14 FEBRUARY 1914, Page 15

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the Spectator of December 13th, 1913, appeared a letter from a Highland correspondent giving the interesting information that his grandfather, though a child in his mother's care, was present at the battle of Culloden on April 16th, 1746. In a recent conversation with Mr. Walter Blaikie, the historian of the last Jacobite rising, he told me that his forbear, James Duff, younger son of Duff of Hatton, and then aged sixteen, was present as an officer in Lord Lewis Gordon's regiment at the battle of Inverurie, fought on December 23rd, 1745. In this small engagement Lord Lewis Gordon defeated the Government forces, who were for the most part composed of Highlanders under Macleod of Macleod, and thereby captured Aberdeenshire and Banffshire for Prince Charles. This James Duff is the grandfather of Mr. Blaikie's mother, the widow of the late Professor W. Garden Blaikie, D.D., of Edinburgh, who is still hale and hearty despite her ninety years. I wonder if there is another grandchild of any of Prince Charlie's offisere still lining. It is satisfactory to record that, by the influence of his relatives, James Duff auffered no ill consequences of what was no doubt regarded as a youthful indiscretion. In later life he became an advocate, and held important, if uneventful, offices in Banffsbire.—I am,