"THE MISSING HEIR"

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 5, 6 July 1921, Page 6

"THE MISSING HEIR"

Stones of missing heirs are generally confined between the ~ covers of a novel, and it is seldom that they occur . in real life. Through tho death in a Melbourne lodging house recently of Mr. Henry Hamilton Bethune (or Lindsay) an interesting nccount of the life of the last of a generation has boon given. "Mr. Lindsay," by which name! he wa3 generally known, was the second son of Sir Henry Lindsay-Bethune, 9th Earl ;of Lindsay, of Kilconquhar, in Fifeshive, Scotland, and was born in 1834. His father (the Earl of Lindsay) was Bth Viscount of Garnock, and 18lh Lord Lindsay of the Byres, and was born in 1787 (says tho Melbourne Age). Entering tho seryice of tho Bast India Company at an early age, he, being: then Major Lindsay, was cent from Madras to Persia to assistiAbbas Mirza, the Crown Prince, in organising his artillery. Major Lindsay became celebrated throughout tho Empire,for ability and gallantry. Ho served subsequently as accredited agent to tho Court of'Porsitk, and on his return was created a'baronet in March, 1836 a in aclaiowledgnient' of his services., Ho became 9th Karl of Lindsay, otc. do jure in 1859. Ho married in July, 1.822, Ooufcts. daughter of John Trotter, of Durham. Park. Slic died in Decomber, 1877. Sir Henry Lindsay-Bethune died in February, 1851. The second son of the Earl of Lindsay (the Mr. Lindsay of this notice)' went "to sea with tho Royal Navy when a lad, and in tho course of time he went to France, where it was supposed ho died from cholera. When about 30 years of age "Mr. Lindsay" camo to Australia, and after a time went to Gippslsnd. where ho was employed by a Mr. ifLood. From Gippsland he afterwards went to Queensland. In the meantime his father died, and his elder brother, John, in 1878. succeeded to the title of 10th Earl of Lindsay. John died in 1894. leaving no children, and was succeeded by his cousin, David Clark Bethune, it having been thmi^htj as already stated, that Henry had died at Marseilles without issue.

Henry preferred the obscure life upon which ho was now embarked,' but in his later, years Ihe was in straitened circumstances, and died \at a', house in Gowerstreet, Kensington. He was of retiring disposition.-and made very few friends but Dr. and Mrs. VV. H. Lang (Dr. Lang is a native of Fifeshire) took an interest in tho old man.

"Mr. Lindsay 1' rocent.lytixprossfid a wish that he -should bo' buried with his ancestors, and toward fulfilment of that purpose ho made arrangements to go to England. But he suddenly became ill, arid died at the age .of 86. He was buried-in Ooburg- Cemetery. The barony in connection with ihe family dates back to 1365.