THE EARLDOM OF SEAFIELD.

Evening Star, Issue 7797, 19 December 1888, Page 4

THE EARLDOM OF SEAFIELD.

As a good deal of misapprehension prevails as to the settiemetou 'of the Seafield estates after the death of the eighth rSarl in ISS4, we give the following particulars obtained from the 'Aberdeen Herald,' which is a thoroughly-trustworthy source : —By the will of the eighth earl the estates were left absolutely to his mother, the Countess-Dowftg'ar, in feo simple. By the settlement, executed by the CountessDowager, she retains the lauds during her owa lifetime, granting an allowance of L 4.000 a-year to the holder of the title. At the death of the Countess-Dowager the lands return to the holder of the title, with the sole proviso that no part of them shall be sold during the lifetime of the present Earl or his immediate successor in the title (the nobleman just deceased) ; and the whole of the Seafield Estates return Unconditionally to the head of the house of Grant, with the-exception, if such it can be called, of the little spot at Duthil, where is placed the mausoleum in which the mortal remains of her husband and son are interred. In other words, while the whole estates were in the absolute disposal of the Countess-Dowager, all she has sought to retain out of a territory of some 500 square miles is simply the family burial place. Mr T. W. Hislop has written to the 'Wellington Post' as follows :—" You are under a misapprehension when you state that the late Earl Seafield ever occupied the position of bailiff at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Oamaru. He never occupied such a position or carried en the work of such an officer. The only work which he undertook which could in any way be designated bailiffs work was that of representing mortgagees or Hencc-s who took possession under mortgages, bills of sale, or crop liens, or superintending sales, or the cutting and storing of crops on behalf of his employers. In this sense only was he a bailiff, and I Bhould like to say that while acting in this capacity he was, while attentive to his employer's interests, always considerate in his conduct. He was thus engaged when news of his cousin's death came to hand. In this work, however, he was not exclusively, or even generally, encaged. He was often employed as acting-clerk in the Court of Oamaru, and he was man enough, when occasion required it, to labor with Ids hands as if he had been born to it. I may mention that the late Earl was possessed of some means, which, some sixteen years ago, he used in purchasing a farm in the Oamaru district, but,, like many who bought dear land, requiring skill to make it remunerative, he waa not successful, and it was after losing his all that he took Buch work as presented itself, in order to support his family. I used to notice from time to time in newspapers throughout the colony statements carelessly made which were likely to injure the late Earl's character. While he lived he was the guardian of his own reputation, and 1 did not feel called upon to interfere ; but now that he is dead, I should, while writing, like to say that throughout the trying times which he experienced he maintained; his character as a gentleman in all its essentials. I regret that I should have taken up so much of your space, hut I thoucht it well to set you right in the matter referred to."