New-York tribune., 1907-06-03
AZ AMERICAN CLAIMANT.

The American end Of the nineteenth century ro-
nance relating 70 the earldom Of Perth originated
with the elopement Of George Lord Drummond
with one Of the female servants Of his maternal
grandmother. the Hon. Mrs Dolly" Csrel who
had brought him up. Lord Drummond married the
woman. who was considerabl his senior at liver
pool. and then sailed with her for this country
where. after filling various places in New York
Of q more or less badly paid character. including
that Of ticket chopper the elevated railroad
he finally died Of consumption while night porter
OF one Of the big New York daily newspapers. He
left a daughter by the woman who some years
later married again. OF course II his marriage had
been perfectly regular his daughter would be to-
day peeress on her right, instead of
restaurant waitress in Brooklyn But l have in my
possession not only letter from the late Lord
Perth insisting upon the illegslity of the
risge NJ his grandson Lord Drummond. and
Eequently upon the nlegitimacy Of May Drummond.
but also communication from Sumter & Hay ynes
of Lincolns Inn. London the lawyers Of the late
earl In this letter. which bears the date of
August - 1857. the lawyers say: The late Lord
Drunmond was never legally married TO the per
son who is referred 70 as his wife. Her name IS
Eliza Lewis. She was married ct Folkestone,
Kent. on November Q, 1854 10 John Lewis, who Is
still sve Nor is there any record of the marriage
having been dissolved by divorce / may add that
Burke's Peerage' and other analogous standard
works IF reference adopt the same view, and make
no mention of Lord Drummond's ever having been
either married a father.
Old Lord Perth did not like his grandson a fact
not much due 10 the personal character of the
young fellow. to the painful memories whi7h
his appearance. and even the mention Of his name,
always evoked in the mind Of the earl from the
very moment OF his birth. Lord Drummonds
parents. Viscount and Viscountess Forth had been
E source OF profound humiliation OF disgrace and
sorrow TO the proud old thane. For Lord Forth.
after being dismissed from the army for gross
coUardice displayed officer of crack High
land regiment At the Battle Of the Alma in the
Crmean War, foolish enough still further 20
render himself impossible socially by marrying
Miss Mary Capel. niece Of the then Earl Of Essex.
who had been just previously gravely compro-
missed by Captain EIskeiy. Of the Royal Artillery.
inventor of the Blakely gun. which was extensively
used IN the American Civil War. -Four months
after this marriage Lady Forth gave birth 10
boy. who Lord Perth invariably insisted the
offspring Of Captain BlakeIy. but who neverthe-
less. having been born in lawful wedlock. grew up
10 manhood under the name Of George Drummond,
LORD Perth declined 20 have anything whatsoever
20 do with the boy 10 recognize him. and the
youngster was in consequence taken charge of by
his grandmotne-. the Hon. Mrs. Adolphus Capel.
Meanwhile Lord and Lady Forth. Ostracized by
every one in England, betook themselves with
Captain Biakely board the latters yacht, first
of all IN this country. where they were treated
10 very cold shoulder. and afterward To South
America. where the captain drank himself 10
death. Lord Forth returned 10 England and met
with serious accident while intoxicated at Lean
ington. succUTnbing To his injuries. Lady Forth,
who had remained IN America. thereupOn married
there Edward Dering. elder brother of the present
Sir Henry Deying. and died some years ago 1t
Lima, leaving issue By her second marriage
Edward Dering after her demise married Miss
Fanny Whitehead. and his death she went
the stage under the name Of Mrs. Bernard Beere.
As Edward Dering predeceased his father. his
widow the actress, was never Lady Dering al
though some people. ignorant Of the true facts Of
the fond of describing her such.
Formerly there vast estates that with
the Earldorn Of Perth. including DrummOnd Castle.
one of the grandest places in Scotland But all
these passed into the family OF the present Lord
Ancaster through the marriage OF Lady Sarah
Drummond. only child Of the eleventh Earl Of
Perth. to Peter Robert nineteenth Lord WilIoughby
G oEresbE, dignity that has since been merged
into tire Esrldom az Ancaster The present Lord
Perth owns about 1000 in Perthshire, nclud-
ing StTstha!lan Castle, Machany He is very
distant Knsman OF the late earl For in order to
establish his relationship 10 him II was necessary
10 go back 10 the year 157l. when second Lord
Drumsnond died, leaving two sons. the elder Of
whom became Earl Of Perth. while the Younger
became Lord Sfrathallan and founded the Strath-
allan branch of the Drummond family Indeed the
present earl, Lord Perth. was known as Lord
etrathailan until he succeeded to the earIdom