St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-16
THE CROWN OF SCOTLAND
Once Worn by a Lady Now Living In
Pittsburg.
HISTORY AND ROMANCE.
Romantic Story of Mrs. Duncan, Daugh-
ter of the Keeper Of the
Crown"

A crown and scepter lie in small
room up in the Castle of Edinburgh, but
no brow wears the diadem and no hand
lifts the rod. There is a palace at the
foot OF the Canongate, but it has be-
come only a hotel for her majesty en-
route for Balmoral. There has, how
ever, been from time immemOrial a
keeper of the CROWN" A Pittsburg
home furnishes bit of Scotch history
in a way connected with one OF these
keepers" There has been living in
this Vicinity for the past half century a
dear old Scotch lady, Mrs. Duncan, of
Williamsburg, mother of A. G. Duncan,
a well known business man,0whO was
the daughter OF Col. Dingwalt, keeper
OF the crown.
Col. Dingwalt was a soldier of diStinc-
ton, and after the battle of Waterloo,
where he won promotion, he was ap-
pointed "Keeper of the Crown of Scot
land" From the time of that appoint
ment he took UP his residence in the
grand old castle of Edinburgh, and here
Just Seventy-twO years ago was born the
little daughter who preserves the in
tense love of native land so character
iStic of every true child of Scotland.
AN HISTORIC BIRTHPLACE.
She was born i'll the very wing of the
Old castle where more than a century
and half before the Inflated James VI.
of Scotland and James |. of England
saw the light, and where afterward his
mother, the beautiful but unfortunate
Mary Queen of Scots, was held a pris-
oner in her own castle. The window
from the room where she was born
looked down over the steep precipice
where, during the bitter strife between
the Scotch lords. the infant king was
Lowered in basket and carried off by
his enemies. During her whole life in
Scotland this ''lassie'' never knew any
other home than the old castle, around
whose walls chung so many historic as
sOciatiOns. Her playground was its
StOne-paVed courts and its lofty battle
mentS; her lullabieS were ballads of
brave knights and fair ladies who had
made it famous. The fairy tales of her
childhood were the thousands of legends
which cling around its lofty embattled
towers.
A ROMANTIC MARRIAGE.
When Col. Dingwalt's daughter was
but fifteen years old Capt. Duncan, of
the Royal Scots, returning from seven
years active service in India, was quar-
tered in Edinburgh castle with his regi-
ment. He saw the fair ''Maid of the
Castle" at church. and although he had
already arrived at the staid age of five
and thirty, he Immediately fell in love.
But many difficulties stood in the way.
The father was proud man, stern and
unapprOachable, and he regarded his lit
tie maid as yet in the nursery. But ''love
laughs at lockSmithS," and the nurse
proved faithful letter carrier. The
very first letter that she brought to the
bonnie Scotch laSSie was proposal of
marriage, which she still keeps among
her dearest treasures. and which only
the most devoted friends are permitted
to see.
One evening when the gray walls of
the castle cast their shadow over the
beautiful Princess street gardens, and
when the stern walls looked out tower the
city as from another world in all their
quiet peacefulnesS, she stole out from
the castle, and in the shadow of the old
cragS met the handsome captain. A
good old Scotch minister soon finished
the work, and the daughter of the
keeper of the crown had become the
captains wife.
TRAVELS END IN PITTSBURG.
After her marriage she travelled for
some years with her husband in Spain,
Italy and Southern Europe Capt Dun
from the army. A little over fifty years
ago. at the earnest solicitation of his
brothers, who were living with his
mother In PittSburg. he came to make
p them visit. So 10th was his mother
to part with him that, although he once
got as far as New York on his way back
to his home. he turned again and until
his death few years ago lived in this
city.
The Maid of the Castle has now be-
come wllite-haired. sweet-faced old
lady of seventy-twO years. Her five
sons have grown to manhood about her.
and she at the present time lives with
one of them. A. g. Duncan, on Franklin
street, Williamsburg. One of her sons,
j. III. Duncan, is a prosperous business
man of Cincinnati. She has also one
daughter, Clara, living. She has still
many momentoes of the past, the uni
form that her father wore and his
SwOrd-knOt. Pleasant as her life has
been with her husband and family, she
loves dearly to recall the old days in the
castle. Of her father she speaks with
the greatest reverence and admiration.
She describes him as man of wonder
full presence, being over six feet in
height and magnificently prOpOrtiOned.
He was stern and cold, as all Scotch
parents are.
ONCE WORE THE CROWN.
The crOwn-rOOm was at the top of the
castle, and Mrs. Duncan loves to tell
how one day her father placed the
crown, with its diamonds and precious
stones, which had rested upon so many
royal brOws, upon her head. How she
did love Edinburgh, and to hear her tell
of the beautiful city one can almost see
how in the spring time the gray walls of
the castle and the steep, rocky cliff
brighten in color, and the trees and
grassy slopes dOff their dingy olive tints
for the brightest emerald. She tells how
she gaZed from the walls down over the
city and the Princess street gardens,
where the children played in the cool
shadow of the rocks, or looked from st.
Andrew street and saw the Mound
across the valley bearing the white
academy buildings, and the castle lift
its weather-beaten towers and fortifca-
tions serenely above, and the bright
standards waving from the Half-MOon
battery. TO hear the stories told by this
dear old lady calls up all the grand old
historic tales connected with the Canon
gate, where the ghosts of kings and
queens walk.