CLAVERHOUSE IN DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY. 107 
of his matriculation in St Leonard’s College, St Andrews, one 
John Graham matriculating in 1658, another in 1665. What- 
ever our subject learned, he did not master the spelling of the 
English tongue, as his extant letters prove. In 1669 Claver 
house, his father being dead and leaving him rich, as compared 
with the universally bankrupt landowners of the day, with six 
hundred pounds a year, appears as a Commissioner of Excise 
and Justice of the Peace for Forfarshire, not long after he left 
college. Like others of his class, he sought excitement in 
foreign wars, and is credited with serving two years (1672-4) in 
a Scots regiment in France before, in 1674, he joined Prince 
William of Orange’s company of Guards. At the battle of 
Seneffe he distinguished himself by extricating William from 
danger and death. Becoming captain in November, 1676, he 
retired from that service in December, 1677. 
Probably Sir Walter Scott is correct in asserting that Arch- 
bishop Sharp was his early patron. Claverhouse may have 
accompanied William of Orange to England. William recom- 
mended him to. James, Duke of York, who in turn recommended 
Claverhouse to his kinsman, Montrose—himself appointed to a 
troop in “ His Royal Highness’ Regiment of Horse,’’ raised for 
service in Flanders in 1678. Montrose offered him a lieuten- 
ancy, which he declined. 
At this time the Scots standing army was under the com- 
mand of Lord Linlithgow, and consisted of 1 regiment of Horse 
Guards, 1 Foot Guards, 1 (Mar’s) Infantry, 2 companies of 
Highlanders under Colonel James Menzies and the Earl of 
Caithness, and 3 companies of Dragoons under Viscount King- 
ston and Captains Strachan and Inglis. On 23d September, 
the Earl of Airlie, the Earl of Home, and Claverhouse got 
captaincies in three new troops of horse, each troop consisting 
of 69 men. In December, 1678, Claverhouse with his troop 
and Inglis’s company of Highlanders patrolled Dumfriesshire. 
Lieutenant Andrew Bruce, an immoral and thievish fellow, was 
lieutenant to Claverhouse. On 27th December they were at 
Moffat, on 3d January at Castle Milk, and on 6th January at 
Dumfries. The Committee for Public Affairs, considering that 
the Magistrates in the south were remiss in putting down the 
rebellious Covenanters, recommended the appointment of sheriff- 
deputes and bailie-deputes, a course approved of by the King. 
