The Shasta courier., 1858-10-23
True story of the "Lord of Burleigh.' -

True Story of the "Lord of Burleigh."
The romance of real life is ordinary enough.
1t occurs every day, and then nobody thinks
about it. courtng match between couple
of rural lovers is full of this romance But
transfer it to higher society, and how lucid it
CLEANS through, like fine painting with ju-
dcious coat Of yarnish bringing its hitherto con-
cealed beauties to notice and admiration.
Henry Cecil, tenth Earl of Exeter with landed
estates to the yearly value of 81 ,O00, 900, and
the palatial residence of Burgley, with its stat
ues, paintings and articles of vertu, said to be
worth $500, ,000 married a Miss Vernon, from
whom, owing to her violation of the marriage
VOWS, he was divorced in 1871. Almost heart
broken by this disgrace and misfortune, he re-
solved to retire from high life, and Immediately
after the divorce he betook himself to a retired
village in Shropshire, named Bolas, about l2O
miles from his own beautiful Burgey. Of that
place, however, he was not lord then, nor until
the death of his uncle, the ninth Earl, in 1893
But he was heir presumptive to the title and
estates, and his pecuniary allowance was a
very ample scale, suited to his future position.
At this time, too he was only plain Mr.. Henry
Cecil.
At Bolas he actually became farm servant
to rather a rough diamond, one Thomas Hog
gins, who beside his farm, had mill in pretty
full employ. CeciFs chief work was in this mill,
and he labored like any other servant, fairly to
earn his wages. Part of his business was to
leave full bags of -four at various farm houses in
the parish and to take back the empty ones
He had frequently to call at the house of the
Rev. Mr.. Dickinson, the clergyman of Bolas,
where, according to the custom of the time and
place, he was always invited to rest in the kitch-
en-, and take " a mug of ale" He seldom was
tempted to enter into conversation, but spoke so
well, when he did converse that Mr. Dicken-
sons household gave him the name of % Gentle
man Harry" 1t was not long before this sou6ri
quet and its cause became known to Mr.. Dicken-
son, who put himself in the way of meeting this
strange mier's man, and became so much in
terested in him that instead of being asked to
rest and refresh in the kitchen, "Gentleman
Harry" regularly invited into the study,
where the good pastor used to join him in
draught of home brewed and pipe of the Mic
otaian weed.
Ere long Mr.. Dickinson, who had freely lent
him various books, limited his suspicion that
Gentleman Harry belonged to Il higher posi-
ton than he then occupied. This was confess
ed, with an assurance that there was no dis
grace connected with his iacognito, and prom
ise to reveal the particulars of the secret at no
distant day.
Thomas Hoggins, the miller, had one daugh-
ter, named Sarah, known far and wide as the
Beauty of Boas." About this time she was
scarcely twenty and through the intervention OF
a moneyed aunt, had received what we have
heard described lin her native Shropshire) as a
" bettermost education" That is, she read and
wrote correctly had some slight acquaintance
With French, ard played tolerably well upon the
harpsichord 1t came to pass that Miss H. turn
ed a favorable pair of bright blue eyes upon
" Gentleman Harry" Alas for the romance OF
the affair, his premier .ieunesse was gone-for he
was in his thirty-eighth year. 1t happened also
that he became interested in her, so much so,
that he called at the parsonage evening to
consult with Mr.. Dickenson-in a word, to en-
treat him to marry them privately, and then
making clean breast of it, gentleman Harry
confessed that he was Mr. Henry Cecil, next heir
30 the earldom and estates of Exeter. He bound
over the clergyman to secresy, not allowing him
to disclose his personal secret to Mr.. Hoggns or
even to the fair Sarah. 1t was difficult mat
ter for the clergyman to obtain the millers con-
sent to the marriage, which was celebrated on
the 30th of October, 1871. The happy couple
lived upon small farm during the following
two years, until Mr.. Cecil casually learned from
Shrewsbury paper that the death of his uncle
had placed coronet on his brow and immense
wealth at his disposal.
Still concealing the secret of his rank from
his wife, Cecil told her thai he had determined
apon a change of residence. She prepared to ac-
company him, leaving her native Bolas with re-
gret, for she had been happy there, as maid
wife and mother. She accompanied her bus-
band, and they came, at last, to Burgley, the
beauty of which greatly struck her as they rode
by II IN their humble CONVEYANCE Her husband
told her 1t was show-place, and she gladly
consented to his invitation to alight and see If
They entered the demesne, walked up the broad
avenue, with Its double fringe of stately oaks
tla
and finally made a tour Of the mansion At last
returning down the grand staircase into the
stately hall, around which were ranged figures
IN antique a-mor aud family portraits, from the
days of Holbein and Vandyke down to Reynolds
her husband asked her how she liked the place
's0h, Harry, what paradise to live and die inl'
By this time q small crowd of relatives and at
tendants had made circle around them. "Sa-
rah, said he, as he kissed her white brow, ''this
place is yours. | am Earl of Exeter" Ther
turning to the company, he said, q This is the
Countess of Exeter
Hazlett, himself Shropshire man, WEN, his
birthplace, being near Bolas,) has told this sto-
ry, and adds that the surprise was too much
for the peasant countess. She tainted at the
disclosure, and, he says, her mind never wholly
recovered its balance.
Her children were a daughter, born at Bolas
III 1892. Whose daughter, welded to Lord
Charles Wellesly, will probably be Duchess OF
Wellington ere she die,) andtwo sons, the eldest
OF whom, born in 1895, is the present Marquis.
The peasant-counteSs died in 796, and her dis
consulate husband married a third wife in 1900.
He was elevated to Marquisate in 1901, and
died in 1904
This is the real story of the @Lord of Bur-
leigh as narrated by Mr. Dickinson, of Bolas,
as lately as 1921, when he Philadelphia
ress.