The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

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The Highland Monthly.
passed out of the hands of the Kirk Session, and is now
administered by the trustees of the Inverness Royal
Academy.
Mrs Anne Duff, who is described as " Lady Mackintosh,
relict of Lachlan Mackintosh of that ilk. Captain of Clan
Chattan," also left the handsome sum of looo merks (paid
in 175 1 ) " for pious uses—the money to be settled by the
ministers and Kirk Session, and assistance of the
Magistrates of Inverness, on good security, that the annual
rent thereof may be duely paid yearly to each person, as
re-presented, as, first, I do by these presents during her life
to Katharine Campbell, spouse to Dalshangie, to her
person, and then to be presented by my brother, Wm Duff,
or my nephew, Alexr. Duff, to any old necessitous persons,
either man or woman, and, failing of any of the name of
Duff to be presented, then to the name of Mackintosh or
Clan Chattan, or relation of either of these my executors."
Nothing can be clearer than the donor's intention that
the right of presentation was reserved, and its exercise
restricted to persons of the name of Duff, or belonging to
the Clan Chattan. There was another Mortification, dated
1747, by Elspet Fowler, spouse to William Mackay,
merchant, of 500 merks, destined " to the Hospital and poor
of Inverness."
During Provost Hossack's term of office as treasurer^
some attention was certainly paid to disposing of the
annual rents in accordance with the intentions of respective
donors, but all the funds are mixed together in one account,
instead of being arranged under different branches agree-
ably to repeated instructions. We shall find an improvement
in his successor's accounts in respect to the Library
Fund.
Provost Hossack's accounts were duly examined by a
committee of Kirk Session in 1752, who reported that they
" unanimously agree that the said John Hossack deserves
the thanks of the Kirk Session for his care and fidelitie in
the management of the Hospital funds for the space of 20