From Bailiff to the House of Lords.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 282, 18 July 1888, Page 3

From Bailiff to the House of Lords.

The Wellington correspondent of the 'Melbourne Age' contains the following account of thencwEarlof Seaticld's career in this colony :—: — 4 From the humble calling of bailiff to a peer ot England is a transition that one might expect to hear ot in a work of fiction, but an instance has happened in New Zealand which shows how good fortune may smile upon thoso who are driven to their wits' end to keep body and soul together. For several years a man named Grant took up his abode at the little seaside town of Oamaru, where he earned his living in a very hund-to-mouth sort of fasshion, doing odd jobs of clerical work, and often glad to pick up an honest shilling by carrying a commercial traveller's porcmanteau from the Star and Garter to the railway station. He was regarded as any ordinary mortal would be who earned his livelihood in this humble manner, and he took no pains to impress his patrons with the belief that he had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. By-and-by he blossomed into a bailiff at the local court ; and a position whish is pretty generally regarded with contempt, in no way, outwardly at all eveuts, jarred upon Mr Grant's feelings. He became bailiff that he might live, and saw nothing objectionable in his new occupation. In 1884 circumstances occurred which rendered it impoo&ible that, he could any longer conceal his identity. In that year the mail from England brought him intelligence that his father had become the ninth Earl of Seafield, and had taken his seat in the House of Lords as Baron Strathspey. The Oamaru bailiff was his eldest son, and as such became Viscount Beidhaven. He stuck to Oamaru, however, and became a remittance man. With a handle to his name he turned his attention to politics, and twice contested that seat in Parliament — the first time with Mr Shrimski, now a Legislative Councillor, and subsequently with Mr Hislop, onrpiesent Colonial Secretary. On both occasions Lord Reidhaven was defeated. Xews came out the other day that his father had died, after enjoying the title and estates for a little more than three years, and now our Oamaru acquaintance steps into his shoe** .15 icnfali Earl uf Seaneld. It is needless to say that Oamaru will know him no more, as he is off to play a higher role in the United Kingdom. The family estate is one of the largest in Great Britain, comprising 305,950 acres, bringing in an estimated rental of £78,227. Theforestss, which extendover 41,371 acres, were valued in 1856 at £1,211,130 for the timber alone. The barony of Strathspey ia expected to yield £50,000 a year in 30 years' time from its 19,515 acres. A case has recently occurred in the Wairarapa district where a labourer, without expectation, has 1 ' succeeded to a baronetcy and large estates in England.'