Examination of the claim of John Lindsay Crawfurd

16 EXAMINATION OF THE CLAIM OF
vileges, to whom the claim was said to have been remitted in the
Mr Beirs usual form. Mr Bell died suddenly in October, 1822, in a state of
insolvency. Mr Crawfurd's money was in a great measure lost, as
nothing had been done in furtherance of his claim, beyond the pre-
paration of this Case. The friends of the claimant again rallied.
Several most respectable persons in London interested themselves
in his favour, and resolved to have his claim fairly investigated. If
Resolution it was found deserving of encouragement, they agreed to carry it
cfaiinant's through ; and if not, to abandon it altogether. When it is known
rnends. ^ at g n , c nar i es Forbes, Baronet, was at the head of these subscri-
bers, it must be admitted, on all hands, that the claimant had most
respectable support, and could be in no want of funds. These gen-
Mr Buck- tlemen named Mr James Buckton, solicitor, Doctors' Commons, to
pioyeTby take charge of the case ; and Mr Buckton having procured from
them. Henry Brougham, Esq. a favourable opinion, it was agreed that he
should go to Scotland to investigate the claimant's pretensions. In
this enquiry, Mr Buckton was to be joined by Mr John Bowie, W.S.
investi^a- Accordingly, these gentlemen made a patient and faithful investi-
and Mr im gation, as will be afterwards detailed ; they reported unfavourably
They're- to their employers in London, who were persuaded that the claim-
ant had no right to the descent he claimed from the family of Kil-
birnie, and therefore abandoned the further prosecution of his
AnewCase c l a i m a s well as their patronage of himself. After this the Claim-
prepared x o
to. the an t got some anonymous person to engage in his cause, and a
second Case was published for him in 1824, in which all his preten-
sions were most pertinaciously repeated, and the conduct of Mr
Buckton, and of Mr Bowie, condemned as unfaithful and unjust.
To such a length is the abuse of Mr Buckton carried, that it de-
stroys the effect which the writer's talents were otherwise calcula-
ted to produce. This libellous document was, however, speedily
withdrawn from circulation, and little more was said on the claim-
ant's affairs until October, 1829, when a quarto case for him made
Publics- its appearance, entitled, " The Crawfurd Peerage." This Avork con-
" The sisted of 470 pages, and had a list of upwards of 300 subscribers.
Peerage." In it all the statements of the claim were adhered to, the evidence
repeated, the calumnies against all who had deserted him re-asserted,