ORNITHOLOGISTS 
XXXI 
Grierson, Dr. Thomas Boyle, only son of William Grierson 
draper in Dumfries, b. February 19th, 1818. 
Educated at Edinburgh. After obtaining his degree 
as a Doctor of Medicine he resided for a short time at 
Elvanfoot, removing to Thornhill in 1842. Shortly 
afterwards he went to Moniaive, but on the requisition 
of the residents of Thornhill he returned there and, 
worked up an extensive practice. He was one of the 
founders of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural 
History and Antiquarian Society in 1862 and con- 
tributed many papers to the subsequent Transactions 
of that Society. During his residence at Thornhill, 
he formed a miscellaneous collection of fossils, shells, 
anatomical and botanical specimens, antiques, stuffed 
birds, eggs, manuscripts, books, etc., etc. Having 
been granted a site together with building material 
by the then Duke of Buccleuch, the foundation stone 
of his " Museum " was laid on June 22nd, 1869, but 
it was not till July, 1872, that it was open to the 
public. Grierson's MS. Notes, and his " Running 
Catalogue of the Contents of My Museum," 1860-1875, 
have been laid under frequent contribution through- 
out this volume. At his death on October 3rd, 1889, 
he bequeathed his " Museum " to the village, with 
£1,000 for upkeep. The collection in 1894 was valued 
at £5,000. His memory is still cherished in the 
district, and as recently as 1908, when speaking to a 
carpenter who had assisted in the construction of the 
various glass-cases in the Museum, I was told that 
" the only way to make the Doctor angry was to say 
some object of Nature was ugly ; such a remark 
invariably resulted in the order — ' get out of this ! ' " 
Hastings, William, b. 1811, in Glencairn Parish. Was 
employed as under-gardener at Drumlanrig and 
Closeburn, and head-gardener at Gribton (Holywood) 
in 1852. As taxidermist at Dumfries, in a good way 
of business from 1860-1885, he received many consign- 
ments of birds' skins from Indian officers. A frequent 
contributor, 1879-1889, of "Notes on Birds," to the 
Transactions of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway 
