DEATH OF LORD SEAFIELD

THE EIGHTH PEER KILLED.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRBSfONDENT.)

LONDON, 19th November. To New Zealand's "Roll of Honour" has to be added the name of James Ogilvie Grant,, eleventh Earl of Seafield, chief of Clan Grant, and captain, in the sth Battalion Cameron Highlanders. The news of his death, from wounds, was received in London on the 15th mst. • he died on the 12th., though it was only on the morning of the 13th that intimation was received that he was " dangerously wounded," to be followed by another-message that he "was not recovering." He was struck on the head by a fragment of shell. Lord Seafield had been expected m London, on leave, on Sunday, but a letter had been received by his sister, Lady Nina Knowles—arriving on the day of. his death—in which Lord 'Seafield said :—

"My leave is cancelled until a Jater date. We have ,just come in from trenches . and occupy others to-morrow (Wednesday). The trenches here are very wet and swampy. Sunday last we had a very bad da-y, and lost eighteen men from shells." In some recent fighting Lord Seafield's battalion had suffered heavily.

The news has caused the greatest regret in Scotland, where, since the Earl and Countess of Seafield took up their residence at Castle Grant, Morayshire, and Cullen House, Banffshire. after the death of the late Countess of Seafield, he. has been exceedingly popular among all classes, and greatly esteemed. Since succeeding to the estates he devoted 'much time to all that was likely to benefit his tenantry, and gained a. reputation for knowledge of estate problems. He took an especially keen interest in afforestation. The Grant estates are in Inverness, Elgin, and Banff, covering an area of over 300,000 acres.' The houses include Castle Grant, Cullen House, and Balmacaan (Inverness-shire). On the death of Caroline, the widow of the' seventh Earl, the estates once, more went to the titles. For nearly fifty years the unfortunate holders of the titles held little of their historical possessions. Lord and Lady' Seafield's only child, Lady Nina Caroline Ogilvie-Grant, who is in her tenth year, now takes in her own right the Scottish earldom of Seafield, but the barony of Strathspey of the United Kingdom—which the late Earl also held, and in virtue of which he sat in the House of Lords—goes to his younger brother, . the Hon. Trevor Ogilvie-Grant, .who, In addition,, takes the baronetcy associated with the name for a much longer period. The new Lord Strathspey came from New Zealand several years ago and settled at Twickenham. He married, in 1905, Miss Alice Louisa Hardy Johnston, daughter of the late Mr. T. H. Hardy Johnston, of ChVistchurch; they have one son and one daughter. .