"HIS LINE WAS CURSED."

Otaki Mail, 2 May 1923, Page 3

"HIS LINE WAS CURSED."

OLD SEKK'S WARNING. DEATH OF LOUD SEAFORTH. The death was recently announced in England of Lord Seaforlh, of Bralian Cast!;-, Loss-shire. Lord Scaforth, who was 76, leaves no heir. Letter known as Colonel SlewartMackenzie, Lord Seafortli had a distinguished Army career. He was at one time military secretary to the Governor of Madras, and served under Lord Roberts in the Afghan campaign (IS7S-S0), in which he showed himself a gallant cavalry leader. His most, brilliant exploit was a dashing' charge against 10,000 Afghans, whom he routed after his own gunuers had been shot down, FORFEITED ESTATES. ' Few hereditary titles have suffer- ' d more vicissitudes. The third earl's estates were forfeited after he joined . his fortunes with those of Charles 11. The fifth earl had no better luck tin- * der "The Old Pretender," estates and. titlo being forfeited. Re-created'in 1771, the titl,. became i extinct in 1781. A third creation i.xpired in ISIS. The- present barony, was revived in 1921. The family history contains a curl- j ous story of a " curse." It was pronounced by " The Seer of Bruhan," and covered'a period of 200 years. DEATH FOE THE SEEK. This ancient seer was consulted in Scotland by the countess while her husband was absent In Paris. .She was so angered by what the seer saw that site had him sentenced to death. " "Your line siia.ll end in sorrow," he . said when dying, "and the last of'your house shall be deaf and dumb. "He will be the father of four sons. all of whom he will follow to the r tomb. He himseli shall sink into the grave after lamenting the last of his j sons, and his possessions shall be in. , heritcd by a white-coifed lassie (a widow) from the Last, and she shall kill Iter sister. "The fcign by which v/m shall know* t these things are come to pass will bo j Shown by tour ;r.\:a lairds of the da:.', i one shall be hair-lipped, another buck. '. toot heel, another UulJ'.wittcd, aijd the ; fourth a stammerer." j Two hundred years after this pro. l phee-y was made it was fulfilled to the | latter. .--„•;*■j ■■■-.-wjji.-.a.'.-jinragt'ggi