Edinburgh, [Scotland] 13 December 1698 Dear brother I have yours of the 20th Septe last from N York it came to hand w[ith] the Printed narrative of the fyve indian nations their treating w[ith] the E of Bellomont your Governour under [cover] of Mr Hackshaw the 28 of November for wch am much obliged to you it was in [my] Last I sent to mr Hackshaw an attestation under the hand and seal of our magistrate of your being a native of this Country but had no [illegible] from him what use he made of it I did then writt him that I purposed to procure your coat of armes and the Lyon [illegible] warrant & your birth brief is desyred to know if he had effects of yours that I might draw for about 7 or 8 £ that I found it would cost but had no answers so have [forborn] it hitherto, but have prepaired it so far, That I find you are the son of Mr John whose father was Mr [Alene], and Mr [Alene] his father was Robert who was killed at Pinkie Field in 1547 and was brother german to Alexander Lord Livingston, Their father was William the fourth lord Livingston, and the Eight of the house of Callender, He was maried to [blank] Hepburn, daughter to Sir Patrick Hepburn of Waughtonne so that your propper Coat to be given you is this inclosed, which is thus emblazoned viz Quarterly 1st and 4th Argent, Three [Gelliflounds] Gules, shipped propper, within a duble tressur flure counter flurevoit, The name of Livingston 2d Quartired 1st and Last Gules a Chifron argent a red [illegible] two Lyons counterrampand of the field, 2d & 3d argent Three martekets Gules, The name of Hepburn of Waughton 3d Quarter sable a bond betwixt 6 billets or, The name of Callender. Your [Lurere] is Green faced up with Whyt, & Red Green & Whyt palments. I would have [illegible] cutt you a seall with this coat of armes having one James Clark a very honest man who is graver to our mint house here and the most dexterous in that art but could not gett a steel black to artt upon. Ther is a great [illegible] among us, my sister Jannet dyed in august 1696, our brother in law Mr Russell came home in august 97, and was very sickly he dyed in November after, without leaving any testament of his will, so that his only son [inserted: James] is left as low as any of his daughters Two of them were maried in his own tyme, but neither [was] his nor my sisters good liking, but they believed to submitt, and accordingly were but meanly provided, The [inserted: three sisters] that were unmarried did choose James Dimlop and me curators, but have not taken our counsell in their marrages their great [illegible] have made them a [illegible] He left towards 10 thousand pound sterling but in such confusion that the will be little credit by it all shall writ out more lenth & [nint] This I send with some letters from my brother direct to Mr Hackshaw, my intire love to your second self and your dear Children and to nephew Robert tell him to writt to me I am Your loveing & most affectunat brother Will[iam] Livingston I have writ to a friend in linlithgow anent David Jamison and shall not faill to send attestations of where you desire answer and to the people you direct and express thereof to yourself and have no answer of mine yet. [docket] 14 May 1699 Brother Mr Wm Livingstones lettir dated 13 december 1698 wth my Coat of arms [address] To Mr Robert Livingston att New Yeork [sic]