IN SEARCH OF A HEIR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 34, 3 October 1912, Page 6

IN SEARCH OF A HEIR.

Mcnzies, in the Old World as in the new, are actively engaged in a. search in discover who among thorn is the rightful heir to the Baronetcy of Monzios ,and the chieftainship of that old Scottish clan. There are quite a number of claimants to these distinctions, i but the one who seems to have the best chance—if lie can lie found—is old Duncan Mcnzies, son of Donald Menzies, of Tichraggan, Weems. He was for a number of yeans in domestic service as coachman to one of the county families of Dumfriesshire, and it is known that when the late Fletcher Menzies, uncle of the last Baronet, and for nearly 40 years the secretary of tile Highland Society, met him on one occasion at one of the society’s agricultural shows at Dumfries, lie had a long talk with him and strongly advised him to give ibis children a good

education, presumably in view of the fact that one of them might be called upon to succeed to the family honors and estates. This interview took place about a generation ago, and according to recent investigations that have been in progress, old Duncan and his family, including several sons, emigrated not long afterwards to the New World, though whether they settled in the United States or Canada it is impossible to say as yet, all trace of them having been lost. Perhaps old Duncan Menzies is dead, but his sons must surely be living, and there seems to be little doubt if the eldest of them presents his claim to the Baronetcy, and the chieftainship of, the clan, before the Court of Sessions at Edinburgh, it will be allowed. Whether or not the heir can recover the large estates,, amounting to over 100,000 acres in Scotland, along with Castle Menzies and other country seats is a doubtful question ; for the last Baronet, Sir Neil Menzies, who died in December, 1910, bad, on- the death of his father in 1905, presented a petition to the Court of Sessions for the disentailing of the property, which was granted, his uncle Fletcher, who had no son, offering no opposition. It is probable that had old Duncan Menzies, the former coachman, or, failing him, his eldest son, known of the matter, and raised any objection thereto, as a second heir, the permission to disentail would not have been granted. [ It is this plea that Duncan or bis sons will have to prefer, once their

claim to the Baronetcy is acknowledged, if they wish to recover the estates. These are now in the possession of the widow of Sir Neil, formerly the wife of the Earl of Stair, who divorced her in 1905, naming Sir Neil as corespondent. Sir Neil married the lady on the very day that the decree of divorce was made absolute. She was the eldest daughter of the late Sir James Grant-Snttie, and had pre-• vionsly incurred much public criticism for - bringing all sorts of cruel charges; against Lord Stair, which were thrown out of Court as unfounded. Naturally, her antecedents did not commend her to the Clan of Meuzies nor to the county families of Perthshire, in which most of the Meuzies estates are located; and she is now showing her-bit-terness about the .treatment which she received at their hands by offering at public auction a considerable portion of her property. In fact, she has given it to he understood that she intends to convert into cash not only all the rest of the Meuzies property, but even Castle Meuzies. Her action is creating intense indignation among the Men/.ies family and clan, and several of the name, including D. P. Menzies, of Rloan, Stirlingshire, as next heirs to the baronetcy, have been endeavouring to stop the sale. The courts, however, have refused to recognise their claims, until it can be shown that the old coachman, or his sons, have died without male issue. It is understood that the rights of old Duncan are deprived from; Archibald, a younger brother of the fifth baronet, who flourished at Jhe end of the eighteenth century, and who, although no marriage is mentioned in the pages of “Burke,” nevertheless was duly wedded, as showing by contemporary records, and left a son. Among the many claimants to the baronetcy and chieftainship is Mr Frederick Meuzies, who married an- American woman, Miss Hetty Davenport, daughter of the late John Davenport, of New York.