304 An Account of Simprin, Berwickshire, by Jas. Hardy. 



"Yes," said lie, "and where "will you find such men and such 

 horses V* His publications are now little known. He and Sir 

 Hew Dalrymple each, claims the merit of being the first to intro- 

 duce the practice of hollow-draining lancl.f " The most con- 

 spicuous object in Simprin is the very high and spacious barn 

 built by the Cockburns, consisting of a thrashing-floor, and large 

 and lofty granaries. Lord Elibank thinking its height exposed 

 it to storms, lowered the roof considerably, but left the gables 

 standing, so that they still shew the original altitude of the 

 building, which is seen from every part of Berwickshire."! Lord 

 Elibank died, Aug. 3d, 1778, in the 76th year of his age. 



Patrick Murray, Esq., of Simprim and Meigie, in Eorfarshire, 

 natural son of Lord Elibank, was the next proprietor. When 

 a young man he was an intimate friend of Sir Walter Scott, 

 and a group of other youths of high birth and connections, 

 remarkable in early life for their eminent qualities. Mr. Murray 

 had an enthusiastic passion for military antiquities. Scott visited 

 Meigie in 1793, and spent there many happy days. Simprim 

 was then fond of histrionic diversions, and was a member of 

 The Club of that early period. § The Forfarshire Simprim, so 

 named from Simprim, in Berwickshire, is near Meigie, but in 

 the parish of Airlie.|| Mr. Murray lived many years in Meigie 

 house, and subsequently in Arthurstone. I have not the date of 

 his decease ; but he was "very much esteemed as a nice country 

 gentleman of the old school." 



About 1832, Sir John Marjoribanks, of Lees, bought the 

 estate of Simprin. Sir John made the purchase on his own 

 account, but the property was by arrangement conveyed to his 

 son, Charles Marjoribanks, Esq., M.P. for Berwickshire; who 

 left it to his brother David, subsequently Lord Marjoribanks of 

 Ladykirk. 



Simprin has a peculiar claim upon the Club, owing to 

 Dr. George Johnston, its originator, having been born there, 

 July 20th, 1797. His father then farmed the place, but soon 

 after the family removed to Ilderton, in Northumberland. 



* Sir Walter Scott in Croker's Notes to Boswell. t Caledonia, ii., p. 492. 



% Sinclair's Stat. Ace. vi., p. 329. 



§ Lockhart's Life of Sir Walter i^cott. 



|| As will be observed by tbe citation of original authorities throughout 



this Paper, Simprin is the predominant mode of writing the word ; there 



being only a few examples of Simprim. 



