Sketch XXIII

The Eldest Son Patrick, who d.v.p. died in action and younger Sons and Daughter of Colonel George Graeme, Ninth of Inchbrakie and Tenth in Line from Montrose

Patrick, the eldest son, led the van of five brothers in resigning their stools in the offices of the merchant princes of Liverpool, and by 1810 was fighting, an ensign with the 44^th, under Lord Wellington and Thomas, General Graham of Balgowan. Born in 1789, he joined the 18^th Royal Irish in the summer of 1809; from a large collection of letters (written during the remaining six years of his life) principally to his father and sister, may be formed a clear estimate of his character. Intelligent, observant, clear-headed, a keen admirer of the beauties of nature, and with an artistic sense of the beautiful, his letters bear a charm to any reader; while a fluent pen enables him to describe with ease all he sees and feels. Not a friend he meets but is commented on, not one left behind that he does not remember with a kindly message. A loving son and affectionate brother to the fifteen-year-old sister with whom the correspondence commences, makes one feel that a fine character is completed by the earnest love he felt for his profession and the desire to encourage his brothers to join the services of which Patrick was so proud, and the love of which he inherited from his forefathers whose actions animated all his own.

His sister Grace was at school in the neighbourhood of Chester, and Patrick, an ensign in the 18^th Royal Irish, dates from Gloucester on the 7^th September 1809. She has just gone to school and written her first letter to her brother, who, on receiving it, will not "delay an hour to assure you how excessively glad I shall always be to hear from you and that you are fond of Chester’" promises her that should he get promotion as lieutenant and "leave" follow, he will pay her part of the country a visit. He mentions hearing constantly from their father, who often writes of her. He speaks of Ewart being in the regiment, and that before leaving London "I met with your cousin William Oliphant at his aunt Lady Pulteney’s". "I was on an excursion the other day and met a distant relation of yours, Admiral Graeme, an old fellow who has lost his left arm, therefore, you know, the right’s left now!" He concludes, as do all his letters, to Grace "my dear girl, your affec.te brother, Patrick Graeme."

On the 5^th November 1809, he writes after King George III’s Jubilee, and describes dining with the officers of the garrison who are recruiting "here at our mess"; at nine o’clock the majority sallied forth to a ball which ended at 2.30am; five of them, himself included, remained out of bed to celebrate the Jubilee day till 7’o’clock next morning, when they all walked out in their ball dress to breakfast at his lodgings in the country; he speaks of other balls and some fox hunting; mentions his friend "Mathieson is married and driving his lady in a chariot about Bond Street."

By the spring of 1810 he dates from the Isle of Wight; for months he has feared being sent to the West Indies and is not yet free of it, his strong desire being to go to Spain; it is his first visit so far south and he is charmed with Bath, "a delightful place," and gives an excellent account of the Island and Carisbrooke, mentioning Southampton as "a very pretty little place situated on the seashore."

March 1810 finds him landed at Guernsey, having just failed to catch the 89^th Regiment to which he had been gazetted on its way to Cadiz; he is, however, an excellent sailor and looks forward to a return voyage to Portsmouth, whence he intends following the 18^th as quickly as he can; "the whole island is beautifully romantic, indented all round with pretty bays and creeks." A long description is given of the various fortifications and he mentions Sir John Doyle as Governor. The Duke de Boyleau, Admiral in Command, and "the Duke of Brunswick is here with five hundred Huzzars and 1000 of his German Infantry."

Cadiz is reached by 31^st April 1810, after an amusing voyage, shark shooting, etc. He "never saw so beautiful a place," what with the picturesque and marble buildings interspersed with orange, fig and citron trees, it appears a paradise, and the novelty of the Dons in black velvet mantles, the strange appearance of the Dominicans and other orders of monks, with the women dressed in black and wearing veils which add to their gracefulness, all have a singular and attractive appearance to an Englishman. Patrick describes his walk on the batteries and looking at the French works at Matagorda on the heights of Medina Sidonia, while on the other hand the pure blue sky, the Spanish Feluccas (reminding him of descriptions read of Venetian gondolas) painted with grotesque figures and decorated with garlands of flowers filled with cargoes of all sorts of fruits; while "the ladies singing to guitars in such quantities, make Cadiz look more a place of festivity than a besieged city." He is going next day to call on General Graham at La Isla and has had "the felicity of carrying the Standard of the guard of honour on the arrival of Admiral Sir Charles Cotton; he is the tallest officer in the Navy." "I am as brown as a Spaniard and as well as possible." Patrick’s next letter finds life more monotonous, particularly as he is not allowed to eat the fruit of speak to the handsome Spanish women! He craves for home letters and mentions hearing from Captain O"Shaughnessy that he "thought Lawrence was a fine fellow!" (Lawrence is just fourteen!) It is the 10^th Augut, no attack made but continual firing from nine batteries; he is attached to the 44^th; 9^th October 1810 finds him on the heights of Sobral, all the army under cover in tents or mud huts, the 44^th being in advance, within a few hundred yards of the enemy’s lines, have the honour to be under canvas. There is a constant rain, they have nothing more than what they can carry to wear, sleep on ferns, have no money in the whole division; biscuit, beef and rum their fare; Lord Wellington gave an invitation to the officers of his army to dine and sup, and Patrick was one of the fortunate ones to go to the Palace of Mafra, where they witnessed the installation of Marechal Beresford, who commands the Portugal troops. "We set off on mules and had a most romantic ride of twenty miles to a palace beautiful both inside and out, five hundred red and blue coats sat down at 6.30 to an elegant dinner, and at ten Beresford was knighted and received the red ribbon from the Commander-in-Chief;" there was little dancing as there were only twenty ladies, all Spaniards or Portuguese except Lady Berkeley and her daughters; they stopped at one and left for camp. Patrick adds, "I would not have missed going for twenty guineas!" The letter is written on the back of a soldier in lieu of a desk; that back must have ached, for there are four large and closely written pages!

On 8^th December 1810, letters from his brothers are rejoicing him; he has been ill and continues so, though hoping to be back soon with the army. At present he has been sent to Lisbon, and fears he is going to lose a most valuable servant whom he brought down sick with him, and who grows worse. He fears an exchange with an English regiment will occur if his regiment continues ill, and this he does not wish. Turning out an old trunk he has come on a profile of himself done by "an old flirt of mine in England; they say it was more like your humble servant than a horse twelve months ago; instead of throwing it in the fire I’ve sent it to you…tell your mother it’s no like me for it has ‘na gotten a puthered heed."

One month has passed; Patrick is better but grumbles at being detained in Lisbon; Elliot, his great friend, writes constantly and forwards many messages to Lisbon. By July 1811 Patrick has joined again, and Albeura is fought and won; he rides over to see Elliott in the advance piquet, who has had a narrow escape; the regiment, 500 strong, has lost 400 killed and wounded; for days after the action the men got no firewood except the stocks of French muskets to dress their food, indeed all have suffered great hardships and on the march Patrick had actually offered two dollars for a biscuit and seen his men obliged to eat raw beef; he complains of a return of ague, and fears he may be sent home, but trusts Lisbon will do, and ends with "Tell your father Marechal Beresford is here on his way to England."

Patrick Graeme’s hopes that he might regain his health at Lisbon were not realized, and he came home in 1810 and on 3^rd August that year writes his father (who is at Inchbrakie) from Brighton; he has joined the 89^th, he is hoping not to go to India as it may retard promotion, and comments on the uniform for the 89^th, one of the most expensive regiments, so much gold lace and embroidery on the velvet facings of four coats, none of which can be dispensed with.

Writing on the 12^th August they have been suddenly ordered to Chichester and he has been busy, having the command of a company on the march; they dine that night with the 59^th and march on at twelve at night for embarkation. Their C.O. does not know whether their destination will be Spain, Guernsey or India, and only received his orders to embark on their arrival at Chichester a few days previously. Patrick speaks of a letter from Sir Thomas Graham who has promised to mention him to General Torrens; the letter is hastily written, but hurried messages are not forgotten.

On the Margaret transport, Portsmouth Harbour, August 16^th, he writes again to say their destination is North America which he fears will remove him from the memory of Lord Lynedoch and others interested in him; however, from Spithead he writes of a letter from the former enclosing one from General Torrens which says though nothing immediately can be done, that Lieutenant Graeme has been noted for promotion on the first favourable opportunity. Some of their men are left behind with ophthalmia; he himself is expecting to undergo an operation for it next day with a brother officer. This letter is unusually depressed, owing no doubt to his eyes which cause much pain. They sail for Nova Scotia in a day or two and reach Halifax on the 17^th October after a rough time; on first landing it was wet and cold, and but one inn, where the two married officers found quarters. The rest slept in their clothes for three nights on the floor of a barrack with their men "as sound as they would in bed"; Patrick speaks of the warm hospitality received from the officers of the garrison, they dined with the 8^th and 3^rd and 99^th, and Colonel Robbertson (?) of the 8^th (King’s) begs they will be honorary members of its mess. He has been given command of a company to his pleasure. Only one more mail leaves that year but there will be little time for him to write; it is hardly possible to believe that souls can be in the forms of the Indians and Squaws he sees; at present he cannot take advantage of the good shooting and fishing to be had as his time is fully taken up clothing his men and seeing to their comfort.

The next letter brings up to 3^rd January 1813, and is to his sister Grace. He will not hear of her getting married, if she is so good a housekeeper he will want her himself! The snipe have left, but ducks and partridges can be had. She is to ask her mother "if she recollects a thing of the name of Jerimy Agnew recruiting at Bishop Auckland, I recognized him without even hearing his name the other day, skating, he’s married and has a son five years old." He has addressed a letter to George in Spain; in one to his father he wishes him affectionate greetings of New Year, and hopes "ever to receive my dear father’s affec.te kindness"; he hopes George is not at Brighton, but with his regiment on active service especially as Halkett his Colonel will now be Major General; he hopes Sir Thomas Graham will "win the county and then return to Spain!"

Patrick Graeme loses no opportunity to press advantages for obtaining active service; his Colonel Morrison has recommended him for a company in the New Brunswick Fencibles, and General Coffin has received letters regarding him from his brother Sir Isaac, and Mrs Dalgairns his sister, who are friends of his father; he is hoping to hear from Mr Alex McDonald about the lands in Upper Canada and if so, suggests his brother Lawrence, who is now in his sixteenth year, coming out to Canada.

On April 9^th he reports an interesting interview with Sir Thomas Saumerez. Patrick has gone for his month’s "tour of service to Melville Island, the Depot" and calls on the General to pay his respects, venturing at the same time to ask him if it be true that he intended raising a regiment for that country, and if so would he consider giving Patrick a company? Sir Thomas at once asked him into his private room, made him sit down by the fire, told him he had heard his character from his C.O. and therefore would tell him what, Sir Thomas desired, should not be repeated to the garrison. This was in effect that Sir Thomas Saumerez expected by next mail final orders to raise the regiment, in fact already had the promise of non-commissioned officers from England. The regiment would cost him 2000 pounds and each captain 400 pounds; that he expected a reply from a relation who was to have the first company and that Patrick was to have the second; or the first if the relation had already purchased one in England. Some delay occurred in the raising of Sir Thomas Saumerez’s regiment, and meantime Patrick received orders to proceed at once to the front; he leaves Halifax Harbour, hoping in his next "to give them his ideas of Niagara and with the help of God the recapture of New York, sends many messages to all and the Lieutenant of the ‘King’s Germans’ (George)." A letter from Quebec mentions the army, they are to meet as a force of 22,000 under Mr Dearbourne; General Glasgow is commanding the militia at Quebec, and Patrick has left his letters of introduction on Sir George Beckwith; as yet they do not know where they join Sir George Provost’s force; he begs them always to mention George when they write, that was in June. By September 13^th, the date is from the infantry encampment at Fort George; it is a low marshy situation and though they have constructed huts, the company is much reduced by ague and wounds received on piquet duty, so he is the only officer in command of the company as his battalion is 250 miles off at Kingston. There have been sharp engagements and constant bloodshed, and much scalping; the good news of Lord Wellington having driven the French out of Spain fills him with apprehension lest it has cost George his life; it was a matter not to be accomplished without great loss of life and if he, Patrick, has by his urging George to enter the service, been the means of causing his family the grief of his death, he will never forgive himself; he does not know why he should indulge in these ideal misfortunes, but believes it to be the long time that must intervene before he can hear of George, for the May and June packets are both taken. In November he writes of being most hospitably received at York, North Canada, by McDonald’s friend who has taken him to his house; Mr Beckie’s wife is charming; she was a Miss McDonald, and he is introduced to the Chief Justice, etc., of what is the capital of Northern Canada; Mr and Mrs Beckie (the Sheriff) are equally charming; she is young and an enthusiastic Highlander, and he is as happy as if he were at his father’s house.

This letter must have been balm to his parents’ hearts, when they received four months later the news of his death. The next is dated January 3^rd 1814, and is to his brother George. He "tips him a line" (seven pages) to congratulate him, "your exploits in the Peninsular are glorious" and gives him a longer and more detailed account of his actions and hair-breadth escapes than he has ever written home. So far he has not heard from George, but the letter is kept open and on the fourteenth he dates April 3^rd, Fort Erie, and tells "my dearest George" he has at last received his letter of February 1813. This postscript is full of rattle to the companion of his youth, and of affectionate remarks on the younger brothers (Alex, now fourteen, a middy) and a sister. "Mother" in rattling good spirits is going to live at Inchbrakie, and full of gratitude to the kind Beckies who have given him so happy a home all winter; no end of fun, driving caracoles and tandems, shooting and skating and not a single kite flown! He mentions no end of names whom George is to introduce himself to, especially Miles, "his brother here is my greatest friend and we live together." "They talk of peace but God forbid, at least till we beat the Yankees"; a letter to his sister is much in the same spirit and then comes one to his father dated Fort Erie, dated 26^th, again mentioning Mrs Beckie with whom he has lived three months and giving an account of the battle of Balckrock in which his company played a principal part; the letter is the more pathetic because it is the last we find penned by the gallant young officer, and it is full of hopes at finding them all settled at "home" (Inchbrakie) on his return; "when the Scotch breezes will feel like zephyrs after Canada piercing blasts."

On the 21^st March his friend and brother officer Ensign Miles, writes from Burlington Heights most sympathetically, to tell Colonel Graeme of his son’s death in action late in the afternoon of the 4^th March 1814; a shot entered above the collar bone and passing downward to the left hip was instantly fatal; Mr Miles relates that every officer except himself was killed or wounded; the enemy retired during the night and he had the sad consolation of burying Graeme next morning but his watch had been taken from him.

Mr Miles most kindly undertakes all duties of settling up Patrick’s accounts and forwarding home anything they may wish and encloses his Will dated Cross Roads, 22 August 1813, in which he leaves his chest and small trunk to Mr Miles requesting his papers to be burnt and his watch sent to his family.

His colonel’s letter is perhaps the saddest because it would appear that all those brave lives had been unnecessarily exposed as the detachment was too far advanced to be supported; nothing could exceed the gallant manner in which the attack was led by Patrick, who was shot dead instantly while animating his men to advance. Colonel Morrison regrets his watch was plundered but will send home his sword which the American officer in command has restored, and trusts Colonel Graeme will be comforted by the assurance that his son’s conduct had ever been uniformly honourable and that he possessed the sincere regard of all his brother officers, "and when he fell it was in the service of his country nobly doing his duty, which will I trust afford some consolation," etc. etc.

Three months later when his brother Lawrence joined the 89^th the following was related to him. It will be remembered that the main part of the regiment was stationed over three hundred miles from Fort Erie, they were seated in the mess at Kingston after dinner on the fourth of March when to their astonishment, Patrick Graeme entered and without speaking, but regarding them fixedly and sadly, passed through the room and out at another entrance. They were all startled and a good deal affected for he was a great favourite, the date and time were noted; it was the 4^th March at the hour he had been shot.

This sketch of Patrick is concluded with the following extract; no man is without his faults and a hasty temper does not detract from his other qualities. The men had been poor fellows, mutinous and disorderly; all the same it must have added a pang to Patrick Graeme’s last moments on earth.

"It was at one of these military reunions that I fell in with Lieutenant P…………, a young officer, belonging to my friend Graeme’s regiment, the 89^th, which had just returned from America. From him I learnt that the noblehearted Graeme was no more; he fell on the field of honour, leaving a name that will ever remain engraven on the hearts of those who loved him. The circumstances attending his death were such as to lead the mind to contemplate, with greater reverence than we are inclined to feel on such subjects, the mystical link that unites our spirit here to its eternal abode. I wrote down, at the time, the details of what was to me so deeply melancholy an event, in the words of our mutual friend P……………, who narrated it as follows:

"We were in America under the orders of General Drummond, and the flank companies of the 1^st and 89^th regiments were sent up the interior of the country to dislodge the enemy from a position he had taken up, and strongly fortified. We commenced our march on a severe morning in the depth of winter, and I remarked that Graeme was silent and out of spirits. His heart was usually so joyous, his spirits were so exhuberant with life and happiness, that I bantered him on the fit of sentimentality he had assumed, but to no purpose. He could not be cheerful, and twisted out of his cap a little bugle that ornamented it; he said to me with a sad smile: ‘Here, P…………………………, keep this for my sake’. I did take it, and I know not why, but his sadness extended itself to me. I saw he had a presentiment he should fall, and in a strange unaccountable manner, I shared his feelings.

"From the severity of the weather, and the ground being covered with snow, our march was fatiguing in the extreme, and Graeme, who commanded the light company of his regiment, had occasion to reprimand several of the men for disorderly and insubordinate behaviour, which would probably have increased to mutiny, but for the love they bore him. To one fellow, who was more unruly than the rest, Graeme sharply applied the epithet of ‘coward’, alluding to a prior affair, in which some reports had been made upon this man’s want of energy. The soldier looked sulkily at him, but made no remark. When we came up with the enemy’s works, a murderous fire was opened on us, as we traversed the deep ravine that separated us from the heights he occupied. Every one of our officers, with the exception of Graeme and myself, had been picked off by the concealed rifles of our opponents, and we alone remained to lead on to the attack. For a moment we placed ourselves under the slope of a hill, to prepare for a desperate effort to carry the position; retreat or surrender being alike impossible. My gallant friend was rallying his men to the charge, when the poor fellow who had patiently borne the opprobrious name of ‘coward’ dragged himself to the spot where Graeme stood, staining, as he moved along, the whiteness of the snow with the blood that poured from his wounds. Standing erect before his officer, he said, ‘Sir, am I now a coward?’ and dropped down dead at his feet.

"Never shall I forget the expression of self-reproach and sorrow that poor Graeme’s face wore, as for a moment he contemplated the fallen soldier who lay stretched before him. Then, suddenly springing forward he exclaimed, ‘Now, my lads, follow me!’ The next moment, ‘Oh God!’ escaped from his lips, and he fell to the earth. A ball had struck him in the shoulder, traversed his body, and found its way out just below the hip. I rubbed his lips and temples with snow, and used every means to restore animation; but his noble spirit had fled. The rest of us, reduced to eight in number, were made prisoners by the enemy; but we were allowed to carry with us the remains of our gallant comrade; and when we stretched his lifeless corpse at a little distance from the bivouacking party, one of their officers, a rough, hard-featured man, wept, as I well remember, in contemplating the noble countenance and placid smile of that ever-to-be lamented friend. We dug for him a soldier’s grave in the vast wilderness, and watered it with our tears. No monumental marble marks the spot; but as long as memory lasts, his name will there be inscribed and cherished."

GRACE GRAEME, DAUGHTER OF GEORGE GRAEME, THE TENTH IN DESCENT OF INCHBRAKIE AND ABERUTHVEN.

Grace, the only daughter of Colonel Graeme and his wife, Miss Oliphant of Condie, was born at Orchill in 1794.  She grew up to be a sparkling woman of considerable and varied talents; while not strictly handsome, she had sufficient beauty added to great vivacity and esprit de monde to make her a centre in any gathering which she joined, and cause her to be toasted at the county gatherings as the "Fair Maid of Craig Rossie."

The earlier years of her life were spent in England, where she received the benefits to be obtained from proficient masters, entering also into intellectual as well as influential society.

In her early girlhood her parents returned to reside permanently at Inchbrakie, when Grace Graeme was sought for and welcomed by every house in the neighbourhood, while she visited much in Edinburgh during its annual season of dinners and balls for which that city was then famous.

There she made the acquaintance of many notable people, becoming intimate with Sir Walter Scott and Washington Irving among others; she, of course, attended the Court balls, and was notably present on the occasion of King George's visit to that city, as well as the famous ball when the two young men calling themselves Charles Edward Stuart and John Sobieski Stuart, flashed on Scotland like comets and every Jacobite heart was at their feet, Grace Graeme's amongst them.

Washington Irving visited her parents at Inchbrakie; he one afternoon walked over to call on Mr Murray, enquiring at the lodge if he was at Irving home; he was answered by "Dollerie's awa' to Perth," but, said Washington Irving, "is not this Dollerie?"

"Aweel it is, but Dollerie's awa' to Perth"; completely puzzled, he went away, but on his return to Inchbrakie it was explained to him that Scottish custom gave the name of the property both to the owner and the estate!

A few pages of one of Miss Graeme's journals follow, giving an account of the Perth Hunt meeting, a great county gathering in those days.  The occurrence of so many Perthshire names must be the excuse for quoting from, what after all is only the journal of a young girl to her most intimate friend; it also shows the customs of dress, etc., of the "first society" in the early part of the nineteenth century.

The journal is in the form of a letter, written to her connection Maria Henrietta Stewart of Dalguise, already mentioned in this volume.

October 1819.  I left Inchbrakie on Thursday 6th at ten in the morning for the Perth Hunt Ball, no adventures befell me. "Scone" looks magnificent from the northern road, which I have not travelled before, dark red stone embowered in trees.  The town was crowded, Hussars (10th) in every direction, but none of our friends, how I dislike travelling alone at this time, when groups of gentlemen are seen from end to end of the street: the gentlemen on the steps of the George Inn were Abercairny (Charles), and John Belches, the latter very grave and in deep mourning for his mother, but kind and attentive as ever.  Mrs Oliphant had not yet arrived so forthwith I proceeded to my room.  Mrs O. did not arrive till near one and introduced me to Miss Ellis an heiress, who was one of her party, and Miss Greig, Lady Rollo's sister, she is a fine girl;  Miss Ellis is very nice, superior to most heiresses, unaffected, has œ30,000 and from her manner you would not think she had thirty pence, very travelled, charming manners and good eyes, but not pretty, there was a woeful lack of beauty.  The Craigies of Dumbarney were near us, he, Sir P. Murray, and Mr Graham of Airth were the Stewards, with them were a Mr and Miss Durham, very plain; he will have œ20,000 a year, and a Mr Tweedie was a very pleasant travelled man.  Tony Burn, Lawrence Oliphant, a Miss Tytler, a beauty, not agreeable, Robert Grant said it was remarked you would suppose her the heiress, not Miss Ellis.

It was now time to go to the Races; Mrs Oliphant, Miss Greig and I went in the Condie carriage, Lawrence accompanied Miss Ellis in her own chaise.  The race was a gay scene on the North Inch, the woods and the river Tay very beautiful.  The Abercairnys were the greatest dashers there, a carriage and four, two outriders, two postillions and two footmen.  Charles himself and Mrs Moray, dressed in white muslin over white tafety, covered with Blonde, white lace veil and abundance of ostrich feathers had a fine effect as the winds waved them about.  Capt. Grant of Kilgraston had a dark coloured carriage, driving himself and two of his brothers. Allan of Inchmartin, the man that wants a wife, an insufferable dandy, stays longer and tighter than gentleman's stays are wont to be. 

He has two boys in red on white horses dangling after his phaeton; the boy is very ugly and I don't like him.  I saw the Murthly carriage lumbering about, and the well remembered plush affairs of bright orange;  the Drummonds of Meggnich, Strathallans, Cultoquhey, etc., etc.  But who in the world was one of the first to greet me but Dalhoshny and your admirer the Portuguese; Robertson of Tullybelton, our tres aimable cousin, in a green coat, a peruke and tail of the last century, drove two cream-coloured ponys over the ground, he appears a singularly wild and beautiful person.  We were on the stand for some time, Lady Mary Murray and her daughter were there.  I had considerable flirtations with the elder married men, you know it is my way. "Cutle" was delighted to see me.  Margery Ramsey came with them from Murry's Hall.  I spoke to Sir Peter the Member, Capt. Grant, the Aber.'s and all the rest, Lord Kinnoul and Capt. Yates with lots of officers of the 80th.  I was again introduced to the Laird of Airth who is old, nearly sixty, not noisy, funny enough but I don't like him any better; I looked out my eyes for the Stewarts of Grantully. 

I expected them to be surrounded by the l0th Hussars, Wallington, Gale and Arnold, also John, Tom and the fascinating Sir George, when, in place of that, behold Catherine with the longest of all her long faces, in the worst of humours; Clementina pale, Andrew grave, and ten times worse poor Miss Drummond of Logie the Matron, and not a soul near them. 

Thinks I, all is not right here; not daring to ask for the hero I first asked where is Mr Arnold? "Oh, we don't know ;"and Gale?"he's ill"; and Wallington? "Oh ! I believe he's ill too, we know nothing of him, we have not seen him for a long time."  I went round the course several times with Miss Ellis; she knows Lord Byron and all the literati of the day; there was a dark-haired, dark-eyed, handsome figure among the l0th Hussars, he was the handsomest man I ever saw, Sir Harry Floyd; another group were Charles Moray, the Grants, Major Stapleton and Arnold, looking remarkably handsome.

... He is quite the thing in the Regiment, a great acquaintance of Charles Moray and quite a man of fashion, in short, Arnold is everything (and Wallington thought nothing of), anything but a raw boy I assure you, he gave a look . . . but the carriage drove quickly past.  We went to see a "show" of a little man who has no knees and runs up and down like a cat, not a pleasant sight, and there I met him, a most warm meeting and shaking of hands we had. . . . After the Races Robert Grant attached himself to our party, he is a fine lad... .

We dined at "The Salutation"; I spoke to Dalhoshney as we went in.  Few in the room as we entered but Catherine Threipland, her father, mother and sisters, they were in white, blue ribbons and sashes, gypsy hats lined with blue and blue gloves.  All blue outwardly you'll say, they looked very pretty.  Lady Mary Murray and Miss M. (Ochtertyre) were in pale blue, Highland bonnets.  My dress, black satin gown, and Spencer flying open, below which white muslin body trimmed with lace and lace frill, black satin Highland bonnet and black feathers.  There was only one vacant chair, which Lord Kinnoul very politely handed me to.  When the room was full the l0th began to appear.  We had all the Both on their way to Dundee.  I went to dinner with Craigie the Advocate, and separated from the rest of my party; he was stupid but it could not be helped. There were three tables.  Sir P. Murray, Lady Charlotte at his right hand, and the table on one side filled with our party, Mr Craigie (my partner's brother) at the head, on one side of it from top to bottom gentlemen, no lady, all officers, Arnold!  I found myself next Miss Richardson of Pitfour "Aber," Lady Emily Drummond, Mr Graham (Airth). At the head John Richardson and Charley Moray opposite us; the Stewarts up at the top, the rest of the table empty, their beau, a cousin of Miss Atholl Murray's and Castle Stewart; they looked disconsolate.  This day's dinner was not so pleasant as the following one.  Some toasts followed by appropriate music; Tom Graham a very attentive Steward.  After The King, "God save the King."   Prince Regent "of a noble race was he."  Lord Kinnoul and the Perthshire Militia got the "night about the fireside" which set the officers of the l0th laughing; they got "The bold Dragoons," great amusement; Colonel Belches and the Yeomanry " Birks of Invermay"; Sir Peter gave the health of the Ladies three times three, this a hint to retire, and Gow struck up "Come haste to the wedding," and the Perthshire Hunt, to which we danced away to dress. I came to the George with the Craigies.  Mine was white crepe over white satin, flowers of crepe on the petticoat, gown looped up with bows of ribbon and silk cords, the same set round the front, flowers in the hair and white ornaments.  At ten we arrived in the ball-room; Mrs Oliphant and Miss Ellis handsomely dressed.

All the young ladies were in white except the Treiplands in blue.  Mrs Moray Abercairny pink crepe over satin, three rows of deep lace, pink turban and diamonds, her dress was the most expensive in the room, she looked well and danced a good deal, her husband would not allow her to waltz; these were introduced late in the evening, and only a few couples stood up, Capt. Grant and Miss Ellis, Mrs Oliphant, Lawrence, Mrs Maxtone, etc.  I thought C. Threipland the prettiest girl but figure not good.  Sir Henry Floyd of the l0th, the flower of the beaux; very hand-some with dark hair, a forehead of reflection, no want of expression there, a stately and elegant figure, "and oh that eye was in itself a soul," brilliant, clear and dark.

With no partner was I so much pleased as with a partner with the horrid name of M'Queen of the 80th, tall, handsome, a little like Meade, very animated, he had been in Scotland only six weeks, and was delighted with it; he was very enthusiastic about the fine arts.  Mr Oliphant told Mr Graham how agreeable I thought him.  He replied, he had asked the Colonel to introduce the officer he could recommend most in the Corps.  There was so great a proportion of gentlemen that no others of the 80th danced.

My next partner was an impudent young man, Mr Connachie an Advocate.   Dalhoshney had on one of his prim faces and stood staring at the foot of every dance. I don't think he "figures in that way; I however was very agreeable and sat by him and conversed awhile and asked him to introduce me to my cousin Tullybelton.

"Mr Graham and I led off ' Miss Dalbreck,' the best tune that is danced.  He is bald and was more quiet and more ` decent like than I expected; sundry jokes from the Morays and Sir Peter about his being so gay; I declined a quadrille and he sat out a tete-a-tete, I having little to say ` for the thoughts we cannot bridle force their way against the will.' "

Miss Graeme was so far in advance of her day as to be a devoted student of Byron; her diaries repeatedly allude to her admiration of his poems.

Only one day of the hunt festivities has been quoted from lest it be wearisome; that first evening Grace describes how Mr Graham, after taking her into supper, asks her to propose a steward for the ensuing year. 

Her father would refuse it, the Duke of Atholl would be too much troubled by it, the "two Belchess" of Invermay, she told Mr Graham, would be one too many, so selects young Stewart of Grantully, and there is great amusement when Gow follows the toast with "what is John Stewart to me" given by his band; she also confesses to being rallied on her flirtation with John Richardson of Pitfour; Grace is annoyed at this and wonders what business it is of people if they did dance their "couples twice." "The boy is a fine boy and a good dancer," and they had conversed much on her brother Lawrence; the next day and evening was spent much in the same way, the flirtations perhaps more developed and the dresses handsomer.

Miss Mary Murray (afterwards Mrs Bonar of Kimmerghame) " looked remarkably well to-night with wreaths of roses twined two or three times round her head and a bunch of roses at one side; the gentlemen remark she would be a very fine girl if her mother would allow her."

The Perth Hunt concludes with a succession of visits to various country houses where many of the partners are again met.

Condie, where she meets her cousin William Oliphant home from India and finds him after a time unbend, and show her his intellectual side, and she compares him favourably to the abrupt "Sir" Anthony of the future. 

From Condie she visits Kilgraston making a warm friendship with the young Grants.  Grace writes of Francis, "he is one of the most beautiful and elegant of boys, rich curling hair and speaking eyes, a great genius, he is in the middle of an oil painting of his own design, the judgment of Brutus; he and I are going to paint something together; this is the first time he has touched colour, there are fifty to seventy figures in his picture; the inception is good but I don't know what the execution will be."  Thus writes Grace Graeme on the future President of the Royal Academy! but she was a good artist herself in oils; she adds, Captain Grant returned from a couple of days' visit at Abercairny where the new drawing-room had been opened with a great deal of waltzing and amusement.

Another of her visits was to Strathallan, where Lady Emily received her, embroidering flowers beautifully on white silk in the library with Miss Drummond of Machany.  At this time Lord Strathallan was still Mr Drummond and it was this Miss "Betty" Drummond's evidence which confirmed the Lords in giving him his title. Grace Graeme writes, "The porch at Strathallan is very handsome, completed since I was last here.  ... The children soon made their appearance in Polish dresses in Drummond tartan, they speak French fluently, having a Swiss governess;  Edmond is a fine splendid boy like his mother . . . it was six o'clock when Mr Drummond entered the room with the youngest child in his arms, she is just beginning to walk."

This baby, twenty-four years later, was to marry Grace Graeme's brother George, and become Mrs Graeme of Inchbrakie.  The eldest of the boys in the Polish dress, when an elderly man, complimented one of Lawrence Graeme's daughters on her likeness to her aunt Grace Graeme, and told her the story learnt in his boyhood days from his father, of her being named the "Fair Maid of Craig Rossie!"

"The fair maid" was never won, though many were the wooings; two of her admirers were Colonel Sinclair, a great friend of her brother Lawrence; and the "Dalhoshney" of her diary General Sir John M?Donald; both were fairly successful for a time, but the engagements were broken off and Miss Graeme predeceased her brother George by a few weeks in 1854.

ALEXANDER JOHN GRAEME

THE FOURTH SON OF COLONEL GEORGE GRAEME

NINTH LAIRD OF INCHBRAKIE AND ABERUTHVEN

We now take the fourth son, Alexander John Graeme, a strong contrast to his dashing energetic brother, who was always in earnest, whose story is related in the early part of this sketch.

Alex, or Sandy as his brothers called, him, was a red-haired, blue-eyed boy, very gentle and amiable but light-hearted and brimful of mischief: born in 1798 he asked his father at the age of thirteen to allow him to become a sailor. Colonel Graeme, knowing that the conclusion of the war would give officers small chance of promotion, tried to oppose the little fellow’s wishes, but he added, "Go and cogitate on what I have told you and tell me in three days if you are in the same mind and persistent in your folly; then you may follow your own foolish bent, and have only yourself to blame."

The three days flew but were not spent in deep thought. Trembling Alex stood before his father who asked his answer; the reply was, "I still want to go to sea, but I don’t understand about ‘coaching dates’. His father’s eyes twinkled, "What duties do you suppose you will have to do? "I think," came the quick reply, "that there will be fighting all day and drinking all night"; his father pointed to the door and he flew to his mother!

Admiral Lord Keith then holding the command of the Channel fleet interested himself in the son of his old friend and the nephew of his old flame, and the boy was sent to him. He was conducted into Lord Keith’s presence during the morning levee and his Lordship reading the letter of introduction laughed, saying in his rich Scotch accent, "Here, gentlemen, the Laird of Inchbrakie would make all his bairns merchants and took them to Liverpool; three of them have turned sodgers and this crittur has come to me." Alex. Graeme often related how he was at once invited to stay at Government House and attended Miss Mercer Elphinstone in her pony carriage as chaperone! She afterwards married Count de Flahault, aide-de-camp to Napoleon.

Alex Graeme was commissioned to the Queen Charlotte and the fleet blockaded Brest; afterwards while she lay in the Verdun Roads they sent arms up the Garonne to assist the Duchess de Berri whom Napoleon declared was the only man in the French Army! While here Alex received the news of the death in America of his eldest brother, and by the same letter that George was in camp at Bordeaux; and as the lad was in great distress Lord Keith sent him to his brother; he scarcely recognized the schoolboy from who he had parted, in the young officer of the King’s German Legion, who had been in eight general actions and wounded at Badajos.

For Alex’s breezy life of escapades, practical joking, and brushes with the Americans we must refer his relations to his own "Memoirs of Early Naval life". A certain Scotch middy, Graham Spiers, and he kept the ship alive; the last time Alex Graeme heard of him he had studied for the Scotch bar and was riding at the head of the Municipal authorities on the visit of the Prince Regent to Edinburgh. The Queen Charlotte, the Granicus, the Vengeur, the Orontes, the Falmouth were in turn his ships; from the latter they assisted the settlers at Delagoa Bay to recover wives and stock raided from them by the natives; Alex thought them very eager about the stock and very lukewarm over their wives’ return!

Alex’s spirit on some occasions brought him into trouble; on one of these the captain of the Parthian ordered him to be sprit-sail yarded; this Alex point blank refused to suffer, and seizing a traversing bar said he would knock down the first man who touched him, which he did; he then acceded quietly to the captain’s altered command to place him in irons.

After a couple of weeks in irons in Jamaica, and hearing nothing further, Alex had a letter conveyed to Admiral Rowley who at once signaled from his station in the hills for the captain and all officers of the Parthian to wait on him; this was at once done; he questioned young Graeme closely telling him he had written a very good letter; then turning to his captain asked, "How has Mr Graeme behaved prior to this?" the reply was he had "not previously had to find fault with him." "Captain ………………………………", said Sir Charles Rowley, "I do not admire the masthead system of punishment because it reflects on the cloth"; touching his own sleeve, "not on him, he is nothing." After eliciting that the captain had called Graeme a scoundrel, Sir Charles asked the latter if he was sorry, "Yes", said the boy; "Go to your duty," was the kindly command. The clerks afterwards told Graeme that the Admiral had informed the captain, that had young Graeme not resented his illegal order Captain……………….would have lost his commission.

Alex joined the Seraphis commanded by Lieutenant George Vernon Jackson, who remonstrated on Graeme’s joining his ship since he had given trouble on board one with a full complement of officers; "Pooh, pooh," said the Admiral, "enter him on your ship’s books and we’ll take care of him!"

I may mention that Graeme became one of Jackson’s (afterwards Admiral) closest friends, and they married sisters. Sir Charles Rowley gave Graeme the command of his tender the Sea Breeze; however, on being sent to get in a haul of fish, retrieve a deserter, and find a gold locket lost by one of the ladies of the Admiral’s party, Graeme returned having only accomplished the latter: Alex was indignant on receiving a letter from his commander reflecting on his failing to catch the deserter. The indignant Graeme sat down and wrote a note to the Admiral informing him that he felt annoyed by his Excellency finding fault with him to Lieutenant Jackson, "as commander of the Sea Breeze he felt capable of anything within the bounds of possibility but to find a man who had left a place, or make fish live against the course of nature was not in his power."

Sir Charles burst into the office with the letter in his hand, saying, "Look here, gentlemen, here is a d…………….d brat of a midshipman reprimanding me!" Alex was lucky in receiving no reply beyond a rebuke from Jackson; years afterwards, Sir Charles’s daughter, then Lady Kinnoul, reminded Captain Graeme of the episode when dining with Sir David Baird at Ferntower; to relate the episode of his running into harbour flying the admiral’s flag though the former was not on board (this was permitted but not often done), which caused every ship and captain to prepare to receive Sir Charles Rowley, would take too much space, and the reader is referred to the "Early Naval Memoirs". An amusing scene ensured, but Graeme, who was a great favourite of Sir Charles Rowley’s, was asked to dinner that evening.

Lieutenant Boyle of the Queen having been given the duty of taking a yacht as a present from Her Majesty to the King of Prussia, was promoted to a commander, and Alex. Graeme, then in the Victory, was offered the vacancy by Sir Edward Owen. Alex gives an interesting account of Her Majesty’s inspection (on rather short notice) of that vessel. After every arrangement for the Queen’s coming on board at one port, Her Majesty elected the other for her entrance; thus a hurried scramble was made for extra carpets and Alex Graeme kept and had a special case made for the rug on which Her Majesty stood on the quarter deck. His nieces are now the owners of it.

The Duke of Wellington accompanied the Queen, but refused to allow Lieutenant Graeme to hold his umbrella, in consequence of his rarely receiving it back after such assistance.

Captain Graeme soon after left the navy. He and Admiral Jackson married sisters, daughters of Mr and Mrs Chisenhale Johnson of Arley Court, Lancashire. Her mother, Miss Chisenhale, had been a very handsome woman and a great heiress. The family is now represented by Swaine Chisenhale Marsh, Esq. Of Gaines Park, Surrey; he married Esther, daughter of …………………Byrom Esq of Culvers, Devon and has issue a son Harold and two daughters.

Mrs Alexander Graeme had first made her husband’s acquaintance at the dancing school at Liverpool when about ten years old, and her memory never left him. They were a devoted couple, and resided near Inchbrakie for a few years; afterwards he bought the nice little property of Fonthill, Shaldon, South Devon, which he greatly added to and improved. Captain Graeme planted a field with the Union Jack in laurels; a maze on the lines of the one at Hampton Court; and a wooden tower which swayed in the wind, erected in the fir wood – these latter were great attractions to young people. The latter was approached by a path, the entrance of which was flanked by slabs bearing the famous commands of our greatest admiral and general, "England expects every man to do his duty", and "Up Guards and at ‘em". The path bore along it slabs with quotations from Captain Graeme’s favourite authors. Those who were brave enough to ascend the covered staircase of the "Look Out", which wound round a fir tree, were rewarded at the top by a glass of cherry brandy to drink the Queen’s health and confusion to her enemies.

Alexander Graeme died much beloved in his eighty-seventh year; his wife Eleanora had predeceased him.

Though, like his father, he never, in those days of constant duels, gave a challenge, when his turn came to be challenged he accepted and fought his duel with a hitherto successful combatant, when on board the Granicus; both combatants died in their beds! He was the last survivor of the family of that generation.