Memorials of four old families

35
that there is a good old estate settled on you (how much no body needs to
know), and that is more than they can know of the estates of any of our
countrymen." He then goes on to assure him that he has " no view in it
but to serve the family, for his own purchase was perfectly secure, and, next
to his own security, he wished young Drum's family better than an)' in the
world." This letter was written at Bath ; he urges him to come up with
his charters, tailzie, and writings, and promises him every assistance, and in
a P.S. assures him that " such Acts are common every year in settling great
families, making jointures, paying debts, and raising provisions." Sir Alex-
ander's scheme was now developed, viz., to force a judicial sale of the Drum
estate, by making out that the incumbrances affecting them were so heavy
that they could not be paid otherwise, and to resettle the land representing
whatever residue might be over.
The young laird thus pressed, and led to believe that he would still
have a moderate estate left, fell in with his proposals. He wrote to Alex-
ander Thomson, of Portlethen, enclosing Sir Alexander's letter, and
referred to his having already shown it to him ; he thus reminds him, " I
desired you to call to mind what debts you thought could be scraped
together that could be said to be my grandfather's, who was the entailer,
and so by adding them to the debts of his, still unpaid, which, with my
sisters' bonds of provision, would amount, by accumulating the annual rents
from the date of the old bonds (which will be, I believe, very near 25 years
back) to very near about 70,000 and odd pounds Scots, which, with any
debts you could scrape together as aforesaid, might make up the sum
demanded, which must be mentioned in the petition, and indeed must be
made up to the value of (I mean the extracts from the registers of the
bonds set up) 92,000, and as many pounds more as possibly you can find ;
it's no matter whether payed or not, being that's what will not be
questioned." No wonder that he concludes the letter, " Pray keep all this as
much a secret as possibly I can beg you, for reasons."
Such was the scheming going on between Sir Alex. Cuming and the
young laird, the latter a foolish and unscrupulous tool, careless of the honour
and interests of the family, provided a remnant of the estate was left free
for him to enter on.
They both wrote to Drum at this time ; for the laird wrote to Sir
Alexander referring to both letters in the same month, and mentioned a
bond which played a very important part in enabling them to carry out.
the scheme referred to, and denuding the family of the greater part of their
property.
This bond was one for £80,000 Scots, with annual rent, granted by the
entailer to his son by the second marriage, Charles, and to his heirs, whom