390 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
solemnly taking farewell of the public concerns of the church on earth, with
the glory of the church of heaven full in his view ; and to perceive that, while
the frail tabernacle of the body was evidently coming down, there was no want
of mental vigour, and no want of deep interest in what respected the spiritual
improvement of the community with which he had been so long connected.”
Dr. Davidson died at Muirhouse on the evening of Sabbath, 28th October
1827, and was succeeded in the Tolbooth Church by the Rev. James Marshall,
sometime minister of the Outer Church of Glasgow.
Only three of Dr. Davidson’s sermons were published, and these were
delivered on public occasions. One of them, preached before the Synod of
Glasgow and Ayr, on the propitiation of Christ, has been much admired.
By his first wife, a sister of the late
Provost Anderson, bookseller in Stirling, among other children, he had a son,
Captain William Davidson, who succeeded him in his estates. By his second
wife, a sister of Lord Cockburn, he had several children.
Besides the estate of Muirhouse, Dr. Davidson was proprietor of the Old
Barony of Hatton, which had belonged to the Lauderdale family, and which,
having been acquired by the Duchess of Portland, was sold in lots; and a
considerable portion of it, including the old mansion-house and patronage of the
parish of Ratho, was purchased by him. The residence of Dr. Davidson in
Edinburgh was successively in Windmill Street, Princes Street, and Heriot Row.
Dr. Davidson was twice married.
No. CLV.
COLONEL PATRICK CRICHTON,
OF THE EDINBURGH VOLUNTEERS, WITH A VIEW OF THE AWKWARD SQUAD.
THE principal figure in this scene at Bruntsfield Links gives an excellent
portrait of COLONELP ATRICCKR ICHTONi,n the attitude of directing the
movements of a body of Volunteers. The stout personage in the background,
to the rear of the Colonel, is Captain Coulter, afterwards Lord Provost, who
obtained great celebrity for a declaration which he made on one occasion, at a
civic feast. His health having been drunk, he embraced the opportunity, in
returning thanks, of placing his martial avocations in oppostiion to his civic
ones, and wound up the harangue by exclaiming-“ Although I am in body a
stocking-weaver, yet I am in soul a Sheepyo !” (Scipio). He retained the name
of Sheepyo ever afterwards. The left hand man of the grenadiers is Robert
Sym, Esq., W.S.
Colonel Crichton, whose father, Alexander Crichton, carried on the business
of coach-building in the Canongate for many years, was a gentleman well known
