Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-04-26
A STRANGE STORY OF THE PAST.
How the Earl Of cianbrassi's Will
Was Found,

was fouho.
Lord Dufferin's death recalls
strange true story of the past-an Old
World romance belonging to the
Stuart period, when the Lords Clan
deboye, from whom the late marquis
was descended, owned Bangor castle
(near Clandeboye). Killyleagh castle.
and other parts of picturesque county
Down. The second Lord Clandeboye,
who became ; the first Earl of Clan
brassil, had an only son, Henry, to
whom he left his Irish estates, express
ly providing, however, that, should
Henry have no direct heir, the proper
'ty should devolve upon the next of kin.
When the second Countess Clanbras-
sill (the Lady Alice, sister of the Earl
OF Drogheda) found that she was not
likely to have children, she suggested
to her husband that he should make
will leaving the estates to herself
and her brothers. Her husband OBJ
1ected that such document would be
mere waste of paper. But tine Lady
Alice persisting, the earl consulted his
mother "a daughter of Henry, Earl of
Monmouth). who warned him that If
he complied with his wife's desire.
"he would be sleeping within a month
in the family vault at Bangor"
In the result the will was made the
earl died suddenly-it was supposed
that he was poisoned-and his fathers
will was nowhere to be found. For
something like twenty years there en-
sued contest between the countess
and her people and the defrauded next
Of kin and their friends--a contest in
which armed bands. as we'll as lawyers,
played leading parts. Then. one fine
day. q busy little maid, while sweeping
the dust from a recess in the room
at Killyleagh castle, wherein the fam
lily deeds were kept, discovered large
empty envelope inscribed. 1.-THE Last
Will and Testament of James. Earl Of
Clanbrassil." The inside of the enve-
lope was found to be covered with
writing and much ink-stained. A close
investigation revealed the fact that it
was duly executed and valid will
indeed, the document from which the
missing will had been copied. 1t had
been turned into an envelope and an
other will written. because when on
his death bed the old earl desired to
make certain alterations in it.and while
these were being made bottle of ink
was upset over 1t. When the Lady
Alice took possession of the new will
she unsuspectingly dropped the cover
ing onto the floor, and somehow 1t had
been swept into the recess. where 1t re-
mained until the little maid brought it
to light again.
AS Lord Dufferin explained in the de-
lightful memoir he wrote of his mother
one result Of the action of the second
Lady Clanbrassil was the division of
the estates between an ancestress Of
his own and an ancestor of his wife.
This division had to be carried out SO
scrupulously that until the lady who
was to become his wife was six years
old one-half of the ancient castle of
Ktllyleagh. for example, belonged to
her father. and one-half to her future
husband-the castle garden even being
divided. ..
1t may be added that Bangor is a
link with the monastic life of the
sixth century, and that around Strang-
ford Lough on the western shore of
which Killyleagh castle stands. are
many ruins of the castles built in Nor
man times.-Lloyd's Weekly News
paper.