The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-05-24
Baron sss Burdstt.Coutts.


The barren honor conferred on Miss
Burdett-C CoutA 10 . recognition OF enihen'
public services in the benehcent admins
fration Of colossal fortune. There wal
. period in the history Of England when
the maiden founders Of hospitals and mis-.
sions and the bnilders OF churches could
take the veil and receive the sbbatiaI
crosior, with the rights Of peeresses, and
proxy In the councils of the peers. The
psersge of the Lady Burdett-Coutts, will
not already possessed, for the precedenc, C,
which II will give her can hardly add any.
thing 10 her social position. The homer
conferred on her, If not frequent, is at
least not exceptional, peerages which we're
long in abeyance being some
times revived in favor of a female repre-
sentative Of the family and sometimes on
the wives Of distinguished men, as in the
case of the wife Of Mr.. Disraeli. The fam
ily Of the Earl do Grey and Ripon, Of the
Hi h Commission, can furnish another in
stance of n lady receiving peerage in her
own right. His lordship Is third Earl de
Grey, 1.-The first earl being countess" de-
scended from the famous Earls Of Kent
The coronet conferred on Miss Burdett-
Coutts will derive its value more from the
merits which have won it than from its
pearls or strawberry leaves.
Miss Coutts is the youngest Of four
daughters Of the well-known Dir Francis
Burdett, who married Sophia, the daught-
or of fThomas Coutts, the famous banker,
and sister of the Marchioness of Butte and
Confess ofGuildford. Mr.. Coutts left all
his fortune--some SIS, 900, ,OOo-to his wild
ow, who bad been at one time Miss Hsr-
riet Mellon, the actress. She married the
Duke of St. Albans in 1927. Dying in
1887, the fortune Of her husband reverted
TO his family by her will. She made Miss
Angela Georgiana Burdett the daughter
Of Sir Francis Burdett, her sole heiress,
with the condition that she should assume
the name of her grandfather. Miss Bur-
dett-C Coutts was then % years of age, the
youngest daughter of an ancient family
who wore baronets since l618-just six
years after the flrst patent was granted by
The monarch planning the
Plantation Of Ulster, and before hundred
had received this dignity Of hereditary
knighthood. Her father, II not one Of the
most distinguished, was certainly one Of
the best known and most radical of the
English politicians. His popularity was
70 great that Napoleon intended to make
him president Of the Republic which he
proposed establishing in England after the
capture Of London by the Imperial troops.
Miss Coutts never married, notwithstand-
ing that her family position and wealth
could have secured for her q magnificent
settlement. Inheriting none Of the radi-
cal predictions of her father, she devoted
her fortune to fostering the Es-
tablishment and to other works
of religion and charity, endowing
churches, supporting foreign mis-
sionary establishments, improving schools,
and Withdrawing Magdalens from their
sin. She erected the church, parsonage
and three schools of St. Stephens, West
minister, and another church at Carlisle.
She endowed the three colonials bishopries
of Adelaide, Cape town and British Col
umbia. She also devoted largo sum to
Q mission TO the aboriginies Of South
Australia. She contributed in paincey
manner to the fund for Sir Henry James
survey of Jerusalem. She built Magda-
len Asylum at Shepherds Bush. Believ-
ing that prevention was better than cure,
she endesvored to save large number Of
women by improving the character of
the education impaired in schools. She
also took means to pro-
vide the women of Spital-
helds with sewing and other work. On
the site of the Nova Scotia Gardens, she
erected the well-known model dwellings
called Columbia Square. Close to it was
| laid out fine market, which is one Of the
| architectural wonders of London. She
has done much to assist emmigration from
all parts Of the u United Kingdom. In ad
dition to these bountful outlays she done
much TO aid deserving artists, and in ever,
| branch Of art she is liberal and judiciou
patroness. Her peerage is to all event
and purposes a life peerage. and as he
brother, Sir Robert Burdett is childless
it is not likely that her parent provides
for its reversion to him or his heirs
~ J. World.