Memorandum regarding the Fairweathers of Menmuir Parish, Forfarshire, and others of the surname

father, as the Author supposes, he could not in speaking of
a deceased wife describe her as an ' ancestor.'
Isobel Fairweather, James the ' younger's ' mother, died
about 1690 ; for, at that date, as my father records, the
life rent of Blackhall lapsed ; but it was then renewed on a first
nineteen year's lease, and again in 1709 on a second, which
finally terminated in 1728, when the Don's left Blackhall.
James Don, senior, married about 1698, his second wife,
Isobel Fyfe ; who was mother to Alexander, born 1700, after-
wards tenant in Ballownie, 1742.
Now, as it may reasonably be held, the men mentioned
on the Monument were age contemporaries, it could hardly be
that Alexander and George Fairweather, and Alexander Smith
were uncles to James Don; rather, all four were first cousins,
perhaps brothers-in-law, and men in middle life. This theory
finds support in the fact that Keatren Fairweather, the
mother of Alexander Smith, Junior, (see Appendix) died in
1702, fifteen years before the Monument was erected.)
Through the Fairweathers mentioned on the Monument are
descended the existing two important local branches of the name;
from Alexander in Little Cruick have come the Menmuir Fair-