NOTES ON A JACOBITE FAMILY DOCUMENT 205 



from which the following may be extracted as illustrative of 

 the man who signed the document now before us : — 



"This was the unhappy man who, after attending Prince 

 Charles Stuart as his secretary throughout the greater part 

 of his expedition, condescended to redeem his own life and 

 fortune by bearing evidence against the noblest of his late 

 master's adherents, when 



'Pitied by gentle hearts Kilmarnock died — 

 The brave, Balmerino, were on thy side.' 



When confronted with 8ir John Douglas of Kelhead (ancestor 

 of Marquess of Queensbury), before the Privy Council in St. 

 James's, the prisoner was asked, ' Do you know this witness "? ' 

 ' Not I,' answered Douglas ; ' I once knew a person who bore 

 the designation of Murray of Broughton -but that was a 

 gentleman and a man of honour, and one that could hold 

 up his head ! ' " 



Many of the prominent lairds on both sides of the Borders 

 openly sympathised with the Pretender's cause when the 

 Prince was at Kelso, and no doubt Mr Gregson (or Greigson, as 

 spelled in the Warrant) was of pronounced Jacobite leanings. 



Mr Gregson was one of the early pioneers of agricultural 

 enterpri.se, and preceded the enterprising Culley family in 

 developing the resources of the soil. He was one of the first 

 to effectually demonstrate the usefulness of the turnip for 

 feeding black cattle and sheep. He was also, as Mr Bolam 

 points out, famous for his hospitality and excellent claret. 



John Gregson died in August 1779, and the Newcastle 

 Chronicle, in an obituary notice, stated that by "his attention 

 and efforts in husbandry he had acquired, with the best of 

 characters, a very large fortune." He acquired by purcha.se a 

 moiety of the estate known as Low Lynn, and the other moiety 

 was purcha.sed by his son, Antiiony Greg.son, who.se son, also 

 Anthony, served as High Sheriff of Northumberland, 1825-6. 



Mr Anthony Gregson was succeeded by his kinsman, Mr 

 Henry Knight (eldest son of Rev. Thomas Knight, Rector of 

 Ford), who assumed, in terms of the settlement, the name of 

 Gregson. He served as High Sheriff of the County, 1 870-7 L 

 The family estate is now owned by Mr Clarence Knight 

 Gregson, grandson of the late Mr Henry Gregson. 



