Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/144

 136

NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. v. FEB. 17, im

Plenty of Water, the Church and adjoining Houses would have been consum'd by the Flames.' See further Tomlinson, * Cyclo. of Useful Arts,' s.v. * Fire-engines'; the 'D.N.B.' (Savery, Nevvsham, <fec.) ; * Encyclo. Brit.,' <fec.

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

"FARNTOSH" (9 th S. v. 28). This word, generally spelt Ferintosh, is not the name of a Scottish dish, but of a Scottish whisky formerly distilled at Ferintosh, near Inver- ness. Duncan Forbes, of Culloden, was an ardent supporter of the Revolution of 1688. He took up arras and contributed to establish King William on the throne. In the follow- ing year he again took up arms and assisted in the prevention of a rebellion about to burst forth. This caused him great ex- pense. During his absence in Holland, to which he had to retire in furtherance of the cause of King William, the Jacobites invaded the barony of Ferintosh, wasted his lands, and destroyed the distilleries situated there. To recompense his loss, the Scotch Parliament in 1690 granted to him and his successors the excise for the lands of Ferintosh of the distilleries of all malt produce from the lands for the annual rate of 400 merks Scots, sub- ject, however, to a similar proportion of any other additional excise which might be im- posed on the kingdom. The result of the excise being thus fixed to a limited sum for the whole barony, however many might be the distilleries, and whatever the quantity of spirit produced, was the erection of several places of the sort, and a great increase of the business in Ferintosh, and consequently an increased value of the land to the proprietor in a twofold degree by the encouragement given to the growth of barley and the process of converting it into spirit. His son, the more celebrated Duncan Forbes of Culloden, in- herited the principles of his father, and in the rising of 1715 he raised men upon his estate, and kept them in arms until after the suppression of the rebellion. He was raised to the influential position of Lord President ol the Court of Session, and did much for the cause of Hanover. Indeed, it was in a great measure through his judicious management that the Elector retained his throne. The expenses incurred by Culloden on the estate in opposing the rebellion amounted to 30,000?., of which none was repaid by the Government, The monopoly of distilling whisky at Ferintosh continued for ninety-four years. The exten sion of the trade was great, and it is said by Arnot that more whisky was distilled in Ferintosh than in all the rest of Scotland This monopoly continued down to 1786 it was bought up by the Government

'or 20,000 M being about sixteen years' pur- chase of what was proved to be its annual value. The whisky was noted for its excel- ent quality, and the name of the distillery Became the general name of the article. On
 * he grant being redeemed, Burns laments in

i 'Ode on Scotch Drink' the withdrawal of the monopoly, and exclaims ;

Thee, Ferintosh ! sadly lost ! Scotland, lament frae coast to coast ; Now colic grips and barking hoast

May kill us a', For loyal Forbes' chartered boast

Is ta'en awa.

A. G. REID.

[Similar replies acknowledged.]

" BOER " (9 th S. v. 3, 57). An extract from the Law Times of 27 January should be inter- esting at the present moment :

" It is curious to note, in connexion with the national designation of our present foes in South Africa, the survivance in Scottish legal and agri- cultural parlance of the closely allied term 'Bower' (pronounced Booer). The expression is properly applied to a person who hires, from the proprietor or principal tenant of a farm, a stock of cows along with the right of grazing them on certain fields. The Bower makes in return a money payment of ao much per cow, and trusts to making his profit out of the sale of the dairy produce. The precise legal position of a party who has a ' bowing ' lease is somewhat indeterminate, being midway between that of a mere manager and that of a sub-tenant. Instances of this mixed contract of lease of land and hiring of labour are now rare, but it is still to be found in agricultural districts. An instance of it in Arran was the subject of judicial consideration in 1894. The word ' bower ' is allied to the Gaelic ' bo,' a cow, and among its numerous cognates in the Aryan languages is included the Dutch term 'Boer.'*

JAS. CURTIS.

SIR MICHAEL CROMIE, BART. (9 th S. v. 68). He was some time M.P. for Ballyshannon. In 1811 (Playfair's 'British Baronetage,' vol. iv. p. 237) he was " a resident in France, where he has been for many years," a fact which accords well with the commissions of bank- ruptcy in 1802 and 1808 against his partners. I should be glad to ascertain the date of his death. That of his wife Gertrude, daughter of Ford (Lambart), fifth Earl of Cavan (I.), was on 3 May, 1796, in her thirtieth year. On the death of their only son, Sir William Lambard Cromie, second baronet, in 1841, the title became extinct. G. E. C.

The above was the son of William Crornie,

a merchant in Dublin, and Fish his wife.

He was created a baronet of Ireland 25 July, 1776. He married Gertrude, only surviving daughter and heir of Ford Lambert, fifth Earl of Cavan, He died 1834 (?). The titl