Notices of Heathpool. By James Hardy. 400 



residing at Milfield, voted for Milfield ; but in 1774, Thomas Werge, 

 residing at Horton, and his son John, vote for Milfield, and the Wilsons 

 have disappeared.* This episode of the tenancy will be afterwards 

 resumed. 



The younger of the heiresses, Mary Roddam, was married at little more 

 than the age of 17, to the Rev. Alexander Carlyle, D.D., of Inveresk, then 

 aged 38. Dr. Carlyle called "Jupiter Carlyle" from his imposing- 

 appearance, was a member not the least eminent of the distinguished 

 fraternity of literati and philosophers, that then illuminated the capital of 

 Scotland ; and he was also a minister of powerful influence in the Church 

 of Scotland. f Carlyle was indebted for his good fortune in marriage to 

 John Home, the author of " Douglas," who " pointed out the young lady 

 as a proper object of suit.'' She was under the charge of Mary Roddam, 

 her father's sister, wife of the Rev. William Home, then minister of 

 Polwarth, and afterwards of Fogo in Berwickshire. The marriage, which 

 was a most happy one, was celebrated in Edinburgh on the 14th Oct., 

 1760. In the following year, the older sister Sarah was married in April]: 

 in Edinburgh, to John Erasmus Blackett, youngest brother of Sir Edward 

 Blackett, Bart., of Matfen, whose business was a coal-fitter at Newcastle, 

 of which he was subsequently Mayor in 1765, 1772, 1780, and 1790. Carlyle 

 says that " he was a very handsome young man of about 30 ; " adding how- 

 ever, that he was " imperfectly educated, and of ordinary talents." He 

 became, notwithstanding, a very competent man of business. Dr. Carlyle 

 and his wife visited Heathpool in December, 1760, staying with Alexander 

 Davison and his wife, at Lanton, " two worthy people, who had acquired 

 an independent estate by farming, which had not been done frequently at 

 that time." || He calls Heathpool "a beautiful Highland place." In 

 February, 1761, at Wooler, the estate was let by the trustees, to " Ralph 

 Compton, the second son of our former tenant, for the usual term, and 

 rose frcjm £180 per annum, to £283." § Again in April, 1766, Carlyle 

 made a tour with his wife " to Berwick, Lanton and Fogo, for her health 

 and to visit our friends."^ Mrs. Carlyle was a lady of great ability as well 

 as amiability. She died 31st Jan., 1804. In alluding to her death, her 

 husband had pathetically recorded in his diary, that " no finer spirit ever 

 took flight from a clay tabernacle to be united with the Father of all and 

 the spirits. of the just."** He himself died on the 25th August, 1805. " He 

 was laid beside his long-departed children and the faithful partner of his 

 days, in his own churchyard, which he always loved for the beauty of the 

 prospect it overlooks. "ff His friend, Dr. Adam Ferguson, the historian and 



* Poll Books. 



t See his Autobiography edited by J. Hill Burton. 

 JCarlyle's Autobiog., p. 413. 

 || lb., p. 410. 

 § lb., p. 413. 

 1 lb., p. 466. 

 ** lb., p. 413. 

 tf lb., p. 575. 

 2 A 



