Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

THE KAPIERS OF MERCH1ST0N
177
laird, who died at Merchiston in May 1608, and who, by his wife Janet, daughter
of Sir Francis Bothwell, was the father of John Napier, eighth laird of Merchiston.
It is unnecessary to enter into details of their lives and families, for these may
be found in Wood's edition of Douglas' Peerage, and Mr. Mark Napier's Life of
John Napier of Merchisto7i, and though they held lands in Strathendrick, they
seldom lived there. 1 As, however, John, the eighth and greatest of the Merchiston
family, is said to have been born in our strath, and certainly lived and founded
a family in it, it seems fitting at this point to go a little more minutely into
his history.
JOHN NAPIER, EIGHTH LAIRD OF MERCHISTON AND FIFTH POSSESSOR OF THE
BARONY OF EDINBELLIE NAPER.
John Napier, the celebrated inventor of Logarithms, was, according to his
latest biographer, Mr. Mark Napier, born at Merchiston, near Edinburgh, in the
year 1550. The parish of Balfron, however, claims
to be his birthplace, and points out Edinbelly as
the spot where the great philosopher first saw the
light. In Drymen also, there is a tradition that
he was born either at Drumbeg or Gartness. We
do not think, however, that any part of Strath-
endrick has made good its claim to the honour of
being the cradle of one of the very greatest of
Scotsmen. He lived, no doubt, at times in the
old castle of Gartness, though it is doubtful if
tradition be right when it tells of his retiring there
purposely to pursue in quiet and solitude his ab-
struse mathematical studies ; and the story that JoHN Napier of Mer chiston.
he was so sensitive to the least disturbance that he would at times cause the
adjoining mill wheel to be stopped, so as to have the strictest silence, seems
to rest on no foundation other than the supposed habits or feelings of students.
The fact was that, though a great student, he was by no means a recluse. 2 It
1 They preferred their Edinburgh home, and, for long, members of the Napier family retained
the trading instincts of their ancestor, the first Provost. The philosopher's uncle, Andrew Napier,
had "a merchant bttith " in Edinburgh. The following report, however, of a lawsuit rather
casts doubts on his perfect honesty. " Action, pursued at the instance of Sir Archibald Naper of
Edinbellie, knight, against Andrew Naper, burgess of Edinburgh, his brother-german, for the
spoliation and awaytaking in May 1570, furth of his dwelling-place and house of Merchingstoun,
within the Sheriffdom of Edinburgh, of two black horses. Decreet given against the said
Andrew Naper" {Ads and Decreets, Vol. no, fol. 7, 23rd January 1586-87).
2 He spent no dreamy life, and while he took his share in public affairs, he was quite
alive to the importance of looking after his private business. Occasionally, too, he had his
Z
Seal of