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derived from ancestors, should remain repaired and protected among posterity (unless they shall have revolted from the probity of their ancestors) in the longest series that is possible to be, to the end that both the said descendants mindful of their lineage should commit nothing unworthy of the unsullied fame and greatness of their parents, but inflamed to the like should superadd some praise by their own virtue, and accession of light to the brightness of their ancestors, and so emulating their forefathers afford to us and to their country faithful subjects and citizens in all things according to their power. We to our faithful and well beloved countryman Alexander Monro fully imbued in the schools and academies of his native country, with the humaner and more subtile letters, who in his novitiate of sterner warfare under his uncle Sir Robert Monro, Major-General, and Sir George Monro, our Lieutenant-General, most valiant knight, his brother being extremely well instructed, followed the party of our most serene parent of blessed memory and ours in circumstances sufficiently adverse, valiantly fought for us as Lieutenant-Colonel for sixteen years, and by his blood and his wounds made a sacrifice to our cause and to the glory of his own loyalty, and that to such a degree that not by the squalor of a prison nor tediu:n of exile, nor loss of fortune did he suffer his fidelity to his kings due and devoted to be stained or besmirched by any blot of treason or supineness of spirit, but individually and indefatigably remained a comrade with our forces, through straits, through cold, through mountains and all that could be inflicted on our faithful subjects in that lamentable time of treason: I say, to this most valiant man, and who has deserved exceedingly well of us, on his request and supplication we deny not for justice and righteousness sake our firm testimony to the honours and offices bestowed on his ancestors by our forefathers the most serene Kings of Scotland (which may be to him in place of a benefit among others). Wherefore after careful inquiry has been made by illustrious and trust-worthy men (to whom we intrusted that duty), concerning the descent of the foresaid gentleman, it has been found by us, and we therefore make it known and certain, and publicly bear witness that it is manifest that our well beloved Alexander Monro, Lieutenant-Colonel, was born lawful son and of lawful marriage by either parent of noble and gentle birth, and for many ages by-past has derived his paternal and maternal descent from distinguished and honourable families; to wit, that he is the son of a truly noble gentleman, John Monro of Obsdall, Colonel among the Swedes, and Katharine Gordoun, united to John in lawful matrimony and John of Obsdall to

his own and his native country's everlasting glory valorously deserved well of the most potent King of Sweden, and was the son of George Monro of Obsdall, by Katharine Monro, daughter of Andrew Monro of Miltoun, by Katherine Vrquhart, daughter of Thomas, Sheriff of Cromarty, by Anna Abernethy, daughter of the distinguished Lord Baron of Saltoun: And George was born of a very illustrious man and chief of his surname Robert Monro of Fowles, by Katherine Ros, daughter of Alexander Ros, Laird of Belnagown, by Elizabeth Sinclair, daughter of the most famous Earl of Caithness: And Robert was born of the former Robert of Fowlis laird thereof (who fell honourably fighting valiantly for his country in the battle of Pinkie) of Anna Dunbar, daughter of Alexander Dunbar, Sheriff' of Moray, by Jean Falconer, daughter of the laird of Halcartoun: Further, this Robert was the son of Hector Monro of Foulis, by Katherine Mackenzie, daughter of the lord or chief of the Mackenzie's (but now of the most renowned Earl of Seaforth) which Hector also had to his father William Monro of Foulis, a knight plainly most valiant for in leading an army at the command of the King against certain factious northern men (he perished by treachery) and to his mother Anna M'Lean, daughter of the lord or chief of the M'Leans, But the maternal line of the foresaid Colonel Alexander is as follows:-He was born (as before) of a noble mother Katherine Gordoun, daughter of John Gordoun of Embo, which John was the son of Adam Gordoun, by Katherine, descended of a most ancient and very noble lineage, to wit, the most illustrious earls of Huntly; and Katherine had to her mother Jean Gordoun, daughter of Gilbert, son of Alexander Gordoun, baron of Aboyn, who also, when he was a son of the Earl of Huntly, took to wife the only daughter and heiress of the most honourable Earl of Sutherland, whereby he himself afterwards became Earl of Sutherland: Who all were united in lawful wedlock, and were descended of lawful marriage of illustrious parents and most distinguished families, and all were renouned for splendour of descent and for virtue: their honorable and excellent exploits transmitted their fame untarnished without any blemish or aspersion of dishonour to their posterity: all likewise for their singular and remarkable fidelity to their country, and renowned exploits against the enemies, with singular honours deservedly bestowed by the most serene Kings of Scotland, for many ages bygone

have left behind them, surviving in this our age, a distinguished progeny, emulous of their virtures: By the tenor whereof we desire you all our friends (saving everyones dignity) alike known

and dear, asked and entreated; that ye treat our contryman, now recommended, Sir Alexander Munro, dear to us on so many accounts, conspicuous for so many lights of virtures, with all offices of civility, love, honour, and dignity, craving again the like favour from us, if in anything ye wish to use our assistance; which things, as they are all true and sure in themselves, that likewise they may be better attested, and more certain to all and sundry, and be known to all men as manifest, we have, without reluctance, granted these our Letters Patent to the foresaid Alexander Monro: For giving full faith also, to which among all men, we have commanded our narrower seal to be appended hereto. Given at Edinburgh, the day of the month of September, the year from the Virgin's birth, one thousand six hundred and sixty three, and the fifteenth year of our reign"

"By Act of the Lords of Secret Council"

28TH APRIL 1886.

On this date William Millar, auctioneer, Inverness, was elected an ordinary member of the Society. Thereafter, Mr Alexander Ross, architect, Inverness, read a paper on the "Old Industries of the Highlands." Specimens of native art and industry were exhibited and highly admired. Mr Ross's paper was

as follows:

OLD HIGHLAND INDUSTRIES.

In these days of great factories and concentration of labour in the production of articles required for the daily use of man, it may be interesting and profitable to recall some of the old and peculiar modes employed by our countrymen for providing food, clothing, and implements, but which modes have now almost disappeared:

Machinery, driven by steam, has done away with much hand labour, and, under the guiding hand of man, does nearly all the work, where mechanical power is required, and thus gets rid, in a large degree, of the great waste involved in manual labour. This centralised production has tended to enlarge and extend our towns and seats of industry, and to produce articles for the million at a relatively much less cost than could be done by hand labour, and, by means of transport and commerce, to send machine-made articles into the furthest corners of the earth, civilised and uncivilised; hence we find ranged alongside stone and

flint implements, the latest gay and fancy fabric of Manchester and Birmingham. Even the Hindoo and Chinaman's gods and idols are manufactured in our British workshops, and many other articles which are considered peculiar to certain nations. I had occasion to remark this particularly in a Liverpool counting-house, for on asking what were the goods they exported from this country, a drawer was pulled out and samples displayed. These consisted of Spanish hedalgos, spurs, and brilliant saddles, and saddle cloths, Spanish mantillas, &c., of gorgeous and rich colours, such as that noble animal the "British Crocker," always declares the British manufacturers can neither rival nor approach.

It is extremely interesting to study the progress from primitive machinery to the most advanced and intricate results of modern times, and perhaps the Highlands of Scotland afforded till recently a very good field for such study.

The Lowlands of Scotland long retained their ancient practices as regards home-mades, and I can myself recall the time before the modern lucifer match and vesta were introduced, fire was produced by various simple methods, and when the old gaberlunzie man wandered round the country, and the chapman paid his accustomed visit to supply jewellery, and such literature as was then read, the old cruize lamp with fish oil and rush which supplied the poor flicker of light to permit the maids to spin and the

hinds to read.

In the Highland Glens the primitive native arts were continued to even a later date than in the Lowlands. This would naturally arise from the difficulty of intercommunication in consequence of the want of roads and sparseness of population. Accordingly we find the old manners and customs remaining, and the old modes of cultivation being practised long after they had disappeared from amongst their more advanced countrymen. It is to these practices I would now draw your attention to-night, and perhaps it may be the simplest way and most instructive if I take a glance at a few of the more useful and common arts and discuss each in detail.

Beginning with 1st, dwellings and utensils; 2nd, a riculture ; 3rd, food; 4th, clothing; 5th luxuries; and 6th, articles of com

merce.

I cannot expect to exhaust any one of these subjects, but I may touch on a few of each.

The dwelling or shelter naturally comes amongst the first requirements of a race, and the implements necessary to procure food and clothing.

I need not go into the very early forms of lake dwellings, traces of such being found in almost all the islands, natural and artificial, in our lochs under the name of crannogs. Nor shall I touch on the beehive and eird houses so common in Aberdeenshire and Caithness, and into which the early Pict could barely crawl. (By the way, Pennant says the origin of the name Pict, is from Picteich a Thief —an origin, I daresay, some of you may be inclined to dispute. Their houses were simply little domes of stone 8 or 10 feet diameter, into which the native crept and lived in the rudest and most primitive fashion. At this stage only the simplest instruments were available, such as stone hatchets and hammers, flint arrow heads, bone needles, &c., yet by means of these and the action of fire the ancient savage was able to cut down trees, scoop out and form them for canoes, dress stones to form the quern, and rubbing stones to bruise and grind the grain and roots for food. He was also able to form a mortar pestal of stone, and by fish bones form needles to sew the fibre of various plants and hooks wherewith to catch a further supply of fish.

A little further on and metals came to his aid, and we find bronze and iron taking the place of stone implements, and gold and silver ornaments coming into use, many of them exhibiting very high culture and taste.

When our forefathers took to roofing their dwellings with timber instead of stone, the form seems to have been generally circular, and we have this type in the hut circles, which, as a rule, are just of sufficient diameter to permit the space to be covered in by cabers placed on the ground or low turf dyke, and to converge at the top into a point, and so far a tent, or like a conical house. This would seem to have been the usual form of dwelling of the native Briton at the time of the Roman Invasion, for we find the "Candida Casa" at Whithorn of St Ninian in the sixth century much thought of as the first stone and lime built whitehouse.

In England the progress in castle building and also of church work was progressive, and culminated in the grand cathedrals and castles of the thirteenth century.

In Scotland the progress was not so marked and steady, and we have no church work to show older than the eleventh century, nor of domestic work anything so early. I would, however, remark, that from the beginning of the eleventh century till the sixteenth century, Scotland can hold her own with any country both in ecclesiastical and baronial architecture. Still alongside the great advances made in baronial and ecclesiastical architecture

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