The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-03-06 00:00:00

ONIA

NCE OF THE EARLDOM OF MAR.

our readers will probably have noticed by the
Law Report in our columns yesterday (remarks The
Tunes, of Saturday), the Scottish Earldom of Mar, one
of the most ancient in the three kingdoms, and which
for the last two or three years has been the subject of
a Peerage case, the succession being disputed between
two rival claimants, has been adjudged to the Earl of
Kellie. For the Earldom of Mar, which as it now
stands in our Peerage dates only from the year 1457,
but by the present decision we imagine will now be
reckoned only from 1565, Lord Hailes claims a much
more venerable age, styling it, "one of those Earl-
doms whose origin is lost in antiquity," and adding as
his own opinion that "it eXisted before our—i.e., the
Scottish —reaords and before the era of genuine history."
Sir Bernard Burke, in his Peerage, mentions " Martacus,
Earl of Mar, as witnessing a charter of donation by
Malcolm Canmore to the Culdees of Lochleven asyear
before the Norman Conquest of England," and from
him he passes per salptin, to the 11th Earl, who suc-
ceeded to his father's title in 1294, and died before
1300, having married Lady Christian Bruce, sister of
Robert T. of Scotland. His son, the 12th E rl, ap-
pointed Regent of Scotland in 1332, fell in aommaiid
of the Scottish Army being defeated by an inferior
force under Edward Balliol, and left a son Thomas,
13tht•Earl, the last male of his race. He was Great
Chamberlain of Scotland and Ambassador to England,
and at his death, in 1377, the Earldom passed, by the
marriage of his sister, intOqlie House of Douglas.
Early in the 15th century the Earldom was conveyed
in a rather singular manner into the nqsle family of
Stewart. The story runs that "Alexander, natural
son of Alexander, Earl of Buchan, and grandson of
Robert IL, made his appearance at the head of a for-
midable band of robbers in the Highlands, and,
having stormed and taken the Countess of Mar's
Castle of Kildruunnie, obtained her ladyship in marrige,
either by violence or persuasion." It is added that
the tCountess subsequently (like one of the Sabine
maidens of the Roman legend) so far forgave the deed
that, she made a free grant of her honours and inheri-
tance to her husband, who, thinking, no doubt, to
make his title doubly secure, resigned them to the
Crown and obtained a re-grant of them. He was more
than once ambassador to England, distinguished him-
self in arms in the service of the Duke of Burgundy,
was appointed Lord Warden of the Marches, and com-
manded the Royal Army at the battle of Harlaw,
against the Lord of the Isles, in 1411. At his death
the ea,rldom reverted to the Crown, from whom it was
claimed by Sir Robert Erskine, of Erskine, as a des-
cendant in the female line from Gratney, 11th earl.
"F t," says Sir Bernard Burke, "though • the
el( nt was indisputably established, the Earl-
& was not actually conferred upon the Erskines
un it had been enjoyed by four noblemen of diffe-
rent families, the last of whom was the celebrated
Regent Moray; when, at length, the period of 130
years having elapsed, it was restored by Queen Mary to
John, Lord Erskine, who should of rieht be reckoned
as sixth Earl of Mar of the Erskine blo-od. According
to the decision of the House of Peers, however, be will
count henceforth as the first Earl. From him and
from his eon John, styled by Sir Bernard Burke, 7th
Earl, one of those nobles who accompanied James VI.
to England, the Earldom passed in unbroken male
descent to John, 11th Earl, who, having attached
himeelf to the fortunes of the Chevalier, the "elder
Pretender," and, having taken an active part in the
rising of 1715, retired with the Stuarts to the Con-
tinent, while his title suffered attainder. This
attainder, however, was reversed by Act of Parlia-
ment in 1824, ate the recommendation of George
IV., in favour of John Francis Erskine, great
grandson of the' 10th -Earl. The Earl, however,
dying in the following year, the title passed to his
eldest son, John Thomas, styled 14th Earl, who died
without issue in 1866. The Earldom of Mar was there-
upon claimed and assumed by Mr. John Francis
Goodeve-Erskine, as the only son of the last Earl's
elder sister, by her marriage with Mr. William James
Goodeve, of Clifton, and also by the present Earl of
Kale, as eldest great grandson in the male line of the
noblemen in who favour, aa we have ?stated, the I

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