Sir
George gave Murray in 1812 a colonel's commission in the militia, who
raised the corps of lawyers in Montreal known, as styled by the
humorous old man, "as The Devil s Own."
A SCANDAL OF THE LAST CENTURY.
One of the young Hollands had also been a party to a scandalum
magnum, which created much gossip amongst our grandfathers, about
the time H.R.H the Duke of Kent was at Quebec.
At a regimental mess dinner a handsome young fellow, having, in these
days of hard swearing and hard drinking, exceeded in wine, was
convicted of being a lady in disguise, attending as the guest of young
Holland, and whose sex was unknown to young Holland.
This lady, whom all Quebec knew as Mr. Nesbitt, turned out to be a
Miss Neville, left for England, and was eventually married to Sir J.
C - -, brother of Lord F - - , a British nobleman.
One of the Nestors of the present generation, Col. J. Sewell, has
related to me the circumstances as he heard them in his youth from the
lips of a man of veracity and honour - Hon. W. Smith, son of Chief
Justice Smith.
Here are his own words: - "Hon. Mr. Smith told me that Mr. Nesbitt,
alias Miss Neville, was dining at a mess dinner of the 24th
Grenadiers at the Jesuits' Barracks, upper Town market place - Having
sacrificed too freely to the rosy god, an officer of the 24th, Mr.
Broadstreet, I think, helped him to the balcony ... when having to
lean on his supporter, Mr. Broadstreet became confident Nesbitt was a
girl in disguise.
