notes concerning them and some of the burgesses named may not be out of place :

Provost Edward Whigham was the landlord of the Queensberry Arms Inn, where Burns stayed when in Sanquhar. He took a leading part in the affairs of the town, and was Provost from 1793 till 1800. He was a great reader, and possessed an

excellent library. Burns, on his first journey into Nithsdale, made the acquaintance of the host of the "Queensberry Arms,' and the warmest friendship resulted. The Poet was a frequent inmate of the hostelry. He wrote verses upon its window panes -"Ye gods, ye gave to me a wife," and " Envy, if thy jaundice eye." Here one evening he recited to a group of admirers his popular song, "Of a' the airts the win' can blaw," which he

had composed during the day while looking westward to Ayrshire, and thinking of his wife, Bonnie Jean. He had to take his departure from its comfortable shelter one wintry night to make room for the funeral cortège of Mrs Oswald of Auchencruive, an occasion that gave rise to the bitter ode, "Dweller in yon dungeon dark." In the inn a drinking contest similar to the famous bout at Friars' Carse took place a few days after the latter, when Burns had the celebrated "Whistle" on loan from Fergusson of Craigdarroch. The contestants were the Poet, Provost Whigham, Mr William Johnston, Mr Thomas Barker, Mr John Rigg, and Mr John King, a peripatetic music-teacher-the victor being Mr William Johnston.

Mr Whigham was presented by Burns with

a copy of the first edition of his Poems, the valuable book being now in the possession of Mr J. R. Wilson, solicitor, Sanquhar. He also received from the Poet manuscript copies of several songs, one of which, "Muirland Meg," a lilt of the "Merry Muses" type, is also in Mr Wilson's possession. Provost Whigham died 3rd October, 1823, aged 73 years.

Mr Thomas Barker was the lessee of certain coal-fields in Sanquhar. He was a son-in-law of Mr Johnston, the laird of Roundstonefoot. In Burns's time he held the farm of Newark, but latterly he removed to Bridge-end, Crawick. He was long connected with the Town Council, as was his father before him, and at various times held the offices of Dean of Guild, Bailie, and Treasurer. One of his daughters, Susan (afterwards Mrs James Otto), was the sweetheart of James Hyslop, author of "The Cameronian's Dream." Mr Barker died 30th October, 1825, aged 65 years.

Mr John McMurdo was chamberlain to the Duke of Queensberry, and was resident at Drumlanrig, and latterly at Dumfries. He had a long connection with Sanquhar burgh, having been a member of the Town Council from 1780 to 1796. From his first coming into Nithsdale, Burns was ever a welcome guest at Drumlanrig. He held "Factor John" and his "lovely spouse " in high esteem, and in praise of their daughters, Jean and Phillis, he wrote some beautiful songs, among which may be mentioned

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"There was a lass, and she was fair,' Phillis, the Fair," and "Adown winding Nith."

Mr William Johnston, the laird of Roundstonefoot, in Upper Annandale, held the extensive sheep farm of Clackleith, and latterly Blackaddie farm, both in the parish of Sanquhar. He

Provost William Johnston,
From the painting in possession of his great-grandson, T. B. Steuart,
Esq. of Penny land, Sanquhar. (J. M. Laing, Photographer.)

was a talented classical scholar and an accomplished musician, and Burns enlisted his aid in the collection of the traditionary music of the country. Mr Johnston was the "trusty auld worthy, Clackleith," of the Postscript to "The Kirk's Alarm," and in a note to Provost Edward Whigham, Burns refers to him as "that worthy veteran of original wit and social iniquity." He had a

long connection with Sanquhar's municipal affairs, and was Provost William Johnston died 7th October,

Provost 1791-93.

1820, aged 87 years.

Mr John Taylor was the overseer of the lead mines at Wanlockhead, and it was by his permission and direction that Burns got his horse's shoes "frosted" on the memorable occasion of his journey up Mennock Pass on a winter day, when, with his friend Mr Sloan, he sat down in Ramage's Inn at Wanlockhead and penned the lines beginning "With Pegasus upon a day." Latterly Mr Taylor became the tenant of Castle Mains farm, Sanquhar. He had a brother, James Taylor, whose name is associated with that of William Symington, of Leadhills, in the invention of the steamboat. John Taylor died 14th October, 1806, aged 53 years.

Mr Robert Whigham was a man of great energy, sound judgment, and undoubted probity. He was much respected by the townspeople of Sanquhar, was very successful in business, and became the principal merchant in the burgh. He was Provost for the long period of 17 years-from 1772 till 1789. He died 7th January, 1815, aged 77 years.

Alexander Fergusson, Esq. of Craigdarroch, an eminent advocate, was the son of James Fergusson of Craigdarroch, chamberlain to the Duke of Queensberry, a gentleman who had been a member of Sanquhar Town Council for 29 years, viz., from 1743 till 1772, during which period he sat twelve months as a Bailie-1746-47, and 15 years as Burgh Treasurer, 1745-46 and 1748-62. Alexander Fergusson was a member of the Council in 1772-73 and in 1790-94. Burns described him as being "famous for wit, worth, and law." It was upon the death of his son Janies that the Poet wrote "The Mother's Lament."

John Maxwell, Esq. of Terraughtie, was treasurer of Sanquhar Burgh from 1766 till Michaelmas, 1780. He is the "Teuch Johnnie" of the second of the "Heron Election Ballads," and to him Burns indited a poem on his 71st birthday. He died 25th January, 1814, in his 94th year.

Mr William Maxwell, second son of the laird of Terraughtie, was a member of the Town Council from 1776 till 1780.

His Grace William Duke of Queensberry, the notorious "Old Q," was responsible for the braes of Upper Nithsdale being stripped of their trees, a piece of vandalism that gave occasion for Burns to write the poem beginning, “As on the banks o' winding Nith." The destruction of the trees on the banks of the Nith was prompted purely by the Duke's vicious sentiments towards the Scotts of Buccleuch, who succeeded the Douglases in the Dukedom. "Old Q" meant to have swept off all the fine ornamental trees round Drumlanrig Castle as well as the timber on Nithside, and they were actually put up to public auction and sold. But the county men around clubbed together to save them. By a clause in the articles of sale the purchaser was bound to cut all the trees within a year from the date of the purchase. The first purchaser was Mr Menteith, afterwards Sir Charles Menteith of Closeburn.

When his term of grace was drawing to a close he sold it to another man, and the same thing was repeated from year to year until the old Duke died, when the Buccleuch family refunded the purchase money. Thus were the Drumlanrig woods saved. "Old Q" died 23rd December, 1810, in his 86th year.

Dr William Purdie was a native of Calder, in Midlothian. He practised as a surgeon and accoucheur in Sanquhar and district for the long period of 52 years. Along with a friend he was in the company of Burns in the inn at Brownhill on the occasion when the story of a wayworn soldier inspired the Poet to write the well-known and ever-popular song, "When wild war's deadly blast was blawn." He was a member of the Town Council for three years, 1782-85. Dr Purdie died at Edinburgh on the 7th March, 1831, in his 78th year.

Patrick Miller, Esq., younger of Dalswinton, a Captain in the Army, was the son of Burns's landlord. He is the hero of the "Five Carlines" ballad, where our ancient burgh is dubbed "Black Joan," and in the election in 1790, which gave rise to the