[3] He appears to have inherited Kellie Castle in Fife in 1829 but made little use of the property, which was largely left to fall into disrepair.

He resided for some time on a small estate called Muirestone, near Edinburgh; but in 1834, on the death of his brother, whom he succeeded, removed to Newliston.

Mr Hog was then taking an active part in ecclesiastical matters, and was appointed a member of Chalmers' "Non-intrusion Committee."

[3] About that time, however, being constitutionally "conservative" and cautious, and having taken alarm at what appeared to him to be rash, or prematurely exacting, in the demands of the Committee, he was one of a small minority who retired, and thus kept themselves uncommitted by any of the subsequent negotiations.

For so doing, he lost his seat in the General Assembly of 1842  ; the Presbytery of Linlithgow, which for several years he had represented, withdrawing from him for the time their confidence, and returning a more decided non-intrusionist in his stead.

He clung to the persuasion that Lord Aberdeen meant bona fide to acknowledge the Church's jurisdiction, and that Sir George Sinclair's clause might have done.

He entered with great earnestness into the various schemes by which the Free Church has consolidated the maintenance of her ministry, the education of her children, the training of her students and teachers, and missionary operations at home and abroad.

The difficult task of securing sites for churches from reluctant proprietors, was conducted by him for several years, requiring delicate and extensive correspondence  ; and he was successful with all but one or two.

When that was too much for his weakness, he instituted a private chapel in Newliston House, where, once a week, the ordinary services of the community to which he belonged were conducted by a neighbouring minister.

Lest any circumstances might affect the maintenance of religious ordinances in his parish, he made provision, a short time before his death, for perpetuating his personal contribution for the support of the ministry.

He was interred in the burying-ground attached to the church of Kirkliston, where he had selected for himself a resting-place about two years before, in preference to the ancient family vault close by, which had heretofore been used.