THE EARLS OF SEAFIELD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2086, 13 March 1889, Page 2

THE EARLS OF SEAFIELD.

The deoeascd peer <f th a hama, whose death bai just ocoorred m the oolony, wsb the fourth head of his house who has died within eight years. The seventh earl died m 1881, the elehth m 1884, and the ninth io 1888. The lately deceased tenth earl Is, as yon are awae, succeeded by his son, who was born m 1876, and daring whose minority the largo family estates, oomprfairg over 300 000 sores Id the Counties of Inverness, Elgin, and Banff, now heavily encumbered, will have a ohanra of recovering themselves. The widows of the' seventh, ninth, and tenth earls still survive. The vast family estates Id Scotland ware possessed neither by the late earl nor by his father, The alienation of the estates from the title was brought about by the strange will of the «eventh e»rl, who Ber? ad for several years In the let LJfe Guards, was familiarly known m sooletvßS 'The Sheep," and died unmarried m 1883, He was suooeeded m the title by bla nnole, the Hon James Gr.tnt, for many years M.P. for Morayahlre, but for whom the honor was a barren one, since "The Sheep had willed every acre of the vast family estates to his mother at her absolute dlsposition. The Oltm Gront, of which the Earls of Beafield are the chief*, took great umbrage at this impoverishment of ita hea.3, but the powaj?«r Ooynteßa (" The Sheep's rapther) explained that she regarded herself simply as the trustee for life of the properties, to olesr which from debt sbe would devot9 all her energies, and leave I hem at her de»th to tho exist-, ing Lord Seafield. Meantime, she settled £5000 a year on her son's suooeesor m the title, the above-mentioned Hon James Grant. Be died last year, and to his bod, tho nobleman just died, thla allowance wrb not continued. The boy, who is now Earl of Seefield, will probably ultimately ; Cftne Into tho properties, the rentals of which nmoun* to about £80 000 a year, nrid the Inoonobranoeß on which are | rapidly being reduced.— (London correspondent tf «'J&ew gsuland^jpaia,' 1 )