gold, silver, and alloy which shall be found in the box in time coming’ (ib. vi. 540).
In January 1592–3 Napier was appointed by a convention of ministers in Edinburgh one of a deputation to wait on the king to urge him to more strenuous action against the catholic nobles (Calderwood, v. 216), and he was appointed one of a similar commission at a meeting of the general assembly of the kirk in April (ib. p. 240), and also by a convention held in October (ib. p. 270). On 16 Nov. 1593 he obtained a grant of half the lands of Laurieston, where he built the castle of Laurieston. On account of the non-appearance before the council of his son Alexander, charged with a serious assault, he was on 2 July 1601 ordained to ‘keep ward in Edinburgh’ until the king declared his will (Reg. P. C. Scotl. vi. 267). In September 1604 he went to London to treat with English commissioners ‘anent the cunzie,’ when, according to Sir James Balfour, ‘to the great amazement of the English, he carried his business with a great deal of dexterity and skill’ (Annals, iii. 2). He continued till the end of his life to take an active part in matters connected with mining and the currency. On 14 Jan. 1608 he was appointed along with two others to repair to the mines in succession to try the quality of the ore (Reg. P. C. Scotl. viii. 34). He died on 15 May 1608, aged 74.
By his first wife Janet (d. 20 Dec. 1563), only daughter of Sir Francis Bothwell, lord of session, he had two sons—John (1550–1617) [q. v.], the mathematician; and Francis, appointed assayer to the cunzie-house 1 Dec. 1581—and one daughter, Janet. By his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Mowbray of Barnbougle, Linlithgowshire, he had three sons—Sir Alexander of Laurieston, appointed a senator of the College of Justice 14 Feb. 1626; Archibald, slain in November 1600 in revenge for a murder committed in self-defence; William—and two daughters: Helene, married to Sir William Balfour; and Elizabeth, married, first, to James, lord Ogilvie of Airlie, and, secondly, to Alexander Auchmoutie, gentleman of his majesty's privy chamber.
[Information from W. Rae Macdonald, esq.; Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot.; Reg. P. C. Scotl.; Calderwood's Hist. of the Kirk of Scotland; Sir James Balfour's Annals; Douglas's Scottish Peerage (Wood), ii. 288–9.]
NAPIER, Sir ARCHIBALD, first Lord Napier (1576–1645), ninth of Merchiston, treasurer-depute of Scotland, eldest son of John Napier of Merchiston [q. v.] by Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Stirling of Keir, Stirlingshire, was born in 1576. He was educated at the university of Glasgow, where he matriculated in March 1593. He was infeft in the barony of Merchiston 18 June 1597, probably soon after attaining the age of twenty-one. At an early period he, under his father's guidance, devoted special attention to agricultural pursuits, and on 22 June 1598 he received from James VI a patent for twenty-one years for the manuring of all lands in the kingdom by his new method. In the same year he published ‘The New Order of Gooding and Manuring all sorts of Field Land with Common Salt, whereby the same may bring forth in more abundance both of Grass and Corn of all sorts, and far cheaper than by the common way of Dunging used heretofore in Scotland.’ For this work his father was doubtless mainly responsible.
On 12 Dec. 1598 he had a charter of the lands of Auchlenschee in the lordship of Menteith (Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. vi. No. 809). On 16 June 1601 Napier was brought before the privy council for assault on a servant of the lord treasurer on the stairhead of the Tolbooth, but was assoilzied through the pursuer failing in his proof (Reg. P. C. Scotl. vi. 259). On the accession of James VI to the English throne in 1603 he accompanied him to London, and was appointed gentleman of the bedchamber. He was sworn a privy councillor 20 July 1615, appointed treasurer-depute of Scotland for life 21 Oct. 1622, and named justice clerk 23 Nov. 1623 on the death of Sir John Cockburn of Ormiston, whom on 25 Nov. he succeeded as ordinary lord of session. On 9 Aug. 1624 he resigned the office of justice clerk. On 14 Jan. 1625 he had a license to transport twelve thousand stoneweight of tallow annually for seven years ‘in remembrance of the mony good services done to his majesty these mony years bigane.’
Napier attended the funeral of King James in London in May 1625 (Calderwood, History, vii. 634). After the accession of Charles I he was on 15 Feb. 1626 created one of the extraordinary lords of session, and on 2 March 1627 he was created a baronet of Nova Scotia. By warrant of the privy seal on 1 May of the same year he received a pension of 2,400l. Scots yearly, for having at the king's desire advanced 5,000l. Scots to Walter Steward, gentleman of the privy chamber. On 4 May 1627 he was created a peer of Scotland by the title of Baron Napier of Merchiston; he was also appointed a commissioner of tithes, and obtained a lease of the crown lands of Orkney for forty-five thousand merks annually, which he subleased to Sir William Dick for fifty-two thousand merks. In March 1631 he resigned the lease
