X. THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF JAMES ANNESLEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2660, 8 March 1905, Page 87

X. THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF JAMES ANNESLEY.

In 1727 died Arthur Annesley, fourth Loid Altham, and it being announced that he left no issue lie was succeeded in the title by his brother Richard, who also became, on the death of. a cousin, sixth Earl of Anglesey. Aithur, Lord Altham, a reckless and dissolute man, had for his wife Mary, daughter of John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham. The marriage had not been a happy one, and husband and wife had more than once separated, and been temporarily reconciled. During one of these reconciliations, in the yeai' 1715, 12 years, therefore, before Lord Altham s death, a son was born, avlio. while quite a child, Avas sent away Lo school. After a Aihile he di. c appeared from k«.n. and it Avas given out that he aa as dead. There Avas nothing, therefore, to pre\-ent Lord Altham s brother, Richard, from succeeding to his honour and estates, Avhen, in 1727, his ill-

spent life ended

Sold Ikto Bondage.

But his successor had the best of reasons for knowing that his brother's son, who was christened James, was not dead, or at anyrate that he did not die at the time that he vanished. The fact is that in order to get him out of the way he had induced the master of a ship bound for Pennsylvania to transport him thither, in order to sell him to the highest bidder. The compact was carried out, and the captain found a purchaser in the person of a rich planter of Newcastle County, named Drummond, so that while his uncle was enjoying the dignities he had usurped, the rightful owner of the title was enduring the hardships of slavery. ■

Romance seemed to have marked the youth for her own. Running away from his cruel master, lie fell in with two men and a lady on horseback, and having told them his story was invited to join them. Hardly had he done so when the party was overtaken b3' a band of armed men, and Annesley then found that tlie woman, having been forced by her father to marry one for whom she did not care, was running away with the lover from whom her marriage had parted her. All the fugitives, Annesley with the rest, were seized and bound, and the lady, her lover, end their servant were condemned 'o death. The boy was only spared because he satisfied the judge that he was no party to their proceedings, but he was kept in durance, and after a few weeks was identified by his master and rs-claimed.