BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. 



ARCHIBALD MENZIES, Scottish botanist, explorer, and traveller, 

 was born at Stix or Styx, an old branch house of the Menzies 

 of Culdares about 4 miles west from Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland, 

 and was educated at Weem Parish School. According to the Weem 

 Kirk register, he was baptised on March 15th, 1754. 



It is remarkable that nearly all the Menzies in the vicinity of 

 Castle Menzies were either gardeners or botanists ; an old record of 

 l)roceedings shows that no fewer than seven of this name were employed 

 at the same time at the Castle gardens. 



Sir David Menzies, of Plean Castle, to whom the writer of these 

 notes is indebted for much information, in speaking of Castle Menzies, 

 which was founded in 1057, says: "When Sir William Wallace took 

 shelter in the ancient portion of Castle Menzies, it had a castellated 

 parapet running round its wall-head and flanking turrets, from which 

 it could be defended by hurling missiles, arrows, etc. The first floor 

 is supported on arches of stone, proof against any fire, as are also the 

 walls, which are 7 feet thick in places ; in them are secret rooms, one 

 of which is the charter-room, where many of the deeds were preserved 

 from destruction in the fire of 1502. These MSS. date back before 

 the time of Wallace, as this part was built when the Barony of Menzies 

 was founded by King Malcolm Canmore in 1057. It remained so till 

 1 571, when the Armorial shield was inserted over the ancient doorway 

 commemorating the marriage of the Chief to Barbara Stewart. This 

 date, 1 57 1, has nothing to do with the building of the Castle, etc. 1577 

 over the dormer windows is the date when the Castle was altered to 

 its present condition." 



It was in the gardens of this ancestral home that Archibald 

 Menzies, the subject of this memoir, received his first lessons in botany, 

 and where it was his privilege later to add many new varieties of trees 

 which he had discovered during his travels. Many of these may be 

 seen on the wooded sides of Weem Rock at the back of the Castle. 

 On leaving home, Menzies journeyed to Edinburgh and as a botanical 

 student entered the Royal Botanic Garden, where it may be mentioned 

 his elder brother William was already employed. Menzies was also at 

 this time studying for the medical profession, and attended the Edin- 

 burgh University Botanic classes under Dr. John Hope, who is described 

 as a genial and painstaking teacher and who took a deep interest in 

 Menzies' education. 



In 1778 Menzies made a botanical tour through the Highlands 

 and Hebrides and later became assistant to a surgeon at Carnarvon. 



