PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 69

PERSONAL NOTES.

— Tho oldest clergyman actively perform, ing duties in England, Prebendary W. Hutchinson, vicar of Blurion, near Longton, Staffordshire, recently attained the age of 94. Ordained deacon in 1833 and priest the following year, Prebendary Hutohinson is strong and hearty, and regularly conducts the -Sunday services at his church, assisted by his son, the Rev. S. W. Hutchinson. —Mr Lewis Vernon Harcourt, M.P., now the head of the great Harcourt family, combines in himself some of the best^blood in England. He conies from the ancient stock of the Vernons and the Harcourts, but what he is prouder of is the fact that, on the maternal side, he is a lineal descendant of Oliver Cromwell. Both the Vernons and the Harcourts trace back their history to the time of William the Conqueror, with whom the-y came to Britain. The Harcourts, indeed, have played important parts in English national history from the time of the Battle of Hastings. There is still a Norman branch of the Harcourt family, .headed now by the Due d'Hareourt. Scions ol tKe famous house- have- figured in the forefront -of French history, no fewer than four of -them having been Marshals of France. — Lord- Blytheswood is- a most popular Scottish peer, not tho less so becauee- he is deeply attached to his beautiful home in Renfrewshire, and does not care to spend much of 'his time- doing the social round' mv-London. His lordship is the -first peer of "his line, and, since he has no children, .title peerage was created, with special remainder to his brothers, of whom the eldest, the Ttev. Sholto Campbell-Douglas, wlio married a daughter of the late General Lord Alfred 'Paget, is also childless. Thesecond brother, however, Major-general Barringfon Douglas, has three sons living. Although he is nearly 70 years of age and! venerable in appearance at that, Lord "Blytheswood is far from being at all — Tuesday, October 25, was the anniversary of the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava, ■ and in -the Town. ■Hall, Kirkcudbright, on that night, Sir "William Gordon, Bart, .of Earlston, Kirkcudbright, was presented with a beautiful solia,' silver trophy, a 17th charging a mass of Russian, gunners." ■Sir William in icomxnand of .the- left' .squadron of the 17th "Lancers in that his-" torio -charge. At the head .ot -his men, ' tor -of. -such of them as survived, he rodef through the "Valley .of Death," and through the' "-lines. In the mele«< ■with .the Russian .gunners Jie received five : sabre, wounds, one of* them a severe uno in -thejhead, :but 'he kept in the saddle, anct j --was -able »to tlead sthe .sur.vtvxjrs of his troop 'back" to the British lines.' At the presentation 'ceremony, Captain Hope, .of St. TSlary's 3sle, presided, and there was a Terjy large attendance of enthusiastic friends >and -. admirers. The presentation was made by. Sir "Mark J. Stewart, TBart., and was -very cordially acknowledged by the -veteran -hero. ' — 'Lord "W-ynford, a -very popular -nobleman, died in London on October 27. He - -rwas /the -eldest son of the Hon. and Rev. Samuel TBest,* was bojaj in December, 1838, and educated at Rugby and the Royal Military College, Woolwich, whence he ob.tained a commission in -the Royal Artillery ; in -1858, and was from 1871 to 1873 Aide cle , Gamp to Sir David "Wood, .Commanding at "Woolwich. He served for some time in the .Royal Horse Artillery, becoming captain in 1871 and major in 1879, and retiring ;in 1883. Settling *down, in Wiltshire, j devoted., himself +o -country work, was elected a county alderman, and had continuously held the office. He was chair1 man of the Agricultural Committee of the council until & week -before- his death, and was for a long time on the council of i the Bath .and West of .England Agricultural i Society, 'he 'being chairman of the Stock j P-rizes Committee. .His :lordship -was present at the last council meeting of the . society, held -on -October 25, and his death 1 only two days after oame as a shock :ta 1 the members, and -will b© much j — The Duke of Atholl is a military -commander in a small way. At Blair ..Atholl he kee.ps an armed bodyguard, dn defiance of the British Constitution; but the lat& Queen, by her gracious present of colours, gave royal sanction to the custom. There are .two companies, numbering 228 officer and men in all, "the first company averaging 6ft lsin in height, and the second sft lOfin. ! Some 60 years ago the men, who are tenants and retainers of the Duke, weire only armed! .with Lochaber axes, claymores, and the like ; but they are now more up-tq-j date. , The spelling of the name Atholl has j been a matter of serious study with the I Duke, who for some time- might have been seen haunting the Record Office and the 1 "British Museum, and poring* over musty parchments in the "hope of solying the question. After much research his grace, in 1893, came to the conclusion that the proper spelling was (that which he has since adopted' in preference to that of Athole, which was in use up to that time. A. similar question arose in reference to the Argyll title, some authorities holding that the name should be spelt Argyle, like that of the county.

— Elijah was being fed by the raven. . "The beauty of it," said he. "is that you I don't have to tip the waiter."