The family of Burnett of Leys, with collateral - Electric Scotland

viii PREFACE.
and :vhes made by Dr. Burnett show how thoroughly
h- had gone into a subject which was after his own heart.
Unfortunately he was unable fully
to utilize the data he had
collected, and the history is incomplete.
To the great regret of the Council of the Club, Ur. Burnett
fell into bad health long before the time he had stipulated
for had expired. He had not nearly completed the work he had
evidently sketched out in his own mind he left no notes as to
his intentions and his untimely death, on the 23rd January,
1890, was deplored as a heavy loss, not only by his many friends,
but by all the members of the Club.
His MS. was made over to the Club, for whose use it had
been undertaken, and it was hoped that ere long an Editor
would be found for it. After ten years, as no one was forth-
coming, I consented, with no little diffidence, to edit the papers.
The task has turned out to be a much more difficult one, and it
has occupied more time, than I could have anticipated. On
fill examination it became evident that the MS. was not in
the state in which Dr. Burnett would have sent it to the
printer. Several branches of the family had not been reached,
for no extended notes regarding these were to be found. It was,
however, considered desirable that what had been written out by
him should be printed, and I consented to become the Editor.
The materials existing on the Continent, referred to in the
report quoted above, Dr. Burnett had decided not to examine
h