, 1873-06-08
AN ILL-FATEO FAMILY.

From, the Neto York Ho7ld,
A sort of Nemesis seems to attend certain fam
lies, which takes the form Of perpetually bring
ing them in unpleasant aspects into the courts
Of Law. We lately adverted to the new brood
t,f troubIes which threatened the rAce OF Noel
Byron, IN the shape of q suit brought for divorce
by Lord Wentworth against his wife, to whom
he has been married but three years. Half
century agot tho conjuga difficulties Of his grand
father and grandmother were the talk OF the
town. whilst rather more than century before
the iaiBon Of her collateral ancestress, the beau
tiful Henrietta, Baroness Wentworth in her own
right, with the unfortunate Duke Of Monmouth
WAS the scandal Of the Court Of James IL.
That lady succeeded, On the'death Of her
grandfather, in 1867, to his barony Of Vent
worth. and superb house Of Toddington, in Bed
forf1ahire: and there is this OF extenuation for
the beautiful. Baroness attachment to the
woman-enthrallng darling OF Charles the Second,
that there is but little doubt that they would
have married if they could Greed OF gold how
ever, spoilt two lives which might have been so
fair. Eager to secure for his favorite son the
hand Of the richest heiress OF her time. Charles
the Second married him, then only Il, to the
Young Countess Of Buccleuch, then child OF L.
It was scarcely surprising that marriage 80
completely one OF ofconveDence proved ll-assorted-
So far as It involved the living together as man
regarded it as Of non-etfect.
He deserted the Duchess, and took up his
abode at Toddington with Lady Wentworth. SO
matters continued up to the disastrous eTents at
Bedgemoor in 1856. Ralph states that just be-
auce upon the Duke tried in vain to convince him
OF the iniquity OF his attachment to Lady Went
worth. he continued to assert that it was to her
and not to the heiress Of Buccleuch that he was
f11~TS a. F3F7J4
the Guilt Of their association he died without re-
ceiving the holy communion. ,-......
Before many months wero over two graves
received their occupants by reason Of the
Hi On the 18th Of July, 1865. If the
Duke cared little for his wife it may be pro-
suDued that he YVES less Indifferent to h1s chill
dren for. it ia stated that his daughter, Indy
Anne, died OF grief for her father. And in the
folloTing spring there was borne to the transept
Of the parish Church at Toddington, long the
bnriI nlace Of the Wentworths, the coffin Of the
yonne ] Raroness. "Oyer her remains her family
reared snmptuous mausolcum Qong since gone
ionp cnntamnlated with far deeper interest Her
| name. caryed by the hand Of him whom she
loved 40 we'll, was few years ago still discern
lille On q tree In the adjoining park"
Peerages which descend to female heirs @ 90 n9t
passed, some time after Baroness Aenriettaa 8
death, to the Noels. and thence to the vile g
Noel) Of Sir Ralph Mnbank6, tather Oh byron
wife.
The history Of that lady is, thanks to Mrs
Stowe especially, too we'll known. It might
have been hoped that With her the ohapter Of
marital misfortune would have terminated, but
unfortunately the complicatons seem,. on the
contrary, rather to increase. few days ago
the London Times contained the announcement,
"Ihe Lady Wentworth Of Son." clrcum.
etance that carries With it the possibilities, II
not probabilities, Of disputed Peer1ge success
aion case. When the notorious Mordaunt cause
came on al the world said, what mercy thas
the child last born to Lazy Mo1oauns "as
daughter!"
A difficulty similar to that now th1eatenlne m
the Wentworths being TINS olssPateo p5 pug