Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (First volume)

498
ACCOMPT OF EXPENSES, 1715
Campbell of Ardmaddie, second son of the Marquess of Argyll,
and his youngest daughter, Mary, was married to John Gorrie,
Commissary of Ross. Robert Monro was the son of Sir Robert
Monro, fifth baronet of Foulis and Sheriff of Ross and Cromarty.
He greatly distinguished himself at Fontenoy, and was slain at
the battle of Falkirk in 1746. His son, Sir Henry Monro, was
married to Anne, daughter of Hugh Rose of Kilravock. George
Monro of Culrain or Culcairn, whose name also appears in the
Accompt, was the younger brother of Sir Robert, and rose to
the rank of Captain in the Hanoverian army. The circum¬
stances of his murder are thus related in the Scots Magazine,
vol. viii. p. 394:—‘1746. On the 31st of August, as Capt.
Geo. Monro of Culcairn, with about 4 or 500 men under his
command, composed of Monroes, Rosses, Macleods, etc., were
on a march near Locharkaig, in Loch id’s country in Lochaber,
a woman having come asking for Culcairn, he stepped aside to
speak with her, and, in a few minutes after her departure, was
shot dead from behind a bush. The woman, and one Cameron,
the supposed murderer, are apprehended.1 Colin Kirk, who is
mentioned several times in the Accompt, was a Writer to the
Signet. His name appears amongst those who purchased
portions of the forfeited estates from the York Buildings
Company.
The Accompt throws some light on the customs of the
period. The first entry quoted refers to the buying of a
candlestick, snuffers, snuff-box, and a shovel, and a few lines
further down the curious item appears—‘ Pd for Brandy at
buying of the Candlesticks.1 This recalls the old-fashioned
‘ gill-stowp bargains,1 which were very usual, especially when a
dispute arose between buyer and seller as to the price of an
article. The frequent result of such contentions was that the
parties decided to ‘tak a pint an1 ’gree.1 Another obsolete
custom is shown in the ‘ wages to Corbett’s lass,1 a payment
over and above the charge for board and lodging. The licence
allowed to debtors who took sanctuary in Holyrood Abbey is