A brew for Duke’s brother
Mine of information
Torrential rain cascaded from grey skies and moorland peaks were veiled with mist as I sat in Muirshiel country park visitor centre where I worked 25 years ago.
I hadn’t seen a soul all day. Then the telephone rang.
On the line was Betty McKellar. Her husband, Quintin, was a sheep farmer at Conveth, two miles down the lonely Calder Glen in the Lochwinnoch hills.
“Put the kettle on. The Duke of Norfolk’s brother is coming to see you. He’s just visited us,” said Betty.
So, when Major-General Lord Michael Fitzalan-Howard, brother of the 17th Duke of Norfolk, stepped from his car minutes later, tea and biscuits were already on the reception desk.
We talked about times when his family owned Muirshiel estate before it became a country park.
Lord Michael’s father, Baron Howard of Glossop, purchased the 19th century mansion, along with 3,300 acres of moorland and woodland, two sheep farms and several cottages, for £7,250 on June 24, 1935.
Derek Parker knew many of Paisley’s secrets – the grimy and the good.
He wandered every corner in search of the clues that would unlock Renfrewshire’s rich history.
These tales were shared with readers in his hugely popular Parker’s Way column.
We’ve opened our vault to handpick our favourites for you.
The Fitzalan-Howards were descended from Walter Fitzalan, who founded Paisley Abbey in 1163.
They and their servants travelled to Muirshiel from residences at Carlton Towers, Yorkshire, and Arundel Castle, Sussex, to shoot grouse and rabbits every autumn.
One of Lord Michael’s cherished Muirshiel memories was the 21st birthday party for his elder brother, Lord Miles Fitzalan-Howard, on July 21, 1936.
The anniversary meal included Scotch broth, sirloin steak, potatoes, vegetables, apple tart, biscuits, tea and coffee.
Quintin McKellar’s father, Archibald, tenanted nearby Heathfield Farm. He presented Lord Miles with a sparkling silver salver in the walled garden.
The rural idyll lasted just four years. On September 3, 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and both brothers joined the army.
Betty said: “It was so sad. Miles and Michael visited the tenants to say farewell. No one knew if they’d come back alive.”
Happily, both returned home safely. Lord Miles became Duke of Norfolk and died in 2002, aged 87. Lord Michael passed away in 2007, aged 91.
He took part in the Normandy, Palestine and Malaya campaigns. He attained the rank of Major-General and won the Military Cross for gallantry.
I was proud to welcome the war hero, whose ancestor founded Paisley Abbey, on his final pilgrimage to Renfrewshire.
Memories remain evergreen of that historic day when I put on the kettle for the Duke of Norfolk’s brother.