New-York tribune., 1910-09-05
a Very Cranky Peer.

The late and thirteenth Earl of Buchan
was 2 most cranky and eccentric individ-
nal According TO his own account. given
under oath on the occasion of one Of the
many bankruptcy proceedings against him,
he earned his daily bread in his younger
DAYS. when there were still six lives be
tween himself and the earldom, as
iockev. MS father. the twelfth earl. being
unwilling TO make him any allowance. HIS
riding was not always above reproach. and
on one occasion. at Redclife. the public,
suspecting him of not having done MS pest.
gave him chase when he returned 70 the
paddock. and he had TO take refuge IN
cottage in the vicinity; but the mob got
so,,a straw and set fire TO i, and II was
only with the utmost difficulty that he was
rescued He married. in 1S49, woman of
soma wealth q Miss Graham, out after
hearing him two sons he behaved so aoor11-
inablv toward her that she was compelled
70 leave him. securing not a divorce but
judicial separation. He was conslderably
over forty when he succeeded 70 the earl
dom and estates. and. owing to the tact
that the family property was heaVlly en-
numbered and that he was himself over
whelrrled with deDts to the tune OF some
500 coo before many years were past he
Finally. when unable to get money or
credit any longer, he made an arrangement
with his eldest SON who had inherited
onsYdera bic amount OF money from MS
mother. and who had also made rich
marriage whereby the son. then known as
Lord Cardross assumed the ownership of
the family estates paying of the fathers
liabilities and settling upon him a liberal
FOR he Ind
Subsequently, minerals and also oil we're
discovered on the estates. which largely in
creased their value. whereupon the old earl
regretted his bargain and tried TO get the
rroper-v back Failing in this. he pur-
posely embarked in all kinds Of extrava-
gsnce largely exceeding his annuity. He
not only went to the length Of indorsing
other peoples notes with little or no ad-
vantage to himself. but actually, in spite
Of his age, got himself heavily mu!cted in
damages as correspondent in divorce suit
and then borrowed money at extravagant
interest from the notorious money lender
Jaw in London. in order TO meet this par
-ic11lar liability Small wonder that his
eldest son who had never forgotten the
shameful manner in which his mother had
been treated by the earl. declined TO DO
ANYTHING more for the old gentleman and
rernoitted him 70 be made bankrupt
rather than pay his debts sfresh-
II was in consequence of this that the old
earl wrote d letter. of which l have a copy
before me- in which he declared that his
marriage in 1849 10 his first wife was
illegal and his eldest son illegttimate- and
that in consequence thereof he had trans
ferred from his elder to his younger son
Albany. the right of making use of his
--or7 cfa ~
which the crown. the authorities and
cierv took no notice whatsoever. The sec
ond son. however who was a chip of the
old block and familiar figure in the
courts of bankruptcy and divorce. sided
with his father. and styled himself Lord
Csrdross. exciting much ridicule thereby.
The late Lord BuChan even went TO the
length of Forwarding an official con1nunica-
ton TO the Committee of Privileges of the
House Of Lords. insisting that his eldest
son was illegftimate and protesting against
his eventual succession to the earldoTn-
The Committee OF Privileges. as bound to
do under the conditions, duly investi-
gated all the circumstances Of the case,
found the charges to be without any basis.
and after the old mans death recon-
rnended the sovereign TO vest the success
sion in the eldest son: that is to say. the
present and fourteenth Lord Buchan.
The latter enjoys the questionable dis
tinction of being the only British peer
whose birthday falls on February %. His
last birthday was celebrate in 1893, and
his next one will be two years hence. On
one occasion he was actually obliged to go
eight wears without a birthday. That was
during the period that elapsed between 1895
and 1904 1900 being. of course, not leap
year.
Not even since his recognition by the
Committee of Privileges of the House OF
Lord Buchan been allowed TO enjoy his
estates and his honors in peace 4 year
or so after his fathers death a London
LAWYER of the name of Milton Bradford
(pUt whose real patronymic developed dur
ing the course OF some divorce proceedings
10 be Corey) appeared with story 10 the
effect that in 1842-that is 10 say. seven
wears before the marriage of the present
Lord Buchans mother to the thirteenth
earl-the latter had gone through a form
Of common law marriage with another
woman in s. ootland The son born OF this
marriage was the claimant. and. according
m his account. his mother deserted the late
.arl after living with him about three
Years and eventually ended her days in a
,unarfr ASYLUM year subsequent TO the
birth OF the present earl. fact. which If
,ruA would have been sufficient. of course,
70 invaltdate his legitimacy The claimant
declared that he had encountered the thir |
,eenth earl shortly before his death, and
that the latter had then recognized him as