234 Report of the Meetings for 1893. 



congregations being drawn from far and near. That religious 

 community had here the unusual experience of having " the 

 laird," the Pringle of Stichill of the time, associated with 

 them. Their place as proprietors of Stichill has been taken 

 by the Bairds of Gartsherrie fame. First, the property was 

 bought by the late Mr Hugh Baird, at whose death the late 

 Mr George Baird, his brother, became proprietor, he in turn 

 being succeeded by his son, the late Mr George Alexander 

 Baird, well known in sporting circles as Mr Abington. On 

 the east side of the road, within a stonethrow of the church, 

 is the farmhouse and steading of Baillieknowe, which, a 

 generation ago, was farmed by a gentleman, Mr Hume, who 

 had passed the best part of his days as the parish schoolmaster 

 of Greenlaw. He was a man altogether out of the common, 

 possessing much mechanical ingenuity, by which he was 

 enabled to construct, in his schoolmaster days, an orrery and 

 various electrical machines ; and he often delivered lectures 

 in the district on astronomy, electricity, and chemistry. When 

 he entered upon the tenancy of Baillieknowe, it was a debated 

 point whether or not he had offered too high a rent, and 

 two farm servants, on the ploughing day, discussed the 

 question, one of them arguing that there was no fear of Mr 

 Hume losing money, as, alluding to his electrical knowledge, 

 "he was gain' to muck it wi' thunner !" 



All too soon the carriages were brought into requisitiou for the 

 drive to Sandyknowe. On the way the company had ample 

 opportunity of surveying the picturesque country far away to the 

 south, shut in by the cloud-capped Cheviots. Though not lighted 

 up by bright sunshine, almost every peak was showu, and every 

 peak had its history or tradition connected with the stirring 

 times of old, which many would recall, though time and 

 opportunity failed to recount them. 



On arriving at Smailholm the Rev. Mr Sime welcomed the 

 company at the church, which was open for inspection. It 

 originally belonged, like that of Stichill, to the monks of 

 Coldingham. He gave an account of the edifice, which is 

 of the long and narrow type which marks most of the very 

 early churches. The bell was dated 1642, and had been east 

 in Holland. The fabric of the church was of various dates, 

 part of it, not the oldest, being of date 1632. The Haddington 

 gallery was of comparatively recent date. The Session Records 



