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 CANADA 
 
 ARCHIVES 
 
 ex lihrii 
 
 1 
 
 A 
 
 ti 
 
T" •I ^*>¥V 
 
 Note on the Probable Origin 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SCOTTISH SURNAME 
 
 OF 
 
 GEMMILL OR GEMMELL 
 
 WITH 
 
 A Genealogical Account of the Family 
 OF Gemmill of Templehouse, 
 Scotland 
 
 BY 
 
 J. A. GBMMILI^ 
 
 OTTAWA. CANADA. 
 
 ifffi 
 
 Printed for private circulation 
 
 by 
 
 John Lo\'ell <Sr» Son 
 
 Montreal 
 
 1898 
 
/?K/^ 
 
 I 
 1 
 
 4 
 
f 
 
 CONTBXTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 On probable origin of the name Genimill 1.4 
 
 Gemmill of Teniplehouse and branches 5 
 
 The Temjlars and Knights of St. John and their Lands 5.8 
 
 Gemmell of South Thorn ]^3 
 
 Gemraell of Auchentiber iq 
 
 Gemniell Rev. Andrew, B.D I3 
 
 Gemmells of Lugtonridge and Leahead inchiding Browns of Hill- 
 house and Clerkland, Tennents, Mrs. Dr. Joshua Paterson, 
 Donaldsons, &c., also Thomsons, Aitkens, Mrs. Macdonald, 
 
 Mrs. Andrew McFarlane, Guthries, &c 13-18 
 
 Gemmills of Holehouse, including descendants in Canada and 
 
 England 24-43 
 
 Mrs. Agnes Smith Lewis and Mrs. Margaret Dunlop Gibson .30-43 
 

 NOTE ON THE PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE SCOT- 
 TISH SLxiNAME OF GEMxMILL OR GEMMELL. 
 
 Authorities agree that the Scottish surname Gemmill or 
 (iemmell is of Danish or Scandinavian origin, being a form 
 of the Danish word gammel, Anglo-Saxon gamel, Old Norse 
 gantaU, all signifying old or ancient} 
 
 From history we learn that hosts of Danish rovers in- 
 vaded England in the eighth and ninth centuries, and that 
 they made extensive settlements in the northern half of En- 
 gland. In the course of time a fusion of the existing peoples 
 and their languages took place, and when surnames were 
 adoDtod in England, about the time of the Norman Conquest, 
 circumstances pointing to a Danish descent probably led to 
 tlie adoption of the Danish word gammel, Anglo-Saxon gamel, 
 first as a nick-name and eventually as a surname.- 
 
 In Domes'day Book (A. D. 1080 to 1086) there is men- 
 tion of several Anglo-Saxon thanes or tenants-in-chief and 
 under-tenants of land bearing the name of Gamel, chief 
 among whom was Gamel, the owner of several manors in 
 Yorkshire and Staffordshire.^ 
 
 The frequent occurrence of the names Gamel, Gammell, 
 Gemel, Gamol and Gamul in the old English records * of the 
 period shows that, shortly after the Norman Conquest, Gamel 
 with variations in spelling was common in England. 
 
 1. Lower on nritish Patronymics aud Ferguson on Surnames, 
 quest, Volflvlp'Voo^* historian, ascribes a Danish origin to the name G&mel, The Norman Con- 
 115, Swf'm^m!'^ ^""' '""^'"^"''"' '" ^^omes'dag Book, Vol. I, pp.xi, 422,477, 493; Vol. U, pp. 
 
 , *iif '?'■'(? '^e Quo Warranto,, pp. 124. 414 ; Calender Charter Rolls, p. 376 : Return of Parlia- 
 '"f*^'-?.'^'.'«uVol- 1. V.filJtotulide Oblatiset'finitnts in the Tow^r of&ndon, Tem^R^g John, 
 pp. 34, A), 36 ; Calender of Documents relating to Scotland, Vol. I. ' 
 

 Traces of the name Gamel, chiefly in connection with 
 the Ecclesiastical establishments ^ are found a century later 
 in that part of Scotland then included in ancient Northum- 
 brio, but it is not until the middle of the thirteenth century 
 that Gernil^ another form of the name Gamel, is for the first 
 time found associated with the ownership of land in Scotland. 
 According to Chalmers,^ the historian, the iiarish of Kirk- 
 michael, Ayrshire, was in former times called Kirkmichael of 
 Qemilstoun — obviously derived from a proprietor or settler of 
 the name of Gemil — the church there being described in 
 Latin charters as " Ecclesia Sancti Michaelis de Gemilstoun." 
 
 " This church," he adds, *' was granted to the Prior and 
 Canons of Whithorn in Galloway by John de Gemilstoun, 
 the son and heir of John de Gemilstoun, Knight, wliich grant 
 was confirmed to them by Robert I, in May, 1325, and by 
 James IV in 1451." 
 
 In the accounts of Eymeric de Maccuswell, Sheriff of 
 Dumfries, of date 1264, Joannes de Gemilstoun is mentioned 
 as indebted in a fine of <£15, and in the accounts of John de 
 Twynhame, the King's Purveyor in Galloway, is an entry 
 under date 1329 of a payment of £63 6 8 as part payment of 
 a sum of money granted by the King to Lady Mary, wife of 
 Jojin of Gemilstoun. ^ 
 
 Joannes de Gemilstoun — probably the Knight above 
 referred to — is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls as one of the 
 Scottish barons who swore fealty to King Edward I at Ber- 
 wick in 1296.'^ 
 
 1. Jlei/istrum St. Andrews {liannatj/ne Club), pp. 127, 224, 261 ; Spoitlsivod's History of the 
 Church of Scollaiul,\o\. I, p. 89; Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, Vol. 1, III, IV ; 
 Ilegistrum de Aberhrothoc {Jiannatyne Chib), p. 19; llei/istrum Vetus de Aberbrothoc, pp. 97, 323; 
 Jtegistrum de Dunfermline, pp. 100, HI, 112 ; Tliomson'sActs, p. 9-1 ; The Acts of Alexander 111, 1248. 
 
 2. Mr. J. S. Ganimell, Laird of Drumtochty Castle, Kiucardiuesbire, supposes the chauge in 
 Bpelllug from Gamel to Gemil to have arisen from a disinclination of the natives to open their 
 mouths wide enough for the broader vowel— just as now in Yorkshire they say jcesh for icash and 
 regs for rags 
 
 3. Caledonia, Vol. VI, p. 533. 
 
 4. Exchequer Holls of Scotland, Vol. 1 . pp. 16, 152. 
 
 5. His name appears in the Koll for Dumfries, which included the Barons of Galloway. ^,- 
 Kirkmichael is situate in the district of Carrlck, at that time within the Sheriffdom of Galloway. ; ^^ 
 Agnew's Hereditary Sheriffs of Galloway, p. Ill ; McDowell's History of Duvifries, p. 216 ; Chalmers' 
 Caledonia, Vol. Ill, p. 66. 
 
8 
 
 It is conjectured that this family was probably the first 
 of the name to lettle in Scotland, and may have been among 
 the Northumbrian Anglicized Danes who w|ere driven into 
 Scotland by the violence of the Normans during the years 
 1068-69-70 — an immigration which was greatly encouraged 
 and aided by Malcolm III of Scotland, 
 
 — or, what is more probable, the progenitor of the family 
 may have accompanied one of the numerous nobles of Saxon 
 and Norman origin who settled in Ayrshire in the reign of 
 the Scottish King David I early in the twelfth century.^ 
 
 As all subsequent trace of the family of Gemip of Gemils- 
 toun has been lost it cannot now be definitely ascertained 
 that its representative of the year 1264 was the ancestor 
 of the Ayrshire families bearing the name of Gemmill, but 
 as it appears that, when a baron of the period built a castle, a 
 village invariably grew up under the shadow and protection 
 of its walls bearing his name — the inhabitants, too, adopting 
 his surname ^ — it may be assumed that here is the source 
 from which all bearing the Scottish patronymic of Gamil, 
 Gamyll, Gammell, Gemil, Gemyll, Gemle, Gemmill and Gem- 
 mell may claim to be derived. 
 
 The records which have come down to us from the six- 
 teenth and seventeenth centuries * show that there were 
 many small proprietors and tenants bearing these forms of 
 the name scattered throughout the central Ayrshire parishes 
 
 1. The grandfather of King Robert the Bruce came from Skeltou in Yorkshire (the county 
 in which Qamels where strong at the time of the Normau conquest) and he took with him to 
 Scotland numerous followers, some of whom founded families in the district in which he settled. 
 McDowell's Hhtory of Dumfries,^. 33 ; Veifch's Border History and Poetry. 
 
 It was a tradition in the family of William Gemmill of Templeland and Garrleve, Cumnock, 
 whose only child and heiress, Euplieme, married Sir TIkomas Wallace, Bart., of Craigie, about 1805, 
 that Gemmill's predecessors left England on account of a quarrel and settled in Scotland, where 
 they purchased the lands he then occupied. Patersou's Ilislori/ of Ayrshire 1st. Ed., Vol. I, p. 293. 
 
 2. Paterfon ascribes a distinctly Saxon origin to this family. History of Ayrshire, 2nd ed.. 
 Vol. in, p. 277. 
 
 3. Johnson's Place tfames in Scotland , p. 73 ; AfcDowetl's History of Dumfries, p. 39. 
 
 4. Stoddart's Scottish Arms, Vol, II, p. 106 ; llegistrum Episcopalus Olasguensis ( Maitland 
 ' Club, 1843), Vol. II, p. 528. 
 
 Inqaisitionum ail Capellum Domini Regis retomatarum, or Record of the proceedings on 
 writs issuing from the Chancery of Scotland to 1547,2 vols.; Register of tlie Privy Council in Scot- 
 
 JLj land; Commissary Record of Glasgow; Pont's Cuninghame by Dobie, p. 390. 
 
 V • A document or petition concerning the election of a priest for the Parish of Kilmarnock iu 
 
 1647 signed by 300 parishioners includes 6 Oemylls. McKay's History of Kilmarnock, 3 Ed. 1864, p. 5. 
 
of Kilmarnock, Fenwick, Stewarton and Dunlop, but of these 
 only the present family of Gemmill of Teraplehouse in the 
 parish of Dunlop can show an uninterrupted line of descent 
 as well as an unbroken chain of title to the property they 
 possessed in the year 1500 down to the present day.^ The 
 other families have either become extinct in the male line, 
 or, having parted with their land holdings, have found their 
 way into other parts of the country— nouibly into Renfrew- 
 shire and the City of Glasgow. 
 
 These changes probably occurred in the last century, for 
 in writing of the country round about Irvine at the begin- 
 ning of the nineteenth century Robertson, the historian, says 
 in his Ayrshire Families, Vol. Ill, p, 330. 
 
 The name ot Gemmill is pretty general in this part of the country ; several of 
 that name have at different times been ranked among the landed proprietors and 
 freeholders, while others have attained to great opulence or have been connected by 
 intermarriage with some of the principal families in the county and elsewhere. 
 
 However this may be, a glance over the roll of land- 
 owners and tenants in Ayrshire for 1892 shows the patrony- 
 mic Gemmill is less common than in by-gone times, 
 
 .,L ^iS * proceeding before the Court of the Baillle of the Templelands held at Ayr on 19th 
 AUB. , 1586, Patrik Gennnlll produced a precept of claru constat from Lord Sanot Johnne Grand Prior 
 of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, the successors of the ancient knights Tem- 
 plars, dated 1551), declaring him heir of his father in the Templelands of Dunlop. There is evidence 
 that this fanuly iiad these lands in UU.— Thu Register of the TempManda, in the General Register 
 
 See also The Templars tn Scotland, by Henry Gough. In the press, 1898 
 The late Revd. John Gemmel, D.D. of Fairlie, who devoted some study to the subject, 
 asserted that the lemplehouse family is the oldest representative of the name.— See hia letter of 
 
GEMMILL OF TEMPLEHOUSE. 
 
 Arms :—Guk!^, a Cross (Templar's) between two bar? geincls, argent. 
 Crest : — Two lions ?ainbs coiiped in Saltire proper. 
 (From Ilerahlic MSS. of date 1024 and W,\, in the Lyon office, Edinburgh.) 
 Motto: — Crux bereditas niea. 
 
 The writers of the several historical accounts of the 
 County of Ayr agree that the ftimily of Gemmill of Temple- 
 house, although of no historical importance, can boast of con- 
 siderable antiquity.^ 
 
 Writing about 1604, Timothy Pont mentions " Temple- 
 Housse" in his Giminghame Topographised, and Mr. James 
 Dobie in his notes to this work adds that " this property of 
 old belonged to the Knights Templars." ^ 
 
 Tbe Knights Templars originated about 1119, witb nine gallant and pious 
 Knights who had taken part in the First Crusade, and who then formed a 
 brotherhood in arms and entered into a solemn compact to aid one another 
 m protecting the countless crowds of worshippers and pilgrims who thronged 
 to Jerusalem in the early ages of Christianity. Warmed with the religious 
 
 Edition!vf/.1v!p"L1^'"'"''"'-^ *'"'"""''• "^VrsMre, 1842, p. 282; Paterson's iTw^ory of Ayrshire, 2nd 
 2. Dobie's Pout's Ciminghame, 1874, p. 379. 
 
and militAry fervour of the day, and animated l)y the sacrcdncsa of the 
 cause to which they devoted their Bworde, they at first called themselvea 
 tiie Poor Fellow-soldiers oj Jesus Christ, but, from their residence near the 
 Temple of Jerusalem, they ultimately became known as The Knights of 
 the Temple, or Templars. Attracted by their distinguished gallantry and 
 urtefulncHB, numbers of knights joined thom, so that within a few years 
 after their institution they became a most jiowerful confederacy, rivalling, 
 ill numbers and wealth, the greatest monarchies of the Middle Ages, From 
 the rise of the Order to the expulsion of the Christians from the Holy Land 
 in 1292, the Templars occupy the most conspicuous j)lace in the annals of 
 the Crusades. Their valour and exploits as chiimpions of the Christian 
 faith, their sorrows and misfortunes, and the varied incidents and events 
 which mark their cliequcred career, impart to their history a lively inter- 
 est and a strong tinge of romance. Their vast possessions, wealth, privi- 
 leges and immunities eventually proved their ruin. Complaint was made 
 tliat the gifts made to them were not devoted to the object intended by the 
 ilonors, and that most of the men>bers of the Order preferred living at home 
 ill luxury to taking? service in ^ihe Holy Land for the protection of the 
 ('liristian Pilgrims. The clergy excit'^d by jealousy and cupidity instigated 
 liie prosecution of the Templars on charges of heresy, idolatry and other 
 crimes and secured convictions by means of torture iind perjury. Pope 
 Clement V, always hostile to them, thereupon annulled their privileges in 
 1309 and transferred the greater part of their lands to the rival religio- 
 iiiilitary Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, 
 i'lie Templars were introduced into Scotland about UGO by King David I, who 
 endowed them liberally, and they soon became possessed of lands all over 
 that kingdom. As there is no record of tiie passing of an Act for their sup. 
 pression in Scotland, as was done in every other state in Europe, it is prob- 
 able that they joined on an equal footing the Knights of St. John in Scotland; 
 for James IV gave a charter confirming grants by the Kings Malcolm IV, 
 Alexander II, Alexander III, James II and James III tOithe KniffJits of 
 the Hospital and Temple,'^ The Grand Prior of the Hospitallers in Scot- 
 land was also styled the Preceptor ot" Torphichen, and in the reign of 
 James IV, the then head'of the order was raised to the dignity of Lord 
 St. John, which title devolved upon his successor in office. The Pre- 
 ceptorship was lield by various eminent persons from the time of 
 Alexander II down to 1543, when Sir Jauies Sandilands became Grand 
 I'rior and Lord St. John. At the Ueformation he renounced Popery, 
 embraced the Protestant religion, and was one of the most decided 
 supporters of the new faith. Sir James resigned the JiOrdship of St. 
 .fohn into the hands of Queen Mary, who erected all the lands into a 
 temporal lordship in his favour under the title of Lord Torphichen by 
 t;liarter dated 24tli January, 15C3, He died 26th September, 1579, and was 
 Hucceeded by his great-nephew James as second Lord Torphichen, who died 
 
 1. Thr Knights Tcnwlarit, by C. O. Addison, Longrann, London, 1842. 
 
 The I'enccuHim of The Knights Templars, by O. A. Hayo, ICdiiiuurgh, 18(!5, p. 114. 
 
 The I'rw.ess against the Templars in Scoltanit, by 11. Gougli, Paleloy, In the proBS 1808. 
 
in 1(517. The prcccjaorH from time to time feuod out tlio f^realer pivrt of 
 tlie landfl wilii tlie double ohjcct of providing for tlieir dependentfl and at 
 the same time securing asuflicient rental. Accordingly in IfiU the riglita 
 held were principally tlione of superiority.' 
 
 A remarkable circuniHtaiice attaching to Temple lands in the olden time wac 
 their recognition as sanctuaries or " houses of refuge." In the record of 
 the trial of Cuninghame of Aiket and llaebourne of that Ilk for the 
 slaughter of John MureofCauldweil, it appeared that llaebourne was within 
 the privilege of tlie regality of the Lord Sanct Johnne (that is the Temple- 
 lands) and he declined to be taken therefrom. - 
 
 Not many years since, an old woman who had got into some difliculty witii the 
 Magistrates of Kinghorn, when pursued by the town ofHcers, rushed into 
 a Temple tenement in that town, and, putting her heail over the window, 
 dared them to do their worst, upon tiie belief that this sanctuary could no 
 be violated. 3 
 
 Fullarton, another aniiotator of Ponfa ivork, states that 
 " Templehouso is a small property in the parish of Dunlop. 
 " It appears to have belonged to the predecessors of the 
 " present proprietor, John OemmiP, of Templehouse, at least 
 " since about the middle of the IGth Century ; and they 
 " probably were originally vassals of the great fraternity of 
 " the Knights Templars, whose domains were ultimately 
 " erected into the lordship of Torphicben."* 
 
 The superiority of Templehosiso was sold by the second 
 Lord Torphichen, as it appears that Robert Montgomerie of 
 Hes?ilhead made charters in 1019, and from iiim it passed 
 successively to Wallace of Cairnhill, Dr. Robert Patrick of 
 Hessilhead and Trearne, William Patrick of Roughwood, 
 W. S., and it is now attached to the estate of Woodside, 
 Beith. The late Mr. R. W. Cochrane Patrick of Woodside, 
 in a letter dated 0th Mtirch, 1890, to Mr. J. A. Gemmill, 
 Ottawa, says : "The superiority of the Templelands in Dunlop 
 *' parish is annexed to the entailed estate of Woodside. The 
 " proprietor of that estate is therefore the Superior, not in 
 *' virtue of anything personal, but solely as proprietor under 
 
 1. t)olil«'ii Ponl'H Cuninghame, 187-1, p. 200. 
 
 2. Pltciilrii'8 Ancient Criminal Triah of Scotland, and RobertBon's IllDtoric Aymhin', p. 18 
 a. Abstract of the Torphichen Charters, p. 3. 
 
 4. Fulhirtoii's I'onfu Cuninghame Topoi/raphised, Jtfaitland Cluh, 1888, p. 172. 
 
•w'-'w iBdwipv ,1/' ~'%-: 
 
 8 
 
 I 
 
 V 
 
 } 
 
 " the existing entail. The position is one merely of academic 
 " and historical interest. No payment was ever made to, or 
 " asked by, me from the lands of Templehouse." 
 
 The earliest record of the family of Gemmill and of 
 their connection with Templehouse is an entry in the 
 Register of the Templelands, now in the General Register 
 House in Edinburgh, and which relates that Patrik Gemmill 
 appeared before the Temple Court held at Ayr on the 19th 
 August, 1586, and produced a precept of clai^e constat of i 
 
 James Lord Sanct Johnne, entering him as son and heir of 
 Johnne Gemmill in the Templelands in the parish of Dunlop, 
 of date 10th August, 1559. The entry is as follows : 
 
 VICECOMITATUS DE AIR. 
 
 " Curia secundaproductionum infeofamentorum terrarum 
 " templariarum infra vicecomitatum de Air balliatun de Kyll 
 *' Carick et Cuningharae super fundum terre templarie Eliza- 
 " bethe Wallace infra burgum de Air coram Davide Crawford 
 " balliuo templariorum ibidem virtute commissionis Domini 
 " Torphichen sub subscriptione sui tutoris subscripte nee non 
 " virtute dispensationis Dorainorum Consilii xix Augusti 
 " 1586. Sectis vocatis curia affirmata. 
 
 " Compeirit Patrik Gemmill and producit a precept of 
 " clare constat of James lord Sanct Johnne under his scill and 
 " subscriptioun enterand him as sone and air of Johnne Gem- 
 " mill of all and haill the tempillandis of Dunlophill with the 
 " pertinentis lyand within the parochin of Dunlope and 
 " scherefdome of Air, of the dait the tent of August, 1559, 
 " withe sesing thairon, Sir Hew Dunlop notter, of the dait 23 
 '• August and yeir of God foirsaid, withe ane Acquittance of 
 " Johnne Spottiswod of ijs for Ixxxv yeir and all utter yeiris 
 " bygane, and the said Johnne Spottiswod grantit it to be 
 " trew," 
 
 The sura ijs (two shillings) here mentioned was the feu 
 
i 
 
 9 
 
 duty payable to the feudal Superior (then the Preceptor of 
 Torphichen), and the fact that a discharge was given to Patrik 
 Gemmill for a stated p'^riod of 85 years would seem to indi- 
 cate that the lands had been held by his immediate ancestors 
 for that period at least previous to 1559 which would carry 
 his family's connection with Templehouse back to 1474, and 
 the continuation of the statement " all uther yeiris bygane " 
 suggests the probability of a title of a much earlier date. 
 It is a tradition of the family that their old records or titles 
 to this property covered a period extending much further 
 back than there is now evidence to support, but the docu- 
 ments were destroyed in a fire which occurred at Temple- 
 house early in the 18th Century/ 
 
 It cannot be confidently asserted that this family repre- 
 sents the parent stock of the name in the district, but it is 
 nevertheless fairly probable, as there were and still are 
 several families of Gemmills and Gemmells in the parishes of 
 Dunlop, Stewarton, Fen wick, Irvine, Kilwinning, Dairy, &c., 
 which claim origin in the Templehouse family, but particulars 
 of the line of descent have not been preserved.- 
 
 The Gemmills of Lugtonridge, Thorn, Waterside, Nether 
 Aiket, Leahead, Deepstone, Auchentiber and Holehouse, 
 represented branches of the Templehouse family, and there 
 were Gemmills tenants in Halket, Waterland and Monieacres 
 as well as rentallers at various times within the Village of 
 Dunlop, who derived from the same source. Another probable 
 oflf-shoot was the now extinct family of Gemmill of Auchin- 
 mede, Kilwinning.'^ 
 
 1. On repairing the present dwelling-house in 1887 a heavy beam of oakwood, charred black, 
 was discovered above the doorway, a relic no doubt of the fire referred to. 
 
 2. The late Kevd. Dr. John Gemmel, of Fairlie, who devoted some study to the subject, 
 asserted that the Templehouse family is tlie oldest representative of the name. — See his letter of 
 20 June, 1877, in possession of J. A. Oemmill, Ottatoa. 
 
 3. Johnne Gemmill in Auchimaid. in 1590 (Heqister of the Privy Council in Scotland, Vol.IV, 
 p. 382.«. The will of John Gemmill, portloner of Aiichinmede, was proved 29th May, 1628, and the 
 will of his son, Andrew Gemmill, on 13th July, 1630 (Comm. Records.) On 28th July, I6;32, Andrew 
 Gemmill was served heir male to John Gemmill, his grandfather, in two I3s 4d lands of old extent 
 of Auchinmaid (Retours), and he in turn apppars to have died about 20th May, 1650 (Comm. Records), 
 leaving an only child, Euphemie, who was served heir of her father, Andrew Gemmill, portioner in 
 the 13s 4d land of Auchinmaid 27th November, 1G72 {Hetmirs). 
 
10 
 
 The first of the Templehouse family of whom authentic 
 recorc exists is 
 
 I. Johnne Gemmill, who was in possession of the 
 Templelauds of Dunlophill, and died some time before 1559. 
 He was succeeded by his son 
 
 II. Patrik Gemmill, who as above stated appeared 
 before the Court held at Ayr by David Crawford, Baillie of 
 the Templelauds, on 19th August, 1586, by virtue of a 
 Commission from Lord Torphichen and '* Producit a Precept 
 oUlare constat of James Lord Sanct Johnne, dated 10 August, 
 lo59, entering him as son and heir of Johnne Gemmill in 
 the Temple lands of Dunlophill." 
 
 In Pitcairn's Ancient Grlmmxl Trials of Scotland there 
 are records of two trials in which this Patrik Gemmill was 
 concerned, and which are curiously indicative of the lawless 
 times in which he lived, when it may be said that every 
 man's hand was against his neighbor. 
 
 On 4 November, 1570, he was one of the jury^ on the 
 trial of" William Cuninghame ot Aiket, William Fergushill, 
 " Florence Crauford and John Raeburn of that Ilk, dilatit 
 '' of the slauchter of umqle (i.e., the late) Johnne Mure of 
 " Cauldwell." ^ 
 
 He next appears as the victim of robbery and abduc- 
 
 tion 
 
 HAMESUCKEN-BRIGANCY-OPPRESSrON-HORSE-STEALING- 
 
 FO RAYING, &c. 
 
 August 1, IGOl-Thomas Cuninghame, sword-slipper, servant to Williame 
 Luninghame, the Laird of Tourlandis. 
 
 Dilatit of certain crimes of theft, and for >king of captive and prisoner 
 Patrik Gemmil. 
 
 
 only of Gemini irTempltouselursS^ '.'^'^«5^' a«d of these the descendants 
 
 continue the possession of the laAds t ion I,«in hv th» V"^'..*"'} ^^"""f^ Maxwell of Nether Pollik, 
 by Sir Michael Shaw-Stewar? Bm of Ardgowan and Sir ^nhn^Vf* ^2f* t^<> being represented 
 Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, Vol. l.Vart. IIlfr?9?Clland C^^^^^ of PoUok, 
 
 Vol. l.p. i^f^""'^'* ««"«•» Of Ayrshire, Vol. IV. p. 238, and Jiobertson's Historic Ayrshire, i 
 
11 
 
 Dittay against the PannelA 
 
 Tlioiijas Cuninglianie, sword-elipper, sometime servitour to William Vaus, 
 arniorar in the Cannogait, being entered on Pannel, dilatit and pursued ; 
 Forasmuch as he, accompanied with Alexander and Hew Cuninghame, 
 brother to the Laird of Tourlandis, the deceased Johne Cuninghame, alias 
 Potter, Marioune Parker, Imbel Parker, her sister, William Spier, servant 
 to the said Alexander, and another boy, lately, in the month of Januar 
 last byepast, under silence and cloud of night, by way of Hamesucken, 
 and Brigancie, came to Patrik Gem mill's dwelling-house in Tempilhous, 
 where he, his wife and family was, in sober and quiet manner, taking the 
 night's rest, dreading no evil or harm ; and there brak up the door of the 
 said house, entered therein perforce, and took the said Patrik and his wife 
 furth of their be.ls, bound his wife foot and hand, and cast her into a 
 mickle kist, menaced th" said Patrik to deliver to them his silver and gold ; 
 and, because he refused to do the same, they bound atether round his neck 
 and hung him up upon a lialk (i.e , a beam), where he hung a long space, 
 until the said Thomas for pity cut him down ; and thereafter taey packed 
 up his whole inside goods and plenishing in sheets and caused tbe three 
 women convey the same theftuously upon their l>acks, and thereafter took 
 and apprehended the said Patrik Gemmill captive and prisoner, and 
 convoyed liin), being an aged nmn of three ycore of years, in a great storm, 
 by the space of xxviii miles from his own bouse, till he came to Cfyddia- 
 holme, where he was relieved by the Bailleis of Lanark ; Usurping thereby 
 our sovereign lord's author. y; the said Patrik being his highness' free 
 liege ; and the said Thomas was art and part of the said crimes. Item, for 
 art and part of the coming upon a Sabbath day, ten weeks sin syne or 
 thereby, in time of preaching, accompanied with Williame Cuninghame of 
 Tourlandis, Alexander Cuninghame his brother, the deceased Johne 
 Cuninghame, the potter, and others, servants of the young Laird of 
 Blaquhannis, and others their complices, to the number of fourteen persons 
 or tiiereby, and ranning of a foray with the Laird of Cuninghames -heids 
 tenants for the thefiuous stealing and reving from them of xii horse and 
 mares, which were sold in the country. liein, for art and part of the 
 theftuous stealing and away-taking of two nags, one soir (i.e, sorrel) and 
 another brown, pertaining lo Thomas Bigger in Byres, furth of the lands 
 of Warreikhill, commiUed in June last was. Item, for common theft, 
 common reset of theft, &c. 
 
 Verdict— The Assyi-", by the aiouth of Johne Farguesoun of the Tie, 
 Chancellor, found, pronounced, and declared the said Thomas Cuninghame 
 to be found culpable and convicted of the whole points of the dittay above 
 written, and crimes therein contained. 
 
 Sestexce— To be taken to a gibbet, upon the Castell-hill of Edinburgh, and 
 thereupon to be hanged till he be dead ; and all his moveable goods to be 
 escheat, &c. 
 
 1. Patersm's HUtory of AgrOure, (iBt Edition) "Vol. I, p. 106. Robertson's ERstoric Ayr- 
 «ftire. Vol. I, p. 36. Andmt Criminal TriaU of Scotland, by Robert Pitcalrn, Maitland Club, 1833. 
 Vol. II, p. 358, 
 
12 
 
 In the Abstract of tJie charters and other papers recorded 
 in the GhartuJary of TbrphicJien from 1581 to 1596 ^ it is noted 
 that on 9 April, 1596, this Patrik Gemmill executed a Com- 
 mission of Replegiation or Resignation of the Templelands into 
 the hands of his superior Lord Torphichen, and it further 
 appears that a charter was iiinde 25 June, 1596, of the same 
 lands in favour of his eldest sou 
 
 III. John Gemmill and Isobel Ross, his si^ousein life rent, 
 and to John Gemmill, their son, his heir's and assigns in fee. 
 
 The latter John Gemmill predeceased his father, and ap- 
 parently without surviving issue,- for there hi a precept of 
 dare constat dated 21 October, 1617, granted by Robert Mont- 
 gomerie of Hessilhead and Tempill Cunyughame, in favour of 
 
 IV. Patrick Gemmill, brother of the late John Gemmill, 
 who died last vest and seised in the laud of Templehouse, 
 reserving to Patrik Gemmill, father to the .said John Gemmill, 
 his life rent over the said lands. On the lintel over the 
 entrance to the barn (now a window) are the initials and 
 date, " P. G. 1620." A Valuation Roll of Cuninghame for 1640 
 shews that this Patrick Gemmill was in possession of Temple- 
 house in that year. {Dohies Ponfs Cuninghame, p. 398.) 
 
 He is also a subscribing witness to the Will of Agnes 
 Gemmill, wife of Robert Wilsonne of Over Borland in the 
 Parish of Dunlop, who died in Nov., 1636. She was probably 
 a near relative, but in what degree is not stated. By her 
 Will she bequeathed legacies to her grandsons John Dunlop, 
 and William Gemmill. (Gomm. Rec, Glasgow.) 
 
 From an entry in the Commissariat of Glasgow, dated 31 
 July, 1665, it appears that Patrick Gemmill married Mar- 
 garet Montgomery. He died in January and she in Decem- 
 ber, both in 1662. 
 
 1. A copy of this scarce book is in the possession of J. A. Oemmill, Ottawa. 
 
 2. He appears to have been married, for " Elizabeth Howie, sponse to Johnne Gemmill 
 Zoonger of Tenipilhous in the parochin of Dunlop " died in the montli of August, 1C16. Patterson's 
 Hitt. of Ayrshire, Vol. 17, p. 238. 
 
13 
 
 They had four sons : 
 
 1. John Genimill who Bucceeded to Templehouse. 
 
 2. David Qemniill to whom with his father, Patrik Genimill, Adam Dunlop, 
 who liad the life rent, and his eon, Allan Diinlop, the fee of the lands of 
 floleliouse, made a disposition dated 27 July, 1636, of the said lands to be 
 held in blench of the grantor.* for payment of a penny Scots— apparently 
 au assignment of tlie mid-superiority.'^ He was probably i. i ancestor of 
 John Gemmill in Thorn, wlio appears to have married on 16 Oct., 1703, 
 1st, Margaret Dunlop in Braehepd, by wl om he had two daughter.-*, and 
 2ndly Janet Geniel, by whom he had one son, James Gemmill. (Dunlop 
 Parish Registers). 7 he property of Thorn came down to David Gcmmell 
 who sold it about 1850 to Robert Findlay, and died 1893, leaving one son 
 James Gemmell, now residing near Dunlop. 
 
 3. Robert Gemmell, third son of Patrick Gemmill, of Templehouse, who in 
 1G63 feued Lngtonridge in the Parish of Beith from the Earl of Eglinton 
 {Dohie's PonVs Cuninghame, p. 318). 
 
 William Gemmill, of Waterside, is supposed to'have been a son orgrand.son 
 of this Robert Gemmill. He m. Nanse Smith {Dunlop Parish Registers) 
 and had: Nanse, b. 1702; John, b. 1704; Andrew, b. 1706, and William, 
 b.1711. The youngest son, William Gemmill, ra.,and had one son, William 
 Gemmill, born between 1740 and 1750. He succeeded his father in 
 Watcr.side, but sold these lauds to Robert Findlay. He was twice married, 
 
 i and one of his sons, James Gemmill, born in 1792, was tenant in Aiket 
 
 Castle, and died there, leaving one son, Robert Gemmell, residing at 
 Cartside, Kilbarchan. The] last named purchased about 1875 South 
 Thorn, or Nether Aiket, originally part of his ancestral property ot 
 ^ Waterside. 
 
 .x*^4. Alexander Gemmell, fourth son of Patrick Gemmill, of Templehouse, 
 feued Liigtonridge (also called Deepstone) from the Earl of Eglinton in 
 1668. (Dobie's Pant's Cuninghame, p. 318). His son or grandson 
 John Gemmell, of Lngtonridge and Leahead, m., 19 Nov., 1722, Janet Kerr, 
 of Auchentiber, Kilwinning, and had with other children John, who 
 succeeded to Leahead, and William, who was tenant in the Langlands of 
 Kilbirnie about 1782, and acquired Deepstone. William married Barbara 
 Kerr, heiress of Auchentiber, and was ancestor of the Genmiells of Deep- 
 stone, and Auchentiber, including William Gemmell, now Laird of 
 Auchentiber, residing at Oxenward Cottage, Kilwinning, and Rev. An- 
 drew Gemmell, U. P. minister, at Ford, Dalkeith. 
 
 1. See Inventory of the Holehouse Titles In possession of J. A Gemmill, Ottawa, whose 
 great greatgrandfather. John Gemmill, of Templehouse, married, 3 Feb., 1725, Janet, the grand 
 daughter o« the above Allan Dunlop who was in possession in 1660. 
 
 ■ 
 
14 
 
 THE LEAHEAD BRANCH— in part. 
 
 
 ^X\ John Gemmell, who succeeded to Liigtonridge nml Leahead as above, b. 1735, 
 was an influential and highly esteemed resident of the County of Ayr. Phy- 
 sically he was a tall and powerful man — G feel 4 inches in height, lived 
 to an old age— received his second eyesight and the unusual phenomenon of 
 a third set ot teeth. He owned sevtn farm.", including Lugtonridge, the 
 neighbouring lands ofLeaiieiid, wheio he resided, and part of Aiket. At 
 his death, May, 1821, he left Lugtonridge and Leaht-ad to his two daughters 
 respectively — tho remainder of his lands passing to his grandsons, children 
 of Andrew Browr. He m. 31 July, 1762, Mar':aret, daughter of William 
 Montgomerie, of Auchentiber, who d. March, 1820, aged 79 years, and had 
 two daughters, Margaret and Janet, The eldest, 
 
 Margaret Gemmell, who succeeded to Lugtonridge, m. 27 Dec, 1784, Andrew 
 Brown, of Hillhouse, and Clerkhill, J. P., and Writer in Stewarton. She 
 d. August, 1839, agtd 77 years. They had issue 8 children : — 
 
 1. Andrew Brown, of Hillhouse and Clerkhill, Surgeon in the East India 
 Company's Service. B. 3 Nov. ,1785. After serving his full time in 
 India, he returned to Scotland in his 39th year, and becnnie a Justice of 
 the Peace and Baillic of Stewarton. He lived at Clerkhill, where he 
 maintained extensive kennels, and was one of the most successful 
 breeders of greyhounds in the West of Scotland. He was very successful 
 in coursing, and took many prizes. He is described as having been a 
 fine, genial, warmhearted gentleman, m, i inost charitable to the poor of 
 his parish. He died unmarried 3 Nov., 18G1. 
 
 2. Margaret Brown m. John Tennent, merchant in Glasgow, and had 
 
 issue 8 children : — 
 
 (1), John.Tennent. Educated at Glasgow Univ., where he distinguished 
 himself. He was an intimate friend of Thos. Campbell,,the Poet — 
 they were fellow collegians. He practiced as a Writer in Glasgow, 
 and was engaged by the then new Railway Companies to conduct 
 their business. in London. Overwork and the shock of a railway 
 accident cut short his life at a comparatively early [age. He m. 
 Anne, eldest dau. of Mr. Bolding, of London, but died without issue. 
 
 (2). Andrew Tennent, also a Writer in Glasgow — like his brother 
 suffered from a railway accident, in which his leg was broken. 
 He died in early middle life. M. Miss Hamilton, of Glasgow, 
 but left no issue. 
 
 (3). Margaret Tennent m. William L. Donaldson, Solicitor in London, II 
 
 second son of James Donaldson of Williamshaw, ^ Stewarton, and 
 Jane Leverton. He was b. 1803 and d. 1861. She succeeded to 
 Hillhouse and was also owner of Old Hall, Dunlop, and resided at 
 8 Addison Gardens, North Kensington, London. She d. 25 Nov., 
 1893, having had eight children as follows: — 
 
 1. Williamshaw is now owned by Tlionias Ollnthus Donaldson. 
 

 I 
 
 f 
 
 15 
 
 I. William Leverton Donaldson, B.A. London Univ. Barrieter- 
 at-lan-, London, and Deputy Coroner for Middlesex,!). 31 
 Oct., 1838, III. 21 Jan., 1865, Louisa Ellen, youngest dau. of 
 the late Capt, Tinklar, Koyal Marine Light Infantry, and d. 2 
 June, 1882, having had issue as follows : — 
 
 a. Arthur Francis Donaldson, b. 1 March, 1868, d. Dec- 
 
 1870. 
 I. Margaret Donaldfjon, b. 10 Dec., 1865, and who succeeded 
 
 tc the Brown estates of Hillhouse, Sec, on the death of 
 
 ', hkT gjMn<lniother in 1893. She has since become a Roman 
 
 ' Catholic Isun of the Ursuline Order in Belgium, and has 
 
 sold most of her aiicestral property, 
 c. Agnes Donaldson, b. 9 Jan., 1867, 
 
 <7, Clara Amelia Donaldson, b. 26 Dec, 1869, and d, 1880, 
 e. Mildred Dom.ldeon, b. 21 Nov., 1871, d. 17 Nov., 1890. 
 /. Hilda Donaldson, b. 16 May, 1874. 
 g. Mary Sybil Donaldson, b. 15 Aug., 1876. 
 
 II. Andrew Brown Donald'^on, b. 7 Feb. 1840,'an Arti.'-t residing 
 
 in London, ni. Agnes Emily,' [dau. of Richard Twining, 
 Banker and Tea Merchant of the Strand, London, and has 6 
 children as follows : — 
 a. Mary Edith Donaldson, b. 23 Mar., 1873. 
 6. Clement Twining Donaldson, b. 26 June, 1874, now a 
 partner in the lirm of Twining, m. 1897. 
 
 c. Leonard Andrew Boyd Donaldson, b. 1 Aug., 1875, a 
 Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. 
 
 d. Dora Margaret Donaldson, b. 29 Mar., 1877. 
 
 e. Phoebe Radcliffe Donaldson, b. 21 May, 1880. 
 
 f. Lawrence Richard Leverton Donaldson, b, 4 Sept., 1882. 
 
 III. Rev. Augustus Blair Donaldson, b. 8 Aug., 1841, Exhibi- 
 tioner of Oriel Coll., Oxford, Honours (Literce Humaniores) 
 and M.A., Canon Residentiary ofthe Cathedral, Truro, Corn- 
 wall, England, m. Joanna Maria, dau. of Dr. Mackie, of 
 Elgin, and Rachel Duff Gordon, of Park, his wife, and has 8 
 children as follown : — 
 
 a. William Lachlan Donaldson, b. 17 April, 1872, Scholar 
 of Worcester Coll,, B,A. in Honours {Literce Hu- 
 maniores). 
 
 6. James Gordon Donaldson, b.lS Mar., 1873, Head Grecian, 
 Christ's Hospital ; Exhibitioner Christ's Church, Oxford. 
 B.A. in Honours {Literce Humaniores). 
 
 c. Randall Macdowall Donaldson, b. 7 Sept., 1874, d. 10 
 Aug., 1881. 
 
 d. Charles Luke Donaldson, b. 18 Oct., 1875, Scholar of 
 Jesus College, Oxford. 
 
 e. Mary Stuart Donaldson, b. 6 Nov., 1876. 
 
 f. Alex. Edward Donaldson, b. 18 Mar., 1878. 
 
16 
 
 g. Rachel Eleanor Duff Donaldson, b. 26 Oct., 1880 
 h. Christopher Herbert Donaldson, b. 26 Mar., 1884. 
 
 IV. Margaret Jane Donaldson, b. 16 Oct., 1842. 
 
 V. Alice Mary Donaldson, b. 22 Oct., 1844. 
 
 VI. Henry Tennent Donaldson, of Brooklands, near Bathur8t,New 
 South Wales, b. 15 July, 1847, m. Agnes Pinkerton (b. 2 
 May, 1851, d. 12 Aug. 1895), and has had 7 children as fol- 
 lows : — 
 
 a. Henry Tennent Campbell Donaldson, b. 22 Feb., 1878, 
 
 died 30 April, 1881. 
 h. Augustus Stuart Pinkerton Donaldson, b. 4 May, 1879. 
 
 c. Archibald Launcelot Leverton Donaldson, b.9 Feb., 1883. 
 
 d. Agnes Rosa Maud St. Clare Donaldson, b. 15 Aug., 1872 
 d. 11 June, 1873. 
 
 e. Agnes Rosa St. Clare Donaldson, b. 14 Oct., 1873. 
 
 / Florence Ethel Donaldson, b. 29 Dec, 1874," d. 9 Dec. 
 
 1875. 
 g. Lilian Mabel Marsden Donaldson, b. Sept., 1876. 
 
 VII. Archibald Donaldson, b. 10 Sept., 1850, Solicitor, 37 Bedford 
 Row, London, E.C., m. Annie Harriett, dau. of E. A. Faw- 
 cett, Esq., of Childwick Hall, Herts, and has 5 children, as 
 follows : — 
 
 a. Archibald Philip Donaldson, b. 24 July, 1881, a Sub. 
 
 Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, 
 6. William Sebastian Donaldson, b. 6 Jan., 188.3. 
 
 c. Mary Catherine Cecile Donaldson, b, 22 Nov., 1884. 
 
 d. Agnes Theresa Donaldson, b. 10 May, 1886, d. young. 
 
 e. Margaret Clare Donaldson, b. 29 Aug., 1889. 
 
 VIII. John James Donaldson, b. 1853, resides in Australia. 
 (4). Elizabeth Tennent, d. aged 19 years. 
 
 (6). Janet Tennent, m. Dr. Mackintosh, Glasgow, and afterwards 
 resided at 2 Sheffield Terrace, Kensington, London. Shed. July, 
 1894, leaving an only daughter: — 
 
 Janet Margaret Mackintosh, m. Philip Berney Ficklin, of Tasburgh 
 Hall, Norwich, and has two boys : — 
 (1). Horatio Pettess Mackintosh Ficklin. 
 (2). Alexander Tennent Mackintosh Ficklin. 
 (6). James Tennent, who d. aged 14 years. 
 (7). Jane Tennent, who d. aged 5 years. 
 
 (8). Mary Brown Tennent, who m. Dr. Joshua Paterson, of 8 Gros- 
 venor Terrace, Glasgow, in his lifetime one of the Trustees and 
 Chairman of the Ferguson Bequest Fund. She still (1898) survives 
 without issue. She and her sister, Mrs. Mackintosh, were joint 
 owners of Clerkhill. 
 3. Rev. John Brown. Born about 1794. Educated at Stewartou, and after- 
 wards a distinguished student at Glasgow Univ. Studied for the Ministry, 
 and in 1819 was licensed by the Presbytery of Irvine to preach the 
 
 i, 
 
■ Jll l« IJill' 
 
 )l. 
 
 17 
 
 Gospel. Not long afterwards he was afflicted with a lingering disease, 
 from which he died in ISiKl, in the ;i9tlj year of his age. After his death 
 two volumes of his Sermons and Prayeri* were printed for private circul- 
 ation. 
 
 4. William Brown, was in the. East India Company's Service, and rose to 
 the rank of Major. He d. of fever while serving with his regiment in 
 the Scindecanipaigo, unmarried. 
 
 5. James Brown, d. of typhus fever when a youth at College. 
 ii, Janet Brown, d. aged 24, uf consumption ; unmarried. 
 
 7. Mary Brown, m- Rev. J. Montgomerie, Established Church Minister at 
 
 iSun(iuhar, and d. without issue. 
 ^. Jean Brown, m. Mr. Miller, and had 3 children : — 
 (1). John Miller, d. young. 
 (2). Margaret Miller, d. young. 
 
 (3). Grace Miller, m. Matthew Brown, of Parkend, Saltcoats, and 
 iiad 8 children :— 
 
 a. John Brown, d. abroad. 
 
 b. James Brown, resides in Natal. 
 
 c. Elizabeth Brown, d. aged 20. 
 
 d. Annie Brown, m. Alex. King, of West Kilbride, and d. 
 without issue. 
 
 e. Wm. G. Brown, resides in Natal, m. Miss King, and has 
 issue. 
 
 f. Andrew Brown, merchant, resides at Alderley Edge, 
 Manchester, m. Lilias Neilson, and has 4 children. 
 
 g. Grace Biown, d. in Natal. 
 
 h. Matthew Brown, in Natal, m. Miss King. 
 Janet Gemmell, second daughter of John Qemmell, of Leahead, succeeded to 
 that property. She m. 19 March, 1793, Rev. William Thomson, Minister 
 of the Relief Church in Beith from 1788 to 1800, and of Hutchinstown 
 Relief Church, Glasgow, for the following 42 years. He d. July, 1842, 
 aged 84 years, and slie d. 26 February, 1847, aged 75 years. They had 
 five eons and five daughters, who in their time were recognized as the 
 handsomest men and the most beautiful women in Glasgow. The eons 
 were nearly all 6 feet 4 inches "in height — splendidly built, and all great 
 athletes. Six of the children died unmarried ; of the others : — 
 I. Margaret Thomson, m. Dr. John Aitken, of Blythswood Square, Glasgow, 
 and had : 
 
 (1) William Aitken, a lawyer in Glasgow, d. unmarried 1850. 
 
 (2) John Aitken, d. young. 
 
 (3) Helen Aitken, d. unmarried, aged 33 years. 
 
 (4) Janet Gemmell Aitken, m. A. G. Macdonald, formerly of the firm of 
 Maclure & Macdonald, Glasgow, and now residing at 8 Park Circus* 
 Glasgow. 
 
 (5) Robert Thomson Aitken, of the firm of Aitken & Fairie, lithographers, 
 etc., and resided at 2 Woodlands Terrace, Glasgow. He purchased 
 Leahead.wben it was offered for sale after the death of his mother. He m. 
 Isabella G. Campbell, and d. Nov., 1895, having had four children : 
 
 i 
 
18 
 
 1. Mary Aitken, d. young. 
 
 2. John Kusoell Aitken, b. 11 Dec, 1871, a law etudent in GiaHgow. 
 ;j. Janet MacdonaM Aitken, b. 9 Oct., 1873. 
 
 4. Archilmid Aitken, d. young. 
 II. Johnston ThoniHon, b. 29 May ,4800, d. in Texas 24 April, 1882. He settled 
 in Montreal, Canada, and after serving some time with the wealthy brewer, 
 Mr. Dow, he became a partner, tiie firm being known as Dow & Thomson. 
 Subsequently he established the firm of Johnston Thomson & Co., Manu- 
 facturers. Hem. Margaret McGuffie, and had eight children, four of 
 whom d. young ; of the others s— 
 
 (1) James Thomsoi.a merchant in Montrcal,d. 1865,and leftdescendantfl. 
 
 (2) Ann Tliomson, m. Andrew McFarlane, merchant in Montreal, and 
 had three children : 
 
 1 . Robert McFarlane, lumber manufacturer in Montreal, m. Alice 
 Smith, and has had :— 
 
 (a) Mary McFarlane, d. young. 
 
 (b,^ Frederick S. McFarlane, b. 1871. 
 
 (c) Annie McFarlane, d. young. 
 
 (d) Ida Gertrude McFarlane, b. 1877. 
 
 2. Margaret McFarlane, m. David Guthrie, calico printer, Glasgow 
 and d. Nov. 1886, leaving: 
 
 (a) Annie Guthrie, b 12 June, 1865, m. 1887, Adam Cross, Craigie 
 Hall, near Edinburgh, and has : 
 
 1. Lilian M. Cross, b. 19 Oct., 1888. 
 
 2. David R. Cross, b. 18 Oct., 1889. 
 
 3. May Phillis Cross, b. 11 May, 1897. 
 (h) Mary Guthrie, b. 28 Aug., 1867. 
 
 (c) James Guthrie, b. 1868, m. 1895, Eva May BairJ, and has had : 
 
 1. Ellinore Guthrie, b. 1896, d. 1897. 
 
 2. Dorothy May Guthrie, b. 21 Jan., 1898. 
 
 (d) David Ernest Guthrie, b. 18 Oct., 1870, m. 1896, HopeMoncrieff 
 Paterson. 
 
 (e) Andrew Johnston Guthri?, b. 16 Nov., 1871. 
 
 (f) Douglas Guthrie, b. ,30 Sept., 1878. 
 
 3. Mary McFarlane, m., 1st, Samuel G.Smith, merchant, Montreal, 
 and bad : 
 
 (a) Herbert D. Smith, m. Mary Irish, and has: 
 
 1. Hazel V. Smith. 
 She m., 2ndly, John Baptist, merchant. Three Rivers, and had : 
 
 (b) George Baptist. 
 
 (3) William Thomson went to Australia in 1851, returned, and resides with 
 his family near Montreal. 
 
 (4) Robert Thomson, resides in Texas, and has a family. 
 
 III. Honourable Robert Thomson, went from Glasgow to Melbourne, Australia, 
 and became a member of the Legislative Council and Speaker of the 
 House. He d. 16 Nov., 1868, aged 56, and left issue. 
 
 IV. Mary Thomson, m.l837, Capt. Barr, of Gold Coast. She d. at Madeira, 
 and left issue. 
 
19 
 
 V. John Oemmill, eldest son of Patrick Geramill No. IV, 
 had a charter from his father dated 15th December^ 1656, of 
 the lands of Templehouse, in implement of a matrimonial 
 contract with " Agnes Smith, his future spouse, and langest 
 livend of them twa." Over the garden entrance at Temple- 
 house are the initials and date " J. G., 1671, A. S." He was 
 succeeded by his son 
 
 VI. Patrick Oemmill, who m. Elizabeth Stevenson, of 
 Whitelee, Stewarton, 1696. Their initials "P. G. E. S. 
 1697" are on the lintel over the byre entrance. He and his 
 father lived through the troublous times of the persecution 
 of the Presbyterians by Kings Charles II and James VII, and, 
 although their names are not recorded as having taken any 
 part in the struggles, they no doubt, like many of their 
 neighbours, were in active sympathy with the persecuted 
 Covenanters. The parish of Dunlop — situate almost in the 
 heart of the covenanting district— was one of those heavily 
 fined by the Privy Council of Scotland, and sustained 
 heavy loss by the quartering, robbery and spoiling of the 
 soldiers and the Highland Host in 1678/ Patrick Gemmill 
 was succeeded by his only son 
 
 VII. John Gemmill. The Bible" vhich belonged to his 
 wife shows that he married as his first wife, Janet, only child 
 andheiressof James Dunlop of HoUhouse and Isabel Dunlop, 
 his spouse, on 3 February, 1725. As he is there described 
 as " of Templehouse," his father must have been dead at that 
 date, but he apparently did not make up his titles to Temple- 
 house until 13 November, 1754, when a precept of dare 
 constat was granted by Mr. William Wallace, of Cairnhill, 
 
 1. Wodroxo'a History of the Sufferings of the C'AurcAo/".Sco«and, Vol. I, p. xlvlli, and Vol. 
 II, p. 420. 
 
 Rev. Gabriel Cunningbame,A.M.,the then Minister of tbeParicta of Dunlop, was prosecuted 
 for not conforming to Episcopacy, for being a couTentiole preacher and for aiding prominent 
 covenanters, Archael, Coll. Ayr di Wigton, Vol. IV, p. 31. 
 I) 2. Her Bible and Marriage Settlement are in possession of J. A. Gemmill, Ottawa. She was 
 
 b. 26 Mar, 1702, m. 3 Feb., 172S> and died 11 July, 1742. Her marriage settlement dated 80 Jan., 1725 
 settled the lands of Hollhouse upon the children born of the marriage with John Gemmill. 
 
20 
 
 a 
 
 
 " in favor of John Gemmill as nearest and lawful heir to the 
 deceast John Gemmill of Templehouse, his grandfather." 
 The instrument of sasine following thereon is dated 5 Nov- 
 ember, 1759. 
 
 The Bible above referred to, printed in Edinburgh in 
 1698, bears the following inscriptions— the first paragraph 
 savouring of the then very recent covenanting times : 
 
 " Janet Dunlop aught this book and non butshee,if shee 
 it loss and you it fine, restore it back to hir again, and if 
 " you do not yet I say remember on the latter day. 
 
 " Written at teraplehous upon the twentie-fifth day 
 Aprile, 1725." 
 
 " Janet Dunlop, hir book, who, being maried to John 
 " Gemmill, of Templehouse, upon the third day of februarie 
 ' on thousand seven hundered and twentiefour years beino- 
 twentie two years of age, and dayed upon the eleventh day 
 of Jullie, on thousand seven hundered and fourtie-two, about 
 *' twel of the clock, being the Lord's day. 
 
 " John Gemmill with my own hand." 
 
 They had issue as follows : 
 
 1. Janet Gemmill, b. 7 April, 1726, m. 20 February, 1752, Adam Dunlop, of 
 
 Stewarton, but d. witliout issue. 
 
 2. Patrick Gemmill, b. 15 July, 1727, succeeded to Templehouse. 
 
 3. Margaret Gemmill, b. 15 Dec, 1728, d. unm, 
 
 4. John Gemmill, b. 9 November, 1730, succeeded to his mother's property 
 
 Holehouse, and of whom afterwards. 
 
 5. James Gemmill, b. d January, 1733, died unm. 
 
 6. Robert Gemmill, b. 10 July, 1734, d. unm. 
 
 7. Helen Gemmill, b. 29 December, 1736, d. unm. 
 
 8. Isabel Gemmill, b. 20 February, 1739, d. unm. at the iiouse of her niece, 
 
 Mary Wylie, Highgate, Beith. 
 
 9. William Gemmill, b. 13 June, 1741, d. young. 
 
 He ma,rried 22 Aug., 1752, as his second wife^ Janet 
 Thompson, and had issue : 
 
 Joanna Gemmill, b. 18 September, 1763. 
 
 Shortly before his death on 28th October, 1784, he sold 
 
21 
 
 
 to A.llan Stevenson half of the lands of Netherhill, which had 
 been part of Templehouse patrimony for a long time pre- 
 vious. 
 
 VIII. Patrick Gemmill. eldest son of the foregoing, had 
 a disposition from his father of the lands of Templehouse, 
 dated 1 March, 1763, in which the provisions in lavour of 
 said Patrick Gemmill and the other children of the said John 
 Gemmill by his wife, Janet Dunlop, were declared to be in 
 full of all they could claim from the estate of him and Janet 
 Dunlop, his first spouse, their mother. He m. 25 July, 1763, 
 Mary, only daughter of William Mackie, of Meiklo Corsehill, 
 and d. 5 March, 1785, leaving issue as follows : 
 
 1. Jean Gemmill, m. May, 1797, Robert Dimcaii, of Common Craig, and d. 5 Sep- 
 
 tember, 1826, leaving issue, wlio-ic descendants are the Fergusons of Stam- 
 perland, Cathcart; Ferriers of Birkenshaw, Bathgate ; FouId8,of Clerlcland, 
 Stewarton; Dunlops of Norton Hall, High Ongar, Essex; Browns ' of 
 Hill, Craighead and Borland, Dunlop. 
 
 2. Mary Gemmill, b. 11 April, 17G7, m. 19 August, 1794, Alex. VVylle, second 
 
 son of Wylie, of Moss-side, Stewarton. She a. 27 August, 1828, funeral 2 
 September, 1828, leaving issue, 
 
 3. Jean (also called Janet) b. 5 February, 17G9, d. unm. G March, 1787. 
 
 4. John Gemmill, b. 25 May, 1773. 
 
 IX. John Gemmill was a minor when he succeeded his 
 father in Templehouse in 1785. He had a precept of dare 
 constat by Thomas Wallace, Esquire, of Cairnhill, dated 8 
 April, 1789, " in ftivour of John Gemmill of Templehouse, 
 only son of Patrick Gemmill, who was the eldest lawful son 
 of John Gemmill of Templehouse, as nearest and lawful heir 
 of his said grandfather in the Templelands of Dunlophill." 
 The instrument of sasines following thereon is dated 20th, 
 and recorded in the Particular Register of sasines for Ayr- 
 shire 30th— both days of September 1790. 
 
 Barbara Gilmour.Uie flrstto introduce about 1C92 the process by which the famous Dunlop cheess 
 was pro|iuced. i lie original cheese press used by her is still to be seen at Hill, Dobie's Pont'* 
 t untngiiame, pp. Uo-OO. 
 

 22 
 
 He m. 31 January, 1797, Jean Barr at Old Hall, Dunlop, 
 and d. 27 July, 1808, aged 35 years and had issue : 
 
 1. Patrick Qemniill,b. 22 March, 1798. 
 
 2. Marion Gemmill, 1 
 
 3. John Gemmill, [Triplets, b. 11 Dec, 1799, and all d. 13 Dec. 1799. 
 
 4. Mary Gemmill, J 
 
 5. John Gemmill, b. 21 Aug., 1802. 
 
 X. PairieJc Gemmilly succeeded to Templehouse on the 
 death of his father in 1808, when only ten years of ago He 
 died two years later, and was succeeded by his only surviving 
 brother 
 
 XI, John Oemmill, who was b. 21 August, 1802. He 
 m. 2 June, 1824, Jean, daughter of John Brown, ^ of Black- 
 law, Stewarton. After his marriage he went to Mexico, and 
 was employed in the Mint for eleven years, when failing 
 health compelled him to return to Scotland. He subse- 
 quently attained an influential position in his parish, and was 
 frequently thanked by the County members of Parliament 
 for services rendered to the Conservative party. 
 
 He had a precept of dare constat by William Patrick of 
 Roughwood, Writer to the Signet, in his favor as heir-at-law 
 to his father, John Gemmill, of Templehouse, dated 3 June, 
 1836. The instrument of sasine following thereon is dated 
 11th, and recorded in the Particular Register of sasines for 
 Ayrshire 25th, both days of June, 1836. He d. 18 June, 
 1862, and his wife d. 18 June, 1877. Issue: 
 
 1. Patrick Gemmill, b. at San Louis, Potosi, Mexico, 27 Marcii, 1825, d. 15 
 
 June, 1825. 
 
 2. Ann Maria Isabel Gemmill, b. at Guanaxnato, Mexico, 2G Julj, 1827, d. U 
 
 August, 1827. 
 
 3. Elizabeth Deans Maria Josepha Leonidaa Gemmill, b. at Guanaxnato, Mexi- 
 
 co, 2 April, 1H2J, d. 18 August, 1829. 
 
 4. Patrick Agopetoli no Gemmill, b. at Guanaxnato, Mexico, 20 September, 
 
 1830. 
 
 1. His ancesters occupied GabrocUhiU for many generations previous to 1687, when John 
 Brown, of Oabroohhill obtained from Sir Alex. Cuninghame, of Corsehill, a charter of the lands of 
 BlacKlttw-hill, which has since continued to be the property of his descendants. 
 
 Dobie's I'onVs t'uninijhame, p, 99. 
 
23 
 
 r. 
 
 Jane Barr Felronila Maria Joseplia de Jesus Gemmill, b. at tiuanaxnato, 31 
 July, 1833. 
 C. Jolin Brown Gemmill, b. at Teniplehouee 28 March, 1837, d. 11 December, 
 1838. 
 
 7. Eliza Gemmill, b. at TemplehouPe, 5 December, 1839. 
 
 8. Margaret Gemmill, b. at Templchouse, 10 September, 1844. 
 
 He was succeeded by his fourth child and only surviving 
 
 son 
 
 XII. Patrick Gemmill, who was for many years an 
 accountant in the Union Bank of Scotland. He m. Miss 
 Chalmers, from Stewarton, and has had : 
 
 1. Mary Anderson Gemmill, b. 10 December, 1867. 
 
 2. Jane Brown Gemmill, b. 4 January, 1870. 
 
 3. John Gemmill, b. 14 January, 1872, d. 3 January, 1875. 
 
 4. Ann Gemmill, b. 18 May, 1874, d. 7 January, 1875. 
 
 5. Janet Gemmill, b. April, 187C. 
 
 He obtained a Decree of Special Service on himself as 
 heir to his father, John Gemmill, of the lands of Temple - 
 house,^ dated 18 October, 1877 — recorded in Chancery, 19 
 October, 1877, and also in the Division of the General Regis- 
 ter of sasines for the County of Ayr, 14 November, 1877. 
 He offered the property for sale in 1886, and it was pur- 
 chased for £3,150 by his sisters, the Misses Jane, Eliza 
 and Margaret Gemmill, who now occupy their ancestral 
 home. The Domesday Book of 1874 sets down the acreage 
 of Templehouse at 52 acres and its annual rental at £92. 10s. 
 The style of the dwelling house and its unusually thick 
 walls indicate that it was probably erected early in the 18th 
 century and on the site of a former residence. The lintels 
 over the entrances to the garden, barn, and byre bear 17th 
 century dates —the earliest bein"; 1620. 
 
 1. Mr. Patrick Gemmill also succeeded to the remaining half of the lands of Nutberhill, but 
 «ol<I them in September, 1877. The other half had been sold about 1785. 
 
24 
 
 THE HOLEHOUSE BRANCH OF THE TEMPLE- 
 HOUSE FAMILY. 
 
 From an Abstract of the Sasines it appears that in 1617 
 the lands of Hoilhous, Hollhous, Hollows, or Holehouse, as 
 the name has been variously spelt, were disponed by William 
 Cunninghame of Baidland, with the consent of Sir William 
 Cunninghame of Caprington, the Superior, to Adam Dunlop, 
 in life rent, and Allan Dunlop, his son, in fee, who were 
 infeft. This would seem to indicate that these lands had 
 been in possession of the Dunlops for some time previous. 
 
 The Inventory of Titles shows a disposition, dated 27 
 July, 1636, by Allan Dunlop to P.i trick Gemmill, of Temple- 
 house, in life rent, and David Gemmill, in fee, of all and 
 whole the If land of old extent of the said Allan Dunlop's 
 two merk and half merk laud of old extent of Dunlop-hill, 
 commonly called Holehouse, with houses, etc., to be held in 
 blench of the grantors for the payment of a penny Scots. — 
 This was probably an assignment of the mid superiority. 
 
 A valuation roll of Cuninghame for 1640, belono-inG: to 
 the late Sir John Dunlop, Bart., of Dunlop, and printed ii: 
 Dobie's Font's Cuninghame{p. 398) shews that Allan Dunlop 
 was in possession of Hoilhous in that year. 
 
 On 23 March, 1704, there is a sasine in fiivour of James 
 Dunlop, of Holehouse and Isabel Dunlop, his .spouse, proceed- 
 ing on a charter of Confirmation Resignation and Novadamus 
 by James Cunninghame, of Aiket, the Superior, dated 23 
 April, 1702. The session books of the parish shew that they 
 had but one child, Janet, born 26 May, 1702, who eventually 
 succeeded to Holehouse. She married 3 February, 1725, John 
 Gemmill, only son of Patrick Gemmill of Templehouse, and 
 Netherhill of Dunlop. The contract of marriage is dated at 
 Stewarton, 30 January, 1725.* 
 
 1. Copy in possession of J. A. Gemmill, Ottawa. 
 

 25 
 
 They had several children — only two of whom, Patriok 
 and Jo^?j, appear to have left descendants (see p. 20). Patncl\ 
 the eldest son, was entered and infeft in the lands of Temple- 
 house and Netherhill, and on 1st March, 1763, he granted a 
 disposition of Holehouse to his brother John. 
 
 In 1771, John Dunlop, of Dunlop, granted a charter of 
 confirmation ' in favour of Patrick Gemmill, which instructed 
 that he was son and heir of the John Gemmill and Janet Dun- 
 lop referred to in the marriage contract of 30 January, 172-3. 
 
 This John Gemmill, second son of John Gemmill, No. VIE 
 of Templehouse, and Janet Dunlop, obtained from his elder 
 brother, Patrick Gemmill, with the consent of his father, Pa- 
 trick Gemmill. the feu right of Holehouse in 1783, but the 
 actual passing of the title was not completed until October, 
 1818, when John Gemmill of Templehouse (a minor and grand- 
 son of the la^t named Patrick Gemmill), with the consent of 
 William Mnckie, his curator, granted a dare constat in favor 
 of James, son of John Gemmill. He married 20 June, 1764, 
 Mary, -eldest daughter of James Dunlop^ of Loanhead 
 (otherwise Mains of Aiket), who was the second son of 
 John Dunlop, 7th Laird of Borland, a branch of the ancient 
 family of Dunlop of that Ilk. She was b. 28 April, 1745, and 
 d. 17 February, 1824. Her husband d. at Beith 23 October, 
 1815, aged 85 years. Both were buried in Dunlop church- 
 yard. By this marriage were four children : 
 
 1. James Gemmill, who succeeJeiJ to Holehouse. 
 
 2. John Gemmill, who 8e'.tle<J to Canada as hereafter mentioned. 
 M. Agnes Gemmill, who married James Smitii. 
 
 4. Margaret Gemmill, who married Hugh McGregor, 
 
 1. This conflrmatioD from the chief of the Dunloiis Ipnds colour to the local tradition that 
 the Duiilops of Holehoase, sprajg from the^ain stock— the Dunlcps of Jiunlop. Paterson tlia 
 historian of Ayrshire, remarks that the collateral branches of the Dunlops were numerou* 
 //is^orj/ 0/ ^i/r»Air«-, Vol. IV, p. ^9. 
 
 2 and 3. Their bibles are in poMession of their grandson, Lt. Col. James Dunlop Gemmill. 
 J ^.1 Ja™e8 Duplop f? said to hare been an excellent and pious man-an elder in the ABsociate 
 Bynod Church of Beith, of which Ker. An<lrew Mitchell was Minister from 1770 to 1812. He mar- 
 ried, about 1740, Agnes. daughter .>f .John Service, of Holmi of Caaf , and had 3 sons and 5 daughters 
 The girls were weli brought up by their mother and, being goiKi looking ladies-gieat toasts ili tl"-=r 
 ^^^'~}\^Ja^^^^ *" ?*" niarried. and made excellent wives. Through this marriage. James Dun' yn 
 grandchildren were legatees of their tr*»latiFe John Ferguson, of Holms of Caaf and Calrnl ock 
 the Irrine Millionaire, who had derired his wealth from his mother's- bachelor brothers the'.Ser- 
 Tices, first cousins of the above Mary Dunlop or Gemmill. ' ' 
 
 See Pedigree of the DuHlop$ of Borland and Loanhead. 
 
20 
 
 James Gemmill, the eldest son, succeeded his father in 
 Holehouse. He was b. 6 December, 1768, and d. 16 March? 
 1.S38, liaving married, at Glasgow (by Rev. Wm. Thomson? 
 Minister of Gorbals), Elizabeth, eldestf daughter of James 
 Young, of Rodinghill, Irvine. She was born 10 August, 
 1784, and d. in 185G. He sold Holehouse in 1818 to Mr. 
 Glasgow, of Montgreenan, and purchased Segganbank in 
 Irvine, where he and his wife lived until their respective 
 deaths. Both were buried in the grave of the late John * 
 
 Ferguson in Irvine churchyard, 
 
 John Gemmill, the second son of John Gemmill and Mary 
 Dunlop — date of birth unknown — served as a clerk with 
 his uncle, Mr. Alexander Steven, merchant in Port Glasgow, 
 and then became a manufacturer of linen thread in Beith. 
 In the spring of 1821 he sailed with his wife and two sur- 
 viving children in the St. David from the Clyde to Quebec.^ 
 Having decided to settle in Upper Canada, he made the jour- 
 ney from Montreal by way of the St. Ijawrence River, Pres- 
 cott, Perth and Lanark — a trip t.hen attended with much 
 hardship and danger. On voyaging down the Canadian 
 Mississippi River, the boat capsized at Munro's Rapids, 
 between Carle ton Place and Appleton, and the flimily effects 
 were tumbled into the water. 
 
 He obtained a grant of land, the West half of Lot num- 
 ber 15 in the 9tli concession, in the Township of Ramsay, 
 now Avithin the limits of the present town of Almonte, but 
 then an unbroken wilderness, and here he carried on a suc- 
 cessful mercantile and farming business until his death, 23 
 April, J 852. He was one of the Township Municipal Com- 
 missioners in 1836, and again from 1838 to 1842, when the 
 
 1. Five of the passengers on tlie St. David bore the name of -Tohn Gemmill, viz : the above 
 Joho Geiuniill and his son, John Alexander Gemmill : John Gemmill. from the parish of Catrine, 
 Ayrshire, who settled at Clayton, in Uanisay ; the Rev. .John Gemmill, a Doctor of Medicine, from 
 Dairy, Ayrshire, afterwards Free Chiircli Minister at Lanark, and his «on, .lohn R. Gemmill, who 
 afterwards removed from Perth to Sarnia, and became clerk of tbe County Court of the county of 
 l.ambton, and died there. His widow died October li?Jo, aged 76. 
 
Commissioners were known as Town Wardens. In the early 
 part of the century he served in the Irvine Volunteers, a 
 military organization formed in consequence of the Napole- 
 onic Wars, and he was a conspicuous member of the Corps on 
 account of his great height — G feet 4 inches. 
 
 He m., first, Ann, dau. of Alex. Adams, who resided at 
 Thornhill, Perthshire, early in the present cei.tury. She d 
 in Ramsay, 15 March, 1828, at 6 o'clock in the evening, aged 
 47, having had 
 
 1. John Alexander Geniniill, of whom presently. 
 
 2. James Gemmill, b. 21» March, 181><, d. 9 Nov., 1819. 
 
 a. Mary Ann Gemmill, b. 24 February, 1820, d. 20 AuguM, 1821. 
 
 lie m. second, Margaret Muirhead, of Longue Pointe, 
 near Montreal, a native of the parish of St. Ninians, Stirling- 
 .•«hire, and liad : 
 
 4. Mary Gemmill, b. II October, 1830, d. 24 July, 1831.1 
 
 5. James Dunlop Gemmill, of whom presently. lTwin«, b. 31 January, 
 (i. William Muirhead Gemmill, d. 14 February, 1833. / 1833. 
 
 She d. G November, 1854. The remains of the husband 
 and his spouses and the youngest boy, William, are buried 
 in Ramsay Cemetery. 
 
 John Alexander Gemmill, the eldest and only surviving 
 child of the marriage of John Gemmill with Ann Adams, was b. 
 in Glasgow 2G October, 181G,and d. at Birchendale, Pakenham, 
 15 Februarv, 1876. He was a merchant in Carleton Place 
 lor some years, and afterwards engaged in literary work, some 
 articles from his pen appearing in the Canadian Monthly 
 Magazine. He m. March, 1845, Janet, daughter of Dr. Wil- 
 liam Cannon,^ of the Royal Navy. She was b. in February 
 
 1. Slip was liiiried at Longue roinie, anil a/tervards, in 1871, ber remains were removed to 
 tLe Muirhead Plot in Jlount Koyal Cemetery, Montreal. 
 
 2. Dr. Cannon and Iiis wife, ^targaret King, were natives of GImsjjow. The latter was a 
 . . .- .... ..... in the commercial 
 
 ■ succeeded in pay- 
 
 , „^, „ ._, _, , .jenting him witha 
 
 handsome silver suutfb >x. He died in 1837. Of his other children, Andrew entered Uie ministry,' 
 became a li.D. and professor of Theology at Kings' College, Nova Scotia; James became a sur- 
 Ifeon in tlie Bengal Artillery, and died at sea otf Ceylon ; and Gill>ert also became a surgeon in the 
 Royal Navy, and was at the time of his death, in 18«3. In»|)ector-Ueneral of Hospitals and Fleets In 
 H. SI. service and a Companion of the Bath. I»r. Cannon entered the Royal Navy, and was for a 
 
 z. iir. cannon ana Ills wite, iMargaret King, were natives oi uiHsgow. Jue la 
 daughter of .Jolin King, one of the Cotton lords of that city, who lopt his fortune in the c 
 crash in 1820. Undaunted by misfortune, he went to work again, and eventually succeei 
 ing his creditors in full, who shewed tlieir appreciation of his integrity by presenting 
 
28 
 
 1822, at Hastings, England, and d. 9 Nov., 1895, in her 74tli 
 year. She and her husband are buried in Ramsay Cemetery. 
 
 The issue of the marriage was an only child, 
 ^ John Alexander Gemmill — now heir male of the Gem- 
 mills of Templehouse, and to whom is destined the fee of the 
 lands of Templehouse — b. at Carleton Place, Upper Canada, 
 20 March, 184G ; educated at Montgreenan House School, 
 Ayrshire; The Grange, Sunderland, and at the University of 
 Glasgow. He studied law in Ottawa, was admitted an ? 
 
 Attorney and Solicitor in 1870, called to the Bar of Ontario 
 at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, in 1871,and is now in practice at 
 Ottawa. He was nominated a Queen's Counsel by the 
 Tupper administration in Canada in 1896 ; elected a member 
 of the Council of the Canadian Bar Association in 1896, and 
 was President of the County of Carleton Law Association 
 1892-4 ; is the author of a work " On the Practice of the Par- 
 liament of Canada on Bills of Divorce," and received letters 
 of commendation from Rt. Hon. W. E. Gladstone and other 
 distinguished men. He was President of the Rideau Club 
 1886-8, and is a director of three railway companies. Served 
 as Lieutenant and Adjutant in the Canadian Volunteer 
 Artillery (Otta^^a), and was on active service with his 
 corps during the Fenian troubles in 1866-70. Married 21: 
 October, 1883, Emily Helen, daughter of Hon. A. W. 
 Ogilvie, * Senator, Montreal. She was born 20 January 
 1857, and was educated at Ladies' Schools in Montreal and 
 
 time BurKeon on board of a war Tessel conimaiided by H. U. H. the Duke of Clarence, afterwards 
 ICing William IV. Subsequently lie served in China and in the Kast and West Indies, and sutt'ered 
 severely from yellow fever, which eventually shortened his life. Retiring on a pension, he came to 
 Canada in 1835, and obtained a grant of laud (patent from the Crown in possession of ,f. A. 
 Uemmill). He practiced his profession in Uamsay, beir? known far and wide as a most skillful 
 physician. He died of apoplexy in IWl, in the Slat year of his age. His pension was continued by 
 the Imperial Government to his widow, who died in 1.SC6, in her 83rd. year. Both are buried \m 
 Kamsay Cemetery. 
 
 1. Hon. Mr. Ogilvie was a grandson of Archibald Ogilvie, who came from Stirlingshire in 
 1800, and settled tirst at Chateauguay and afterwards near Montreal. He founded the extensiv* 
 flour milling firm of A. W. Ogilvie & Co., Montreal, and since his retirement therefrom has been 
 a director of many important financial corporations in that city. He m. 1854, Sarah, daughter of- 
 William Leney, and Helen Muirhead, a sister of Margaret Muirhead, second Bpouse of John 
 Gemmill, referred on page 27. See Canatfian Men and Women of the Time, 1898. 
 
29 
 
 at 20 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh. Mrs. Geniinill has been 
 for some years Secretary of the Missionary Society, St. 
 Andrew's Church, Ottawa, and is also an active promoter of 
 committee work in connection with Maternity Home and 
 St. Luke's Hospital, Ottawa. 
 
 Issue (all born at 14 Vittoria St., Ottawa) : 
 
 1. Louie Playfair Geminill, born 2 t October, 1884. 
 
 2. James Dunlop Ofnimill, born 14 Deceinl)er, 1S85. 
 
 3. .Tolin Ale.K. Oujilvie Gen. mill. ) -p • i « xt i .o-i-. 
 L Herbert Stewart (Jenunill. } ^''""'' ^'"^ ^ November, 1888. 
 
 5. Sliiriey Ogilvic Patrick Gemmill, born 18 January, 1895. 
 
 Lieut.-Col. James Dunlop GemniUl, the only surviving 
 child of John Gem mill's second marriage with Margaret 
 Muirhead, was born in Ramsay 31 January, 1833 — beiuir the 
 elder of twins. On the death of his father in 1852, he suc- 
 ceeded to his business and property at Almonte, but retired 
 soon afterwards. He has always been an enthusiastic sports- 
 man, hunted buffalo on the prairies west of Winnipeg in 
 1801, and many a moose and deer has fallen to his rifle in 
 the hunting grounds of older Canada. He entered the Vo- 
 lunteer Militia and commanded the Almonte Company of 
 the 42nd Rrockville Battalion— subsequently becoming 
 senior Major in the Regiment, and retired with the mnk of 
 Lieut. -Colonel. He was on active service with his corps 
 during the Fenian troubles in 1866. Married 16 October, 
 1877, by Rev. Gavin Lang, St. Andrew's Church, Montreal, 
 Katherine Murdoch, daughter of the late George Knight, 
 merchant, Glasgow, and has had : 
 
 1. Winifred Knight Gemmill, bom 29 January, 1880. 
 
 2. Margaret Edith Dunlop Gemmill, born 25 April, 1882. 
 
 3. Eric Ferguson Gemmill, born at Bournemouth, England 10 March, died 12 
 
 March, 1892, and buried there. 
 
 He retains his property at Almonte, but has resided 
 latterly in England, Switzerland and France. 
 
30 
 
 Agnes Gemmill, elder daughter of John Gemmill, of 
 Holehouse and Mary Dunlop, m. 3 November, 1800, James 
 Smith of Fence-side, Kilmaurs, and d. 10 October , 183:>, 
 leaving an only child, 
 ^^^^ John Smith, b. al Fenceside 28 August, 1801. He was, 
 a Writer in Irvine, and was one of the executors of the Will 
 of his relative, John Ferguson, founder of the Ferguson 
 Bequest Fund, of which Mr. Smith was also principal trustee. 
 He served as Captain of the Irvine Volunteer Ride Corps in 
 1861. He died at Spring Grove, Kilbarchan, 19 October, 1865, 
 having been married at Edinburgh IG November, 1841, to 
 Margaret,* daughter of David Dunlop, Surgeon, Beith. She 
 was born 21 August, 1810, and died 29 January, 1813. 
 Issue : 
 
 Agnes Smith. ) m • , tt •,„ . , ^ . 
 
 Miirgaret Dunlop Smith, / ^^^'"^ ^- '^^ Hamilfiel.l, IrvitiP, 11 Jan., 184;i. 
 
 Agnes Smilh^, the elder, married 12 December, 1887, 
 Rev. Samuel Savage Lewis, M.A., Fellow and Librarian of 
 Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and a distinguished Anti- 
 quary and Scholar. He died 31 March, 1891, and bequeathed 
 his valuable collections of gems to this College. She is 
 authoress of '< Eastern Pilgrims ; the travels of three Ladies 
 in 1870." " The Brides of Ardmore." " ElHe Maxwell," 
 " Glimpses of Greek Life and Scenery," " Through Cyprus," 
 " The Life of Rev. S. S. Lewis," " A Catalogue of the Syriac, 
 MSS. in the Convent of St. Katherine on Mount Sinai," 
 and " A Translation of the Four Gospels from the Syriac of 
 the Sinaitic Palimpsest." 
 
 Margaret Dunlop Smithy the younger, married 11 Septem- 
 ber, 1883, James Young Gibson, the author of a translation 
 
 T^„„- 1 „ ^'i 9/ jier brothers, John Dunlop became a planter and merchant at Louisville, Kentucky 
 Davidandltobert Dunlop became planters in VirRlnia, and both married at the White House 
 Washington, nieces of the first President Harrison of the U. S. Her sisters. Isabella and Mary 
 married the brothers, James and Joseph Hill, East Indian merchants. London. 
 
 ™on v«?-„^®« n'*^/'?*"''*^ /''^^ 'Y, ^"J'- "lUi^ *'"«"'' Blackie. 1893, where she is described as " the 
 well-known Hellenist and trareller, pp. 275, 284 and 300. 
 
31 
 
 from the Spanish ^f-Ccrvnn^ " Viaje ad Parnnsao," |«A 
 %4)|M Numantia, ^ Alter his death, 2 October, 1800, she 
 edited and published an edition of his " Cid Ballads and 
 other poems and translations from the Spanish and German" 
 to which was prefixed a memoir by Agnes Smith Lewis. 
 She is authoress of " How the Codex was Found," being a 
 narrative of two journeys to Mount Sinni. 
 
 Both ladies have attained a high position in the world 
 of Letters I reason of their discoveries of M.*^S. at Mount 
 Sinai, and the following biographical sketch published in a 
 current periodical will prove interesting. 
 
 Last year all the intellectual and literary societies of the world were etirred 
 to the greatest aetonit-hnifnt and admiration hy the knowledge that some 
 very valuable nianuKcriptH had been discovered and deciphered by an 
 Englieh lady in the library of the Convent of St. Catherine, or the Holy 
 Monastry of Mount Sinai. This lady, the wife of the late Rev. S. S. Lewip, 
 Librarian of Corpus Chrieti College, Cambridge, was born in the little 
 town of Irvine in Ayrshire, and, together with her twin sister Margaret, 
 was brought up in that remote district by her father, Mr. John Smith, of 
 the firm of Rankin, Smith and Rankin, solicitors, her mother having died 
 when the twins were only a few days old. They bad no brothers or sisters, 
 and there were no relatives to fill the maternal place in their home; thus 
 the childhood of these two afterwards remarkable women was not by any 
 means a happy one. When they were thirteen years of age their father 
 placed them under the care of a very superior governess, and she remained 
 with them until they were fifteen. Then followed five years of school-life, 
 spent not far from Birkenhead, and in London. The taste for foreign 
 languages from her earliest days of instruction Mrs. Lewis owed to her 
 father. He made his daughters begin Latin at the age often, French and 
 German at thirteen. " When you can speak these well," he said, "I will 
 take you to Paris and to Germany." This promise was fulfilled, and atrip 
 to Rome depended in a like manner on their acquiring Italian. In 1865 
 Mr. Smith died, and two years later the sisters undertook a journey in 
 company with a friend of thirteen months' duration, through Egypt 
 Palestine and Greece. This led to the publication of Agnes Smith's (Mrs. 
 Lewis) first book, " Eastern Pilgrims, the Travelsof Three Ladies in 
 1870." This was followed six years later by "Effie Maxwell," a novel, 
 " Glenmavis," and the " Brides of Ardmore," being also works of fiction 
 from the pen of this gifted lady. 
 
 About 1878 Agnes Smith spent the winter at Mentone, where she studied 
 Spanish, and the following autumn she and her sister began Greek under 
 the tuition of Mr. Weiss, of King's College, London. So enthusiastically 
 
 
32 
 
 ili I lliej' piiFHiie tliis Hliidy tlint at tlip end of oij»lit('pn niontliH they liad 
 read the Iliad and tlie Odensey, and were able to cninniil to memory the 
 whoU'ofSt. Puiil'rt Kpistles. From the very first (lie aieterH adopted the 
 modem (ireek proiiiinciiition ; tliiiH, with very tew additioniil lessnne 
 Imm u nfttive, lliey were able to accpiire a familiar command of the modern 
 liin(?iiiige when they viniteil Greece in tiie spring of 18H3. This visit was 
 li source of great deligiit to both sister-t, as they at once found tliemselves 
 in sympathy witii the people wliose life iind characteristics tliey were most 
 anxious to study. A result of their sojourn in Greece was found in the 
 publication by Aj^nes (in 1884) of Glimpses of Greek lAJe and Scenery, n 
 b<jok wliicli, in its Greek edition, served to render great iK'nelits to the 
 authoress in the way of introductions to many an unknown Eastern home. 
 'J"he Sepletnber of IHHH saw tlie first parting of the sisters, (or Margaret 
 was married to Mr. James Young Gib.son, tiie well-known translator of the 
 Spanish jtoets. Agnes consoled iierself by i)lunging into the study of 
 Arabic, under the tuition of Mr. Uabib Antony Salmone, of University 
 College. Very quickly this difficult tongue became almost easy to this 
 excellent linguist, and by the time eighteen months of her sister's married 
 life had elapsed she was almost proficient in it. Heouming an inmate of 
 Mrs". Gibson's house, Miss Smith, during the next threi' years, made two 
 trips to the East, taking every opportunity of learning conversational 
 Arabic, and collecting the materials for her book of irovcl "Through 
 Cyprus." Mrs. Gibson's wifehood was of short duration, for, in October, 
 188G, she became a widow. In the December of the following year, Agnes 
 was married to Mr. Lswis, one of his.vvedding presents to her being most 
 characteristic — it was a Hebrew Testament, The widow, Mrs. Gibson, 
 lived with them from the very first, nven accompanying them on their 
 wedding tour in Greece. In four years Mrs. Lewis was also a widow, and 
 for the future the twin 8i8ter.^ continued to live together. Mrs. Lewis had 
 for long cherishel an intention of visiting Sinai, her brother-in-law having 
 done 80 in 18G5. In February, 18!);J, the sisters were making plans for 
 this journey, and coming across Mr. Rendel Harris' Apology of Aristides, 
 Mrs. Lewis was induced to take up the study of Syriac, which she did 
 with the help of the Rev. R. H. Kenneth, of Queen's College. A slight 
 acquaintance with Mr. Harris led to a deep friendship with the sisters, ond 
 to Uia teaching them photography. Leaving Cambridge in January, 1892, 
 with a thousand films in their trunks, the sisters returned to that centre 
 with these films covered with impressions from hitherto unknown MSS. 
 Almost all these were successfully developed by the sisters themselves. 
 The story of the sisters' journey to Sinai, and of their subsequent discoveries 
 and labors in the wonderful library in the Convent of the Greek Monks, 
 before referred to, reads almost like a medioeval history, so many were 
 the dangers and so great difficulties they had to overcome. Mrs. Gibson, 
 in her volume, " How the Codex was Pound," gives a very graphic de- 
 scription of the event. Mrs, Lewis attributes the whole success of the 
 discovery to their knowledge of Greek, and to their modern pronunciation 
 of it. Had they been unable to converse intelligibly with the monks, they 
 
 1 
 
 L 
 
\ 
 
 38 
 
 would never liiive heen |ipriiiitteil to see, iniicit Ichm to copy and to photo- 
 >;rapli tliene wonderful Syriac MSS. 
 \V itii tlie Hii-ters on llieir kccoikI vinit were Mr. Keiidel Iliirrin, Mr. niid Mrs, 
 Bennly and Mr. Hiukitl. Unt tlic merit of discoverin;:; I lie Syriac Gospelfl 
 ifl due Holely to Mrn. Lewis, whose knowiedjre of thai almost obnolete 
 lunguajre iH more than remarkable. Ah to tlie copyin;^ of tiiiH wondrous 
 I'lilimpsest, it i^ almost impo-'sihie to give any idea of itn dilllculty. 
 Mrn. Lewirt in at jireHent en;.5aged in editing a Lectionary of the Gofl|)el8 
 in the Pnlentinian Syrine, and lutHalHO given lier anHir'tance in tlie copying 
 of the I'aliiMpseHt discovered hy her in 1H1»2, and deciphered the following 
 year hy I'rofe.xHur Hensly, Mr. Uendel Harris, Mr. F. C. Hurkitt, and 
 herself. 
 
 Another interesting article appeared in the New York 
 Independent o\\ 27th May, 1897.— 
 
 The indefaligalile pair of lady travellers, Mrs. hewis and her sister Mrs. 
 Gihson, have this year made their fouith exploration of the Convent on 
 Mt. Sinai and returned in i-afety, laden with fresh results of one more 
 laborious investigation among the ancient vellum manuscripts in the Con- 
 vent library. Tischendorf made three such visits, and had one piece of 
 phenomenal success and u number of le.'ser satit-lactions ; but it may be 
 regarded as certain that neither he nor any other of the wandering 
 scholars who have visited the Convent attained to a tithe of the acquain- 
 tance with its treasures that Mrs. Lewis po.s.^esses. 
 
 It might have been thought that after the last e.xpedition, in which Mrs. Lewis 
 had devoted herself so successfully to the further decipherment of the 
 j)alimpsest Syriac Gospels as to leave the (irsi transcribers entirely in 
 the shade, she would have been content to leave Mt. Sinai for a while 
 unvisited. In answer to the intiuiry why she made the journey this year, 
 she informed u.s that it was for the sake of a further and final examina- 
 tion of two Palestinian Syriac lectionaries, similar to the one hitherto 
 unique in the Vatican library. Of these lectionaries one was found by her 
 in 18'.)2 at the same time with the more famous palimpset Syriac Gospels 
 and the otiier was found by Mr. Uendel Harris in IHO.*?. They both belong 
 to the beginning of the twelfth century, and are written in that dialect of 
 Syriac which was probably spoken hy our Lord, and has been supposed 
 by some to have been the Galilean speech which "bewrayed" St. Peter. Of 
 all forms of Syriac, it conies nearest to the Aramaic of the Targums, 
 which was undoubtedly the vernacular of Palestine in our Lord's time. 
 
 After the destruction of Jerusalem — or rather, after the unsticcessful struggle 
 with Hadrian — the Jewish rabbis wandered from Jamnia, in the ancient 
 Philistia, to Galilee ; and their books are thencelorth written in the dialect 
 of that district. Nothing, however, is known, of the origin of these Pales- 
 tinian Gospels, which appear to be written in a similar dialect.The lection- 
 aries which preserve the peculiar Syriac speech referred to, appear to have 
 been used in the Malkite branch of the Syrian Church. The translation 
 is considered to have been made from Greek manuscripts of a type which 
 
34 
 
 is MO longer ex tun t ; and ittlienfoie forms im independent wilnesH in die 
 truditioii of llie (Jospeln. Mrs. liewis was anxious to verify whether her 
 tra isoripts and the lext printed from theni were perfectly correct. Aocor- 
 diii^riy slie plimned tliis fourth visit, going this time by sea from Suez 
 to 'J'or, and from Tor to the Convent. 
 
 'I'or iH a very small village on tlie edge of a pantly plain, inhabited partly by 
 ArabH of the Greek faith. It took a whole day to crot-s this plain on camelfl 
 to the foot of the glorioua range of granite mounlainH, of vvhicli Sinai is the 
 nucleus. Another day was spent, in moving up the Wady Ilebran, in 
 whose stony recesses a little purling rill gives life to several beauiiful 
 groves of palm trees. It could not be said that the Wady Hebran was as 
 beautiful as the Wady Feiran, which is commonly identilied with Hephi- 
 dim. Hoth present a vivid contrast of colour in the green, waving treetops, 
 and the dark, frowning cliU's, standing out against the clear sapphire blue 
 of the sky. "We spent," said Mrs. liewis, "our second night in the Wady 
 Solaf, two hours from the Nugb llawa, or pass of the wind, from which 
 point the route to St. Catherines was familar ground." 
 
 In reply to an nxpiiry whether she still considers that Mo.«es had anything to 
 do with this |)art o> the Sinaitic Peninsula, Mrs. Lewis expressed her 
 belief that it was imjwssiblo to account for the traditions of the Hebrew 
 race without allowing that Moses led their forefathers across the desert 
 fron> Kgypt to Palestine. Here the chief dilliculty lay in the question, 
 "How did he feed such a multitude for so long a time ?" No tloubt there 
 was more vegetation in the peninsula in ancient limes tha* there is now ; 
 but even at the present day there are more Hocks of sheep and goats about 
 than the sandy, stony character of the country would lead one to suppose. 
 Their dragoman told them that there was not a spot where they encam- 
 ped this year, with the exception of the dreary plain between Ayiin Mousa 
 and the Wady (Jhurundel, over which they made the return journey, 
 where he coulil not have bought a sheep had he been so minded. This 
 does not do away with the necessity for miraculous agency, but it shows 
 that there is some sustenance for Hocks. 
 
 The return journey was made overland to Suez, to avoid the possible detention 
 in (puinintine. 'J'lie sheik who accompanied thenj informed them that 
 before the ciiiistruclion ol the Suez Canal the caiavans ofUedawin who 
 travelled from Cairo to Ayun Mouoa used to cross through sea water at a 
 spot l;Hlf an hour above theplare from which Mrs. Lewis returned to the 
 Afri«an side in 1H!);J. Sometimes they would have to ride through with the 
 wr.ter up to the saddles of their camels, and somelimes they waded wl.ere 
 it was hardly up to their knees. 
 
 Mrs. Lewis is inclined to believe that the head of the Gulf of Suez was fcnurly 
 further north, and that the Israelites crossed in the manner ileserilcd by 
 the sheik. "But," she added, "I believe stri ngly in a Divine dirtcli( n of 
 their allairs, and of our own ; yet my faith in this would not be shaken if 
 the crossing of the Red Sea could be explained by natural causes. For 
 the forces of nature arc God'.s servants." Hut these are subjects upon 
 which she believes speculation to be almost useless. 
 
 
I 
 
 i 
 
 35 
 
 Alliidinjif to tlioir contributions o the Stiulla Sinaiflca, 
 the E.fposi for i^wyH : 
 
 *' 'J'lic Now Series, Stmlid SinnUiru, issued liy tlic riirnliridijc ITnivrrsity 
 I'rcss, is It'll oil' liy Mr-". Iji-wis iiml Mr^. (lilison, I he forniiT ooiiliiliutiuf^ 
 as tlip (iisl iiiimlicr mI' I lie scries ii ('utiiliti/iit' of llic Si/riiu; MSS. in (lie 
 Convent of S. Cathiiiinf on Mount Siniii, wliile tlie liiltei j^ives \ia ns the 
 Keeoml nnnilier An Aniliic. I'trsioii i\f Ihr KpinlliK of S. I\iiil to llie Ifomaiis, 
 Corinlhiuii>i, (ialatiims, willi piirt of the l'i|>isili' to tiie Eithcttuua from 
 II ninth oenlnry MS. fouml in the same convent. The enterprise, sdioUir- 
 ship, mill iiiiliistry ol these Imiies iire worthy of tlie iimph'st recof^nition. 
 No onliniiry familiarity with liie Semitic iaii<{ua;;es uiu! with ancient and 
 moilern (Jreek winild snlhce fur tlie work whicli they have accomplished. 
 The indii>'try of Mrs. Lewis as well as the wealth of the S. Catharine's 
 lihrary may he ;;iithered fron> 'he fact thai nearly 1(1(1 MSS. and fragments 
 
 are here cata'nj^ned and hrietly descrihed in (Jreek and l'ln;:lish 
 
 Mrs. Oihson's work will he valneil hy all ,\rahi(; Scholars, and those who 
 have not familiarity with the Ian;;nHf;e will learn from tlie sn^^fjestiona 
 of her hrief prclaee the uses to .viiich they may put her puhlieation." 
 
 In ii notice of the cjitnlogne of Arabic MSS. in the 
 Convent on Mount Sinai, tlie Stitio'dai/ Jlevieni of 7th Dec, 
 18 'J 5, savs : 
 
 'J'he stiiily ol'Seniilie liini;iiaj:es has nride ;j;rent striih's in reeeiu years, liihli- 
 eal s(nden(s are especially hnsy, and the science as it is at. present owes 
 mnch to the lalmnrs of two learned ladi<'s. Mrs. (Jih^-on and her sister, 
 Mrs. Lewis, thion;;h their researches in the loiij^ fanions and lonf; nej;Iect- 
 ted lihrary of the muMastery of St. Katharine on Mount Sinai have 
 hronjihl many valinihle and in(erestin<f docnmenis (o !ij;hl. Mrs. Lewis, 
 hv phnto;;raphy, has made her copies nni|neslional>le. Mi's. (idison, on 
 the other hand, sets her extensive philoloi^ical experience to work, and 
 is thus aide to n-e Ilehrew, Syriac and Arahicin makinv; her interpre- 
 tations and in pointinj; out peculiar readin^^s. 'I'lic vuliie of Arahic consists 
 mainly in its lieinij; a livinjj; hinjruai»e. This cannot he said of Hehrew or 
 Coptic, and siianrely of Syriac. Arahic is, therefore. lliou;;li dillicult in 
 itself and especially in its crahhed hcript, the hest fir a he^inner, who, 
 when he knows a sullicienl numher of roots, (inds hiiuself at onee far on 
 the road to Syriac and llehrew. A hetter foundation for the wrilin;; alone 
 may he Ibund in hiero;;lyphics, hut Coptic dillers lou much from the oliierH 
 (o lie of mnch further use, ;\ man who knows any considerahle nninher 
 of hieioj^lyphics can learn (d read Syriac, Arahic, or Ihdirew very rapidly, 
 for all are written in modilied K<j;ypl'an synihols. lint readinj; is not all. 
 Some knowled;;eof the routs common to all these Oriental lanj^na^^eH 
 is the greater necessity. True, we all, even the mo-t ij^norant, know a few 
 words of one dialect of Syriac. A very junior Siindiiy sdiool class will give 
 you the nieaniti); of Talil/id, ninii uv Maranatha. Arahic, except in the 
 
36 
 
 
 form of proper names, scarcely occurs in the Bible. Tlie great importance \ 
 
 of Arabic is, therefore, as a help to the interpretation of the closely allied J 
 
 Syriac. The battle as to the Syriac origin of parts, at least of three of the 
 four Gospels, will depend greatly on the influence of a fuller and more 
 intelligent and widespread knowledge of those languages of the family 
 which are still spoken. To take a t-ingle and familiar example, "Shib- 
 boleth" has crept into English with a curiously perverted meaning. To us 
 it signifies a lest of pronunciation. The Arab knows it in the singular, as 
 a way, the course of a stream, and spells it, as did the Ephraimites, as 
 Sebeel. The Hebrews called it Shebeel, and Shibboleth is the plural. 
 Many other examples might be mentioned, but all go to prove that the 
 knowledge of one of these languages is a stepping stone to the knowled^'e 
 of all. " f 
 
 Mrs. Gibson's catalogue of the Arabic manuscripts at Sinai is therefore of 
 considerable value to the student, and lorms an important supplement 
 to her valuable catalogue, already issued by the Cam bridire Press, of the 
 Syriac manuscripts in the same library, and to the Arabic versions of 
 the Epistles of St. Paul lately published. Some of the Arab versions 
 are of great antiquity. The Epistles just mentioned date from the 
 ninth century, and the oldest manuscripts of the Pentateuch and the 
 Psalter will furnish the scholar with much information. When we com- 
 pare the names of animals, especially wild animals, as they appear in the 
 Authorized Version with those in the Revised Version, we see at a glance 
 how much may be learned in this one particular alone by a careful study 
 of the old Arabic. The Arabs understand certain desert forms. They know 
 the ostrich and the jackal, and can give us a clue to the dragons and the 
 owls of Job. The modern Arabic versions, such as those issued by our 
 missionary societies, are too often mere translations from English, and 
 liave none of the authority whicii would belong to a text of the tenth 
 century— a text, that is older than any Hebrew text that has come down 
 to us. It is impossible here to do more than call attention to the great 
 work on which Mrs. Gibson is engaged, and to hope she may obtain sue. 
 support in her efforts as will encourage her to continue and perseve/e in 
 placing these most ancient versions before inquiring scholars. 
 
 The Expositonj Times of January, 1898, thus notices 
 their latest work : — 
 
 The sixth pskvt oi' Studia Si naitica forms a fitting seijuel to the remarkable 
 contributions to sacred and Oriental literature which have made the names 
 of Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Gib-^on renowned both in Western and Eastern 
 Countries. The Palestinian Si/riac Lectionary which it contains, includ- 
 ing considerable portions of the version of both the Old and New Testa- 
 ment, will count as the second in importance of the monuments which 
 remain to us of this dialect. No reviewer will be able to express any feeling 
 but admiration for the accuracy and beauty of execution with which these 
 texts are issued by the learned editors; and one who is concerned in 
 seeing a Syriac Lexicon through the press is under a special debt of gra- 
 

 37 
 
 titu<le to Mrs. Gibson for her exhaustive aiiJ scholarly glossary. To 
 the text of the leclioiiary, which occupies 134 quarto page", there are 
 appended gome fragments of a hymn or hymns in the same dialect, wiiii 
 a provisional translation. 
 
 Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Gibson have also taken a deep 
 interest in Westminster Theological College, and in its 
 removal from London to Cambridge to enable Presbyterian 
 students who may have graduated in some University to 
 obtain a theological training and at the same time avail 
 themselves of other educational advantages at that seat of 
 learning. Besides contributing liberally to the building and 
 endowment funds, these ladies purchased and presented to 
 the College authorities the site upon which the present build- 
 ings are being erected. 
 
 The foundation stone was laid on 2oth May, 1897, and the 
 following account of the ceremony is from Tlte CamhrUhje 
 Independent Press : — 
 
 As the proposal to remove the college to Cambridge has depended for success 
 so largely upon the munificent help of Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Gibson, it was 
 fitting that the honour of declaring the foundation stone veil and truly L\u\ 
 should be conferred upon them ; and, although the ceremony was of ii 
 semi-private character, a large and brilliant gathering witnessed the event. 
 Accompanying the ladies on the temporary platform, which was gaily 
 decorated with flags, were the Revs. Professors Dykes, Gibb and Skinner. 
 Dr. Watson (Ian Maclaren), H. L. Mackenzie (moderator of the Presby- 
 terian Synod), Sir George Bruce, Professor Macalister, Sir R. T. Turnbuil, 
 and others. 
 
 The proceedings began by the singing of tlie hundredth Psalm, followed by 
 readings from the New Testament by Dr. Gibb, and by prayer, whicii 
 was offered by Dr. Dykes. 
 
 The Rev. Dr. Watson then addressed tlie assembly. He said :— Ladies and 
 gentlemen, I have the honour, on behalf of the Building Committee of 
 Westminster College, to thank j'ou for your courte.«y in accepting our 
 invitation, and to assure you that your presence here to-day is to the 
 friends of our college most grateful and encouraging. And it is my diUy 
 with great brevity to relate the historical circumstances which have led 
 to this foundation. Our Church is one of the smaller branches of our 
 large and world wide communion, and of her it can at least be said that 
 she shares an indelible note of our communion, and that is a profound 
 respect for learning, both secular and sacred. (Applause). Whatever may 
 have been the faults or limitations of the Scottish Kirk, our mother, she 
 at least has given herself during therpast century with all her heart to the 
 
38 
 
 advaccement of education. (Applause) According to her sustaine*] and 
 
 unshaken faith, if a conununion is g'^ing to be strong tiie people must be 
 
 trained botli in letters and in the fear of God. It was therefore always 
 
 her work to establi.-h both a church and a school in everv jjarish, and to 
 
 weave then) icto an organic unity, so that every young child should be 
 
 brought up from the beginning within the frontiers of rt-ligion, an J should 
 
 be served there to his fathers faith. Nor did the Scottish Church 
 
 entertain any poor or poverty-stricken ideal of education, for it was her 
 
 ideal not only tiial every child should receive instruction in elementary 
 
 knowledge, but that every lad who showed any kind of promise should 
 
 receive the highest benefits which a university could give. (Applause.) m 
 
 Of course it would be foolisii for any one to claim that the Scottish ^ 
 
 universities, with their limited resources and with their claims and 
 
 national responsibility, have been able to overtake the highest rtaches of 
 
 culture, or to make such lasting contributions to scholarship as those, for 
 
 (or ;vhici, everyone is grateful, of the more fortunate universitie.s of this 
 
 richer laml. At the same time, it can fairly be said that they kept a 
 
 pathway open from the door of the humblest cottage to tiie university, a 
 
 pathway on wMch the grass was not allowed to grow. (Applause.) It 
 
 tiierefbre follows that if the Ciiurchhas endeavoured to instil this passion 
 
 (or learning in ihe breasts of her people, she was bound to provide an 
 
 educated ministiy. And I think the Scottish Kirk must be put among 
 
 tlie faiths in Christendom who have insisted that every man serving Christ 
 
 according to her order shall have been a member of a university.and after 
 
 passing through a university curriculum shall have received th'ee or four 
 
 years' theological training. This tradition has been so omnipotent that no 
 
 branch of our Church has ever escaped from it. Therefore when Scottish 
 
 congregations were gathered together in England, and they had a synod of 
 
 their own, they immediately established an institution for the training of 
 
 candidates for the ministry, in theology, and that institution lias been 
 
 carried on for fifty years under the care of pious and learned teachers. 
 
 Our building, however, was not academic, and it was not really our own ; 
 
 and when two members of our communion, who not onlv share a love of 
 
 letters, but have themselves made contributions of the greatest value to 
 
 saCred scholarship, were good enough to offer this site, as well as to show 
 
 much generosity in another fashion, our synod most gratefully received 
 
 this gift, and resolved that our Theological College should be re-establislied 
 
 at Cambridge. (Applause.) We have in this way given a pledge tliat we are 
 
 notnnworthy of the historic tradition of our Church,and we have also shown 
 
 as best we can our respect for the work and for the service of this ancient 
 
 University. It will fall to my revered colleague, the head of the College. 
 
 to dwell in detail upon its work, but it is enough for me to say that no man 
 
 can be admitted into Westminster College, unless by special consent seldom 
 
 and jealously given, who has not been trained in a chartered University. 
 
 And although we are not at liberty to (iictale to the University, we believe 
 
 that as time goes on a considerable proportion of our students will be 
 
 graduates of Cambridge. We are, of course, aware that owin<» to the 
 
39 
 
 tienoniiiiational tctts necefj-ary fora Cliurch iiif-titntion this Collegecaimct 
 lie integral part of tlie Uni\erfily, l.iitweare are assured that, so far ts 
 this College advancts the cau»'e of theological science and true religion, 
 she will ever have j-our kindly favour in Cambridge. (Applause.) And 
 we are the snore sure of that by the grateful welcome which by act audd* til 
 so many members of the University have given this day. (Applause.) 
 Sir George Brick said : My dear friends, it is owing to the absence of Dr. 
 Moinet that I eland here to-day. He was to have introduced the two laiJies 
 prior to their laying the li undation stone of this College. Unfortunatelv 
 his health lias prevented him, and I do not know why I have been called 
 to do his duty. Perhaps it is that our clerical friends thought that our 
 Presbyterian usage and constitution ought in some measure to be marked 
 by the introduction of a common elder — (laughter)— as well as these 
 learned ministers. (Applause.) However, I am very glad to stand here 
 to-ilay in order tointroiiuce — although introduction is perfectly unnecessarv 
 — the ladies to the work which ihey are about to perform this afternot n. 
 (Applause.) We ail knew of the distinguished work which they have per 
 formed, but I, ai; the first pilgrim who came to Cambridge in the year 
 1879 — (Applause.) — in order to .=ee what could be done towards the re erec- 
 tion of the Presbyterian Church in this seat of learning, am very proud to 
 lot k back to the work which these laflies did in the early times when we 
 were in the Guildhall. (Applause.) We began services in the Guildhall, 
 and than we moved into the new church in Downing street. I look upon 
 those early movements as, by a true principle of evolution, the natural pre 
 cedent of the College, the beginning of which we are met here to-day to 
 celebrate ; for without those early movements — the movement in the Guild- 
 hall and the movement in Downing street — this College would never have 
 come into existence. And I am here gratefully to acknowledge the cordial 
 co-operation which these la^lies then gave to those early movements, which 
 have had such glorious fruit, and which foreshadow even still greater fruit 
 in the future than in the past. (App'ause.) I have only one dissenting word 
 to offer to the extremely ailmirable address of Dr. Watson. He made us out 
 to bea little too Scottish. (Laughter.) We associate ourselves here with the 
 2,000 Presbyterian ministers ejected from the Church of England in lt;f;2. 
 (Applause.) We are grateful for, and endeavour to stand as the represen- 
 tatives of, all that is great and noble in the Scottish Church , but we strongly 
 maintain the old traditions of the Puritan Presbyterian Church of England. 
 This is a resurrection and a return to the old home that we were so clo- 
 sely represented in and ejected from— the University of Cambridge. We 
 are very glad to be here to do honour to these ladies, because they have at 
 all times stood firm and decided in reference to the faith of the Church of 
 our father.", while extending liberal help to those who differ from them. 
 (Applause.) We who are Presbyterians rejoice gladly because they have 
 been so faithful in the past, and those who are not Presbyterians cannot 
 help admiring the stea<Jfast aiJherence to prin-jiple, mingled with charity 
 and kindness, which these ladies have shown. (Applause.) I need not a<k 
 you to give them a cordial welc^.me. You could not if you would, and ytu 
 
40 
 
 would not if you could, do otlieriri^. I have great pleasure therefore in 
 introducing these iadie?, and in asking them to proceeij to perform the cere- 
 mony of to day. (Applause.) J will afk Mr. H. T.Hare, the architect, to 
 hand to lliem the trowels with which to di-=charge the duties before them. 
 (Applaufee.) 
 ^Ir. Hare having handed the trowels and mallets to Mrs. Gibson and Mrs. 
 Lkwis, the ladies adjusted tiie mortar, and the stone having been lowered 
 tapped it with the malletf, and then said: "I declare this stone to be well 
 and truly laid, in the nan«e of thf Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
 Ghost, Amen." Tiie conclu<)ion of the ceremony was signalized by cordial 
 applause. 
 The trowels bore the following inscription :— "Fuml. Coll. Westmonast, May 
 2i)th, 1897. Agnes Smith Lewis" "Consumeliatur Fund. Coll. Westmo- 
 nast. May 25th, 1897. Margaret Dunk>p Gibson." The memorial stone 
 will bear a brass plate, with the io^cription : "Westminster Theolog'cal 
 Collcoe, May 25th, 1897." 
 Mrs. Lewis said : In laying the memorial stone of Westminster College, I wish 
 to bid a hearty welcome lo the frieatis who have honouretl us to-day bv 
 their presence, and also to say a few words of explanation . We do not 
 purpose to remove our Theological College from London to this place in 
 any spirit of hostility or of rivalry to any other branch of Christ's Church. 
 Such a spirit would be foreign to the whole history of the college. It is 
 indeed the glory of our Presbyterian Chnrcli organization that it effectually 
 safeguards the rights of the pa.-torate (as all our pastors are Bishops— I 
 might say Episcopates) on the one hand, and of the Christian laity on the 
 other. But we are Catholic Chii-tians tirst and Presbyterians afterwards. 
 No doubt we have a strong Scotch element amongst us, but the only 
 Scottish characteristics which we wish to transplant are those of un- 
 swerving adherence to principle and of !?teady perseverance in whatever 
 work we have set our hands to do. Experience has shown us that these 
 do not quite wither away upon English soil, and that in not a few cases 
 they are even of indigenous growth. I trust you will all join me in fervent 
 prayer to Almighty Gal, whose we a-e and whom we serve, that within 
 these walls, now beginning to rise, the good news of His great love to us in 
 Christ Jesus may always be tanght in its simplicity and its fullness ; that 
 the presence of the Holy Spirit may be continually felt here ; that 
 year by year a band of young men may be gent forth fully equipped for 
 the work of the ministry, so that from this place, as from a perennial spring, 
 there may flow forth a stream of blessing throughout our country, through 
 a yet Greater Britain, and to the most desolate places of the foreign mis- 
 sion field ; and that it may be not one of the least of the many streams 
 which go to feed the river of the water of life and which make glad the 
 City of our God. Streams make channels for themselves, according to the 
 nature of the country througii which they pass,and I sometimes think that 
 the Grace of God does so also as it flows throagh our several churches ; 
 but, coming from one source, it is carrying us all onward towards the 
 same goal. And I take the presence of our friends here to-day as a happy 
 
41 
 
 augury for the (success of our colle^^c, but much more as a recognition of 
 our common life in Clirist. (Applause.) 
 
 Mrs. Gibson said: I have only two remarks to add to what my sister has just 
 said. The first is that, so far as she and I are concerned, we rejoice that 
 God has enable<l us in any way to assist in tlie transplantation of this 
 college, and our chief motive, in doing so has lieen tlie wish to employ 
 some of the means whicii our dear father iK-tjueallicd to iia in a \\ay which 
 should meet wilh his approval, and this ►tone is therefore to us an expres- 
 sion of our belief it. immortality. The other remark I have to make is in 
 regard to the name chosen, as I think very wisely, by the Synod for this 
 Collej:('. It is fitting that a Presbyterian Theological College in Cambridge 
 should bear a name which recalls the 'iVestmmstcr Assembly of Divines, 
 and tite large share which, as the learned Principal can tell us, Cambridge 
 scholars had in drawing up that C<>n)iessioii and those Catechisms which 
 are the standards of Presbyteriani*m all over the world. It is our fervent 
 prayer for our Cliurch that she may ever hold fast the spirit which guided 
 the Westminster Assembly, and endeavour to draw her doctrine direct fron» 
 the fountain head of truth, and not from any pools lower down the stream, 
 and that however much the forms in wliich that doctrine is expressed may 
 vary from age to age, the spirit n>ay be the same, so tiiat the Master may 
 say of our teachers, as he did of Ins first disciples, "They have kept Thy 
 Word." (Applause.) 
 
 Pr.fessor Dykes, the Principal of the College, said : By the courtesy of the 
 Building Committee I have leen assigned a place on the programme as 
 representing the teaching statl" of the college, which in future is to be 
 known, when removed to Cambridge, a> Westminster Cuileuie. In the lirst 
 place, we have the pleasing duty of thanking the ladies who have 
 performed the important part of this ilay's ceremony. (Applause.) And 
 I think yon will agree with n>e thal,afier wliat you have heard from my 
 colleague, Dr. Watson, and from Sir George Bruje, thai to no hands 
 more fitly than theirs could this im|>oriant function have been consigned. 
 For not only do we ewe to their munificence the admirable site on which 
 we stand, but I ma}- say that, but for the generous support for which they 
 have made themselves responsible, it is not at all bkely this undertaking 
 would have been taken in hand. Nor could any ladies iiave been found in 
 England whose names better merit to be held in remembrance in con- 
 nection with a theological college taan these — (applause) — *.o whose well- 
 directed enterprise, munificence, and zeal for Biblical scholarship the 
 learned world stands so deeply indebted. Next, I have to discharge the 
 no less pleasant duty of cordially acknowledging the courtesy of so many 
 distmguished members of this ancient University, who have done us the 
 honour to accept the Committee's invitation. Your presence is in some 
 sense a welcome to the new comers, and encourages us to believe that our 
 venture is viewed with tolerance at least, if not even with friendly interest, by 
 a considerable number of resident University men. It was after long hesita 
 tion that the Presbyterian Church of England decided to transfer to one of 
 the great seats of learning its small and inconspicuous thCv-logical college. 
 

 42 
 
 The prevailing motive for doing so has been tlie desire we cherish tlial 
 future ministers of Christ's holy Evangel in our Communion should enjoy 
 during their period of training the best educational advantages to be found 
 incur land. Dr. Watson has spoken of the traditional zeal of Presbytt'rians 
 for education, and has reminded you of the practice of Presbyterian 
 Churches. I think I shall not be reproached with boastfulness by those 
 who know, if I claim that the reformed branch of Protestantism to which we 
 belong, alike on the Continent and in all English-speaking countries, 
 has always set store by the cultivation of learning, both secular and 
 sacred, and has steadily sought to combine in its pulpits ade(|uate 
 knowledge with piety. The practice of the Presbyterian Church, indeed, 
 has been that her future clergy should only enter upon the study of 
 Divinity after a full University curriculum in (he liberal arts. It is this 
 plan which for 50 years this college has pursued. To that practice we 
 propose to adhere. This will be a post graduation college f )r the pursuit 
 of theological stud}' alone. In this building, after the usual undergraduate 
 course either in this or in some sister University, they will spend three 
 yaars in professional training for the holy ministry. And in prosecuting 
 this course of theological study it is our hope and desire tluit tiiey may be 
 enabled to profit in some measure by the lectures of those who adorn your 
 Schools of Divinity. While our Cliurcli will do its best, as in the jiast, to 
 maintain a competent staff to till its own cliairs ol Theology, it will 
 thankfully avail itself of the learning — linguistic, Jiiblical, patristic, and 
 historical — of the eminent scholars who represent in this University tho."=e 
 branches uf sacred knowledge which are the common iield of all Churches. 
 For there is an inter-ecclesiastical domain of theological science into which 
 our confessional differences find no legitimate entrance, and from which 
 Churchmen of every communion have to draw the materials of their faith. 
 If any path is ever to conduct us to an agreement on questions which still 
 ilivide us, that path must lie across the common domain of the many 
 fields of exegetical and historical scholarship that are the peculiar property 
 ofnoCluircli in Cliristendoin — 'n wliioh, as in a true republic of letters, 
 the harned of all Churches labour side by side. One word more. 
 Although we come as strangers to Cambridge, we come as those who 
 were not always strangers here. It is not unnatural for English Pres- 
 byterians, in these happier days of toleration, when this University has 
 opened its gates to men of every creed, to seek once more this classic 
 ground from which against their wills our fathers were driven more than 
 200 years ago. In the days when, under Queen Elizabeth, a party arose 
 within the Church of England inspired by Wittenburg and Ger va, which 
 desired to conform the Church more closely to continental models, it was 
 in Cambridge it found its staunchest defenders. In the days of the Long 
 Parliament, when Puritan Pre.sbyterianism rose for a moment to brief 
 power in England, it was still in Cambridge that its strength la}'. We have 
 been absent long ; and we return feebler than we went ; but if we are to 
 seek again our ancient alliance with the higher education and learning of 
 our land, it is in Cambridge we must seek it. (Applause.) 
 
43 
 
 AfierwarJ.* a rece|itioii ami ga^lell |»arly look place at the lioiL'^e of Professor 
 Macalister, to which a large roin|iaiiy re|)aireJ. 
 
 Marfjaret Gemmill, second dan. of John Gemmill of Hole- 
 house, and Mary Diinlop, m. Hugh McGregor, and had one 
 dau. : 
 
 Mary Ann McGregor, whom., Ist, Robert Brown, no issue; 2ni, James Cop- 
 pin, and liad one son, CItarles Coppin. 
 
 She residetJ at Dewe.*bury, England, where she <lie<J. Her son, Charlea Coppin, 
 b. 1841, ami (I. at Lancaster, England, 20 February, 1884, having m. 17 
 November, 1867, at St. Simon's parish church, Salt'ord, Jane, liau. of 
 James Cooper, Stanley St., .''alrord,and left 1 dati. : 
 
 Margaret Jane Coppin, b. 1874.