"Colin Maclaurin was descended of an ancient family, which had been long in possession of the island of Tirrie, upon the coast of Argyleshire. His grandfather, Daniel, removing to Inverara, greatly contributed to restore that town, after it had teen almost entirely ruined in the time of the civil wars; and, by some memoirs which he wrote of his own times, appears to have been a person of worth and superior abilities. John, the son of Daniel, and father of our author, was minister of Glenderule; where he not only distinguished himself by all the virtues of a faithful and diligent pastor, but has left, in the register of his provincial synod, lasting monuments of his talents for business, and of his public spirit. He was likewise employed by that synod in Completing the version of the Psalms into Irish, which, is still used in those parts of the country where divine service is performed in that language. He married a gentlewoman of the family of Cameron, by whom he had three sons; John, who is still living, a learned and pious divine, one of the ministers of the city of Glasgow; Daniel, who died young, after having given proofs of a most extraordinary genius; and Colin born at Kilmoddan in the tnonth of February 1698."