第 76 节
作者:西门在线      更新:2021-09-29 13:02      字数:9322
  ormed an irregular union with Lewis Malcolm  Drummond; Count Melfort; a nobleman of the Kingdom of France;  originally of Scottish extraction; and died in 1547。  She is buried under a  flat stone inscribed with her name in the St Pancras (Old) Burial Ground; London。
  Thus the line of George; second Earl of Seaforth; who died in 1633; became extinct; and the reader must therefore now accompany us  back to Kenneth Mor; the third Earl; to pick up the chain of legitimate  succession。  It has been already shown that the lineal descent of the  original line of Kintail was diverted from heirs male in the person of  Anna; Countess of Balcarres; daughter of Colin; first Earl of Seaforth。  Kenneth Mor; the third Earl; had four sons(1) Kenneth Og; his  heir and successor; whose line terminated in Lady Caroline; as above; (2) John of Assynt; whose only son; Alexander; had an only son Kenneth; who  died in 1723 without issue; (3) Hugh; who died young; and (4)  Colonel  Alexander; afterwards designated of Assynt and Conansbay; who; as his  second wife; married Elizabeth; daughter of John Paterson; Bishop of Ross; and sister of John Paterson; Archbishop of Glasgow。  Colonel Alexander had no issue by his first wife; but by the second he had an only  son and six daughters。  The daughters were (1)  Isabella; who married  Basil Hamilton of Baldoon; became the mother of Dunbar; fourth Earl of  Selkirk; and died in 1725; (2)  Frances; who married her cousin; Kenneth  Mackenzie of Assynt; without issue; (3)  Jane; who married Dr  Mackenzie; a cadet of Coul; and died at New Tarbat; on the 18th of  September; 1776; (4)  Mary; who married Captain Dougall Stuart of Blairhall; a Lord of Session and Justiciary; and brother of the first Earl of Bute;  with issue; (5)  Elizabeth; who died unmarried at Kirkcudbright; on the  12th of March; 1796; aged 81; and (6)  Maria; who married  Nicholas  Price of Saintfield; County Down; Ireland; with issue。  She was maid of  honour to Queen Caroline; and died in 1732。  Colonel Alexander's only  son was Major William Mackenzie; who died on the 12th of March; 1770。
  He married Mary; daughter and co…heir of Matthew Humberston; Lincoln; with issue; two sons(1)  Thomas Frederick Mackenzie; Colonel of the  100th Regiment of foot; who assumed the name of Humberston in addition to his own on succeeding to his mother's property; and (2)   Francis Humberston Mackenzie。  Both of Major William's sons ultimately  succeeded to the Seaforth estates。  He had also four daughters(1)   Frances Cerjat; who married Sir Vicary Gibbs; M。P。; his Majesty's  Attorney…General; with issue; (2)  Maria Rebecca; who married Alexander  Mackenzie of Breda; younger son of James Mackenzie; III。 of Highfield;  with issue; six sonsWilliam; a Lieutenant in the 78th Highlanders; who died at Breda; in Holland; from a wound which he received on the  previous day at the taking of Merxein; in 1814 Thomas; a Midshipman;  R。N。; drowned at sea; Frederick; R。N。; murdered at Calcutta in 1820;  Francis; R。N。; drowned at sea in 1828; and Colin; all without issue; also Captain Alexander; of the 25th Regiment; subsequently Adjutant of the Ross…shire Militia; who married Lilias Dunbar; daughter of James Fowler  of Raddery; with issueJames Evan Fowler; who died unmarried; Alexander; now residing at Fortrose; and three daughters who died unmarried; (3)  Elizabeth; who died without issue; and (4)  Helen; who married Major…General Alexander Mackenzie…Fraser of Inverallochy; fourth son of Colin Mackenzie; VI。 of Kilcoy; Colonel of the 78th Regiment; and M。P。 for the County of Ross; with issue。
  Major William died on the 12th of March; 1770; at Stafford;  Lincolnshire。 His wife died on the 19th of February; 1813; at Hartley;  Herts。 His eldest son; Colonel Thomas Frederick Mackenzie…Humberston; it will be seen;  thus became male heir to his cousin; Earl Kenneth; who died; without  male issue; in 1781。  The Earl; finding his property heavily encumbered  with debts from which he could not extricate himself; conveyed the estates  to his cousin and heir male; Colonel Thomas; in 1779; on payment of  ?00;000。  Earl Kenneth died; as already stated; in 1781; and was  succeeded by his cousin;
  XX。  COLONEL  THOMAS  FREDERICK  MACKENZIE…HUMBERSTON;
  In all his estates; and in the command of the 78th Ross…shire Highland  Regiment; but not in the titles and dignities; which terminated with his  predecessor。  When the 78th was raised; in 1778; Thomas Frederick Mackenzie…Humberston was a captain in the 1st Regiment of Dragoon Guards;  but he gave this up and accepted a captaincy in Seaforth's regiment of  Ross…shire Highlanders。 He was afterwards quartered with the latter in  Jersey; and took a prominent share in repelling the attack made on that  island by the French。  On the 2nd of September; 1780; he was appointed  from the 78th as Lieutenant…Colonel…Commandant of the 100th Foot。  In 1781 he embarked with this regiment to the East Indies; and was  at Port Preya when the outward bound East India fleet under Commodore Johnston was attacked by the French   He happened at the time to be  ashore; but such was his ardour to share in the action that he swam to one  of the ships engaged with the enemy。  Immediately on his arrival in India he obtained a separate command on the Malabar Coast; but in its exercise  he met with every possible discouragement from the Council of Bombay。
  This; however; only gave a man of his spirit greater opportunity of distinguishing himself; for; under all the disadvantages of having funds; stores; and reinforcements withheld from him; he undertook; with 1000  Europeans and 2500 Sepoys to wage an offensive war against Calicut。  He  was conscious of great personal resources; and harmony; confidence; and  attachment on the part of his officers and men。  He finally drove the  enemy out of the country; defeated them in three different engagements;  took the city of Calicut; and  every other place of strength in the kingdom。
  He concluded a treaty with the King of Travancore; who was reinforced by  a body of 1200 men。  Tippoo then proceeded against him with an army of  30;000; more than one…third of them cavalry; Colonel Mackenzie…Humberston repelled their attack; and by a rapid march regained the Fort  of Panami; which the enemy attempted to carry; but he defeated them with  great loss。  He served under General Matthews against Hyder Ali in 1782;  but during the operations of that campaign; Matthews gave such proofs of  incapacity and injustice; that Colonels Macleod and Humberston carried  their complaints to the Council of Bombay; where they arrived on the 26th of February; 1783。  The Council ordered General Matthews to be  superseded; appointed Colonel Macleod to succeed him in command of  the army; and desired Colonel Humberston to join him。  They both sailed  from Bombay on the 5th of April; 1783; in the Ranger sloop of war; but; notwithstanding that peace had been concluded with the Mahrattas; their  ship was attacked on the 8th of that month by the Mahratta fleet; and after  a desperate resistance of four hours; captured。 All the officers on board  were either killed or wounded; among them the young and gallant Colonel   Mackenzie…Humberston; who was shot through the body with a four  pound ball; and he died of the wound at Geriah; on the 30th April; 1783;  in the 28th year of his age。  A fine monument is erected to his memory in Fortrose Cathedral。 He had only been Chief of the Clan for two years;  and; dying unmarried; he was succeeded as head of the house and in the  family estates by his next and only lawful brother; 'Douglas' Peerage。
  He  had a natural son; Captain Humberston Mackenzie; of the 78th; killed at  the storming of Ahmadnugger; on the 8th of August; 1803。'
  XXI。  FRANCIS  HUMBERSTON  MACKENZIE;
  Raised to the peerage of the United Kingdom as Lord Seaforth and Baron  Mackenzie of Kintail; in 1797。  This nobleman was in many respects an  able and remarkable man; was born in 1754; in full possession of all his  faculties but a severe attack of scarlet fever; from which he suffered when  about twelve years of age; deprived him of hearing and almost of speech。
  As he advanced in years he again nearly recovered the use of his tongue;  but during the last two years of his life; grieving over the loss of his four  promising sons; all of whom predeceased him; he became unable; or  rather never made the attempt to articulate。 In his youth he was intended  to follow the naval profession; but his physical misfortunes made such a  career impossible。  Little or nothing is known of the history of his early life。  In 1784;  and again in 1790; he was elected M。P。 for the County of Ross。  In 1787;  in the thirty…third year of his age; he offered to raise a regiment on his own  estates for the King's service; to be commanded by himself。  In the same  year the 74th; 75th; 76th; and 77th Regiments were raised; and the  Government declined his patriotic offer; but agreed to accept his services  in procuring recruits for the 74th and 75th。  This did not satisify him; and  he did not then come prominently to the front。  On the 19th of May 1790;  he renewed his offer; but the Government informed him that the strength  of the army had been finally fixed at 77 R