50 NOTES AND QUERIES.
Ormiston of Ormiston, Haddingtonshire.—I seek genealogical details of this family. James Seton-Anderson.
39, Carlise Road, Hove, Sussex.
Sutherland Family (12 S. viii. 108).—With regard to my query at this reference relative to the ancestry of Alexander Sutherland, a farmer of Ackergill, I give hereunder a copy of a letter which may lead to the discovery of the ancestry of Alexander Sutherland, and which is also interesting in connexion with the oft-expressed doubt as to whether the Duke of Sutherland is the rightful holder of the ancient earldom of that county:—
My dear John,
In your last letter to me you wished to know the reason why our family left Sutherlandshire to settle in Morayshire. I will tell you as far as it was explained to me by my great-grandfather, who was Laird of Kilpeter in Sutherlandshire, a place above Helmsdale. The first Laird was son of an ancient Earl of Sutherland and the Sutherlands of Kilpeter had for ages to sit, as was the custom, on the right band of the Earl and were on all occasions looked upon by the inhabitants as second to none, excepting the Earl. When I visited Sutherland in the year 1805, seeing my uncle and friends, the old people would say to me, "You ought to be the Earl of this County." I replied, "it was not my luck to be so." The charter of the Earl gives it to the nearest male to the Earl of Sutherland, but it is the female who inherits it now.
A son of the Earl of Aboyne married the heiress of Sutherland when the Gordons, who were a strong clan, dared anyone to interfere. The late Duchess married the Marquess of Stafford when it was attempted to throw her oat and reinstate the male line—that is the Kilpeter family. However, this was not done as they had not the courage. Several lawyers in Edinburgh offered large sums to get the job.
When a grand-uncle's son of mine came home from India express, on his arrival he was offered a certain sum of money yearly, a Captaincy, or to take a farm on the lands of General Munis. However, this passed on all well until he got a dose of some stuff that finished him for he turned insane and died. Now I will tell you how we came to Morayshire. The last Laird of Kilpeter had three sons and when their father died they agreed to sell the estate as owing to the superstition of the time—believing as they did so much in witchcraft, and the Laird having greatly offended a witch—the report got common that as soon as any member of the family took possession they were sure to die immediately. Be that as it may, the estate was sold. One of the brothers went to Caithness and was a merchant in Thurso and was chief magistate while he lived. A second brother went to Edinburgh and was a merchant. The third was my grandfather and was long a merchant in Tain, Ross-shire, and had a farm in Easter Ross called Dourans. He was in those days called "Cornish Douran, the merchant of Douran." When he died my father and the rest of the family were left in charge of their Aunt, who was wife of the Factor of Balnagowan. This person treated them badly and my father Donald ran off and settled in Morayshire. . . .
George Sutherland.
The inference to be gathered from this letter is that the Kilpeter branch of the family should have succeeded to the earldom, and it would be interesting to know whether there are any charters extant which bear out this contention.
I have not been able to discover the pedigree of this branch of the family, and should esteem any genealogical details thereof, especially of the three sons of the last Laird of Kilpeter. Is it possible that the second son was Alexander, a farmer of Ackergill, who migrated to Edinburgh, and whose second daughter, Margaret, married John Baillie in 1764? James Seton-Anderson.
39, Carlisle Road, Hove, Sussex.
Leif Ericson. The interior of the
recently erected Cunard building in Lower
Broadway, New York, is embellished with
mural paintings of the first voyagers to
America by the artist Ezra Winter, who
trained in the Chicago Academy of Fine
Arts and the American Academy in Rome.
The voyagers depicted in their order are
Leif Ericson, Columbus, Cabot, and Drake.
The first is shown in an orange viking ship
with a high gilt dragon prow, and huge
square yellow sail blazoned in black with his
emblem the seahorse.
There is a statue of Ericson at Boston,
but the ' Ency. Brit.' states that Ameri-
can professors are not agreed as to the spot
on which this Danish mariner landed. Has
any later information come to light to settle
the point ? J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.
101, Piccadilly, W.
Six LORDS : CHEWAR. Information in-
vited as to the origin of the name " Six
Lords," the sign of a public-house at Single-
borough, near Winslow, Bucks ; also of
"The Chewar," a thoroughfare in Bucking-
ham. J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.
101, Piccadilly, W.
MONKE. James Monke Was admitted
to Westminster School in April, 1740, aged
8, and William Monke in Jan., 1743, aged
7. Any information about these two Monkea
would be acceptable. G. F. R. B.
