History of the earldoms of Strathern, Monteith, and Airth

146 HISTORY OF THE EARLDOMS OF
Proceedings pliemia, whicli fact, howevei', does not seem to
IN THE House
OF LoRBs. have been known at the time, or adverted to for
9th July, 1839. ^ , ., , , t
many years afterwards ; and it was long:, as 1
Speech of Mr. -^ -^ . ' . *
Knight Bruce, have already said, and as your Lordships know,
a disputed point — what was the exact position
of these several children of the King ? In fact,
however, the issue of EHzabeth Muir, the elder
family, succeeded, and maintained in them and
their descendants a title to the Scottish Throne,
which was never seriously contested.
" The circumstances of the case, however, and
the existence of the issue of Queen Euphemia,
always created a degree of heart-burning and
jealousy upon the subject ; and in the reign of
the First James it was a pretext for rebellions
and risings, and, in fact, a pretext for the
assassination of that monarch.
" I have said that the eldest son of Queen
Euphemia was David Earl of Strathern. There
can be no doubt that the Earldom of Strathern
was granted to him and his heirs general.
Wherever that grant is spoken of, it is men-
tioned as a grant of that description, and I be-
lieve the fact is unquestionable. David Earl of
Strathern had an only child, a daughter, Euphe-
mia ; and inasmuch as the Earldom, which had
very extensive territorial possessions, being one
of the richest Earldoms in Scotland, was de-
scendible to the heirs female, she enjoyed it.