Genealogical account of the family of Edmonstone of Duntreath

THE FAMILY OF EDMONSTONE. 49
The apartment he occupied in the House of Duntreath still goes by
the name of the Dumb Laird's Tower. 1 It would seem, moreover, that he
had the credit of being gifted with second sight, for in Law's 'Memorials' 2
it is stated, after an enumeration of signs, 'Sic lyke,' in February 1677, 'did
the Dumb Laird of Duntreath at Paisley make signs of some great troubles
and fightings to be in this land in a few months.' In the same curious
work is the following notice of him : — ' The Laird of Duntreath, born deaf
and dumb, a man devotedly set, on a tyme two of his neighbours falling
out at two miles' distance from him, when he was at present at Duntreath,
the one striking the other with a whcnger in the arm, he at the same instant
of time made a sign of it. So at Paisley, he being there in the year 1676,
in December, in the time of the frost, there was one of his acquaintance
went forth to a water at a good distance from him upon the ice, and had
fallen in, and he at the same time gave warning of it by a sign.' 3
Archibald Edmonstone of Duntreath seems to have died in the year
1637 during the minority of his sons, for there is an ' Inquesitio de tutela'
dated October of that year, by which James Edmonstone of Broadisland in
Ireland, next brother of Archibald, is instituted guardian (or tutor, as it is
called) of William and Archibald, the two legitimate sons of the aforesaid
Archibald. And in 1644, probably on account of the death of James, their
next uncle John Edmonstone of Broich is appointed to the same office.
Moreover, in 1649 John, tutor of Duntreath, was nominated one of the
Commissioners or Committee for War appointment by Parliament for
Stirlingshire, he having been sent as member for that county to the Parlia-
ment of that year.
The infirmity of William Edmonstone precluding him according to the
old law from the succession, Archibald, second son of his father, was re-
turned heir.
This gentleman, like his predecessors, was a zealous supporter of the
Presbyterian cause. But he lived at a time when this cause was no longer
in the ascendant, and thence came into trouble. Fanaticism and violence
on the one side, and oppressive tyranny on the other, brought Scotland
into great misery during the reigns of the two last Stuarts. The case, as
1 This tower was pulled down, and restored in 1863.
1 Law's Memorials, p. uS. * Note 54, Appendix.
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