[3] A family history gives a different and perhaps confused account of his marriage, relating that William Birnie married Margaret Fraser, a daughter of the laird of Philorth and Lord Saltoun, who had been a maid of honour to Mary, Queen of Scots.
[5] With a business partner, Alexander Clark of Balbirnie, Birnie bought the lead from the roof of Elgin Cathedral in 1568 expecting a lucrative deal in scrap metal.
The "couster", or in French a "cottouere" or "cotiere", was the gold chain that descended from a woman's girdle with its terminal pendant.
One of these was described in Scots as, "ane belt with ane cowter of gold and ceyphres (ciphers) and roissis quheit and reid inamelit (roses enamelled white and red), contenand knoppis and intermiddis (entredeux) with cleik (clasp) and pandent 44 besyd the said pandent".
His factor at Veere, John Culper, held a large sum in cash, and a quantity of alum and madder used in the dyeing trade.