_Member of Parliament electing Himself_ (Vol. viii., p. 536.).--In the
article forwarded by H. M. are many gross errors. William McLeod Bannatyne,
Esq., was Sheriff of Buteshire from Dec. 22, 1775, till May 28, 1799;
during which period there were only two county elections in Buteshire, viz.
April 22, 1784, and June 27, 1796 (the counties of Bute and Caithness being
represented only in alternate parliaments), and on _neither_ of those
occasions was he the _sole_ freeholder present. The statement in question
can therefore only refer to the election on Nov. 13, 1806, when, owing to
some accidental circumstances, he was the only freeholder present. In 1799
he was raised to the Bench of the Court of Session by the title of Lord
Bannatyne; and consequently he neither _did_ nor _could_ act as sheriff
seven years after he ceased to hold that office. It is true that, as a
technical formality, he nominated himself chairman of the meeting to enable
him to sign the minute of the election in that capacity; but it is _not
true_ that he either administered the oaths to himself, or signed the
return of the election as sheriff. I was then a lad, and was present as a
spectator on that occasion, when I saw Mr. Blain the sheriff-substitute
administer the oaths to Lord Bannatyne; and, of course, Mr. Blain also made
the election return, certifying that "the Honorable James Stuart Wortley
Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, &c. (a relation of the family of Bute) had been
duly elected." Thus you see that the title of the article is quite
erroneous, and is not even borne out by the original account, as the
freeholder did not elect _himself_, but another person; and he did not act
in any other capacity than that of a freeholder: the case being
extraordinary enough of only _one_ freeholder attending at a county
election, without the addition of those marvellous circumstances.
J. McK.
_Gresebrok, in Yorkshire_ (Vol. viii., p. 389.).--To assist your
correspondent [Greek: Hêraldikos], I may tell him that the family he
inquires about now resides at Horton Castle and Audenham in Staffordshire.
Many years ago, when I took some interest in genealogy, I had the pleasure
of being a guest of this family; and I then heard it said, that they could
trace a very ancient and brilliant line from one Osbert, who married a
great heiress at the Conquest, and that they were direct descendants of the
ancient kings of England. Some of Mr. Burke's publications I think would
assist [Greek: Hêraldikos]; not having them by me, I cannot give the exact
reference; but some months ago I saw, either in the _Landed Gentry_, or in
the _Visitations_, a note of the family.[6] But I think, if your
correspondent could by any means see Mr. Grazebrook's papers (as above
noted), he would obtain all the particulars he may require.