[1] Menmuir, Lethnot, and Lochlee, in the gift of the Edzell family, were settled on him; later, under a Writ of the Privy Seal, 11 July 1576, various teinds and a pension were also granted, along with the small estate of Drumcairn, in Forfarshire.
[1] In March 1594, he spoke with Bernard Fechtenburg one of the mining experts of Thomas Foulis and convinced him to work for David Lindsay of Edzell.
In 1596 he drew up a scheme for the planting of kirks throughout Scotland with perpetual local stipends, with representation of each Presbytery in parliament by a commissioner.
After an attempt to modify it by an Act of the Estates passed in August, but was badly received by the Presbyterian church, he gave up the plan as before its time.
It was his intention during the visit to Paris to undergo an operation for the stone, but bad health prevented him from making the journey, and in February 1598 he resigned the office of secretary of state.
By his second wife, Jane née Lauder, relict of both Sir James Forrester of Corstorphine and John Campbell of Calder, he had no issue.