Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-05-31
A CURIOUS STORY.
The Claim of the Descendants OF Earl
Stirling to the Canadian Fisheries.
From the New York Times


The Claim of the Descendants OF Earl
Stirling to the Canadian Fisheries.
From the New York Times.
Our readers may have noticed a few
lines In our news columns the other
day to the effect that the heirs of Alex
ander Humphreys Alexander had re-
vived their factious claim of proprie-
tary rights in the Canadian fisheries.
The basis of this remarkable claim is
grant made by James I. of England to
Sir William Alexander, of Menstrie,
first Earl of Stirling. King James was
very DESTROYS of colonizing Canada, es-
pecially the shores of the Gulf of st.
Lawrence. Into this scheme Sir Will
liam Alexander warmly entered, and
for his advocacy of it he was created
Earl of Stirling, with succession to his
heirs male. He was also given by
Royal letters patent large tract of
land, embracing the whole of Nova
Scotia, and a large portion of Can
ada East. This grant covered
the most important mackerel fisher
les The vice-royalty of the immense
possessions--which carried with it the
right to create baronets of Nova Scotia
all persons who should purchase 16, 900
acres of land in the colony-was like
wise made hereditary in the family of
Sir William. The second Earl of Stir
ling, becoming pecuniarly involved,
sold this Canadian grant to a French
colonist. By the treaty of 1852, the
British colonies in Canada were ceded
to France, and were in 1713, restored
to England by the treaty of Utrecht
In neither of these treaties is there any
recognition of the claims of the Earl of
Stirling. With the eighth Earl, by
reason of the failure of male heirs, the
Earldom became extinct.
In 1924, Mr.. Alexander Humphreys,
on the ground that he had maternal
grandfather of that name, obtained
royal permission to assume the surname
of Alexander, alledging descent from
Hon. John Alexander, fourth son of the
last Earl of Sterling Mr. Alexander
also alleged that all nearer heirs to the
Stirling property were dead, and he
claimed the Earldom of Stirling and
its American possessions This claim
being unopposed, he was formally in
vested with the title and possessions of
Stirling at Edinburgh Castle. Assum-
ing the title, Mr. Alexander, in 1925,
voted as an Earl at an election of Scot
fish Representative Peers, The Peers
permitted thevote to pass unchallenged
At an election of Peers in 1880. he
again offered his vote as Earl of Stir
ling, but the Earl of Rosebery protest
ing that the vote should not be received
until Mr.. AleXander's claim had been
decided good by the House of Lords,
thevot was rejected. In England he
was allowed Peers privilege from ar
! rest, but the Grown lawyers of Scotland
challenged the privilege, and he was
forced to prove the authenticity of his
claims.
Mr.. Alexander represented female
descendant, while the Earldom and
possessions of Shilling were, by the
grant Of James I, confined TO the heirs
male. This difficulty was met by the
production Of a document, purporting
to be a copy of charter granted by
Charles L., confirming the first charter,
and including heirs female in its priv.
leges. This document was sufficient
evidence, SO long as the claim to the
extinct Earldom was unchallenged but
at the trial the production of the origi
nal became necessary. While in France
III 1903, Mr.. Alexander became acquint
ed with the celebrated teller
Mile. LIE Normand, and she advanced
him considerable sums of money tt
carry on his suit. During the progress OF
the suit she presented him with a packet
containing large French map of Can
ada, and some documents, which sup
piled the missing links of evidence
necessary to perfect his claims. Or
presenting these documents in Scot.
land they were pronounced forgeries
and the claimant was indicted for forg
ing them. On the trial, the documents
were conclusively proven to be for.
geries, and on the question that the
claimant forged them, or used them
] knowing them to be forgeries, the Jury
| found verdict Of mot proven" Fail
ing to establish his claims to the Earl
| dom and estates of Stirling in the
Scottish courts, Mr. Alexander came t.
this country, and III 1853, offered t.
sell his Canadian claim to the United
States, and some negotiations were act
ually held, but nothing came of them
The trial for forgery is reported IL
the Modern State Trials it is very
evident that Mr.. Alexander had full
faith in his claim, and in the genuine
ness of the documents offered in sup
port of it. He was the instrument O
some designing persons, who used hin
for the furtherance of purposes of thei
own. That the Canadian possession,
were sold by the second Earl of Stirl
ing has been clearly established. Ii
the original patent, the succession wa
confined to their heirs male, and au
thentic evidence of its extension to tn,
heirs female by Charles I. is who'll,
wanting. Unless the heirs of Mr. Alex
ander have obtained better evidence
than that which their father possessed
they Will be unable to establish thei-
rights to the Canadian fisheries.