THERE HAS been much debate in the Camperdown household surrounding
Lady Jean Fforde's decision to sell off her earldom of Arran. Old
Camperdown, as one can imagine, is appalled, although fully sympathetic
with the financial pressures poor Jean has had to cope with following
her mother's death in 1957. For my part, I've been trying to reassure
the old boy that whoever buys the title is most unlikely to be offered a
seat in the House of Lords.
Camperdown, nonetheless, has got it into his head the title will be
snapped up instantly by either the Americans or Japanese. Matters were
only made worse by Fiona, our daughter, who suggested he write to
John-Paul Getty Jr about it. The old boy is currently locked up in his
study with a bottle of the Macallan.
Lady Jean, a daughter of the 6th Duke of Montrose, inherited her Isle
of Arran estates and Brodick Castle, from her mother, daughter of the
12th Duke of Hamilton (whose sister, incidentally, was married to the
Prince of Monaco).
The Hamilton dukedom, which could only pass to a male heir, was
inherited on the death of the 12th Duke by a cousin, the current Duke of
Hamilton's grandfather. Beset by death duties, Lady Jean made over
Brodick Castle to the National Trust for Scotland.
In the meantime, the 7th Duke of Montrose, Lady Jean's brother, who
inherited the Montrose estates in 1954, had taken off to Rhodesia, or
Zimbabwe, as it is now called, to farm, to serve in the Federal
Government of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and to become a significant
influence in that country's unilateral declaration of independence
period. He returned to Scotland only shortly before his death two years
ago.
Goodness, genealogy can be complicated, but isn't it fascinating!
Of course, there are three earldoms of Arran. The Duke of Hamilton
still retains the 1389 one within his various titles; there is also the
1762 Arran earldom which originates from Ireland, and belongs to the
Gore family who live in Hertfordshire. The earldom up for offer is a
territorial title dating from 1467 connected with the ownership of the
ruined Lochranza Castle and 1000 acres of land in the north of the Isle
of Arran.
Much to Camperdown's amazement, the Letters Patent apparently make
allowance for the earldom being flogged off. Lady Jean has never used
the title, and Charlie, her son, who farms the remaining Arran estates,
indicates he is not contemplating marriage to produce a legitimate heir
in the foreseeable future.
On a novel note, Fiona, who has now returned to Glasgow to embark upon
her third year at Strathclyde University, has forwarded a mysterious
invitation for me to attend a Festival of Queens in Ardrossan civic
centre today.
My first instinct was to dismiss this as one of Fiona's silly little
jokes, especially when she informed me there were no fewer than fourteen
queens in Cunninghame, and did I know them personally?
Curiosity, however, has prompted a telephone call to my usual sources,
and I've now discovered that far from being an assembly of misplaced
European royalty, this is a get-together of local gala princesses
organised by a chap called Willie Freckleton.
Dawkins, our chauffeur, and Mrs Dalrymple, our housekeeper, are taking
tomorrow off to attend the Grampian Motorcycle Convention at Alford in
Aberdeenshire. Dawkins is apparently hoping to take part in the moped
marathon.
Do you know, I had simply no idea Dawkins was interested in
motorbikes! It was only when Fiona and I came across him practising his
yoga in one of the garages, dressed from head to foot in leather, that I
realised something was going on. He seems terribly proud of his new
uniform, although I can't help thinking he looks so much smarter in our
Camperdown estate colours.
Fiona, I might add, hardly improved the situation by telling him he
looked just like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator. Well, of
course, that was it. Off he went with a grin splitting his face from ear
to ear murmuring: ''I'll be back!''
Alas, I suppose one can't be too hard on him. So many of one's
friends, not to mention Camperdown in his thirties, have been through
the motorbike phase. The Earl of Haddington, Michael Maxwell Stuart from
Lamington, the late Bobby McIntyre from Sorn, and the late Alex Haldane
of Glenagles immediately spring to mind.
Annabel Younger, who lives at Gifford, has sent me an invitation to a
Scottish musical evening entitled Whisky and Water, being held on Sunday
October 2 in The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, in the presence of the Duchess
of York. This is to commemorate the tragic deaths in Split last year of
Nan Owen and Matthew Stogden, and the injuries suffered by Mike
Mackenzie, all three of them relief workers with Scottish European Aid.
The organising secretary is Henrietta Fergusson, the late Lord
Balantrae's energetic niece, and tickets to include supper, at #40 each,
are available from the Queen's Hall Box Office.
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