238 Biography : — William Beattie. 



undertaken ; but, as no one has felt it to be his duty to do so, I beg to supply 

 the omission by the accompanying memoir, for the particulars of which I am 

 partly indebted to his nephew, my friend and fellow-pupil at Scone, Mr. Booth, 

 now the gardener and general superintendant at Carclew, Cornwall. 



The subject of this brief notice was born at Wasthill in the parish of Old 

 Rain, Aberdeenshire, in 1758, and from being an only son was originally in- 

 tended for the church ; with this view his early years were passed at the 

 parish school, where he obtained a far more liberal education than usually 

 falls to the lot of those who even at the present day adopt the profession of a 

 gardener ; and to this very circumstance did he often look back with great 

 satisfaction, and ascribe much of the success and happiness that attended hira 

 through life. Just as hLs friends had made arrangements for sending him to 

 college he had the misfortune to meet with a serious accident which confined 

 him for a long time, and ultimately had the effect of completely altering his 

 future plans and prospects ; the dehcate state of his health rendering a change 

 advisable, he removed to the neighbouring parish of Moneymusk where some 

 of his friends resided, and there he formed the resolution of becoming a 

 gardener. Sir Archibald Grant, justly celebrated as one of the greatest 

 planters of his time, and of whom Scotland has reason to be proud, was then 

 carrying on extensive alterations at his seat ; and, considering this would be a 

 good school, he made application, and was successful in gaining admission to 

 the gardens of Moneymusk, where he served his apprenticeship ; on its ex- 

 piration he went to Edinburgh, and was employed at Arniston, the seat of the 

 then Lord President Dundas, at that time a noted place for young gardeners. 

 From thence he went to London, with letters of introduction to his coun- 

 trymen, Mr. Malcolm, the eminent nurseryman at Stockwell, and Mr. Forsyth 

 of the Apothecaries' Garden at Chelsea ; and, by means of their recommendation, 

 he soon succeeded in obtaining the situation of gardener to the Marquess of 

 Bute, at his seat in Hampshire : but the greater part of the time (nearly 

 twenty years) which he resided in England, he acted as land-steward and 

 gardener at Losset Hall in Yorkshire, and to the Duke of Dorset, at Knowle 

 in Kent. His intimacy with Mr. Forsyth continued until the death of the 

 latter, in 1804; it was entirely through, that gentleman he was introduced to 

 the late Earl of Mansfield, and received his appointment to Scone, where he 

 lived for nearly thirty-four years. The formation of the gardens, and con- 

 ducting of the very extensive alterations and improvements dui'ing this long 

 period, at that princely place, will remain for many years as a proof of" his 

 talent and ability. He was kind and considerate to those employed under him ; 

 and I believe nothing gave him more real pleasure than to see his young as- 

 sistants endeavouring to improve themselves in matters regarding their pro- 

 fession, or to hear of their good success in life after they had left Scone. On 

 his retiring from the arduous duties of his situation in 1837, the late Lord 

 Mansfield not only allowed him to retain his salary, but presented him with 

 several articles of value. Amongst the latter, an elegant silver box, engraven 

 with an inscription expressive of his esteem and regard. Indeed all the 

 membei's of that noble family were unremitting in their attention to him during 

 the remainder of his life. 



He was a corresponding member of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, 

 and a fellow of the Horticultural Society of London, to both of which he con- 

 tributed one or two papers, which are published in their Transactions. He 

 was married, but had no family, and died on the 2d of April, 1839. His remains 

 were interred in the churchyard at New Scone, (as well as those of Mrs. 

 Beattie who survived him only twelve months,) near to the monument now 

 erecting by public subscription to commemorate the unfortunate Douglas, 

 who was also at one time his pupil and assistant. — James Duncan.. Basing 

 Park, Alton, Hants, March 3. 1841. 



