CROLLS AT HILL OF HAULKERTON.

The name of Croll has been a prevalent one in the Mearns for several centuries. There have been three families of the name long connected with the parish, among whom no relationship is known to have existed. One of the families were successive tenants on Powburn and Haddo, and the members of another were long resident on the estate of Johnston. The present representative of the third family is the only farmer in the parish in occupancy of the lands which have been held by his ancestors for more than a century. The family came originally from the parish of Fordoun, and probably the following epitaph records the names of their progenitors:

"Heir lyes a faithfvl brother Thomas Crol, vho departed the 27 of April 1678, of age 81; and his spovs Christian Covy, de Ap. 28, 1668, ag. 72:

"Theirs non in question this will call,

Which I write on their dvst,

That to the poor they liberall,
And wer to all men jvst."

It is not unlikely that Christian Covy (Cowie) had . been aunt to the first Alexander Cowie whose name appears in connection with Haulkerton. Robert Croall at Craigmoston may have been their son, and he is the first known progenitor of the Crolls of Easthill. The well-known family of coach-builders in Edinburgh are also understood to have descended from the Croalls at Craigmoston.

Robert Croall, who had been previously farmer at Coullie, settled on Northhill in the last quarter of

the seventeenth century. His wife was Margaret Austine. It was some time before he became reconciled to the change; and when his son was born, he was wont to justify his partiality for his former residence by declaring that the very infant in his mother's arms cried, "Coullie, Coullie," yet. His name appears as an elder in 1702, and probably he died within a few years of that date.

John Crole had succeeded his father previous to 1730, when he was ordained an elder. His wife was Margaret Beattie from Mill of Mondynes, and they had an only son, George, who became tenant of Easthill. After the death of her husband, Margaret Beattie married Henry Peat. Their son, John Peat, born in 1748, succeeded to the tenancy of Northhill, which he held until his death in 1835, and which continued in possession of a daughter for several years. One son was for a lengthened period farmer at Burnton, and another lately retired from Westerton of Pittarrow, now in the hands of his son, William Peat.

George Croll, on reaching manhood, entered on a lease of Easthill. He was twice married, first to Jane Carnegie, from Droniemyre, and afterwards to her cousin, Jane Clark, from Brawliemuir. The second wife was a stanch Berean, and member of the congregation at Sauchieburn. She was a rigid Jacobite notwithstanding, and named one of her sons after the Prince. David Croll, a son of the first marriage, was long a well-known builder, and an elder in the parish of Marykirk. Other members of the family were William, who farmed at Laurencekirk; Alexander, a lawyer in Edinburgh,

who died in early manhood; and John, tenant of Oatyhill, whose son, Charles, was a surgeon in practice in the village; and a daughter, the wife of William Murray at Laurencemuir.

James Croll succeeded his father as tenant of Easthill, and held possession only for a few years, when he died in 1818, unmarried.

Charles Croll was born in 1776. When a young man, he was appointed grieve to Samuel Laing of Papdale, in Orkney, father of the present Samuel Laing, M.P. for the counties of Orkney and Shetland. He married, in 1815, his master's niece, the daughter of Robert Laing, an Indian merchant. On the death of his brother, he became tenant of Easthill, to which the lands of Westhill were subsequently added. Charles Croll died in 1859, and was survived by his wife until 1865.

James Croll, on the death of his father, succeeded to the management, and three years afterwards to the lease, of the farm. He married a daughter of John

Peat, Westerton of Pittarrow.

CHAPTER XXIV.

PORTRAITS BY A DUTCH ARTIST.

The interesting collection of portraits of original feuars and others, which are hung in a room of the Gardenstone Arms Hotel, was procured at the instance of Lord Gardenstone. They were executed

by a Dutch artist named Brich (pronounced like the first syllable of Brechin), who was brought to the village by his lordship, and employed for that purpose. His salary was twenty pounds a-year, with the condition that his spare hours might be applied to taking likenesses on his own account. The collection consists of twenty-one portraits, including one of the artist himself. When his work in the burgh was accomplished, Mr Brich removed to Edinburgh, and exercised his gifts as a teacher of drawing.

It may be interesting to append a list of the subjects of the portraits, with a brief account of such of them as are not noticed elsewhere. For information of the others, the reader is referred to the undernoted pages: David Beattie, p. 173; John Scott, schoolmaster, p. 147; Bailie Gairdyne, p. 145; Alexander Smart, p. 146; John Dallas, p. 158; Mrs Cruickshank and William Cream, ch. xlii.; John Skae, stampmaster, p. 139.

Mr Badenach.-Johnston is given as the residence of Mr Badenach at the time the portraits were taken, 1790-91; and, though the tenant of the old mansionhouse was Dr Leith, he may have resided there for a period. Ultimately he took the feu nearly opposite Farquhar Street, now possessed by John Reid, mason, and erected the cottage which still occupies the site, and in which he continued to reside until his death. The family to which he belonged are said to have been connected with the Barclays of Johnston.

He was the brother of Dr James Badenach of Whiteriggs, grandfather of Mr Badenach Nicolson of Glenbervie. The wife of Dr Badenach was Ann

Graham, daughter of the laird of Morphie, who was originally a Barclay of Balmakewan, and assumed. the name of Graham on succeeding to the Morphie estate. Another daughter was Lady Arbuthnott, grandmother of the present Viscount; and a third daughter became the wife of James Duncan, who for a time kept a small school in Laurencekirk, but was subsequently appointed master of the grammar-school of Aberdeen, an office for which his scholarship well qualified him. James Graham, the son of William Graham, who succeeded his father on the estate, was also resident in the village for a number of years previous to his death, which was the result of an accident near Dunkeld. His grandson is the present laird of Morphie.

Mr Dewar, Aberdeen. This name is found on the back of one of the portraits. It is probable, however, that a clerical mistake has occurred in renewing the inscription, which has been done on several occasions. It is more likely to be the portrait of Mr Ewen, a goldsmith in Aberdeen, who was on terms of friendship with Lord Gardenstone. He was connected with the parish by birth, and was a frequent visitor for many years. His presence at the convivial and other meetings of the council is occasionally recorded. It is understood that he had acquired a large fortune by trade.

John Rae, manufacturer. The grandfather of Bailie Rae, a native of Lumphanan, settled in the village in the early period of its existence as a burgh. For many years, when hand-loom weaving was the principal means of manufacture, he conducted a considerable business, which, previous to his death in