New-York tribune., 1909-10-06
ANOTHER PEERAGE ROMANCE.

Few peers n the British realm. especially those
z-hose horors are not Of modern creation. manage
q escape the annoyance Of having pretensions put
Forward their dignities- Not one in a hundred
n these claims is successful Some Of them are
shs-IrteI~ nreposterous But they call for the
expenditure OF q considerable amount Of money.
trouble and worry in order 10 resist the attack
vhich occasonaly brings 10 light glimpses Of that
vast sto-ehouse cf romance which is contained IN
sHe annals and traditions OF the old houses Of the
English sristocracy.
The latest 70 suffer in this fashion is Lord Mac
donald whose ancestors bore the historic title OF
Lor5 4 the Isles. owned by the Prince Of
Wales The claimant in this instance is q rich
T0rkshire land owner Of the name Of Alexander
Bosville. OF Thorpe Hall and Of GunthWaite, and
who was high sheriff Of Yorkshire few years
$50, and Is = grandson Of the seventh Lord Mide-
Ton He claims the barony Of Macdonald, which
IS not Scotch hut Irish peerage, by virtue Of
the peculiar circumstances OF the marriage OF his
t-reat-Erandfather. the third Lord Macdonald with
& lady who was the daughter Of Farley Edsir,
otherwise the attainted Marquis Of Tyrconnel
TIE marriage Of the third Lord Macdonald and
~ THIS lady or the 6iretna Green order. and 10
them were born a son Alexander. and daughter
Louisa who married the fifth Ear Of Hopetoun
s-5 -rus became the Freat-Erandmotller Of the
present Marquis of Linlithgow. Afterward Lady
Macdonald developed scruples and insisted upon
being married according 10 the rites Of the Eng
l-s- church This held, for some reason or
other 10 trva Iidate the Gretna Green ceremony.
and n consequence 10 make Alexander and his
sister !. egitirnate On this ground the peerage
On TIE death q the third Lord Macdonald, passed
- Gsef-e, the eldest Of his three sons born sub
sequeu- 10 the Church OF England ceremony, Alex
sn5er being barred from the succession The
present and sixth Lord Macdonald is the grandson
q Goifrev
Godfrey eldest brother. Alexander who had
thus been barred from succession 10 his father 5
hcnors, being unwilling retain the name of Mac
oonad. which recalled the stigma on his birth Sc
cured license from the Crown 10 assume his
r17thers pat-onyrnic Of Bosville and received by
MS mothers oequest her estate OF GunthWaite. in
Yorkshire as vel as Thorpe Hall from one 81 his
mothers brothers. The claimant is his grandson.
s7d now puts forward the pnetension that the
Srstns Green marriage vas not invalidared BY the
Er1seQ 1err church Of England ceremony and that
N consequence thereof he is the r1ghtful owner Of
ths hs-ouv Of Macdonald OF course, the point
sss.nsr him is that the nvalidatiou Of the Gretna
Greer marriage accepted AZ the time by the
person most conoerned-that is 70 say by Alexan-
c. Macdonald. who died Alexander Bosville-
As both Lord Macdonald and the claimant 10 his
hrnors are rich nen, they may be relied upon 10
Ag1t t- a finish and the suit promises extremely
Fh Ficsings for the lawyers. since peersge cases
eHisl particularly large expenditure
Lord Msodonsld's country home is Armidale Cas-
Ie m re south coast OF the island Of Skye over
looEHg Ire Sound OF seet. one Of the features Of
he place is large Gothic window Of painted glass
fepresenrirg the celebrated sonlered. first Lord OF
me Isles In fun Highland costunne. and aimed with
SWORD 7aru@-sxe and targe-a Celtic CHIEF. by
whose EFFORTS the NorweRians had been driven from
Ne mainland Of Scotland He married Enrca.
os-ghter q Olave. Of the Norwegian kings OF
ue Isle of Man His immediate successors man
sged 10 retain what he had held and became the
hosi powerful chiefs IN Scotland Indeed his
Ersndson the third Lord OF the Isles, repeatedly
visited The English court toward the end OF the
-'-f'eentA century as an independent prince. He
va abie 70 put ten thousand men in the field: and
s successor with a force OF similar dimensions.
-~ei and burned Inverness by way % avenging a
E-i ~ which he had been subjected by the King
9l'tlaad- The last nOn-royal Lord OF the Isles
s7 john, who was likewise Earl Of Ross. He was
-'lt.'t4 ~ HIS h0nOrs for rebellion against King
'-Nre y ~ Scotland Some OF them were restored
i-a oa his reconciliation 70 the Crown But not
liIe ~ Lord Of the Isles. which was retained
1e King and has been since the union OF the
s-sA ana Scotch crowns one OF the most highly
&c utes of the Prince Of Wales
CT Donald Macdonald. who was the chieftain OF
can ln the days OF Charles ] OF England re-
- % naronefcy. which Is the second in Doint
seniority in The kingdom Of Scotland The
1sn1 naronet took no part in the Jacobite re- |
So ~ l9s5. but contributed 70 the escape of 4
~ ieiFndef. an escape in which his niece Flora /
- L-llaic played the role Of heroine This was
n. --"Italn who entertained Dr. Johnson and /
'l their famous tour IN Scotland II his l
!, ~ Armidsle. His wife 50 loved that 4
-, lfced tlat when she yelled through the !
49, ~ Sk}e the people ran IN crowds before 4
removed the stones from the road lest her 4
1ese should be 5olted. She is described as I
AZ, 'een one of the greatest beauties OF her 4
sgh. Johnson writing 81 her that IN her j
t.. mn yeaT ~slle had lrfle reaso7 % accuse
y oe2reoa1ions on her beauty" Her eldest