98 On Chirnside Parish : the Estate of Edington. 



bond of 1000 marks to lady Idington (probably the wife of 

 George Eamsay), her brother's relict, in foe, and to Eachael and 

 Jean Ramsays, two of her nieces, in fee. Lady Pitcairn, wife of 

 the famous Dr. Pitcairn, another niece, was her executrix, and 

 claimed the whole. This family quarrel was adjudicated on 1st 

 January, 1706. (Ibid, ii., p. 305.) If these two nieces were 

 daughters of George Eamsay, then Mr. Henderson errs in sup- 

 posing Margaret Eamsay to have been an only daughter.] 



George Ramsay appears to have left only one daughter, 

 Margaret Ramsay. She became the third wife of Sir John 

 Lauder, baronet, a merchant and baillie of Edinburgh, a 

 younger branch and afterwards chief of the family of Lauder 

 of the Bass and Lauder, and father of the eminent Sir John 

 Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, by a former wife, Isabel Ellies, 

 daughter of Alexander Ellies of Mortonhall. Sir John 

 Lauder was 86 years of age when married to Margaret 

 Ramsay in 1670. She seems to have borne him at least one 

 son, George Lauder, who through the fraud of his mother, 

 who is represented as a complete Medea, held the title of 

 baronet, and inherited the estate of Edington. Sir George 

 Lauder, from all we have been able to collect about him, was 

 a very profane and reckless character, and in consequence of 

 his lawless deeds came to an untimely end. He had been 

 intimately acquainted with Mr. David Spence, of Chirnside 

 West Mains — a small estate in the immediate vicinity of 

 that village. In consequence of Sir George's licentious con- 

 duct, Spence's wife earnestly entreated him to avoid the 

 baronet's company, which he did for some time. Sir George 

 took great offence at this ; he, however, invited Mr. Spence 

 into a small change-house in Chirnside, kept by one Roger 

 Home, at the south end of the village. Here they drank for 

 some time, and had much altercation ; but at last they were 

 reconciled to one another, and were just about to part in 

 good friendship, when some angry words arose, and Sir 

 George, pulling a pistol from his pocket, shot Spence dead 

 on the spot. This murder was committed in April, 1700. 

 The Session Records of Chirnside merely state that " Lauder 

 did not live long after this foulle murder " ; but tradition 

 says that he came to a violent end. He immediately 

 mounted his steed and rode furiously towards Edington. 

 Here he stayed not, but took his way to Berwick. On 

 passing through Foulden, he encountered a wedding party, 

 to whom he called to make way for him, as " that day he 



