Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/13

ii s. vm. JL-LV 5, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES. They should be tarred or painted to preserve them. I have never seen or heard of anything of the kind before, but perhaps specimens exist elsewhere.

—The effacement of old Baker Street station has resulted in considerable alterations in the vicinity. Amongst others a tiny "circus" is being constructed in the Marylebone Road hard by, which bids fair to offer a unique example of its kind in London. Upon each dwarf pillar is carved a viscount's coronet, with a fleur-de-lys beneath, to warrant the inference that the "circus" will bear the name of "Portman"—quite an appropriate and sufficiently indicative title. It has been proposed that York Place should now be incorporated with Baker Street. I venture to suggest further that "Upper" might now well be removed from the northern end of the street, which was recently done in the case of Avenue Road, not far off.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

BRUCE OF AIRTH. Who was the Laird of Airth in 1608 ?

In that year Edward Bruce, younger brother of the Laird of Airth, and lawful scion of the great northern house, was com- pelled to change his name and migrate to Ireland under circumstances of a peculiar nature. A dreadful quarrel broke out between, apparently, John, Lord Erskine, Earl of Mar, of the one part, and Alexander, fifth Lord Livingstone, Alexander, fourth Lord Elphinstone, and Bruce of Airth, of the other part, concerning the disputed title of the Castle of Kildrummie ; and in the fight which ensued David Forrester, a follower of Mar, was killed, the murderers being hounded on by the Laird of Airth. '.So says Drummond. But Burke, in his 'Dictionary of Landed Gentry' (1847), vol. i. pp. 151-2, says that the reason for changing the name was as follows. Mrs. Bruce's grandfather in a letter to his son relative to the family descent in 1774-5 gives the episode thus :

"One of my ancestors had a dispute with his ohief, who attacked him ; he, according to the laws

of Scotland, retreated as far as wood and water, &c., would allow him, then turned, in his own defence, and killed his chief. In those days, two or three hundred years ago, the chief had great influence. He (Edward Bruce) was prosecuted with great virulence. The sentence was ' that he should be either banished or change his name ' : he said he had done nothing sinful or shameful to fly his country, * but put a tail to the " u," and make it "y"': thus it was Bryce : but when my grand- father went to Ireland, he spelled his name with an * i,' and since it has so remained."

Do these two accounts refer to the same episode ?

The following skeleton pedigree may illustrate and explain what I want to have confirmed :

4*

Sir Alexander Bruce (8th laird of Airth), d. 1G03. William Bruce, d.v.p.

Sir John Bruce

(9th laird of

Airth).

Rev. Edward Bruce (changed

his name to Bryce or Biiw,

1608), d

I

Robert Brice (Castle Chichester, Antrim), d

Lieut. -Col. Edward Brice (proved descent, d

Edward Brice (Kilrootj, m. 2nd, 1758, Jane Adair.

Rev. Archibald Adair Brice (resumed name of Bruce, 1825), d. 1828 at Cheltenham.

William Adair Bruce, Esq. (Ashley, Box, Wilts), d. 1S93.

Agnes Bruce (3 Grosvenor, Bath), in. 1897 J. Maurice Harper, Esq.

E. C. MALAX. Bournemouth.

INIGO JONES : HIS CHRISTIAN NAME. (See 11 S. vii. 424.) I have not the volumes of Eighth Series of ' N. & Q.' to refer to, and would like to know if the name " Igna- tius," in this Spanish form Inigo, is often to be met with in the registers of the six- teenth century. S. T. P.

[The references in the Eighth Series are not concerned with the point raised by our corre- spondent.]

ELFORD FAMILY. William Elford (Vicar of Lew Trenchard, chaplain to the Duke of Bedford, and Rector of North Petherwin, who lived at Tavistock), son of Ralph of Tavistock, gent., matriculated 30 June, 1772, from Balliol College, aet, 18, B.A. 1776. Who was Ralph Elford, and what relation was he to the banker of the name ?

A. STEPHENS DYER. 207, Kingston Road, Teddington.