IRVINE, Alexander 12th of Drum ^{1 2}

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  General Notes:

"Alexander, his son by his first wife, was to be the 12th and last member of this line of Irvines. He died suddenly, leaving a pregnant wife, and an entail which gave Drum to his ruthless cousin, Irvine of Murtle."

from The Irvine Family

Note:

Alexander's son then died at birth, before the death of his father. ^{1 2}

Alexander married Marjory FORBES, daughter of Alexander FORBES 3rd of Auchreddie, and of Auchmaliddie and Christian IRVINE.¹ (Marjory FORBES was born about 1660 and died in 1739 ².)

  Marriage Notes:

"Alexander Irvine, who now succeeded to the estates, was of facile disposition and weak intellect, and in consequence his father had left the management of the property to trustees. Yet to intriguers of education and family his mental deficiencies were more than counterbalanced by his worldly position, and his marriage became a subject of disgraceful speculation in connection with a 'Scotch marriage.' He was led into this sort of union with Miss Marjory Forbes, daughter of Forbes of Auchreddy, very soon after his father's death, and through the active instrumentality of Mr. Robert Keith of Lentush, one of the professors in the Aberdeen College, and uncle of the lady by marriage.

Having 'proposed the marriage, and as Drum was fickle and changeable, Mr. Keith for the more secrecy supplied the place of a minister, and celebrated the marriage himself'; but, previous to doing so, took from her a bond for ten thousand pounds Soots. 1 On the 29th February, 1688, the friends or relations of Irvine preferred their case before the Lords of the Privy Council against Forbes of Auchreddy and Mr. Robert Keith 'for circumventing Drum and making up a mock-marriage when he was drunk or mad.' The Privy Council, however, finding there was nothing of drunkenness or madness proved, sustained the marriage, but soon after ordered the property of Mr. Irvine to be placed under the management of his brother-in-law, Count Leslie of Balquhain."

from The Irvines of Drum ¹