194 Obituary Notices, by James Hardy. 



of Crawford and Balcarres, being tbe first of Notices of Peerage 

 Cases, in 4to, forming the contents of the first seven volumes of a 

 large collection of Peerage Cases, wbich lie had gathered — the 

 entire collection now passing into the hands of his Lordship. 

 There are only 1 00 copies of this book printed at the private ex- 

 pense of the Earl. Mr Maidment never finished his preface, for 

 which, during his illness, he had taken notes. 



Mr Maidment became a member of the Berwickshire Natural- 

 ists' Club, June 28, 1859, having continued in the membership 

 for twenty years. 



About 1848, or subsequently, his mother occupied the mansion 

 house of Tweedhill, and Mr Maidment often resided there. He 

 appears then to have delighted in private and theatrical repre- 

 sentations. There is a short account by him of Hutton hall, on 

 the Whitadder, which is perhaps the sole written memorial of 

 his Border visits. It refers to an early charter of resignation 

 and re-investment in the lands of " Hutton-hawe," to George 

 Ker of Samuelston, from William Earl of Douglas, &c., dated at 

 Edinburgh, 11th Jan. 1451, in which there is a very minute 

 specification of heirs of entail, down to eight degrees of substitu- 

 tionaries. Mr Charles Watson, Dunse, acquired the charter at 

 the sale of Mr Maidment's library, and from Mr M's remarks 

 accompanying it I may for its local interest preserve the follow- 

 ing extract : — 



' ' The present house of Hutton-hall was not erected till a later period. It 

 is now falling to ruin, but at one time must have been a fine baronial 

 residence. Some of the trees which are adjacent, are evidently of consider- 

 able antiquity, and may rival those at Bemerside, the seat of the family " De 

 Haga," which are celebrated for their beauty. Notwithstanding the careful 

 entail and the number of substitutes, Hutton-hall long since passed from the 

 Kers. Some 40 or 50 years ago the estate belonged to one of the Johnstones 

 — a well-known border family. Upon this gentleman's death it was sold. 

 Since then, the mansion-house, not being inhabited, has been permitted to 

 go to ruin, and one portion of it has fallen in." . 



Mr Maidment died at his residence, 25, Eoyal Circus, Edin- 

 burgh, on the evening of the 24th October, 1879, and his re- 

 mains were interred in the Dean Cemetery. 



His extensive library of rare books, containing as catalogued 



5059 works, with a miscellaneous assortment over and above, 



was sold in May, 1880, by auction, in Edinburgh; fifteen days 



being occupied in its disposal. Large prices were obtained ; 



roceeds of the fourteen days for the catalogued series being 

 the P 



