Robert S——­, his son by his first marriage, married Margaret C——.  John S——­, son of Robert, was killed by the Cromwellians, leaving no issue, and was succeeded by his brother, Patrick S——­, who married Elizabeth L——.

It is not obvious when they adopted the principles of the Reformation, but it is to be remarked that this Patrick stood high in the favour of James II. (and VII.).

Charles S——­, son of the foregoing, married Anne D——­, and was succeeded by his third son, another Charles, who married Grizell M——­, and died in 1764.

Robert S——­, his son, married Isabel H——.  Charles S——­, his eldest son, died unmarried in 1783.

H——­ S——­, second son of R——­ S——­, married Louisa M——­, died in 1834, and had issue—­Robert, two other sons, and six daughters.

Robert S——­, born January 1806, in 1825 entered the military service of the East India Company, from which he retired with the rank of Major in 1850, i.e. sixteen years after succeeding to the property.  He died in April 1876.  His two brothers both died unmarried, and of his six sisters, three married, and a fourth, Isabella, entered a nunnery.  She there professed under the name of “Frances Helen” in 1850, the year of her brother’s return from India, and died February 23, 1880, aged sixty-six.

Major S——­, by his will dated June 8, 1853, bequeathed B——­ to the representatives of his married sister Mary, and on his death was accordingly succeeded by her second (but eldest surviving) son, John, who on succeeding assumed the name of S——.

Major S——­ was a Protestant, but this John was a Roman Catholic, like his aunt Isabella.  His eldest brother died without issue in 1867, but he had a younger brother, married, with issue, and two sisters, Louisa and Mary, whom Major S——­, by a codicil of December 14, 1868, carefully excluded from all benefit under his will.

The register of the parish of L——­, in which B——­ House is situated, mentions under the date July 14, 1873, the death of Sarah N——­, housekeeper of B——­ House (single), aged twenty-seven years, daughter of John N——­, farmer, and Helen R——. (In Scottish legal documents married women are described by their maiden name.) It is said that her last illness was very short, lasting only three days.  Mrs. S——­ had the great charity to attend her on her deathbed.  It is mentioned in the register, that the official intimation of Sarah N——­’s death was given, not by her parents nor by Major S——­, but by her uncle, Neil N——.

Major S——­ seems to have been somewhat eccentric, and was very fond of dogs, of which he kept a considerable number.  He had very strong views upon psychical subjects.  He was a believer in spirit-return, and many witnesses have attested that he frequently spoke of his own return after death.  Among these psychic beliefs were two relating to animals; and as they are of a kind not very commonly discussed even among spiritualists, and enter, to some extent,