494 Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 



OBITUARY NOTICES. 



We have sustained the loss of seven members during the past 

 year — 1 . Major John Hutcheson Fergusson-Home of Bassendean. 

 Major Home, born at Edinburgh in 1815, was the eldest son of 

 Mr James Fergusson of Crosshall, Ayrshire, principal Clerk of 

 the Court of Session, by Mary, daughter of John Home of Bas- 

 sendean, a cadet of the ancient house of Home. Entering at an 

 early age the Bengal Army, he rose to the post of Major of the 

 33rd Eegiment, B.N.I. He went through much hard service, 

 was present at the battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, Aliwal, and 

 Sobraon, under General Sir Henry Hardinge in 1842, for which 

 he received a medal and clasps. Under General Pollock in 1845- 

 6 he was engaged in the relief of Jellalabad, and took part in 

 forcing the Kyber Pass. He succeeded to Bassendean on the 

 death of his uncle, Lieut. -Gen. John Home Home, Col. of the 

 56th Eegiment, and for some time Lieut. -Govern or and Com- 

 mander-in-Chief of Nova Scotia. He resided chiefly at Bassen- 

 dean, or The Mount, Coldingham. For several years he 

 commanded a corps of Berwickshire volunteers, and was a J.P. 

 and deputy lieutenant of the county. He was held in much re- 

 spect as a landlord and neighbour. His death took place at 

 Edinburgh, May 27th, 1881. He became a member of the Club, 

 Sept. 29th, 1875, 2. Cospatrick Alexander, eleventh Earl of 

 Home, died at the Hirsel, July 4th, 1881, in his 82nd year. His 

 death was sudden and unseen, in the woods whither he had gone 

 to meet the forester, not more than fifty yards from the appointed 

 place of meeting. The noble Earl was born at Dalkeith House, 

 Oct. 27th, 1799. He succeeded his father in 1841. During his 

 career he held several important offices of State. Under the 

 Ministry of the Duke of Wellington from 1828 till 1830 he was 

 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and in 1852 he 

 was Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. He was a represen- 

 tative peer for Scotland from 1842 till 1874, and then was created 

 a British peer under the title of Baron Douglas, the extensive 

 possessions of the Douglas family, having through his Countess 

 come to his House. He was a ieputy lieutenant in Berwickshire 

 and Lanarkshire. The Earl of Home " took great pride in the 

 management of his estate, personally devising and superintend- 

 ing the carrying out of the work for improving the amenity and 

 increasing the beauty of his policies and gardens. He had his 

 woods always kept in superior order. He was well versed in the 



