Comments in refutation of pretensions advanced for the first time, and statements in a recent work "The Stirlings of Keir and their family papers"

36 COMMENTS ON KEIR PERFORMANCE,
Without further jDreamble, therefore, we may now produce the correspond-
ence iu question, which extended from the 28th July 1817 to 9th April
following, interspersed too, as may be incumbent, with occasional, accompany-
ing, and convenient explanations, in this order — viz. : Firstly, the said corre-
spondence down to 6th March 1818. Secondly, a verbatim copy of the second
branch of evidence contained in the statements of the Drumpellier merits and
claims in 1818, which was then adduced and submitted to the examination
of Mr Dundas, to which some confirmatory proofs and explanations -svill be
added — in this way the pubhc will be informed of its weight and import.
The insertion of this document at this place may be somewhat awkward, it
is admitted, but what follows requires it to be placed here. Thirdly, and
lastly, win come the remainder of the correspondence, from 6th March to
9th April 1818, which may speak for itself, and which, taken with what
precedes under the first and second heads, may warrant the important con-
clusion already alluded to.
•
TheCorre- I.— CORRESPONDENCE, from 28th July 1817 to 6th March 1818, between
thatsubse- Mr "WiLLiAM STIRLING, Younger of DrumpeUier, Mr Chakles Stirling,
foiiowe^d Younger Brother of the then Keir, and Mr Jajvies Dundas, the Keir Law-
theTarties Agent ; together with allusion to a Letter, at the same time, from Mr
theL?^Cad- Samuel STIRLING, Younger of Glorat, Advocate (afterwards Sir Samuel
der and fa- Stirling of Glorat, Baronet), whose concern and interest in the matter has
mily rights ° '
^^ '°te- been ah-eady shown.
rests, from
2Sth July [The following are all copied from the original letters, excepting Mr William
1817 to 6th
Marchi8]8. Stirling's, wliich are, in most cases, taken from autograph copies, but, at
other times, from copies made by near relatives.]
1.— EXCERPT LETTER, William Stirling to Chaeles Stirling.
" London, Juhj 28, 1817.
" I had an interview, a few days ago, with the Duke of Montrose, previous
to his leaving town, on the subject of an apphcation my father had made for
leave to inspect the papers of the " ancient earldom of Lennox, now in his
possession ; which his grace seemed unwilling to comply with, on the ground
of a possible interference with the interest or feelings of your family, to which
he seems much and most properly attached. When he found, however, that
the object in question was merely one of pedigree, and quite unconnected
with anything Hke a claim to estates, as he had somehow taken into his head, he