The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-02
Americans Should Hesitate I'm
less They Do Not Mind Pay
ing Enormous Fees.
BY La MAnaUIsE DE FoNrENoY.


claims TO British peerages to
hesitate before taking the necessary
proceedings before the Committee of
Privileges of the House of Lords, un-
less money is no object TO them. and
they will not be Inconvenience by the
payment OF 100000 or so in fees
Proving the right to a British t'tls.
In allegiance. Is the most expensive
ana unamusing form OF litigation that
] know Of. y recent example is that
Of Robert Barclay Allardycc. OF Truro
IN Cornwall. who went bankrupt in
his efforts to make the Committee of
Privileges understand, through his
lawyer. that he is the real Earl of
Mentcith. There are other claimants
to the title. and although the com
mittee has not decided in favor of
been dropped that R. B. Alardyce
comes the nearest of the three to prov
ing his case. One OF the reasons of
the committee for withholding any
be called out of allegiance. IT would
OF course constitute virtual ack1ow-
ledgment that the bearer of the honor
was the .rightful heir TO the throne
Of Great Britain. Naturally. the point
il merely an academic one for the So
called Act of Settlement Cor success
sion) of 1901. gave the crown to the
Hanoverian Hous. of Guelph in pref
erencc to less remotr kinsfolk of the
Stuart Kings. The first of these Stuart
who married girl OF the name OF
Elizabeth Mure, of Rowallan. lie had
no children by her after his marriage.
but there were no less than eight born
previously to the ceremony.
At no time previous to the Reform
alton would such marriage. even
with n papal dispensa;ion. have been
neld by the law of Scotland ~ legiti-
no hirth of of n f,rp1-innGi>
born. Yet IL is from these illegiti-
mate children of King Robert II of
scotland and of Elizabeth Mure of
Rowallan that all the Stuarts and
Scotland and Great Britain are ue-
seconded. King Roberts second mar
riage, with the widowed Countess OF
Moyccy. was free from any kind Of
earn and Menteith. was the lawful
issue thereof.
Before dying, King Robert executed
n settlement. entailing the crown OF
Scotland on the sons OF both his wlFeS,
according to priority, and their heirs
male, just as though they had all been
born of one mother. and that mothrr
his lawful queen consort According
Mentcith should have succeeded to the
throne OF Scotland on the death of
James V. instead of that Mary. Queen
Of Scots wh9 was beheaded at Fother;
OF Menteith was prisoner in England
at tho time OF Queen Mary's aces
sions which may account for mis- max
ing no claim to the Scotch crown.
forward his pretentions to the throne.
The first Lord OF Menteith TO put
forward his professions to the throne
not only Of Scotland, but also OF Eng
land. occupied at the time by Kins
was the seventh earl, who according
to contemporary historians was "the
brightest and manifest Scotch peer OF
his day"
capacity Of Lord High Chancellor, and
Keeper of the Great Seal OF the United
Kingdom, reported in an official docu-
ment that the Earl Of Menteith's claim
law that all that was needed TO set
him on the throne was 8 sharp sword"
Eacon's successor on the woolsack
made q similar report 10 King Charles
warnings that this monarch p,rse-
cuted and finally reduced the seventh
Earl of Menteith to ruin after chars-
ing him with high treason for publicly
reddest blood in Scotland" and that
King Charles was "benoiden to him
for the crown" In addition TO Robert
other claimants are George NJ.
Graham. of Toronto. Canada. and n
George NJ. Graham of Leitchtown. But
there Is another. who recently was
liz England. and the Royal Colleges
of Heralds of both England and Scot
land. to have the best claim OF ull be-
cause he is able 10 trace in a direct
and unbroken line his descent from
the seventh Earl OF Nenteith. | refer
10 Robert Cunninghame Graham. who
is. despite his political eccentriciues.
very popular, was on several occas-
IS II
moral. and is recognized. both at home
and abroad. as forming part of the
most blue-blooded aristocracy OF Scot
land.
affected ss against gsn ha The 0s Tni,ed staie
Saturday Review. 1t must be attrib-
uted in measure to the influence OF
his wife. Gabriela, daughter Of Don
wh6se relatives. belonging to one of
the oldest patrician families of Span
ish South America. suffered severely
from the Cuban Instruction. and the
separation of that island from Spain.
The name OF Menteith has not plea
SAINT sound in the ears of patriotic
Scotchmen. 1t reminds them OF Sir
John Menteith, whose memory they
execrate.
On the 5th of August, 1906. William
Wallace. the national hero of Scot
land. was taken-it is alleged through
treachery-by Sir. John Menteith. at
Robroston, near Glasgow, and carried
to the castle of Dumbarton. thence
conveyed in f.tters, strongly guarded.
to London. where he was tried. found
guilty of high treason" though ne
denied that he was ever liege of
the Englich crown, but merely at war
with it--and was executed.
The history of the Menteith peerage.
beginning with the seventh earl. is 4
sad one. After being stripped of his
offices. ruined in estate. and confined
In a castle in the North, a ridiculous
title was forced upon him. in cruel
mockery of his birthright., His son
was murdered in Monarose's camp by
Stewart of Ardvoirlich, as ralated in
SCOTS Legend of Montrose."
The eighth earl was at tho court OF
Charles IL, In 1861. asking for $780,
600 due from the Stuarts to his grand
( father. the seventh earl He died In
1861. without getting the money, and
the carbon went into allegiance be-
tween his two sisters.
In l744. when the Scottish peers met
to elect "a in, ha se