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Kay's Originals Vol. 2

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128 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. distinguished for his good taste and public spirit, No one maintained a more liberal establishment. His horses were always of superior mettle, and his carriage the most handsomely mounted in the district ; but, by his succession to the title and estates of Eglinton, a new and more extended field was opened. His predecessors, Earls Alexander and Archibald, had greatly improved their lands especially in the neighbourhood of Kilwinning. ‘‘ They set the example,” says a writer in 1803, “of introducing a new mode of farming-subdividing the land-sheltering it by belts of wooding, and planting the little rising mounts on their vast estates, by which means Ayrshire has become like a garden, and is one of the richest and most fertile counties in Scotland.” Earl Hugh was not behind his predecessors. The first thing which presented itself as an object of improvement was the old Castle ; which had been the family seat for nearly five hundred years. It was no doubt sufficiently strong, but always terminated by a dinner of “beef and greens,” and a suitable quantity of punch, at the expense of the vanquished ; and no penon waa more delighted than the Laird when he happened to dine at the expense of the Major. The Major, like his father, was social in his habits ; and, among those who used to frequent the “big house,” none were more welcome to dinner than the famous John Rankine, the Baron Bailie of Haughmerk-a small estate in the neighbourhood of Tarholton, then the property of one M‘Lure, a merchant in Ayr, but which now belongs to the Duke of Portland. Rankine WBS locally well known for his wit and Bacchanalian propensities ; but he has been rendered niore enduringly celebrated by the epistle of Burns, in which the poet addresses him- The wail 0’ cocks for fun and drinking.” “ 0 rough, rude, ready-witted Rankine, There are many anecdotes told of the Baron Bailie’s “ cracks and cants.” He had always a shilling to spend ; and while he kept the table in a roar, nothing gave him greater pleasure than to see his cronies, one by one, brought under by the stout John Barleycorn. The Bailie always seemed to drink fair; yet very seldom got top-heavy himself. One device by which he occasionally liept the bowl in circulation was a small wooden apparatus, on the principle of the modern “wheel of fortune,” xrliich he called “ whigmaleerie.” Whoever whigmaleerie pointed to was doomed to drink the next glass ; and by this species of “ thimble-rigging ” it may be guessed the Bailie seldom left many sober in the company. As an instance of the good old times, we may mention, by way of gossip, that during Rsnkine’s bailieship of Haughmerk, when the Martinmas rents were paid, his tenants were convened at the house of the miller on his estate, called the Mill-burn Mill, where ale and British spirits had been retailed by each successive miller, from time immemorial, and a good dinner and drink providedthe Bailie acting as croupier. None went from the Mill empty ; and sonie of the older people, who never drank but once a year, had frequently to be taken home in the miller’s cart. The celebrated Laird of Logan was another frequent visitor at Coilsfield j and when there on one occasion with John Hamilton of Bargany, a staunch supporter of the honour and credit of his native district of Carrick, Mossman, a native of Maybole, was brought before Mr. Montgomerie as a Justice of the Peace, on suspicion of having committed an act of theft, Mr. Montgomerie called in the aid of his friends, who were also in the commission of the peace, to investigate the case, when it was resolved that the prisoner ahould be sent to Ayr jail for trial. The Laird of Logan assigned three reasons for concurring in the warrant:-lst, Because the prisoner had been found on the king’s highway without cause : Zd, Because he had I‘ wan’ered in his discoune ;” and, 3d, Because he belonged to Carrick I The last was a fling at Bargany, and had the effect intended of provoking him to a warm defence of his district, Mossman suffered the last penalty of the law, for the trifling theft with which he waa charged, alongst with other two felons, at Ayr, on the 20th May 1785. At the execution of these unfortunate men, the main rope by which they were suspended broke when they were thrown off (it is supposed from having been previoiisly eaturated with vitriol) ; and they remained in a half-hanged state until a new rope was procured, to carry their sentence into execution.
Volume 9 Page 171
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