New-York tribune., 1911-01-02


80 knights Hosptaller of the Temple,
.,,atirnes known as the knights Of st.
,.h,, and also as the Knights OF the Sow
'~o,cn order OF Malta. AS such he en-
,avnd a place in Parliament, not only
,oro the prelstes-he was bound by VOWS
- oolIbacy-but also among the great bar
= In right Of the lay barony OF Torpi-
shnr which was comprised i'm the property
:, the order Sir James was led by his
,.,ber's close intimacy with John Knox,
,ho Reformer. 10 become convert to the
s,,,rines OF the Reformed Church, and,
s.s,er,nc his ecclesiastical office and pos
.sstons 10 the crown in 1854, received i'm
.a,a.elv thereon from Mary Queen Of
Soots 2 erart confirming to him, mis- heirs
I'D assigns the lands and the baronies be-
,ong,ng 10 the order in Scotland. He there
tore continued TO bear, no longer as prior
:, the order Of ST. John, but in his own
~,rh, the title OF Lord Torpichen. I'm
roindful Of tho vow Of celibacy, which he
I'D been compelled to give on joining the
order. he married Janet Murray, of Pol
,,sise. but. dying without issue. his title OF
ord Toruichtn passed TO his brothers son
Lanes since then the barony OF Torpi-
ohen has descended In tho male line, direct,
.,a nresont peer being the twelfth since the
,.ign Of queen Mary.
~ course. the history ~ the Sandilands
.sr,ilv. Of which Lord Torpichen is the
,h;ef goes very much further back than
,ho reformation. For the first lord, I'm
.,der 70 have been prior Of the Order of
g. John. in the days OF Mary Queen Of
scots. must have been able to show at
,.ast eight generations Of exclusively noble
,rcestrv. both on the fathers and mothers
side. genealogical qualifications Of this
md beinz then, as to-day. indispensable
a full knIghthood Of the order. In fact,
,Ns Iairds of Sandilsuds. IN DouglaSdale,
rsrs already in possession Of Ssndiland in
che thirteenth century, and obtained the
lands ~ calder. near Edinburgh which
are still owned by the present Lord Tor
,,,ben. early in the fourteenth century.
one Of the Lairds Of sandilands and Cal
der married Princess Joan Of Scotland,
daughter Of King Robert II. The present
Iord Torpichen divorced his wife, daugh-
,,r Of Lieutenant General Charles r Cor
son some twenty years ago. and his eldest
son. James, master Of Torpichen, sue
5un,bed to fever eighteen months ago while
sctinr as assistant commissioner and ad-
rinist-ator of Nyassaland. in Africa.
With regard TO the other new representa-
tive peer. the Young Earl of Leven and
Melville, he came into the public eye
rather prominently year or so ago
through his presentation 10 the late kins
Of sum OF some $4,000 for use in the ar
rangerent Of a chapel of the knights OF
the Scottish order Of the Thistle, which Is
now completed. and Is 10 be consecrated tC
the service OF the order some time this
summer in the presence of the King anC
queen.
Lord Leven's father was a well knoWr
figure here in America. and few members
Of the British peerage possessed more eX
tensive acquaintance with people and con
ditions In the United States. He was "bes
man" at the wedding in New York OF Miss
Consuelo Yznaga 10 the late Duke Of Man
chester. and was head OF two of the big
cest Anglo-American banking houses IL
London. namely, those Of Melville. Evans
4 Co. and Of williams. Deacon & Co, TIT
latter having succeeded TO the business
the great firm OF Williams. Deacon, La
houchere. Thornton & Co.. which played
great role in international finance durini
The early years Of Queen Victoria's reign
Lord Leven's grandfather the eleventh
earl. married the daughter Of Henry Thorn
ton NJ F.. the friend Of Wilberforce. o
Zachary Macaulay, and OF Gladstone II
his Younger years Indeed. the Thornton
villa at Clapham. so graphically portrayed
by Lord Beaconsfeld In the opening chap
tcrs OF The novel left unfinished at hi
death. was the headquarters Of that so
ciety of wealthy pietists constituting tn
pjllars Of the Exeter Hall school. who le'
the abolitionist movement In England. an'
who for a time exercised a most powerful
influence on English politics. Henry Thorn
tons Family Prayers" had wide vogu
In this country about fifty years ago, ant
r,roved source Of large revenue 70 tn
author.
Lord Ievens family is very ancien
one Melville Is not only its patronymi
hut likewise the title Of one Of its peer
ages. the present head Of the family bein
fourteenth Earl OF Leven and eleventh
Earl Of Melville. The Melvilles fourishe'
in the reign Of David ]. William the Lion
and ot Malcolm ", one OF them beint
The Iatter's Lord Justiciary OF Scotland
The Nrst Lord Melville Of the present crea
ton vas the ambassador sent by kinf
lanes VI Of Scotland from Scotland tC
England in 1857 to plead with Queen Eliza
beth for ,he life Of Mary Queen Of Scots
MARQUIsE DE FONTENOY.
-~-------