THE GLOBE

London, England

25 January 1909

(page 10)

SCOTTISH DIVORCE SUIT.

LITERARY CHARACTER'S CURIOUS IDEAS.

In the Court of Session at Edinburgh to-day Lord Salveson heard evidence in an undefended divorce suit brought by Rose Edith Kelly, or Skerrett, or Crowley, against Alistir Macgregor Crowley, of Boleskine Foyers, Inverness-shire, and residing at Warwick-road, Earl’s-court, London.

Plaintiff, who was 35, said that she was married in 1897 to Captain F. J. Skerrett [Frederick Thomas Skerrett], who died two years later. In 1902 she met defendant in Paris in the studio of her brother, Mr. Gerald T. Kelly, an artist. He then called himself Count Skellet, although she knew his real name. Later he called himself Macgregor to identify himself with Scotland, where he had bought an estate. He wore the kilt and “all that sort of thing.” At Strathpeffer in August, 1903, the marriage took place, and shortly afterwards he called himself Lord Boleskine, because, he said, people in Scotland called themselves after their estates. He was a little eccentric, said plaintiff. The parties travelled abroad, and while at Hong Kong in 1906, he left her to go home by America, telling her to go straight to England. Subsequently they lived at Chislehurst. He had bruised her, and she left him in July last. By accidentally opening a letter, she ascertained that he was the father of a child borne by another lady.

Other evidence having been given, his Lordship, after glancing at the defendant’s photograph, said that he looked as if he belonged to the stage.

Counsel replied that the defendant was a literary character, and affected the artistic.

Mr. Gerald Festus Kelly, an artist, said that he became acquainted with the defendant when they were undergraduates at Cambridge. After voyaging around the world, the defendant lived with witness in Paris. Defendant was very proud of having, as he thought, Scottish blood in his veins. He had curious ideas of how to fit up a house. He put mirrors round a room at Boleskine, and called it a temple. He invented a new kind of religion. He was a cabalist, and studied ancient manuscripts. Writing to witness from abroad, he sometimes signed himself MacGregor and sometimes Crowley. He changed his name from Alexander to Alister, because it was Scottish. Defendant got some mark of distinction from an Indian chief, and thereupon called himself Lord Boleskine. There was a lot of land round Boleskine, but it was mostly perpendicular (laughter). The defendant appeared in complete Highland costume, and the MacGregor tartan was very, very bright (laughter).

The Judge: Personally, I never have been able to get up any admiration for the MacGregor tartan from an artistic point of view (laughter). Its associations, or course, are very romantic.

Defendant’s father, continued witness, was a Plymouth Brother. He had had lots of money, but was stupid where money was concerned.

His Lordship said that he thought he might assume that defendant’s domicile was Scottish whatever it was originally. He granted a decree, with the custody of the child, and £52 a year aliment for the child [Lola Zaza].