THE DAILY NEWS

25 November 1909

(page 8)

A CURIOUS SCOT.

ECCENTRICITIES IN DIVORCE SUIT.

Amusing statements were made yesterday in the Court of Session at Edinburgh, when Lord Salveson heard the 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 ago. In 1902 she met defendant in Paris in the studio of her brother, Mr. Gerald F. 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 the plaintiff. The parties travelled abroad, and while at Hong Kong in 1906 he left here to go home by America, telling her to go straight to England. By accidentally opening a letter, she ascertained that he was the father of a child borne by another lady.

His Lordship, after glancing at the defendant’s photo, 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 defendant 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. He 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.)

His lordship granted a decree, with the custody of the child [Lola Zaza], and £52 a year aliment for the child.