History of the earldoms of Strathern, Monteith, and Airth

202 HISTORY OF THE EARLDOMS OF
Proceedings annexes to that territorial Earldom of Airth
IN THE House . , . • • i n ^ ■, n
OF Lords. the previouslj existing territorial -hiarldom ot
"^" ■ Monteith. It then creates the personal Dignity
Speech of Sir „ ^ „ . . .
Harris Nicolas. 01 il-arl ot Aii'th ; and again annexes to the
territorial Earldom of Airth the territorial Earl-
dom of Monteith, with all the liberties and
privileges belonging to a free Earldom.
" The Patent then grants a special Precedency
to the Earl of Airth and his heirs, namely, the
same Precedency as he had before enjoyed as
Earl of Monteith. Such grants were common as
well in England as in Scotland. It does not,
however, state that the Precedency so assigned
to him was the Precedency of the Earldom of
Monteith, but that it was the Precedency of a
particular date, and before all Earldoms created
after that date.
" As another proof that the Earldoms united
by this Patent were the territorial, and not the
personal Earldoms, it may be observed, that
there is not, I believe, any instance of the
annexation of two Dignities, while the prac-
tice was frequent in Scotland to unite lands
to each other, as Baronies or Earldoms. It
seems, indeed, extremely doubtful whether Ho-
nours created by two distinct Charters, and at
an interval of more than two centuries, could
be annexed and incorporated in that manner j
and I certainly do not know of any instance of
the kind."