16 Lire or MAcMILLAN. 
Il.—Researches in the Life of John Macmillan. By the Rev. H. 
M. B. REID, B.D., of Balmaghie. 
I take this opportunity of communicating certain inquiries 
which I have carried through in regard to some points in the life 
of the Rey. John Macmillan, minister of the parish of Balmaghie 
in 1701, and afterwards the pastor of the United Societies. 
1. The first matter is the date and place of Macmillan’s 
birth. In the “ History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church,” 
published in 1893, by the Rev. Matthew Hutchison of New Cum- 
nock, it is stated that he was ‘* born in the parish of Penningham, 
Kirkeudbrightshire, in 1669.”* There are at least two distinct 
mistakes here. Penninghame is in W2gtownshire, and Macmillan 
was not born in Penninghame, but in 47zxnzgaff in Kirkcudbright- 
shire. The usual spot assigned for his birthplace is a farm-house 
called Barncauchlaw, about four miles from Newton-Stewart and 
four and a half miles from the Murray Monument. I visited the 
place in August this year, in company with Dr John Grieve, a 
ereat-great-grandson of Macmillan on the female side. Barn- 
cauchlaw lies amid wild and picturesque scenery, quite near the 
coaching road, which is now a summer resort of tourists. We 
received a warm welcome from the present tenant, whose name is 
M‘Geoch. It was stated by Mrs M‘Geoch that the old small 
house still stands, but has been much added to in recent times. 
One little inner bedroom was considered most probably the scene 
of Macmillan’s birth. Though there are no Macmillans now at 
Barncauchlaw, they abound in the neighbourhood. There are 
Macmillans at Paleown (since 1800), at Glenhead, at Glenlee ; and 
in Newton-Stewart itself the name is frequent both among 
families and on public buildings, such as the M‘Millan Hall. 
A few weeks ago I also visited Glenhead, being attracted to 
it by the genial reference in the ‘“ Advertisement” to Mr 
Crockett’s ‘‘ Men of the Moss Hags.” Glenhead is a sheep farm 
about 13 or 14 miles from Newton-Stewart, tenanted at present 
by a Mr John Macmillan, who gave me a most cordial welcome, 
and showed much hospitality. The road to Glenhead is extremely 
wild and precipitous, and certainly not one to be traversed after a 
Galloway market day, unless by a very steady foot. Here I 
found a very old copy (perhaps, indeed, an edztio princeps) of the 
“Page 140. 
