Facts and traditions collected for a family record

CHARACTER OF SAMUEL M'CONNELL. 119
perusal of his will. He was just and honourable ; for he was anxious to
pay all his debts, and the wages due to his servants. He provided for
his wife all that could be hers by law ; and for his children, he left to
each a good share of the small hoard of wealth he had been able, through
prudence, industry, and economy, to lay by for their good. It was
probably on account of the absence of his two older sons, John and
Andrew, near Manchester, and also because, being merchants, they
were engaged in providing for themselves, that he constituted his
youngest son, James, his executor.
Nicholson's " History of Galloway," vol. ii. p. 18 : —
" Scotch was to sterling money as one to twelve. A penny sterling was a
shilling Scots ; and one shilling and eightpence sterling made a Scotch pound.
— Euddinian's Preface to Anderson's ' Diplomata.' "
The money thus left was to —
John,
£20 Scots = £1 13
4 sterling
Andrew,
20 „ = 1 13
4 „
Agnes,
6 „ = 10
„
Janet,
100 ,,= 86
8 „
Margaret,
200 „ = 16 13
4 „
£346 „ £28 16 8 „
Besides this, there was sufficient for the widow, and for his son James,
and two hundred merks more, which James gave to his sister Margaret.
This amount seems little to us now, but at that period it was a good
deal ; for money went much farther then than it does now.
Documents, among the family papers in the possession of Henry
M'Connel, Esq., of subsequent dates, contain acknowledgments of the
receipt of the various portions left to each in Samuel M'ConneH's
will.
First, September 17, 1755. — Subscribed for Margaret M'Millan (the
spouse of the deceased) by a notary-public, she being unable to write,