SUIT FOR ESTATE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 30 September 1926, Page 7

SUIT FOR ESTATE.

THE SEAFIELD TITLE

ACTION ABANDONED

BY CARLE— PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT

Received 12.10 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Sept. 29. Lord Moncrieff, sitting at the Edinburgh Court of Sessions, permitted Alexander Grant to abandon his action against the Countess' of Seafield. Defendant’s counsel opposed the abandonment, urging that the trial should oroceed to enable the defence to show* untruths and the impossibility of Mr Grant being the son of the Countess of Seafield and Lord Reidhaven, who had not met till years after Air Grant was born. Plaintiff’s counsel asked for a decree of dismissal, which would, permit another action to be brought at a later date, hut Lord Aloncrieff acted on the suggestion, of the defence, that there should he a. final decree of absolvitor, and ordered Air Grant to nay the defendant’s costs. .

The claim was entered by Air Alexander Grant, a retired Scottish schoolmaster, more than 70 years of age, now living in Cromwell road, South lveiisington. He claimed to be the son of the seventh Earl of Seafield,, and his wife, Caroline, and, as such, entitled to succeed to the estates. The present holder of the title is, of course, a girl of 19, one of the few countesses in her own right, who succeeded to the title 10 years ago, when her father, the eleventh earl, a captain in the Cameron Highlanders, was killed in action. He married Aliss Townend, of Christchurch. Air Grant sought to prove that his mother was the famous Caroline, Countess of Seafield, a friend of Queen Victoria, who died in 1911. Caroline, Countess of Seafield, was the daughter of the eleventh Lord Blantyre, and for 25 years was in full control of the Seafield estates of more than 300,000 acres. She left them to trustees, who were instructed to keep up Cullen House and Castle Grant for th© use of the Earls of Seafield, to whom a suitable allowance was to be made. On the properties being freed from debt they were to be entailed so that Cullen should descend to the Earls of Seafield and Castle Grant and Balmacaan to the Chiefs of Grant. Air Grant declared that he was legitimised by the subsequent marriage of the earl and the countess, and that he is th© rightful heir to the Seafield titles and estates. Caroline, Countess of Seafield, died in 1911.