Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

ccxxiv JAMES, EARL OF ANXANDALE AND HARTi-'ELL, 1G53-1G72.
was somewliat analogous to that of the nearly contemporary one of the great
Marquis of Moutrose, au only sou, who was married at the early age of
seventeen, in the hope of providing heirs to his peerages and estates.
]5ut although the second Earl of Hartfell was thus early married, his hope
of having heirs-male of his body to succeed him was at first, and for a long
period of years, disappointed. Six years passed away after the marriage
and still no cliild was born to the Earl and Countess of Hartfell. In 1G52,
the seventh year from the date of the marriage, a daughter was born. In the
j^ears IG-iJl, 1G57, 1G5S, and 1G59, four children were born in succession, but
all of them were daughters. Thus in 1655, ten years after the marriage of
the earl, no son was born to him, but only daughters. In these circum-
stances the Earl of Hartfell, beginning to despair of the continuance of his
direct male line, took very formal proceedings in the years 1655 and 1G57
for the purpose of securing that his peerages and estates should be
inherited by the children of his own body, and not by collateral heirs-male.
On 15th February 1G55, his lordsJiip made a bond, disposition, and
entail in favour of his countess and their children. The bond narrates
that by the marriage contract between them, Lady Henrietta, his countess,
was provided in coujimct-fee to the manor-place of Locliwood and adjoining
lands, of the annual value of eight thousand merks Scots, and that the
earldom of Hartfell, with the lordships, baronies and lauds belonging
thereto, was entailed to the heirs-male of their bodies, failing whom, to their
other heirs-male whatsoever. It recites further, that for the love he had to
his countess, and aiso for certain good deeds done to him by her parents, the
Marquis of Douglas and Lady Mary Gordon, his spouse, he obliged himself
and his heirs to infeft Lady Henrietta in liferent in the manor-place of
Xewbie and adjacent lands, of the yearly value of 8000 merks Scots, in lieu
of tlie liferent conjunct-fee of the manor-place and lands of Lochwood.
The bond of entail contains the firovisiou that in the event of the decease
of the earl, without male issue, his earldom of Hartfell should be inherited by