302 Notes on Newton Don. By C. B. Balfour. 



III. — The Dons of Newton Don. 



An account of the family, who made Newton Don their 

 home for two hundred years, can hardly be omitted in any 

 notes on Newton Don and its owners. 



The Dons came originally from Perthshire. 



Archibald, Earl of Angus, granted a protection to his 

 depender, Patrick Don, in Doune for himself, his children, 

 and his friends.*^ 



One of his sons, the younger Alexander Don, was a writer in 

 Edinburgh, and had a son, Patrick, of Auldtownburn, co. 

 Roxburgh, W.S., who died before 1672, when his cousin, Sir 

 Alexander Don of Newton, was retoured as his heir. 



The elder son was a farmer in the Frew, Perthshire, and 

 married a daughter of Nisbet (?) of Burnbauk." 



He had issue three sons : — 



(i.) Alexander, of whom later. 



(ii.) Patrick, baillie of Kelso. 



(ill.) James, of Smailholm, who had issue — 



I. Andrew Don of Smailholm, ob. s. p., 1720. His initials, 



with the date 1707, are cut over the door of Smailholm 

 House. Ho also appears in the records of the Kelso 

 Lodge of Freemasons. 



II. Thomas Don of Smailholm, major in the Scots Fusiliers, 



ob. s. p., before 1737. 



III. Margaret, ob. s. p., 1731. 



IV. Christian, married William Scott of " Thirlestain," according 



to the Don pedigree, but this must be incorrect, perhaps 



it should be of " Thirleton." She had issue a son, 



Alexander Seott, M.D., who succeeded to Major Don's 



property. 



Alexander Don, the eldest of the family, I have already 



made reference to : — by his wife, Bessie Linn, he had a 



numerous family. 



(i.) Sir James, who succeeded him as 2nd Baronet. 

 (ii.) Sir Alexander Don of Rutherford, knight, who married 

 Anne, daughter of George Pringle of Torwoodlee, and died 

 without issue in 1712, when his nephew. Sir Alexander Don, 

 inherited Rutherford. 



*' Don Papers. 



*^ Letter from Dr Hardy, Don Papers. 



