Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing (CMSW) - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/cmsw/ Document : 611 Title: Petition to the University from Landlady Author(s): Lindsay 7th Febry 1772 Unto the Principal & Profeſsors of the University of Glasgow The Memoriall of Mrs Lindesay, with respect to her Claim against Mr Alexdr. Steuart student of and Mr George Maconchy student of Mrs Lindesay has been in use to sell Lodgings and board Gentlemen who came to the College for many years, at the rate of twenty points sterlg for the seasons, being about £10 the quarter for the time the Gentlemen attended the College which was usually six months in the season among others Mr Steuart attended the College for the seſsion 1769/70 during which time he boarded & lodged with Mrs Lindesay & paid £20 for his board, and was so well pleased that before leaving the house he besoke a room for the next seasonk but on going home to Ireland he wrote Mrs Lindesay that he would not be in Glasgow the following season as he proposed, but hoped to be at the College this winter, accordingly during last Spring and Summer he wrote Mrs Lindesay several Letters informing her that he intended to be in Glasgow this Winter and intreated her to keep a room for him as he would not be happy to think of lodging any where but in her house, and afterwards he acknowledged the receipt of a letter from Mrs Lindesay adviseing him that she would keep a room for him which he says had made him very happy. Mr Machonchy was at the College last winter & boarded with Mrs Lindesay on the same terms as before Mentioned - this Gentleman was also so well pleased that before he sett off for Ireland in the Spring he begged Mrs Lindesay would keep him a room for next season which she promised to do, but so anxious was he not to be disappointed of a roo in the house, that he wrote Mrs Lindesay in the month of last, advising her that as a great many Irish Gentlemen were coming to Glasgow this winter he was afraid she might sell his room, and therefore beged as a favour she would keep one for him, which she accordingly did. In consequence of these agreements both Gentlemen entred to their lodgings at Mrs Lindesay's house, Mr Steuart on the 22nd of October last, & Mr Machonchy on the 25th. of same month. Mrs Lindesay is conscious [in] herself that neither of these Gentlemen were worse used this season than formerly. She is truely sorry to say, that she herself had too often good reason to be dissatisfied wt their conduct, and that she accordingly took occasion to hint so much to them at different times, particularly to Mr Machonchy for having too many Companions always in his room, disturbing the house wt noise & breaking the furniture, as an evidence of which the Chairs in his room have been no leſs than three times broke and as often mended at Mr Machonchy's own desire, and the expense whereof he promised to pay but has never yet fulfilled his promise. And on many other occasions Mrs Mindesay was often displeased with both these Gentlemen for indecent heaviour, particularly in an afternoon when one of the Maid Servants had gone into Mr Stewart's room to serve him & some of his Companions wt tea, they spoke & levied her so much with low indecent language that she was obliged to complain to Mrs Lindesay & refused to enter that room again on account of such usage. And on another occasion the other Maid Servant in the house being ocasionally called into Mr Machonchy's room, he & some of his Companions also spoke to her in a very unbecoming manner, and some indecent language being painted on the inside of the room door wt a brush & whitening, some of the Company shut the door, whilst another held it on the outside insisting on the Servant's reading what was so painted befor the door should be opened, which she refused, & after much strugling she was allowed to go out of the room & immediately entred her Complaint to Mrs Lindesay. Sometime after this Mrs Lindesay being informed that many indecent words or expreſsions were painted upon a pannel above the Chimney piece in Mr Machonchy's room She immediately sent a meſsage to Mr McLauchlane desiring him to send a Lad directly to deface the expreſsions & paint the pannel a new, which was accordingly done. But in a short time after the pannel was thus new painted wt in half an hour or little more, one of the Servants having gone into the room, observed that some of the Gentlemen had again marke such indecent expreſsions on the panel where it was new painted by drawings with their fingers thro' the wet paint. Whereupon the Servant having informed Mrs Lindesay, she immediately went up to the room and seeing what was done ordered one of the servants to rub alongst the wet paint to deface the letters. From this short detaill of a few particulars of these Gentlemen's behaviour, it will be no surprize that Mrs Lindesay showed some displeasure at their conduct. And without mentioning more particulars, it is neceſsary to observe that a few days before the end of the first quarter from the time they entred to their Lodgings both Mr Steuart & Mr Machonchy paid Mrs Lindesay ten pounds each each in part of their board, but at same time never hunted in the east degree any reason of displeasure or the smallest intention of leaving the house. however in a few days thereafter they thought fitt to leave the house without having the good manners to acquaint Mrs Lindesay, & which they have never done to this day. Upon the whole as Mrs Lindesay thinks herself extremely ill used by these Gentlemen's conduct, & as she is conscious of noways deserving it, and at same time as these Gentlemen are liable in payt of board for the whole season agreeable to [¿] in the same way as formerly paid by themselves & the other boarders in Mrs Lindesay's house. She therefore insists that the saids Alexdr. Steuart & George Machonchy may be conveneed before the Principal & Profeſsors and if no sufficient reason shall appear to [frce] them from their agreements with her, That then the saids Alexr. Steuart & George Machonchy each of them for their own parts Ought and should be ordered to make payments to Mrs Lindesay of the sum of ten pounds sterg each as the reamining part of the board due by them to her for this eason of the College, And should be otherways fined or punished for their indecent behaviour in her house as the Principal & Profeſsors shall see proper.