History and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns

258 LAND OF THE LINDSAYS.
John, second son of Sir Robert of that Ilk in Renfrewshire, whom
Barbour and other writers extol for his fidelity to Robert II.,
and who, according to Wyntoun, was the main instrument in
bringing the Stuarts to the throne : —
" Robert Stewart was made king
Specially throw the helping
Of gude Schir Robert Ersking."
Lord Dun, or the first Erskine of Balhall, was admitted ad-
vocate in 1696, and, after serving forty-three years as a judge,
resigned office in 1753. He retired to his residence of Dun, and
employed his leisure in writing a small volume of moral and
political "Advices," which he published in 1754, the year before
his death. He married a daughter of Riddell of Haining, by
whom he had a son and daughter, and resigned his estate of
Balhall in fee to the former in the year 1732. This son suc-
ceeded to Dun and Balhall on his father's death in 1755, and
died in 1787, leaving two sons, John and David. The last-men-
tioned pre-deceased his father without issue, and the former left
a son and two daughters ; and this only son, William-John, being
killed in Ireland in the attack on the rebels at Kilcullen Bridge,
in 1798,* was succeeded by his sisters. The elder of these
died unmarried in 1824, and the younger married the Earl of
Cassillis, afterwards first Marquis of Ailsa. Her second son, the
Hon. John Kennedy Erskine, succeeded to the estate of Dun, in
right of his mother and aunt, and, dying in 1831, left by his
wife, Lady Augusta Fitzclarence, daughter of William IV., the
present proprietor, the Hon. William Kennedy Erskine.
Balhall continued in the Dun family until the time of the
last-mentioned John, who sold the lands and patronage of the
church of Menmuir to the present proprietor, Alexander Erskine,
grand-nephew of Lord Dun, by his lordship's youngest brother
* " The story of Mr. or Capt. Erskine's death was always the theme of conversation among
the men of a cavalry regiment on passing the scene of it, which they used frequently to do, on
the line of march hetween Naas and Carlow. As 1 have heard it told, a body of rebels was
strongly posted in a churchyard on rising ground, and surrounded by a strong stone-and-lime
wall. General Francis Dundas ordered Captain Erskine to dislodge them, but the dragoons
could not get their horses to leap the wall. After ineffectual attempts, and being galled by the
enemy's fire, Captain Erskine reported to the General that it was useless to attempt the duty
with cavalry. — 'Are you afraid Sir?' asked the General. 'No! I am not afraid!' replied
the other, and turning his horse round, he rode over the wall, and was immediately killed, It
was always added that the General, who was no favourite, never forgave himself for this sacri-
fice of a promising officer." — Kindly commimicated by P. Chalmers, Esq., of Aldbar.