But the greatest dealer the county could claim, and one at the same
time deeply engaged in agriculture and its interests, was Mr James
Innes of Durris. Mr Innes was born at Leuchars in Morayshire; his
father was Sheriff of Kincardineshire, and proprietor of Leuchars; his
brother, Cosmo Innes, Esq., was Sheriff of Morayshire. The father of Mr
James Innes bought the lease of the estate of Durris for ninety-nine
years from the trustees of the Earl of Peterborough for L30,000 and an
annual feu-duty of a few hundred pounds. Owing to some new views of the
law of entail, the Duke of Gordon, the legal heir of the Earl of
Peterborough, turned Mr Innes out of the estate after he had expended
L95,000 in improvements, and after the case had been in court for
fifteen years. Mr Innes farmed extensively, having had seven or eight
farms in his own occupancy at the same time. He rode on horseback
yearly to Falkirk, and bought a large lot of Highland cattle. He
generally had 200 cattle, 1500 sheep, and from ten to twelve pairs of
horses on his farms. Mr Innes's horses went at the top of their speed
in cart and plough; they had all breeding. No standing was allowed when
the horses were in harness. In a busy day in harvest, and when the
horses were yoked double, you would have seen Mr Innes's horses driving
in the corn at a smart gallop. The harvest-carts were wide, railed and
framed on both sides, with one or two cross bearers. In a "leading" day
Mr Innes was a sure hand at the fork in the stackyard, and the man on
the stack and the man on the cart had to look out. Mr Innes was no
trifler, and would not be trifled with; but if an accident happened he
made no remarks. He did not transact business by commission, but
purchased both the cattle and sheep himself. The aged West Highlanders
were sent to the wood during winter; the year-old Highlanders were put
into the strawyards; and the four-year-old Aberdeens were bought for
stall-feeding. Black-faced wethers were sent to the low pasture and for
turnip-feeding. An annual sale of cattle and letting of grass took
place about the 20th May. Mr Innes was famed for growing turnips. He
gained the prize of L50, given by the Highland Society for the best
field of turnips in the north of Scotland, twenty acres of yellow and
ten of globe turnips. Deacon Williamson's six and eight year old
Aberdeen work oxen--these were not the days of quick returns in
cattle--consumed them, and they went to the Greenland whale-ships at
last. Mr Innes was the poor man's friend, and a kind master to his
servants, but a cool determined man. Although standing almost six feet
three inches in height, he was a splendid horseman; when crossing the
Dee he made his horse jump into the boat with himself upon his back. He
galloped as the crow flies from one farm to another, and was at the
head of everything himself. He was an intimate friend of the late Lord
Kennedy, Captain Barclay of Ury, Farquharson of Finzean, Davidson of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account