William Martin Leggett

== Royal claims ==

== Royal claims ==

William died at Lordsland on 25 April 1878, aged 70, and is probably buried on his property. His death certificate records his father as [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]], King of England and his mother as Lady Mary Campbell.NSW BDM Deaths, 1878/04912. The NSW BDM History of the Registry page highlights William's claim. William's claim to royal blood was not new. In 1868 he had tried to persuade Parkes that he was the son of the Duke of Clarence (the future [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]]), adopted under royal instruction by [[Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet|Sir Archibald Campbell]], Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.Parkes Papers, 1833–96, SLNSW, CYA 878 and 888; and NSWSA: NRS 906, 4/768/1. See also Woodhams and Darcy. Other, less spectacular claims – an M.A. from the [[University of Cambridge]], membership of the [[Dragoon Guards]], secretaryship to the [[Governor General of Canada]], a [[Stipendiary magistrate|stipendiary magistracy]] in the West Indies – are not borne out; and the claim in some Canadian sources that he took holy orders in the Anglican Church before he left New Brunswick is contradicted in his own later correspondence.Letter to Bishop of Sydney, 6 November 1866, Sydney Diocesan Archives [1993/052/008] Bishop of Sydney–Correspondence 1862–1867.

William died at Lordsland on 25 April 1878, aged 70, and is probably buried on his property. His death certificate records his father as [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]], King of England and his mother as Lady Mary Campbell.NSW BDM Deaths, 1878/04912. The NSW BDM History of the Registry page highlights William's claim. William's claim to royal blood was not new. In 1868, he had tried to persuade Parkes that he was the son of the Duke of Clarence (the future [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]]), adopted under royal instruction by [[Sir Archibald Campbell, 1st Baronet|Sir Archibald Campbell]], Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.Parkes Papers, 1833–96, SLNSW, CYA 878 and 888; and NSWSA: NRS 906, 4/768/1. See also Woodhams and Darcy. Other, less spectacular claims – an M.A. from the [[University of Cambridge]], membership of the [[Dragoon Guards]], secretaryship to the [[Governor General of Canada]], a [[Stipendiary magistrate|stipendiary magistracy]] in the West Indies – are not borne out; and the claim in some Canadian sources that he took holy orders in the Anglican Church before he left New Brunswick is contradicted in his own later correspondence.Letter to Bishop of Sydney, 6 November 1866, Sydney Diocesan Archives [1993/052/008] Bishop of Sydney–Correspondence 1862–1867.

William's literary career in Australia would never realise the promise of ''The Forest Wreath'', but his newspaper verse – well crafted, sometimes droll, sometimes darkly visionary – and his lively, opinionated prose mark him as a writer of talent, and one who belongs as much to Australian literature as to that of Canada.

William's literary career in Australia would never realise the promise of ''The Forest Wreath'', but his newspaper verse – well crafted, sometimes droll, sometimes darkly visionary – and his lively, opinionated prose mark him as a writer of talent, and one who belongs as much to Australian literature as to that of Canada.