The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-26
Patronynic Said to Have Been
Bestowed by David II.
of Scotland.
n, IA wARaursE DE FONTENoY.

BY "a wARQUIsE DE FONTENOY.
~ IR Alexander Napier, of Napier.
whose impendAng marriage TO
- Miss Ashurst Morris. srand-
daughter of the late Sir Richard Puie-
ston. who was so well known IN TINS
country. has just been announced. is
an officer Of the Grensdier Guards,
who was A. d. e. to Lord Dudley when
the latter was Governor General OF
Australia He is the head of the ju-
nior branch Of that great Scotch house
Of Napier. which has for its chief LIoro
Napier. of Ettrick. and has Canadian
stepmother. For his father. the late
Sir Archibald Napier. after divorcing
his arst wife. daughter OF Sir Thomas
Fairbairn, married Charlotte. the only
daughter OF Henry William Austin. OF
Montreal Chief Justice OF the BAHIA
mas.
The patronymic is said to be derived
from an expression Of David H. OF
Scotland. who at the close Of battle
in complimenting the Lennox men. LED
by Donald. second son OF the Harl or
I.ennox declared that they had all
done valiantly. but that there was one
of them, namely. their chief, VINO nao
Nae pier" (no PEER. 1t was from
this Donald. second son of the Earl
of Lennox. and thus Invested by King
David with with the surname OF Ma
pier. that the Napiers take their de-
scent.
The Napiers are a very numerous
family. and include. besides Lord Ma
pier Of Ettrick. another peer. namely
Lord Napier of Magdala. Then there
IS a Sir William Lennox Napier. "ho
is Indebted for his baronetcy to the
fact that his grandfather. SIR Joseph
Napier. was Lord Chancellor or Ire
land.
SIR Alexander Napier's baronetcy is
far older, having been created by KING
James in 1926, that is 10 say. near
800 years ago. The best known OF
his branch of the family was John
Napier. of Merchiston, the inventor OF
logarithns. who four'ehed in the reign
of Mary. Queen OF Scots. The ancient
castle of Merchiston is now used as
a public school. and the first editions
Of the works of this inventor OF log
arithms are preserved in the library
of Thirlstane the beautiful ancestral
home of Lord Napier OF Ettrick IN
Selkirkshire.
Lord Napier. prior to his accession
IN the title. spent a number of years
at Washington as secretary OF the
British legation there. being known
as the Master of Napier. and his fatner
the late Lord Napier OF t>ttriCh' S"i"'
fifteen or twenty years previously. was
British envoy to the United states
throughout a considerable period
Thirlstane lies in the heart or the
country of border minstrelsy. 1t is the
country through which Mary. queen
of Scots. passed in her wild ride to
ioin her lover, Lord Boutwell, There
are the very lands of Boloralne
which Sir William, the dauntless knight
of the Lay" would have given IL
Dark Musgrave were alive again.
has been the scene OF many
a hit of drama and tragedy in the
history of Scotland. and contains many
wonderful relics OF every description
not among the least OF which are the
cap. shirt and hose worn on the Day
of his execution by the great Mont
rose. and bequeathed by him TO DIS
favorite niece Lady Napier
Lady Napier. il may be remembered,
after the body OF the marquis had
been dismembered. in accordance with
the terms Of the sentence. under cir
cumstances Of the greatest hndisnity'