Excerpt from

The old and new law courts of Glasgow

By Senex Secundus.

We come to describe Mr. Benjamin Barton, the last clerk of the

Commissariat in the days of Lord Kinneder, succeeded as he was by
the late Mr. Colin Dunlop Donald, under whose reign a complete
revolution took place in that Court. We may refer to Mr. Donald
himself at another time. He must still be vividly remembered by many
in this city. The Commissary Clerk’s office, as we have remarked, was
in Buchanan’s Close, near the Tontine, up two pair of stairs. Mr.
Barton died circa 1818, after an incumbency of nearly forty years. He
was really a fine old man in many repcts, but rather peculiar in others,
and addicted not to drinking but to swearing, which, we are sorry to
remark, was then deemed by some to be a lofty and geenteel practice.
It has vanished greatly and is rarely if ever heard in decent circles
now. He generally wore a blue coat, with glittering brass buttons the
size of half-a-crown; waistcoat sometines of scarlet, at others of a rich
fancy colour; a goodly display of white linen ruffles; buckskin
breeches and topped boots; and, in coldish weather, a brown duffle
spencer. He had small, sharp, grey eyes; his head almost devoid of
hair, but dusted with powder, then fashionable, and what was left
gathered behind his back into a small pig-tie. He sputtered
considerably when he spoke, which he did with no small degree of
rapidity and vehemence, not infrequently seasoning the talk with
lapses from the 5th commandment, the imagery whereof was
singularly startling. This gentleman had an only clerk called Leighton
not much less remarkable than himself.
Early one forenoon some 50 years ago, and a bittock, a youth who had
recently commenced his apprenticeship in one of the large writer’s
offices in Glasgow was despatched by his master, a staid old
practitioner, to the aforesaid Commissary Clerk‘s office, to borrow
some process or other there depending. He was fresh from the
country, and had, never seen or heard of the Commissary Clerk
before, and had a vague notion of what a „process“ really was. On
entering Mr. Barton’s sanctum sanctorum on the occasion referred to,
the following tableau presented itself. A large pewter basin was on the
desk, and Mr Strap (a barber), with a white apron, stood in presence.
Mr Barton was in the act of being shaved. One half of his chin had
been cleared, the other covered with suds. He was in a violent passion
with his hunchbacked clerk, who retorted upon him with considerable
vehemence, the shaving had evidently been interrupted by a sudden
burst of rage on some point or other; but the barber, with the coolness
of his tribe, awaited the termination of the blast and went on stropping
his razors. Our young friend, sent in quest of the process, gazed on
this scene with some amazement, if not trepeidation. Eyeing him with
some fury, Mr. Barton started from his chair, and exclained,“ what the
---- are ye wanting here?“ To this polite inquiry it was briskly
answered „ I want, sir, to borrow my master‘s process,“ naming it.
„Process - process; you and you master‘s process may go to ---- ,“ and
so this legal affray terminated.

From a Glasgow newspaper (probably 1860s).

Some Recollections in connection with the legal profession in Glasgow

(continued)

The dress of scribes, in common with that of the rest of the community, has
undergone a great change; perhaps I should call it an improvement. In the days I
speak of few wore black coats except when mourning or at funerals. The colours
of dress exceeded those of the rainbow. Coats were of blue, claret, green, brown,
grey, mixed, &c.; waistcoats very showy; inexpressibles generally drab, blue, or
grey. If to the knee on1y, then either top-boots, leggings worn tight or loose, or,
lastly, brightly polished Hessians with knee-tassels; but if pantaloons, these were
fastened by ribands round the ankles, and the finish was white stockings, and
shoes with black silk ties. Not unfrequently in summer white beaver was worn,
the wings turned up with pea-green; chamois leather gloves, and a cane, of
course. But the adornment of the outer man was incomplete without a bunch of
huge seals suspended from a longish chain, thick enough to restrain a young
terrier. In walking, these appendages swang backwards and forwards like the
pendulum of a clock; when two persons thus respectively equipped met and
were talking, they found the bunch of seals very handy to play with and jingle
among their fingers, by way, probably, of helping dearth in conversational
matter.

In short, every one just dressed according to his fancy ; there was no ruling
fashion either for colour or cut, except, probably, desperate short waists, and
very deep collars, which came no farther forward however than the back of the
ear. Certainly, some of the selections as well as the contrasts of hues on the
same person, evinced no small degree of originality and fine taste. For instance,
the Commissary Clerk, an old procurator of 1772, wore a light grey coat, with
large silverised buttons and tremendous outside pocket flaps, hotch-potch
coloured vest, left partially open to reveal the edges of an under one of scarlet,
and the display of a squall of ruffles; white neckcloth, rolled round a very thick
stuff-stock, worn loose, with the long ends. coquetting with the breast ruffles;
bright yellow buckskin breeches, and topboots; his pate profusely powdered, and
the back hairs gathered in a thin pig-tail, secured near the point by a bit of black
silk riband. I may as well here say that this venerable official was accustomed to
be shaved in his Trongait office, by a barber for one penny, during which the
grey coat was thrown aside for a dressing-gown, queer in cut and pattern, so that,
if any one happened to call sharp after ten o'clock forenoon, as I have had
occasion to do, he had the privilege of witnessing the Commissary Clerk's
wrinkled visage undergoing the saponaceous operation, the small, grey, feline-
like eyes, at sametime warning the caller, with an indescribable look, to pause a
minute till he could speak, which he very noon did in a shrill, querulous tone. To
add to the effect produced by such a call, his clerk, also elderly, and a procurator
of 1796 was a hunch-back, with remarkably long legs, like a spider's, his head
lying sideways on his neck, and a charming drake-like voice. This gentleman‘s
attire was a mixed coloured coat, drab knee-breeches, his spindleshanks
encased, according to the season, either in white cotton or white worsted
stockings, and square-toed shoes; moreover, when walking abroad, he did not
wear gloves, but had his long-fingered, shrivelled hands deep in his breeches'
pockets. These two ancient procurators sat opposite each other, and often quar-
relled „on points," for both were rather irascible, and neither could convince;
but as the one could not well do without the other, these squalls, after a little
wordy and fierce expectoration, spiced with a variety of choice juramentary
interjections and expletives, gradually subsided into grim smiles, and a snuff.
Both died soon after I joined the profession; but I received such impressions that
I have not forgotten either the persons or the scenes which I was privileged, on
more occasions than one, to witness between them.

Glasgow Herald, nov 1867.

NORTHWOODSIDE HOUSE
THE estate of Northwoodside is situated on the left bank of the Kelvin, near the point where the bridge recently
completed spans that picturesque stream, at the new district named Great Western Park. As far back as 1693 this
estate belonged to Robert Campbell, merchant in Glasgow, and twice Dean of Guild, viz., in 1679 and 1687. He
was the second son of Colin Campbell, the first of Blythswood, and purchased Northwoodside in fulfilment of
certain stipulations in the contract of marriage with his second wife, who was the eldest daughter of the first
James Dunlop of Garnkirk. Mr. Campbell died in 1694, and was succeeded in this estate by his only child of the
above marriage, Janet Campbell, who became the wife of Thomas Haliburton, Advocate, of Dryburgh Abbey
and New Mains in Berwickshire. By their marriage settlement in 1701 Northwoodside was conveyed to Mr.
Haliburton in consideration of the provisions made by him to the lady over his own estates in the south.
Subsequently Northwoodside was acquired by Archibald Stirling of Keir, and still later by James Lapsley, a
retired West India merchant, resident in the then fashionable Stockwell.
Mr. Stirling feued portions of the estate to various parties, whom it would be tedious to particularize. His feus
were given off between the years 1765 and 1778. Mr. Lapsley followed his example, and in this way
Northwoodside estate was split into sections, and has continued so to some extent ever since. One of these early
feuars, a merchant in Glasgow, built the house of Northwoodside, a plain family mansion something in the
manse style, on a small wooded terrace overlooking the Kelvin.
The quaint old family house of Thomas Haliburton's time was rather inconveniently situated in connection with
the rest of the grounds. The parish road to Garrioch, dividing the property in two, passed close at the back of the
house, which faced south. Mr. Colin Gillespie enlarged and improved the interesting old edifice, formed fine
gardens, surrounded by walls on the north or opposite side of the Garrioch road, and connected these with the
back part of the house by a handsome ornamental iron bridge. The photograph represents the house thus altered.
In other respects Mr. Gillespie laid out the grounds with much taste, the whole forming, during many years, one
of the most charming country retreats around Glasgow. It was approached by roughish round-about parish roads,
which tended to secure privacy to this romantic place, and which may at the same time have explained Mr.
Gillespie's having winter quarters in Garthland Street.

THE HAMILTONS OF NORTHPARK AND WOODSIDE.

It is unfortunate that neither "Northpark" nor "Woodside" were included in the first edition of this book. Now
their portraits can no longer be taken, for they are both numbered "with the things that were." They were
interesting old places, both possessed by an old race of Hamiltons, merchants of the highest standing,
commercially and socially, and active public spirited citizens, and no history of the "Old Glasgow Gentry" is at
all complete without some notice of them.
Northpark, when acquired by Provost Hamilton, about the beginning of the present century, was a beautiful
retired spot. It stood immediately behind what is now Buckingham Terrace, facing towards the north and
commanding fine views of the Campsie Hills and the beautiful woods of Kelvinside. At some distance below it
ran the clear silvery Kelvin. Before the Great Western Road was made, the approach from Glasgow was by the
Dumbarton Road to Partick, and thence by the Byres Road, or from the other side of the Kelvin by a private
bridge at the old Northwoodside Corn Mills.
Woodside was also situated on the Kelvin immediately below the Northwoodside House and, when purchased in
1817 by Mr. Archibald Hamilton was a quiet country residence, far from the noise and turmoil of Glasgow. The
house was three storied, castellated at the top, and with wings at the sides. It stood end on to the river.
Before Mr. Hamilton bought it, Woodside was the summer quarters of Alexander Munro, an American
merchant, whose town house was in "Munro's Close," Stockwell, and it was here that his son, afterwards Sir
Thomas Munro, Governor of Madras, and one of the most distinguished Indian officers and administrators, was
born.
The proprietor of Woodside immediately before Mr. Hamilton was Mr. Benjamin Barton, Commissary Clerk of
Glasgow, and, when it was sold in 1839, the late Mr. Rowan of Linthouse was the purchaser.