192 The Irvings of IIoddom. 



The clispositioil*of the lands had already been settled, but a 

 claim in connection with the marriag-e settlement of Isabell Stark, 

 due by Knockhill to White Hill, began in 1672, and was only 

 finally settled between Andrew Johnstone and William Eell- 

 Irving in 1794, a nice gang-in plea that kept its legs for 122 

 years. 



" George Johnstone was succeeded by his son Andrew 

 Johnstone. On 25th Octol)er, 1694, John Sharp of IIoddom as 

 superior granted a precept of Clare Constat in favour of Andrew 

 Johnstone as heir to his father (deceased) George Johnstone, 

 writer, Edinburgh, of the third part of the £20 land old extent of 

 Hoddom, extending to ten merkland of the same extent, with 

 houses, buildings, gardens, tofts, crofts, onsets, insets, privileges, 

 parts, pendicles, and pertinents of the same whatsomever, which 

 lands above written at one time belonged heritably to the late 

 Richard Irving, known as ' Duke's Richie,' lying within the 

 parish of Hoddom, &c., &c." 



On 23rd May, 1710, Andrew Johnstone granted a bond for 

 £1800 Scots upon the lands of Knockhill to George Sharp of 

 Hoddom, of which he was also superior, upon which infeftment 

 followed. At Whitsunday, 1713, upon the death of Andrew 

 Johnstone, Knockhill fell into the hands of John Sharp of Hoddom 

 bj' virtue of the ward, and continued with him and his sou George 

 till Whitsunday, 1721, when James Johnstone, son of Andrew, 

 obtained possession of the same. The above James Johnstone, 

 though very young, joined the Rebellion of Mar in 1715, and 

 fought at Sheriffmuir and Falkirk, and was afterwards banished 

 to the West Indies, from which he returned in 1722. 



In 1736 a bond was granted on Knockhill by James John- 

 stone in favour of John Irving of Whitehill and his spouse Isabel 

 Stark, but Johnstone never fulfilled his part of the contract, and 

 matters drifted on till 1745, when Andrew Johnstone, the last 

 laird, son of James, "enlisted into Prince Charles' army behind 

 Pate Irving's peat stack in Ecclefechan," and James himself being 

 suspected of giving aid to the rebels had to fly the country. 

 Andrew was taken prisoner, tried, and condemned to be executed 

 at Carlisle, but was afterwards pardoned and deported to the 

 West Indies. 



When under sentence of death he wrote the following letter 

 to Whitehill : — 



