The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-26 00:00:00

FUNERAL OF THE DUKE OF ATHOLE,

On Saturday the mortal remains of the late Duke
of Athole were interred in a vault under the ruined
church of Blair, within the policies of Blair Castle.
The family place of sepulture has for many genera-
tions been the cathedral church of Dunkeld, but the
duke had expressed a desire to be laid in this se-
cluded burial-place, in the midst of his favourite
Highland scenery. The old church of Blair is not
above half a mile from the castle, and is now en-
closed within the policies. It has been disused for
above 40 years, and is now roofless and in ruins.
The churchyard is believed to have been the burial-
place of the Stuart Earls of Athole, descendants of
the Scotch Kings; and Viscount Dundee, who was
mortally wounded in making a last stand for King
James 11. in 1689, at the pass of Killiecrankie, was
buried there. The funeral procession on Saturday
presented a scene of singular interest and impres-
siveness. There was little in the outward display
that recalled the traditional funeral customs of the
Highlands, but the unanimity with which the people
of Athole gathered to pay their last respects to the
duke showed much of the old feeling of devoted-
ness to their chief. As heieditary colonel of the
Athole Highlanders, an exceptionally constituted
volunteer body, his men rallied like a clan around
him, and were his body guard on many occasions of
display. For 20 years his grace had filled the office
of Grand Master Mason of Scotland by constant re-
election, although annual changes had formerly been
the custom. In this capacity he had founded many
important structures throughout Scotland, and
stood deservedly popular with the whole Masonic
body. At the funeral there was a full muster of
the Athole Highlanders, and, notwithstanding the
remoteness of the place, a large Masonic display.
The funeral party, consisting of the Athole High-
landers, the relatives and friends of the deceased,
the Masonic lodges, the tenantry, &c., assembled at
Blair Castle at half-past 12 o'clock. The Rev.
Court Granville, vicar of Alnevick, brother-in-law
of the deceased, read part of the burial service
of the Church of England inside the house to
the assembled relatives and friends, while in
front of the castle the Rev. Dr. Irvine, minister
of the parish, conducted prayer in the
Scotch form, and the Rev. Mr. Campbell, of Moulin,
led the devotions of the tenantry, assembled in the
north avenue. About half•past 1 the funeral pro-
cession began to move, the pipers playing the mourn-
ful Scotch air, " The Land o' the Leal," and a small
battery of artillery delivering a salvo of 49 shots to
signify the age of the deceased. The Marquis of
Tullibardine (now the Duke of Athole) was chief
mourner, and the other pall bearers were Lord
James Murray (brother of the deceased), Viscount
Strathallan, Mr. Drummond of Meggietch, and Sir
Malcolm Macgregor. Among the company were
the Earl of Mansfield, Viscount Stormont, Sir T.
Moncreiffe, and many other relatives of the family.
The Masonic deputations were headed by Lord
Kinnaird, K.T., Past Grand Master, and Mr. J.
Whyte Melville, Deputy Grand Master. While
the procession was on its way the Duchess of Athole,
accompanied by Miss Macgregor and the Rev. Mr.
Granville, drove by another route to the place of
burial, where they arrived a few minutes before the
cortege, and took up their places near the enult.
On reaching the churchyard the officers and a firing
party of the Highlanders, and the relatives and
friends, were admitted into the area of the church,
where the remainder of the funeral service was read
by Mr. Granville, in the midst of a most touching
scene. After the service the area was cleared, and
the firing party discharged three volleys over the
grave. The vault was kept open for some time to
allow the people to see the coffin and whore it
rested, and was built up in the evening. The
weather was extremely cold, several showers of
snow having fallen, but, being followed by bright
sunshine, the romantic scenery of the Highland
Talley had an aspect of peculiar splendour.