The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

The Hospital oj Inverness. 413
Martinmas, 175 1, amount of principal ^55 lis ij^id, and
interest ^58 6s 8d, is entered in Bailie Hossack's Charge
accounts : it does not occur in the Discharge accounts, and
the capital probably formed part of a sum contained in a
bill accepted to John Hossack's order by Mr Wm. Forbes,
VV.S., for ^320.
The Laird of Dipple's promissory note, which appears
in Gilbert Gordon's Charge, 173 1, seems to be represented
in his Discharge by bill, John Macbean and Hugh Robertson,
for £m 6s 8d, and in Provost Hossack's accounts by
the same bill for £2^ 15s 6;'3d, part of which seems to have
been paid up.
In the Minute of Session immediately succeeding the
one in which it was agreed that search should be made with
reference to Dipple's mortification of 500 merks, the first
matter recorded is a letter from the Earl of Fife presenting
Katharine Steven to the interest of 500 merks, mortified by
the said Earl's grandfather. The Session, finding her " to be
a girl of 25 years of age, able to work and gain her bread,
and now in service," objected to admit her, but changed
their mind some six weeks later, and appointed her to
succeed her father as a pensioner.
At this period part of the Hospital still continued to be
used as a school— probably the south end of the lower
story as a grammar school, part of the flat above as a writ-
ing school and part as an English school. In 1774, at the
request of Mr Hector Eraser, schoolmaster, the Hospital
Treasurer was directed to have the casements of the
windows in the writing school and of the upper story
examined, and to get an estimate for making them good.
The Session also ordered an account to be paid for furnishing
glass, painting, &c., for the library, writing school, and
garrets, amounting to ^5 3s 9d, in 1776.
Within a space of some 14 years, we find very divergent
views as to the uses to which the upper flats of the Hospital
might be put. The following curious entry occurs in the
Session Records 6th October, 1778, shortly before Mr Wm.