The Sun. — 1858-04-08 (London, England)

FIRE.  (From the Caledonian Mercury, of April 7.) It is our reel tncholy duty to announce the total destruction by fire of Donibristle House, the charming oil residence of the Earl of Moray, and the ancient seat of the Moray family, on the Firth of Forth. The fire broke out between seven and eight o'clock yesterday morning ; and by ten o'clock, such was the devouring nature of the flames, the whole building was a mass of ruins, nothing remaining save smouldering wood and blackened walls. Hove the fire originated is not known. Y were residing in the house Nonattehe oftimteh: andfailthe servants who took charge of the mansion lived in a building apart. Fires, however, were eut on in it, almost every day. and it is supposed that the conflagration originated in some of the chinenies. It was first discovered breaking through the rocf, and assistance not being immediately to be had, it soon gained such power as to defy all efforts to exticguish it. Fire-engines were obtained from Dunfermline, and one was shipped from Edinburgh. Bt fore they at rived, however, the flames bad such a hold of the building that they proud of no essential service. A great number of p.erple from Inverkeithing, including the Magistrates, were present at the earliest moment to tender assistance. When the fire was first discovered, Mr. Ted, farmer, Latham, with his servants, hastened to the scene ; and, with the assistance of Mr. Smith, forester, and the gardeners and other servants on the estate, saved the whole library and a number of valuable paintings (the Courts of Charles I. and IT., by Leidy) from mine of the drawing-rooms. Most unfortunately, however, the rare and priceless paintings in the dining-room, including the family pereraiis, were lost, with the exception of an original portrait of the Regent Moray, amid one other saved by a slater named Young, from laverlzeithing, and a man. named Mitchell, at the risk of their lives, part of their clothes having been I burnt t ff.  Donibristle, from the Fitth Of Forth, formed a prominent object, and although by no means a fine house, arcbiteciairally speaking, was one of those dwe'linga so associated with the ancient history of Scoland, as to make its destractioa a matter of regret to all wtw have ever seel it. To the 'Moray family it is, in a cer: taiu sense, irreparable. The house was once burned' before by al. Earl of Handy, at the instigation, it is supposed, of King Jatne., when the. "Bonnie Earl of .Moray," of whom, the King was jecilans, was slain in attempting ti esca;,e. From Messrs. Fullarion's "Ire penal Gaz Ateer of Scotland," we take the following° brief not'.:e of Donibri,tle  " The house OTDonibristle, a seat of the Earl of M iraY, v. as fortntrly the residence of tie Abbot of St. Comle, but it has since been grea ly enlarged and i;oproved. anibrisle was, in 1592, the goalie of the cruel murder of the Bonnie Earl, whose personal attracti,ni and accomplishments, it is alleged by some leisturians, had impressed the heart of Anne of Danmark, and t xcited the jealousy of her royal spouse. Lis at least was the popular notion of the t me  `lle was a braw gallant, oAnd he e Y Andhtlh eheb aaniy' at tdhEesrqltuhe ofee,tvloa Murray,ay. The Les Custained, besldea invaluable family relic'', must be very gree. We understand that the property was covered by insurance,