Arizona republican., 1900-09-14

tain number of bar0netcies on this side of the Atlantic. About 200 patents in blank were given him for the pur- pose. he undertaking to fill in the nam- of the purchaser. The viciSsitudes of this colonial undertaking of Lord Stir Ing were suth-N0va Sc tia soon afJer- ward falling into the hands If the Frfnch-that 10 record was kept of the baruuetcies thus sold. all data on .ha subject. sucl as there may have tten. having been lost. The r5sul. of this is that there. are, at the present moment, some eighty or ninety self styled baronets, quartoring the arms of Nova Scotia, and whose digni;y re Iosss only upon their own statement end assumption.
 In the cGse of all barcnatcies creat- Cd prior to the reign of Queen Victoria, there is clause wGiCh provides that he elGes- son of every baronet may calm from the sovereign the honor Of knightho- on attaining his twenty first year. The only bGTonet's heir to put forward any such preten.ions since queen Victoria has Leen upon the throne is the present Sir Robzrt Peel. prior to lis fathers death, and there is no Goubt that had he not been debarreI by financial reasons from pressing his rlaim in the law col-.s. h. would have been able ;o f.rce the hand of the queen in exactly the same way that two equally unworthy heirs to baron -:cies W5re able to compel King George " and William V to inves; them with the dignity of knighthood.
 
 Incidentally I may mention that the farl1om of Stirling, conferred upon Sir William Alexander. the governor of Nova Scotia, and Of unrecord,d ba- I5natciss fame, is now extinct, and that there is no truth in the statements re- re1tly made in a number of American newspapers Jc the effect that 8 Cana dian Of the name of Charles Alexander has been declared entitled to the earl com Of Stirling. and placet in possess sion of the Stirling estates in Scotland. which ng longer exist.
 When the first earl of Stirling died. his honors and estates passed to his grandson, and on the latter's death without issue to Henry. the younger son of tho first peer. This third earl was succeeded by his son Henry. the fourth earl. who, in turn. was succeeded
 
 ly the ldtter's son Henry. the sixth carl. Who died without issue. The earl com was 5Lareup1n claimed by Gen. William Alexander. who subsequently achieved fame as one of Washington's generals in the war of independence and at the battle of Long Island. He based his pre -nsiOns on th= fact that he Wa. descended in direct male line from thr brother of the father of the Earl of Stirling. Whatever chances he had of the earldom then in abeyanca being revived in his favOr-ard it must be confessed that they were faint at the b st-were destroyed by his taking up arms against England fin the war of in dependence. Gen. William Alexander, tWho Was wont to style himself Lord stirling though without legal author ity) died without male issue. but left two daughters, one of whom, Cather rine, married John Duer. whose descendent is now the wife of Clarence Nackay. of New York and California. The revo- lutionary general had two younger trcthers. Robert ana Gerard. The Iat- ter took up large tracts of lana on the Potomac. where the city of Alexandria now stands. and it takes it's name from him. Robert had a family of five sons and two daughters who married and settled in different parts of Virginia and Kentucky. and who. while the- nave right tO the Alexander coat-of- arms. have no title Whatsoever to the arncorial bearings of the Earl of Stir HnE.-Marquise de Fontcnoy in Wash t@gtan Post.