Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

THE FRASERS OF PHILORTH, LORDS SALTOUN. 187
plained so affrighted his vassals and servants, that " he cannot get them pay
their dueties."
But the loss of Balvenie was not the only mischief caused by the litiga-
tion in which the Master of Saltoun was engaged, and before relating his
further misfortunes, some account may be given of his more private career.
The only son of the tenth Laird of Philorth, he was born about 1630, and
was educated at King's College, Aberdeen, having matriculated there in 1647.
He married, on the 11th of January 1652, Lady Ann Kerr, daughter of
William, Earl of Lothian, and by her had two sons, Alexander and William.
She died in the course of a few years, and on the 29th of October 1660 he
married a second wife, Dame Marion Cunyngham, Countess of Findlater, who
lived but a short time after the marriage, for, on the 27th of June 1663, he
is found a third time venturing upon matrimony, and he then espoused Lady
Sophia Erskine, sister to the second and third Earls of Kellie.
This lady seems to have possessed much amiability and intelligence, and
the following letter from her to the Earl of Lauderdale, in favour of her
brother, the third Earl of Kellie, though in the faulty orthography of that
age, is well expressed, and was probably written before her marriage : —
Petenueme, the 19 Joune.
"My Lord, — Being enformed by my brother Kellie and others tuo of
your lordships gret kyendnes and seueletis to hem makes mie giue your
Lordship the troubell of ther fhoue layens att thes tyem to render your lord-
ship manay thanks for all your fauers and nobell acs of kyendnes you heart
ben plesed to sheau for my brother and troulie itt dous sho a gret deal of
generosetie and good neter in your lordship to heau so much kyendnes for
your trends I am houpfoull that your lordship hes ben plesed to sho hes
Majestie sounxvhat of the condestioune of my brother's femelie I clout not
bot your lordship knous soumtheng of itt Tho' not so much as I could wish
for I knoe my brother to be of that youmer that he can hardle let hes con-
destioune be knoun to hes nerest relationes Tho' itt consernes hem werie
much I hear hes Majestie is a werie Gresties and kyend prens to all his
soubjaks and particolerle to all Thos who hes ben soufers for hem en ther
tyems and I am houpfoull hes Majestie well louk upon my brother as on of