58 i> Notice of William Watt. — Obituary. 



Art. VI. Biographical Notice of William Walt, Gardener to the 

 Earl of Buchan about the middle of the 18th Century. 



I beg leave to send you a short biography of William Watt, who, many 

 years ago, was gardener to the late Lord Erskine's father, at that time called 

 the great Earl of Buchan, at Kirk Hill, Linlithgowshire. Watt entered 

 into His Lordship's service at Martinmas, 1739, nearly one hundred years 

 ago. In May, 1744, he told Lord Buchan that, as he had never worked as a 

 journeyman in Scotland, he meant to go to England to improve himself. 

 His Lordship told him that it was folly to do so, for that he (Watt) was 

 considered the best grower of melons in all West Lothian. Watt, however, 

 persisted in leaving his place at the following term, Martinmas ; and on 

 that day Lord Buchan went to the garden, and told Watt that he requested 

 him to dine at his own table that day, when he would pay him his wages. 

 Watt made reply, that it did not become him to sit at His Lordship's table, 

 and requested to be excused. Lord Buchan rejoined that he (Watt) was not 

 then His Lordship's servant; and, consequently, if he (Lord Buchan) thought 

 proper to ask him, he was as fit a companion for his table as any one else 

 that he chose to invite ; and so he would take no excuse. After dinner, 

 Watt received four years' wages, he having only drawn one year's salary in 

 the five years' service. The money due to Watt was sixty guineas, being at 

 the rate of fifteen guineas per annum. Fifteen guineas were paid him, and a 

 letter given him to draw another fifteen from a friend of Lord Buchan in 

 London, in case Watt should be robbed while travelling on his way, as he 

 journeyed on foot. His Lordship made Watt promise to return at the end 

 of three years to be his gardener again, and they agreed that each of them was 

 to write to the other twice in each year, for the three years of Watt's 

 absence. 



At the end of two years and a half, Watt received a letter from Lord Buchan, 

 reminding him to be home in November, according to agreement. When 

 Watt was reading the letter, the gentleman in whose garden he was then 

 working came up to him and said, " Well, my lad, you are reading a letter." 

 Watt said, "Yes ; it is from my old master in Scotland ;" and gave it to him 

 to read. When the gentleman had done so, he said, " Your old master has a 

 great regard for you ; " and desired that so long as Watt remained in his 

 service, which was six months, he should have sixpence per week over his 

 regular wages, and his dinner every Sunday ; although he would not give a 

 tankard of ale when a tenant paid him 300/. of rent. Watt returned at the 

 appointed time, and continued in His Lordship's service many years, indeed, 

 till the establishment was broken up. He then became gardener to the 

 University of St. Andrews; and I was the last apprentice he had. He died 

 in 1798, in the 83d year of his age. — James Dull. Newmarket Road, Cam- 

 bridge. 



Art. VII. Obituary. 



Died, August 27., at his residence in Garden Row, Kilkenny, John Robertson, 

 Esq., F.H.S., the much respected nurseryman of that place. Mr. Robertson 

 was the author of several valuable articles in the Transactions of the Horti- 

 adtural Society, and in the Gardener's Magazine. " He was respected by all 

 classes, and beloved by the poor and destitute, to whom he was a most liberal 

 benefactor." (Kilkenny Moderater, August 28.) 



