DECEMBER 291 



As member of Parliament, Sir Alexander had taken 

 the oath of allegiance to the 'wee bit German lairdie,' 

 overriding his allegiance to his feudal chief, the Earl of 

 Nithsdaill, who forfeited lands and title for his share 

 in the '15, and owed his life solely to the devotion of 

 his countess sometime Winifred Herbert. Kenmure 

 was on and awa', but western Galloway lay remote 

 from the vortex which drew down so many chivalrous 

 houses. Sir Alexander's only references to the rising 

 are: 



'Returned from my intended journey to Edinbr., 

 bein stopped by the Highlanders coming 

 to Leith. My expenses in that fruitlesse Sterling. 

 journey ....... 11 511' 



And again : 



' To my lord Galloway for charitie to supplie 



the prisonours at Prestoun . . . 10 15 0' 



Other entries in that year of dolour betoken a peace- 

 ful tenor of life. 



' 29 June. For a piece of painted satin, being 



10| yards, for a nightgoune to my wife Sterling. 



[what we should call an evening gown] .200 

 To 10 yards of green cotton satin to line it 



with .... 190 



Oct. 4. To 2 pounds of tea & canister payed 



to my lord Galloway . . . . 2 10 ' 



A dish of tea must have been a rare luxury at this rate. 

 Mr. Graham mentions the year 1720 as about the time 

 when tea-drinking became common, but in 1726 the 



