Records of the clan and name of Fergusson, Ferguson and Fergus

124 CLAN FERGUSSON
Adam was sent to the parish school at Moulin. His first
teacher 'possessed no skill of the Latin tongue further
than the declinations and conjugations, at which he was
very deficient,' and from his description of the punishments
inflicted, Dr. Lee was able to infer — ' it appears that in 1680
little boys wore breeches in that part of the Highlands.'
However, 'About the beginning of November 1683 Mr.
William Balneaves, the minister of the parish, having got
notice that one Duncan Menzies, an Apin of Dull lad, who
had passed his course of philosophy in the old town college of
Aberdeen, was in the family of Gordon of Abergeldie in Mar,
sent express for him, and he was admitted schoolmaster at
Moulin. Adie out of curiosity going on a day to see his old
comrades at school, who had been two years before at other
schools out of the country, one of them said to him "Dis-
cumbe " which he did not understand ; and this begot in him
an eager desire and resolution to go to school again, which he
did communicate to his father, who, with a frown told him
he ought not to think of that, being too far advanced in years
to begin to learn Latin. But the boy would not be diverted.
His father allowed him to enter the school of Moulin the first
Monday of the year 1684, where he soon went through the
declinations and conjugations of which he had some know-
ledge before. Duncan Menzies advanced him according to
his capacity, and in the month of May following he came up
with those who for two years before were at other schools to
learn Dispanter's grammar. Thus he continued at the Latin
for four years, in the last of which Lord George Murray,
youngest son of the Marquis of Athole, was sent to the school
of Moulin : with whom Adie contracted great familiarity,
treating him with more regard than any other scholar, which
procured him envy and hatred from his former comrades.
But to compensate that disadvantage he got great benefit
from Lord George's familiarity by learning from him to speak
the English language, which he understood from his mother,
who was daughter to the famous Earl of Derby. Lord George
was a healthy sprightly boy. They both in an afternoon
in a very private place made signs with their hands and fin-
gers for all the letters of the alphabet so exactly, that by