BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 23
the task of improving the condition of those who resided upon it. The village of
Laurencekirk, then consisting of only a few houses, was taken under his especial
patronage. He planned a new line of street, offered leases of small farms and
of ground for building on extremely advantageous terms, built a commodious
inn for the reception of travellers, founded a library for the use of the villagers,
and established manufactures of various kinds. By some of his operations he
lost largely, but this did not in the least abate his philanthropy, or for a moment
interrupt the career of his benevolence. The manufacture of a very elegant kind
of snuff-box, the hinges of which are styled “invisible,” such as those made in
Cumnock, Ayrshire, is still carried on in the village to a considerable extent.
His lordship’s labours in this good work were crowned with the success they
merited. His village grew rapidly, and before his death had attained a degree
of importance and prosperity that exceeded his most sanguine expectations. Of
the delight which Lord Gnrdenstone took in this benevolent project, a singularly
pleasing expression occurs in a letter which he addressed to the inhabitants of
Laurencekirk. “I have tried,” he says, “in some measure a variety of the
pleasures which mankind pursue ; but never relished anything so much as the
pleasure arising from the progress of my village.”
In his lordship’s anxiety to do everything in his power to invest his favourite
village of Laurencekirk with attractions for strangers, he erected a handsome
little building adjoining the inn as a museum, and filled it with fossils, rare
shells, minerals, and other curiosities. Considering the facility of access, it is
not surprising that these should from time to time disappear ; not unfrequently
the unsuspecting proprietor was imposed upon, by having his curiosities stolen
and sold over again to himself! In this building there was also kept an album
or commonplace book, in which visitors were invited to record whatever they
thought fit, and, as might be expected, many of the entries were not of the
choicest description. The apartment was likewise adorned by portraits of a
number of the favourite original inhabitants of the village. The inn itself was
kept by a favourite servant of his lordship’s, named “ Cream,” who, as well as
his wife, possessed a large portion of the milk of human kindness.
In the year 1785 his lordship succeeded, by the death of his elder brother,
Alexander Garden of Troup, to the possession of the family estates, which were
considerable. His acquisition of this additional wealth was marked by another
circumstance, which strikingly evinces the natural generosity of his disposition.
He remitted to the tenants all the debts due to him as heir to his brother.
On his succession to the family property, his lordship set out on a tour to the
Continent, where he remained three years, traversing in this time great part of
France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. The results of his observations
during this tour (which was made in part with the view of gratifying curiosity,
but chiefly with that of improving his health, which was much impaired) he gave
to the world in two volumes, entitled, “Travelling Memorandums made in a
Tour upon the Continent of Europe in the year 1792.” A third volume of
this work was published after his death. About the same time he published
24 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
“Miscellanies in Prose and Verse,” a collection of light fughive pieces, partly
of his own composition, and partly of others, the boon-companions of his youth.
The best of these, however, are attributed to Lord Gardenstone himself.
Among the eccentricities of Lord Gardenstone waa an attachment to the
generation of pigs. He had reared one of these animals with so much affectionate
care, that it followed him wherever he went like a dog. While it was
little, he allowed it even to share his bed during the night. As it grew up,
however, which no doubt it would do rapidly under such patronage, this was
found inconvenient ; and it was discarded from the bed, but permitted still to
sleep in the apartment, where his lordship accommodated it with a couch composed
of his own clothes, which he said kept it in a state of comfortable warmt,h.’
His lordship consumed immense quantities of snuff; requiring such a copious
supply that he carried it in a leathern waistcoat pocket made for the purpose,
and used to say that if he had a dozen noses he would give them all snuff.
His use of this article was so liberal, that every fold in his waistcoat was filled
with it ; and it is said that from these repositories the villagers, when conversing
with him, frequently helped themselves, without his knowledge, to a pinch.
In his dress his lordship was exceedingly plain, a circumstance which gave
rise to an incident highly characteristic of him, which occurred at one time when
he was returning from London.
Observing some young bucks taking inside tickets for the coach in which he
was about to travel, he took his for the outside. On arriving at the end of the
stage, where the passengers were to breakfast, his lordship, who had been shown
into an inferior room, while his better-dressed fellow-travellers were conducted
to the best, called the waiter, and desired him to carry his compliments to the
young gentlemen, on whose philanthropy it was his object to make an experiment,
and to request that they would permit him to have the honour of breakfasting
with them. To this message precisely such an answer was returned as
his lordship expected. It was that the gentlemen above stairs kept no company
with outside passengers. Lord Gardenstone made no reply, but desired the
waiter to bring him a magnum bonum of claret, and to send the landlord to
share it with him, concluding with an order to get a post-chaise and four ready
for him immediately. They commands, which very much amazed both mine
host and his man, having been in due time complied with, his lordship paid his
bill and departed, giving orders previously to his coachman so to manage as to
arrive. at the stage where his former fellow-travellers would dine, precisely at the
same time with them, that they might witness the respect which should be paid
tb him by the landlord, to whom he was known. All this the young bucks
accordingly saw, and having set on foot some inquiries on the subject, they soon
discovered their mistake. With the view of atoning for their incivility, they
now sent a polite card to Lord Gardenstone, begging his pardon for what had
My father called on his lordship
He was shown into his bedroom, and in the dark, he
Upon which Lord Gardenstone mid, “It is
1 I remember 8 ludicrous enough anecdote of Lord Gardenstone.
one morning, but he waa not yet out of bed.
stumbled over something which gave a terrible grunt.
just a bit SOW, poor beast, and I laid my breeched on it to keep it warm all qight.”-(A. 9.)
