Continued entries/extra info

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[Site of Bangour House - continued from page 13]

The estate of Bangour gave designation to William Hamilton Esq a celebrated Scottish poet in the early part of the last century. He was descended from one of the ancient families of the name of Hamilton once numerous on the County of Linlithgow but whether he was born in this parish or indeed resided in it the writer has not ascertained. In his youth he distinguished himself by numerous songs and among these, "the Braes of Yarrow", published in the "Tea Table Miscellany", He is said to have been a man of elegant accomplishments and of amicable manners. His Poems are thus characterized by no mean judge the late Lord Woodhouselee: Hamilton's mind is pictured in his verses. They are the easy and careless effusions of and elegant fancy and a chastened taste and the sentiments the Country are the genuine feelings of a tender and susceptible heart which perpetually owned the dominion of some favourite mistress but whose passion generally evaporated in Song and made no serious or permanent impression. Having entertained Jacobite predilections he was engaged in the Rebellion in 1745 but after a few years of exile contrived to make his peace with the government and returned home. In 1754 he died at Lyons in the fiftieth year of his leaving behind him some unpublished pieces a volume of poetry which has been repeatedly inserted in Collections of the British Poets. His patrimonial estate is now in the possession of his great - grandson James Hamilton Esqr of Bangour and Ninewar in East Lothian".
New Stat Acct. [Statistical Account] of Co. [County] Linlithgow P. 110 & 111.