PRINCIPAL GARDENERS—WILLIAM MCNAB. 297 
William McNab, who thus entered upon his duties in the 
Royal Botanic Garden at Edinburgh, and who of all the Principal 
Gardeners stands highest in reputation in Horticulture and is 
deservedly placed in the front rank of the world’s gardeners, 
was born one of a family of twelve! 12th August, 1780, at 
Knockcavish,? in the parish of Dailly, Ayrshire, where his father, 
James McNab, was farmer. During boyhood he assisted his 
father in the work of the farm, and at the age of sixteen began 
apprenticeship to gardening in the garden of Mr. Kennedy of 
Dunure, at Dalquharran in Carrick. At the end of a three 
year period there he obtained, through Messrs. Dickson & Co., 
of Edinburgh,* a situation in the gardens of the Earl of Hadding- 
ton at Tyningham in East Lothian. Thence he went in 18o1,4 
after fourteen months’ service,® to London with a recommendation 
to William Aiton, of the Royal Gardens at Kew, by whom he 
was engaged on 12th March for employment under him at Kew. 
‘Of his brothers :—James became factor first at Kerraughtry, afterwards at 
Culloden ; another, Gilbert, became Sheriff-Clerk Depute of Ayrshire 20th June 
1821, as I am informed by se Clerk so of Re 
? Variations i Li t occur, such as Knockcaves, 
Knockawish, and i in the Birth Register the word i is written Knockaways. The Rev. 
George Turnbull, D.D., of Dailly, has kindly given me this information. 
*At the time leading Nurserymen in Edinburgh. wad have already been 
referred to in these “‘ Notes” as friends of Mackay and 
*“* That the Bearer William McNab a young Rea Man by Trade a Chadenien, : 
Aged about twenty years, has lived in this Parish, mostly from his Infancy to thi 
present Date, when he intends to leave it, and go to London or its neighbourhood, in 
order to gain farther insight into his said Trade of Gardener, and has always behaved 
himself in a sober, honest, and regular manner, free of all public scandal or Grounds 
of Church censure known here—Is by appointment of the Kirk of Session of this 
Parish of Dailly, County of Air, North Britain, given and signed in their name the 
twenty-fifth day of January One thousand eight hundred and one years by—John 
omson, ea James Welsh Sess. Clerk.”—By permission of Miss McNab, 
who has the ori 
John Seorea | Doe 1820) who signed these ‘‘ lines” was the ny landscape 
painter who moved to Duddingstone in 1805, and is commonly known as “ Thomson 
of Duddingstone.” He also was born in the parish of Dailly. In after a McNab, 
on his return to Edinburgh, renewed personal acquaintance with Mr. Thomson, and 
an intimate riage continued until Mr. Thomson’s death. 
*“ This is to certify that the Bearer William McNab served as Journeyman 
Gardener fs the Space of 14 months in the Earl of Haddington’s Gardens at 
which time He Behaved Himself soberly and Honestly always 
paying eS attention to His Business—Thomas Thomson ; Tynningham, Novr. 8th, 
1800.” — By permission of Miss McNab, who has the ori, 
