1789 - Following the death of his father, he was brought up by his maternal uncle, Archibald Buchanan. 1800 - became manager of the Deanston cotton mill when it was taken over by the Glasgow textile firm of James Finlay & Co. 1811 - made one of the first mechanical reapers. 1823 - took a lease of Deanston Farm. 1833 - published Thorough Drainage and Deep Ploughing. 1842 - threw up the lease of Deanston Farm and left the mill after a dispute about his concentration on farming and benevolent employment regime. The remainder of his life was spent as an agricultural engineer.