THE SEAFIELD ESTATES

Shannon News, 3 December 1926, Page 2

THE SEAFIELD ESTATES

♦ SCOTTISH PEERAGE CLAIM. Intimation was made in the Scottish Courts at Edinburgh recently of the abandonment of the action brought by Alexander Grant, retired tutor, Of London, against the Countess of Seafield, daughter of the eleventh Earl of Castle Grant, Morayshire, and others. The plaintiff had asked the Court to find facts and circumstances proved relative to infer a lawful marriage in November, 1846, between Viscount Reidhaveu, afterwards seventh Earl Of Scafield, and Caroline Stuart, youngest daughter-ot Baron Blantyre, afterwards by marriage m London In August, 1850, the 6 acknowledged spouse of Viscount Rexdhaven. The plainttirfurther to declare that he was the eldest leg timate child of that ” wld entitled to aii .the born in wedlock. Sia declara _ the marriage took s tion in the ot board a ship near the coast ui

■The defendants denied all these aver-’ monts. Counsel for the defendants opposed the motion oL' abandonment and submitted that the trial should proceed. He said that this case, raised 15 years after her death, cast serious aspersions on the character of Lady Seafield. He looked forward to showing that the plaintiff’s claim that ho was a son of the Countess of Seafield and Viscount Reidhaven, born four years 1 befofe their marriage, was not only . untrue, but impossible as the Viscount did not, in. any way, meet his future wife until some year s after the plaintiff was born. The pleadings contained not one particle of truth In any of the plaintiff’s, material averments. The plaintiff’s counsel argued that the appropriate decree was dismissal, which would permit another action tobe brought at a future date. Counsel for the defendants maintained that the decree ought to be absolvitor, which would be final. / The Judge granted the plaintiff leave to abandon his action, with the decree of absolvitor and costs to tlic defendants.