History of the life and death of John, Earl of Gowrie

JOHN, EARL OF GOWRIE. gll
Only the man's head and arm were reserved, and
placed upon the Port of the Castle-gavel.
About the year 1618, the estate of Balhousie was
purchased by a gentleman named John Mathew ;
and in the year 1632, that, and the adjoining es-
tate of Muirton, were purchased by Mr. Francis
Hay, nephew of the Chancellor of Scotland, George
Hay, Earl of Kinnoul. After that time, the name
and family of Eviot became extinct.
5. Mr. Thomas Cranston. Calderwood says,
that he was brother to Sir John Cranston of that
ilk. Douglas does not mention him in his book of
the Peerage. As the epithet " Mr." is affixed to
his name, it should seem that he was a man of let-
ters, and had acquired an academical degree. He
lived with the Earl of Gowrie, probably as his se-
cretary, and as a literary companion.
He is often mentioned in the Transactions of the
fifth of August, 1600. Calderwood assures us, that
he was the only person who went up the narrow
turnpike, along with the Earl of Gowrie, and that
he was present in the gallery chamber, at the time
of the Earl's death. He then hurt with his sword,
the right hand of Sir Thomas Erskine, but he him-
self, at the same time, was severely wounded. When