New-York tribune., 1908-07-06
GOT THE WRONGMURRA
Odd Mistake at the Quebec Ter
centennial.

mistake In inviting CAPTAIN the Hon. Arthur Muir |
ray. recently elected Member OF Parliament for
Kincardneshire and younger son of Lord Elibank, |
attend the tercentennial celebration at Quebec
next month as a representative of the family of
Colonel Alexander Murray. of Crngletie, PEBBLE |
shire, who commanded the Black Watch, or 42d.
Hghlanders in the taking of Quebec. and in whose |
arms General Wolfe died. on the Heights OF Abra-
ham Since then and In memory Of that battle, |
all children born to the Cringletie Murrays have |
been christened with the compound name of Wolfe |
Murray and the present chief OF the family and |
senior ineaI descendant of the colonel is General
Sir James Wolfe Murray. who was until recently 1
a member of the Army Council at whitehall In |
London. and is in command OF the secundera- |
bad division of the British army In India The
Murrays of Cringletie have connection what
soever-save a common ancestor seven hundred |
years ago-with the Murrays Of Efbank, the for |
nler being a Peebleshre house and the latter
haing from Selkirkshire. The Cringlet1e Murrays
branch of the Murrays Of Blackbarony, in |
PeebIeshire of whom the chief is Sir John Muir |
raw born of an American mother. who Miss |
Helen Sanger, daughter of Gerry Sanger, of Utica,
N Y
Under the circumstances the Canadian authori- |
ties would have done far better, II they wanted
representative of the family of Colonel Alexander
Murray Of Cringletie, to have invited either
of the two of General Sir James Wolfe Muir
ray. of whom captain Of the Seaforth High
landers and the other lieutenant OF the royal
navy. else to have asked Sir John Murray
Bart of Blackbarony, the chief of the Peebeshire
MWrays. The presence Of Captain the Hon. Ar
thur Murray. of Lord Elibank. at the Quebec |
celebration means nothing at all, since his family
has association whatsoever with the battle OF
Quebec or thu historic scenes the Heights Of
Abraham
Away back in the twelfth century the Murrays
of Elibank and the Murrays of Backbarony and
of Cringletie had common ancestor in the per- /
son Of Malcolm de Moravia who was likewise the !!
ancestor of the dukes of Atholl of the Murrays of
ochtertyre Of the earls of Dunmore and of a
number Of other ancient Scottish houses. but the
branches to which Lord Elibank and the Murrays |
Of Cringetie respectively. belong, parted company
some five hundred years ago more that the !
relationship s. say the least, extremely remote
The present Lord E1ibank is the tenth of his
line and is retired captain of the royal navy.
The first Lord Eibank created peer in 1643. |
in the reign Of King Charles I, and showed his
gratitude by subsequently taking his stand among
the six Scotch peers who strenuously opposed the
surrender of the i'll fated King to the English |
Parliamentary forces and to his death. This first
Lord Elibank had sister. whose uglness is still
conmemorated In many Scottish legend and poem.
She has down through history to us as
'Muckie Mouthed Meg and 1t is said that her |
father Sir Gideon Murray, Lord of the Session in
Scotland and first owner and master OF the now
ruined Elibank Castle, caught border raider in
the act of stealing his cattle and gave him the
choice of being hanged on the gibbet which formed
indispensable feature OF the principal tower OF
the castle of most other Scottish stronghods OF
the day. or of marrying his daughter 1t is said
that the raider after beholding the charms OF
''Muckle Mouthed Meg hesitated long as to
whether It preferable to be hanged or to be- |
come her husband that 1t not until the rope !
being actually placed about his neck that he.
with manifest reluctance, accepted in lieu thereof
the matrimonial
should not like conclude this reference to
the Murrays without calling attention to the ex-
traordnary beverage which the Murrays thrive |
and which is found at its best the broad acres
of the great cheftain Of all the Murrays. the Duke
of Athol 1t is known there as "Athon brose,
and its principal ingredients consist of honey. |
cream. and especially whiskey. the latter strong
and plentiful. One hardly knows whether the pro-
verbal sturdiness of the Murrays is due to the
they and their ancestors have been drink
ing this brew for six hundred years, or whether
they are fine specimens of manhood in spite of it
LORD RUTHvEN NOT TO BE ARRESTED
Lord Ruthven has at length effected a COM
promise with the trustees of the marriage settle
ment his eldest son. the Master of Ruthven, and
the warrant which had been issued by the Scotch
courts his Imprisonment charges of con-
tempt of court has been withdrawn. Lord Ruth
ven (uhose name, by-the-bye. should not be pro-
nounced spelled. but if written "Rivven'D got
into all kinds of financial difficulties years
ago, and secured the permission of his eldest son
10 sell of the Scotch estates entailed to the
peerage. The Master Of Ruthven gave his consent
TO a sale. from which nearly 100000 realized.
something $500 Ooo and that he himself should
have the remainder, to represent his interest in
the property. Lord Ruthven found that his 1900,
900 would be sufficient to extricate him from his
difficulties. Accordingly he begged his eldest son
to allow him have the remaining $4,000 agree
ing in return to transfer him, rather to the
trustees of his marriage settlement, his Harpers
town estate, In County Wexford. Ireland. His son
consented TO this, but the old lord. who has just
celebrated his seventeen birthday. and who is
oF he India of he War
and of the Abyssinian campaign has since
declined TO surrender the Harperstown place. The
trustees of the Master of Ruthven in conse-
quence apply to the Scotch courts to insist
on the execution of the agreement, and Lord
Ruthven declining to comply with the decision of
the Edinburgh tribunals warrant was issued for
his arrest.
Lord Ruthven bears title familiar to all the
students of Scottish history. The third Lord Ruth
ven was the principal III the murder of Rizzo,
the troubadour favorte of Mary Queen Of Scots in
the Palace of Holyrood His successor, the fourth
Lord was the hero the historic raid of Ruthven,
which had for its object the kidnapping OF her
King James VI. while this lords in turn. was
killed in the so-called Gowrte conspiracy, which
had for its aim the assassination of this same
King James The Ruthvens take their name from
the Castle of Ruthven in Forfarshre, but 1t
entirely demolished in the eighteenth century and
the only thing mark its site is the knoll called
'the Gallows Hill.' which permanent gallows
maintained by the Lords OF Ruthven for the
swinging into eternity of those who had incurred
their displeasure
RIGHTS TO HIS PEERAGE IN QUESTION
The Lord Ruthven Of to-day and his four soldier
have all borne themselves so bravey in battle,
the second winning the Victoria Cross in the
Soudan and the third the Distinguished Service Or
in South Africa that it is to be regretted that
their claim to the barony of Ruthven should be
SO exceedingly questionable that II II we're an