Gideon Cranstoun  http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=513789714 Autograph Note Signed to the "Conde de Mirasol", Mariscal de Campo de los Niales[?] Ejincitos[?]" (address panel), in Italian. Author: Gideon Cranstoun. Bookseller: Richard Ford, 70 Chaucer Road, Acton, London, UK W3 6DP           Phone 020 8993 1235, Fax 020 8752 1431, Email: richard.rmford@btopenworld.com Book Price: £ 75.00 Book Description: Bookseller Inventory #3847 Edinburgh, 28 August 1835. Autograph Note Signed to the "Conde de Mirasol", Mariscal de Campo de los Niales[?] Ejincitos[?]" (address panel), in Italian., Gideon Cranstoun. That would be Spanish, not Italian and it would read "Conde de Mirasol", Mariscal de Campo de los Reales Ejercitos (Count of Mirasol, Field Marshall of the Royal Armies). Maybe "Riales" as spelling was not quite fixed yet. Pencil note, to the effect that Cranstoun was the brother of Countess Purgstall (Styrian estates). As you can see in the text and footnote of Arthur Gordon's Last Will Gideon Cranstoun was the second husband of Salvadora Gordon Archimbaud (1782-1858) who was a daughter of James Arthur Gordon (1759-1823), nephew of Arthur Gordon. Gideon was probably a partner in the wine business. He was married and settled in Spain but, I suppose, he visited Scotland occasionally. You can also see him in the family tree to which the excerpt below belongs.

Salvadora and Gideon Cranstoun had no children. Salvadora Gordon Archimbaud was born in Jerez in 1782 as you can see in the chart. The (second) Conde de Mirasol was born, also in Jerez, in 1794, so he was 12 years younger and he married María de la Concepción Doz Gordon who was the niece of Salvadora, daughter of her sister Margarita. One page, 4to, some damage and marking but text clear and complete. Approx. "Mi grande Mirasol: En obsequio y a solicitud de un amigo quien desio compacer, ti [?] esta canta de introduccion a favor de su respectable y joven postador il Teniente Digby Miller, [?] ala Brigade Escosesa que forma paste de la Legion levantada in este pais para il Servicio de la Reyna y se halla en Vespinas de partir para il norte de Espana . . ." I suspect some errors in the Spanish transcription and my guess is: Mi grande Mirasol: En obsequio y a solicitud de un amigo quien deseo complacer, te [envio?, remito?] esta carta de introducción a favor de su respectable y joven portador el Teniente Digby Miller, [perteneciente?] a la Brigada Escocesa que forma parte de la Legion levantada in este pais para el Servicio de la Reyna y se halla en vísperas de partir para el norte de España . . .   Translation: My great Mirasol: as a favour and at the request of a friend who I wish to please, I [send?] you this letter of introduction in favor of its respectable and young bearer, lieutenant Digby Miller, [belonging?] to the Scottish Brigade which forms part of the Legion raised in this country for the service of the Queen and is due to depart for the north of Spain. . .   As we can see in the page of the Conde de Mirasol, in 1835, when the note was written, Spain was involved in the Carlist war and the Conde de Mirasol was a Brigadier (although Cranstoun in the note calls him "Field Marshall") commanding an army in northern Spain where he successfully defended Bilbao. He was fighting for the Queen (Isabel) against the carlists and, it seems from the note in question, that the Scottish raised troops also in support of the Queen.   From Net: "This event was described to Sir Walter Scott by Miss Cranstoun, afterwards Countess Purgstall,[9] although Scott himself mentions that his curiosity "was first attracted to this truly romantic story by a gentleman, who, having heard Lenore once read in manuscript, could only recollect the general outline, and part of a couplet, which, from the singularity of its structure, and frequent recurrence,[10] had remained impressed on his memory."[11] This gentleman Was Mr. Cranstoun, the brother of Countess Purgstall, and so her statement is no doubt accurate as Scott might well have received his account both from the brother as well as from the sister. It was in the course of 1794, or at any rate early in the following year that Scott made his own rendering of the ballad.". This is totally unrelated and of no interest except that it mentions Cranstoun.