150 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
and, even in his latter years, when retiring from a hard-fought field in Dunn’s
Hotel, or any other convivial place of resort, he would allow no escort.
His remains
were interred in the Greyfriars’ Churchyard, where a stone records the following
tribute to his memory :-
Mr. Grant died at his house, in Erown’s Square, in 1784.
SACRED,
To the Memory of
ISAAGCR ANT,E sq., of Hilton,
Writer to His Majesty’s Signet,
who died the 27th December 1794,
aged seventy years ;
universally esteemed and much regretted
by all who knew him.
In him the poor lost a friend, the rich a
cheerful, facetious companion, and
the world an honest man.
This Stone was erected at the reqliest
of his eldest aon, ISAAGCR ANT,
Feb. 2, Anno Domini 1798.
The third, or rather the first figure in the background, represents another
old bachelor, ARCHIBALD MACARTHUR STEWART, Esq., of Ascog-a
gentleman somewhat eccentric in several particulars. He generally wore white
clothes, of the description exhibited in the Print, and had a peculiar manner of
throwing his legs over each other in walking, which was owing probably to his
great corpulency.
Mr. Stewart was the only son of Mr. Macarthur of Milton, and succeeded to
the estate of Ascog, under a deed of entail executed by John Murray of Blackbarony,
of the lands of Ascog, and others, dated 28th May 1763. His relationship
to the entailer is not mentioned in the deed; and he is called to the
succession upon the failure of heirs of the entailer, and of his sister Mary and
her heirs. Mr. Murray left a large personal estate, which was invested by his
successor, Mr. Macarthur, in the purchase of land in Argyleshire.
Not less wealthy than Mr. Grant, and, like him, a bachelor not of the most
continent habits, he is said to have been exceedingly parsimonious in his
domestic arrangements. Kay relates that, when he lived at the Castle Hill, he
kept no housekeeper or servant, but generally employed some neighbour’s wife
or daughter to perform the ordinary drudgery of the house. He had a great
attachment to swine, and kept a litter of pigs in his bedroom. On removing
to other premises, some time after the death of his mother, with whom he resided,
it is told, as illustrative of his singular notions, that he would not allow the
furniture to be disturbed, but locked up the house, under the impression that
the old lady might occasionally come back and take up her abode there !
Mr. Stewart was proprietor of part of the lands of Coates, near Edinburgh,
and lived for some years in the old turreted house at the west end of Melville
Street, He latterly resided in Lord Wemyss’ house, Lauriston, where he died
