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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.