Transactions. 129 
Lowthian of Stafford Hall, in Cumberland, who was then in 
occupation of it. George Lowthian (Richard’s father), who also 
owned Stafford Hall, removed from it to Leadhills very early in 
the eighteenth century, and after a residence there of 30 years, 
he died in Dumfries in 1735. He probably was engaged in the 
mining industry at Leadhills, and was successful in it, because we 
find his son Richard a wealthy man, owning considerable property 
in Dumfries, including the lands of Nunholm. Richard Lowthian 
went back to his native county for a wife, for he married Sarah 
Aglionby, a daughter of Henry Aglionby of Nunnery, who was 
Member of Parliament for Carlisle. Nunnery is within a very 
short distance of Stafford Hall, and curiously enough the latter 
property was acquired from Mr Lowthian’s representatives by his 
wife’s grand nephew, Major Aglionby, who added it to Nunnery. 
A new mansion house was sometime ago erected on this conjoined 
property ; it is called “Staffield Hall,” and is at present in 
possession of Colonel Arthur Aghonby. Richard Lowthian and 
his father are buried in St. Michael’s Churchyard, and the next 
tomb is that of William Bell, who was provost of the burgh in 
1745, Provost Crosbie mentioned in Mr Fergusson’s letter being 
really ex-provost. Mr Robert Chambers, in his ‘‘ History of the 
Rising,” gives the following account of the attitude taken up by 
Mr Richard Lowthian during the Prince’s stay in his house. He 
says that ‘Though well affected to the Prince’s cause, he judged 
it prudent not to come into his presence, and yet neither did he 
wish to offend him by the appearance of deliberately going out of 
his way. The expedient he adopted in this dilemma was one 
highly characteristic of the time—he got himself filled so extremely 
drunk that his being kept hack from the company of his guest 
was only a matter of decency. His wife, who could not well be 
taxed with treason, did the honours of the house without scruple.” 
Before leaving, the Prince gave Mrs Lowthian a pair of gloves 
and his portrait, and these, along with hangings of the bed upon 
which he slept, are understood to be still in the possession of some 
of her descendants. With the bed itself I shall deal later. 
I think it desirable to give you some details of Mr Lowthian’s 
house. He acquired it in 1741 from Mr Matthew Sharp of 
Hoddom for the sum of £130, and in the disposition granted by 
Mr Sharp it is described as ‘ All and hail my tenement of houses, 
high and laigh, back and fore, with yeard and barn at the foot 
thereof, adjacent thereto, lying on the west side of the High 
Wy 
