Strathendrick, and its inhabitants from early times

BALGAIR 233
On his way back alone he was attacked by robbers, and wounded and robbed
at Mumrills path, near Polmont. When found, he was taken to the house of a
relation of the name of Galbraith. in the Carse of Falkirk, where he died of the
injuries he had sustained. His tombstone is in Balfron Churchyard, 1 and bears
the date 1686 and the initials W. G., and other lettering now much worn.
John Galbraith and George Galbraith, the two eldest sons of this unfortunate
man, are designed in two leases, dated at Balglas, 5th April 1693, 2 granted in
their favour by James Galbraith of Balgair, writer in Edinburgh, who had some
time before, as we have already shown, purchased the estate — " John Galbraith
in the Hill of Balgair, and George Galbraith, also in the Hill of Balgair, his
younger brother." These leases are (1) to John, whom failing, to George, of
the just and equal half of the Hill of Balgair, or Middle Balgair, and the just
and equal half of the Westertown of Easter Balgair called Harviestoun ; and
(2) to George, whom failing, to John, his brother, of the other half, for 7 nine-
teen years (= 133 years) after Martinmas 1692 and Beltane 1693. When they
expired at Martinmas 1825, and Beltane 1826, respectively, the family of Archi-
bald Galbraith in Stoneyholm, then deceased, were in possession in right of
John's lease, and George Galbraith of Blackhouse, great-grandson of George, in
right of his lease.
JAMES GALBRAITH, WRITER IN EDINBURGH.
Taking now James Galbraith, writer in Edinburgh, who bought Balgair, it is
probable that he was a cadet of Culcreuch.
As we have shown when describing Culcreuch, the last of the family who
held it was Robert Galbraith, who is said to have gone to Ireland when he lost
Culcreuch. He had at least two sons, James and Henry, and he may have had
others. The entail of Balgair, to be quoted immediately, shows that James
Galbraith, the entailer, had an uncle, Andrew, whose son was "Major Hugh in
the Kingdom of Ireland," and that he had a second uncle— whose name we
have not discovered— who was the father of George Galbraith, merchant in
Edinburgh ; and we know from another source that he had a third uncle, the
Rev. John Galbraith, minister of Balfron and Bothkennar. 3 This reverend
x The position of this tombstone is row 13, stone 17.
2 Registered in the Sheriff Court Books of Stirlingshire, 19th February 1720.
3 " It appears from the Records which have been searched by the pursuer, that James
Galbraith, the entailer, had an uncle named John, who was appointed minister of Bothkennar
in March 1639. This John, again, had a son, Humphrey, who was appointed minister of Dollar
in 1644, who died in October 1684, and whose will is on record at Stirling, at least a copy of it,
and an inventory given up there upon it. In that will, which is dated 8th September 1684,
he leaves 'ane ten merks piece of gold to his cusine James as his best token of his love to
2 G