404 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
a friend in the evening. Before the hour of dinner arrived, however, he was
discovered in a lifeless state in a field near the gentleman’s house, with his dog
and the fatal instrument of death beside him, The cause of this melancholy
accident has never been ascertained.
The residence of Mr. Bennet was, for many years after he commenced business,
in the Old Assembly Close. He subsequently removed to that house on a
line with, and next to the York Hotel, in Nicolson Street.
Mr. Bennet married Mrs. Scott, the widow of J. Scott, Esq. of Logie.
This lady, whose maiden name was Auchterlony, had a daughter by her first
husband, afterwards married to the late General Hope, brother of the Lord
President. By Mr. Bennet she had three sons and one daughter, the eldest of
whom obtained the rank of Captain in the navy, and married Miss Law,’
daughter of his father’s partner. The second son was in the army, and died in
India. The third holds at present (1837) a situation in the War Office. The
daughter was married to Mr. Law, W.S.
No. CLX.
THREE OFFICERS OF THE HOPETOUN FENCIBLES.
LORD NAPIER, MAJOR PILMER,
AND
MAJOR CLARKSON.
THE centre figure in the group is the RIGHT HONOURABLFREA NCIS
SEVENTH LORD NAPIER, of Merchiston, whose lineal a.ncestor, John
Napier of Merchiston, was the celebrated inventor of logarithms. The subject
of our sketch was born at Ipswich in 1758, and succeeded his father in
1785.
At sixteen years of age his lordship entered the army as an ensign in the
31st Regiment, and served in America during the War of Independence, under
General Burgoyne. He was one of those who piled arms on the heights of
Saratoga in 1777, and was detained a prisoner of mar upwards of six months.
He was then allowed to return to Britain on parole not to serve in America
This lady died in 1836.
2 The male representation of the family is vested in Sir William Napier Milliken of bfilliken,
who enjoys the old Napier baronetcy.
