The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-06-03 00:00:00

THE NEW BARONESS.

Mlm Angela Georgina Burdett-Cotitts, of Holly
Ledge, Highgate. who has just been gasetted a peerees
of the United Kingdom "in her own right"—in all
senses —as Baroness Burdett-Coutte, of Highgate and
Brookfield, in the county of Middlesex, lithe youngest
daughter of the late Sir Francis Burdett, who was for
so many years the Liberal and popular M.P. for
Westminster, by his wife Sophia, the youngest daughter
of the late Mr. Thomas Oontta She was born on the
25th of April, 1814, so that she has just completed her
57th year. On the death of her grandfather'. widow
in 1837, rhe inherited by bequest the whole, or nearly
the whole, of the immense fortune of that lady, who
had been married, firefly, as the second wife, to Mr.
Thomas Coutts, the eminent banker of the Strand,
and, 'secondly, as the first wife, to William Aubrey,
ninth Duke of St. Albans, by neither of whom had she
any Wine. From the time of succeeding to thin magnifi-
cent property, Miss Burdett-Coutts, who, in Septem-
ber,lB37, assumed the latter name by royal sign-manual,
hse devoted herself to the foundation and furtherance
of works of charity, benevolence, and philanthropy.
Very many of these are known only to her ladyship's
private friends and advisers, others possibly to herself
alone; but the public generally is aware that she was
either the sole or the principal agent in the establish
ment of bishoprics! at Adelaide, in South Australia,
and in British Columbia; that she has built and en-
dowed a handsome church and schools in Westminster
(which her father so long represented in Parliament),
laying the first stone in July. 1847. She has also been
one of the largest, most constant, and most generous
supporter.' of one metropolitan hospitals, and of other
beneiolent institutions, and has founded schools, re-
formatories, penitentiaries, model lodging-houses for
the working classes, and other munificent charities,
too numerous to mention here in detail. The best
known of her works in this direction are the model lodg-
ing- houses in Bethnal-green, and the magnificent struc-
ture known as Columbia-market, in that neighbourhood.
This latter building, which waa erected by her at a
coat of upward. of £200,000, is lavishly decorated and
almost extravagantly adorned, and altogether ecclesiar.
tial in appearance, the style of architecture being that
known as the "Second Pointed." The founder of the
well-known house of Messrs Coutts and Co., bankers,
of the Strand, was Mr. James Coutte, the third son of
an Edinburgh merchant, who at the age of 25 came up
to London and settled In St. Mary-axe as a Scotch
merchant. He subeequently retired from that business,
and became a banker, taking a house in the Strand,
the same in which the firm still exists. His brother
Thomas shortly afterwards joined him in th-i business,
and upon the death of James, Mr. Thomas Coutts
became sole proprietor of the bank. Upon the death
of Mr. Thome'. Coutts in 1821 or 1822 the whole of his
fortune, amounting to some -C9COJOO, passed to his
widow "for her sole use and benefit." 'This lady, Mr.
Couthe second wife, was. Mies Harriett Mellon,
the celebrated actress, and subsequently, as above
stated, Duchess of St. Albano. From the period of the
Dnchese's death in 1837 until about three years ago the
lady who is the subject of this notice was the principal
proprietor of the old bank in the Strand, the business
being conducted for her by trustees, under the old
style of Contra and Co.