Donald Horne

“David Horne, W.S., the second son of John Horne of Stirkoke, was born at Stanstill, in the county of Caithness, on the 20th May 1787. He was educated at Musselburgh and at the University of Edinburgh, and passed as a writer to the signet in 1813. Immediately afterwards he entered into partnership with his uncle, James Horne, W.S., of Langwell. The Peninsular war was then at his height, and Mr Horne, like many other young men, became inspired with military notions and joined the 1st Regiment Royal Edinburgh Volunteers, commanded by the Right Hon. Charles Hope. This was an extremely smart corps, and the best drilled volunteer regiment in Scotland. After the close of the war volunteer and other local regiments being disbanded, Mr. Horne joined another branch of the auxiliary forces. In the Edinburgh squadron of yeomanry cavalry he served as quartermaster several years, and latterly as cornet. The date of his commission being 7th July, 1822, his name appears on the roll of the quadroon until 1845, when he retired. In the more recent volunteer movement, Mr Horne took a great interest and an active part. In the year 1821, on the 1st June, he married Jane, daughter of Thomas Elliot Ogilvie of Chesters, by whom he had a large family.

“In Caithness-shire, and also in the counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk, the name of Donald Horne is inseparably connected with the election struggles which continued for several years after the passing of the Reform Bill. His views were strongly conservative.

“On the death of his uncle, in 1831, Mr Horne succeeded to the estate of Langwell, and was known as a most extensive and successful rearer of sheep, “Langwell wethers” commanding the highest price in the northern markets. For some years he rented Benrig House, near St Boswells, which, from its situation, he found convenient for his political connection with the shires of Roxburgh and Selkirk. On the death of Mr Roderick Mackenzie, in 1843, Mr Horne was appointed solicitor in Scotland for the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, and held the office until 1865, when failing health induced him to resign. In 1857 he sold the estate of Langwell to the Duke of Portland. For many years he was a director of the Highland and Agricultural Society, and took a deep interest in its welfare.

“Mr Horne purchased in 1859, for the use of his firm (then Horne & Ross, W.S.), 39 Castle Street, from a Miss Mackintosh. This lady had purchased it from the trustees of Sir Walter Scott of Abbotsford in 1826. Sir Walter occupied this house as his Edinburgh residence, from 1798 to the date of its sale, and wrote several of his novels in it. No structural alterations have been made in the house since he left and Donald Horne’s business room was Sir Walter’s front drawing-room, where his arm-chair is still preserved.

“Donald Horne was elected a member of the Club in April, 1836. He died at the age of 83, and was buried in St John’s churchyard, Edinburgh. The date of his death was the 23rd of June, 1870.

“Mr Horne was a man of no ordinary stamp. He had unbounded energy and extraordinary mental vigour. He possessed a peculiar faculty of extracting information from those with whom he conversed, even when there might be an unwillingness to communicate it. He had always stored in a most retentive memory an abundant supply of anecdotes relating to persons and event; and the pleasing manner and genuine good humour with which he could relate them contributed half their charm.”