Account of the families of Birnie and Hamilton of Broomhill

70 ACCOUNT OF THE FAMILIE
The aboue Mr John was a man of good learning, well seen in divinity,
law, physick, and historie, exemplarie, pious, and virteous, of a comely
stature, tall, fair, and beutifull, and very charitable, so that, many years
befor his death, he allotted the tenth part of all his yearly income for the
use of the poor ; and notwithstanding of the deprivation of his good bene-
fice, by reason of the Revolution, and preferments in the church, which
he could not readiely misse, and the great losse of his uncle James his
estates in Poland, yet he allotted to his wyfe not only a good joynter, but
ane handsome complement in money.
She was a stately, comely, and hearty woman, a most affectionat wyfe,
and kind mother, mighty well beloued by all about her, neither behind her
husband in charity, for whyle the minister's wyfe, she had daily her cloath
made with other things for coverings to the poor, and when lady, she
not only did these, and support others of a better station, but with suc-
cesse by her own hands administered medicines, as many a cripple orphant,
in the dear years, thorow hungar and cold, and maids put from service,
and sent a begging by diseases, now in a good condition, can testifie.
He left also to his eldest son, John, ane ordinary estate, and to the
aboue Mr Alexander twenty-five thousand merks, and to his daughter,
Isobell, ten thousand, all in good bonds besyde him. There is of his
doeing, four practicall essays, divine and moral, a MS. in our librarie.
Anno 1695, he builded the kitchen jamb from top to bottom, brought
up the turnpyke, which was but one storie high, — the first room in it be-
ing still called the stair-head room ; he in a part boxed that and the high
dyneing room as it stands, with a new entry to it, and box'd the room
above the kitchen. He also builded the outter court, and made a new
entry to the house ; he took doun the old tower or castle, being very
crasie and hazardous, but preserv'd the good vault, and built a milk -house
above it ; he builded the kiln and wash-house, with the hen-house and
byer, but not being well timbered, they fell in his own tyme. He made
that uglie brae towards the Raploch a good yeard and orchyeard, planted
the good hedge, but now enlarged by his aboue son John. He was born
17th February 1643, and dyed at Broomhill 17th May 1716; buried in
the church of Dalserf.