286 GRANT TO GEORGE SINCLAIR 



Additional Notes on the Hermitage Grant. "\\ 



By Miss Russell. . "- 



Since writing the notes which accompanied the photograph 

 of the register of Queen Mary's grant to George Sinclair, 

 obtained by me for the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club, 

 I have found Thomas Sinclair, with another son, in the 

 Laing charters (which seem likely to prove a valuable 

 source of information, chiefly as regards Scotland.) 



The father is called " writer to the Privy Seal," and 

 Henry Sinclair appears as a witness. 



They appear in a document about some property in or 

 near Haddington ; and one's impression is, that everybody 

 concerned, including the Sinclairs, was connected with that 

 town. The date, I think, is 1564. I do not remember the 

 number of the charter, but the names are in the copious 

 index. 



I find also that (though it is difficult for us to realise 

 such a monopoly as that which ordained that no will in 

 Edinburgh should hold good unless drawn up by George 

 Sinclair) something analogous did exist — in fact — down to 

 the present generation. 



The old Scottish town clerks had the monopoly of all 

 business connected with property held by burgage-tenure ; 

 that is to say, they had the right to be paid for it, whether 

 it was executed by them or not. 



The late Mr Paton of Selkirk, who died at an advanced 

 age — not much, if at all, before 1885 — had this right, and 

 was probably one of the last holders of it. 



