt and of , the celebrated French piratical

d ad a venturer alre y mentioned, and concerning whom FURTHER A CCOUNT OF TH U ROT . 1 8 7

’ Train s industry h as brought many new particular s for the first time to light

urbt Th , the French pirate adventurer, whose nam e had become the terror of Great Britain by his

in w as enterprising achievements the north seas, raised by the Court of Versailles to the rank of a

5 9 r commodore . In October 1 7 he left the harbou Of Dunkirk with a squadron of five ships and seven

l on teen hundred men, to make occasiona descents the

i n Irish coast, for the purpose of d stracti g the atten

of tion the government, and, by dividing the troops,

’ of facilitate the propo sed invasion that kingdom .

tw o of s He lost his ves els at sea, and a number

Of m en ri off his at Car ckfergus, where he came vic toriou s . The success, however, which he had ex

erienc ed on of p shore, was not destined to be long continuance.

li hr Captain El ot, who commanded t ee frigates

’ i al Th at K ns e, hearing of urbt s exploit in the north,

ai of l set s l in quest him , and, on rounding the Mu l

on 8th of Galloway, the 2 February, descried his

fleet at anchor near the offing at the entrance of the

of m m Bay Luce . He atte pted to embay the , which

Thurbt s ob erving, weighed anchor with all despatch , and stood out to sea in the direction of the

ll c Isle of Man . E iot gave chase, and a warm a tion 1 8 8 o r T MEMOIR JOSEPH RAIN .

ensued, which was maintained with great spirit on

both sides, for an hour and a half. The French

commander at length struck his colours, and the whole squadron was conveyed into Ramsay Bay by

’ the captors .

’ Train quotes further from a wri ter in the Scots

Mag azin e for February 1 760 On receipt of the news of Th ur bt being brought into Ram say Bay

on see . Thursday last, I went there to the ships

’ On on o l u getting b ard the Bel isle, I was str ck with astonishment ; turn which way I w ould no thing but scattered lim bs and dead and dying men

of met my view . The decks and sides the ships

u m e - co ld only be co pared to a slaught r house, there being nearly tw o hundred m en killed on board the

’

l S . Bel isle, beside what the other two hips lost The

French mus t have plundered all before them at Car ric kf er us one g , for I saw of them stript who had

’ m eight wo ens shifts on him . They had plenty

’ o f i f ch ldren s clothes, shoes, caps, ru fles, buttons ,

hi . t mbles, and pins , with a store of grey yarn The

English seamen looked upon the French as a parcel

’

Of ur . poltroons, by their behavio

’ Thur bt is described in the S c ots M ag azine as

of S being about thirty years age, of a low ize, well

made, having lively black eyes, and a fresh com

1 9 0 R F S MEMOI O JO EPH T RAIN .

brisk fire commenced, which soon obscured both

of fleets in a dense cloud smoke .

Every consecutive tide, for two or three days

m of after the action, cast a nu ber dead bodies ashore

s on the coa t of Galloway . Among the last thus

n of thrown up by the i flux the sea, was that of the

m French commander, whose re ains were easily dis tin uish ed - g from the others , by the silk velvet carpet

in which they were sewed up . Some historians say he was thrown overboard by mistake ; but, from the circumstance of his having thus bee n sewed up in his cabin carpet, I think that unlikely . It appeared that he had been attired in his full dress of Commo

d re dore when the engagement commence , as his mains were clothed with all the insignia of his rank ffi as a naval O cer. He was identified most partien larl on c y by marks his linen, and by a silver tobac o

t a on lid. box, wi h his n me in full engraved the

T he remains of this gallant young seaman were removed from the beach to the house of a person in

i i ac n d of Sir the v c nity, who, ti g under the irection

l o f Monreath William Maxwel , the lord of the manor, in vited every respectable person in that quarter to

i s the funeral . Sir W lliam him elf acted as chief

e of s mourner, and laid the h ad that distingui hed

’ individual in the grave . ”

S T H E T S 1 846. 1 9 1 PUBLI HES BUCHANI E ,

i s The carpet in wh ch the corp e was sewed, was

m n for a long ti e kept at Mo reith House, and my informant supposes it to be there still . The tobacco box was presented by Sir Willi am Maxw ell to the

victorious Elliot, in whose family it is yet an heir

’ Thurbt s loom . watch, which fell into the hands

’ m now os of one of Sir Willia s domestics, is in the p

- session of a person in Castle Douglas .

to How these circumstances, so honourable Sir i l W l iam Maxwell , and so interesting to historians, as

i of did filling up a blank in the h story that period, not find their way into any of the public journals of

on the day, and thence get placed record, is a ques ” — hi . V l o . . . tion w ch I am now unable to solve II , pp

3 26- 3 27

In 1 8 4 6 r T ain published another work, entitled,

” T Bu r t to h e cha nites fr m s last. , o fi This work

ac c orm t gives a very interesting of that peculiar sect,

on evincing great research the part Of the author.

In 1 8 48 he published a poem in the S cottish J ou r

nal of , entitled The Wild Scot Galloway and in

u 23 a letter to a friend, dated Lochvale, J ly d, he

says, Fifty years have elapsed between the publica

tion of the Wild Scot of Galloway and the Ducking

D om inic a of the , my first ttempt at authorship .

That little poem was descriptive of a frac as which 1 9 2 I o r MEMO R JOSEPH TRAIN .

c e a o 1 9 8 o curr d in Kyle, when a loc l scho lmaster, in 7 ,

was enrolling the names of the youn g men liable to

ir be balloted to serve in the Ayrsh e militia .

Great opposition was offered to the D om inic by

m l o f is r the fe a es the d t ict, and more especially by the i ’ if m ller s w e and her daughters, who proc eeded so

far as to duck the schoolm aster and his official papers

‘ In - a e him w ith the mill dam, and there ft r pelt stones

w as u as he strove to escape . This the h morous

of al groundwork my poem, which was c culated more

to excite mirth than provoke ridicule .

’ The later years of Train s life were spent quietly

l i a o and happi y, enjoy ng the occasional comp ny of s me

d re ea rly friend, and relating his a ventu s among the

hi l as n as wild l s, which were interesti g they were

numerous.

But unf ortunately there w as no Boswellian friend

to note and record them for the benefit of posterity .

' Lochvale cottage was the resort of all sava ns of the

es l W t of Scotland, when nothing wou d delight the

m old an more than to go over his relics, and relate

ed every circum stance connect with them, and what labour and anxiety he had endured in the search for them .

But his hour had come ; the 7th of December

1 85 2 e . , numbered Jos ph Train with the dead At

1 9 4 o r T MEMOIR JOSEPH RAIN .

We have trac ed him from his earliest days not as

m an i a great , but as a worthy man , endur ng many

l unruffled privations, yet sti l with mind defying it to

deprive him of happin ess .

w ho him ! t To those knew , and o those who respect humble worth, we loway antiquary .

‘

I R T . D IK BU G B : CO F S TA BLB. PR INTER TO B ER MA J EST Y