National Republican., 1875-07-15
The Three American Peeresses.

They were respectively the Duchess Of Leeds,
Marchioness OF Wellesley and Lady Stafford.
The eldest was Mary Cston, who married first
Robert Patterson, the brother Of Madame Bona
parte. The marriage ceremony was performed by
Bishop Carroll, of the Catholic Church, In the
chapel Of Mr. Charles Carro1l's private residence
in Annapolis. 1t was the most brilliant wedding
that had ever taken place in the State. With
her husband. she went to England Just previous
to the Bonaparte- Patterson marriage, and we md
Robert Patterson bothered beyond measure, while
In Europe, with the affairs Of his sister Betsey,"
his slippery brother-in-law Jerome, and the angry
first consul He tried to pour oil on the troubled
waters; but he might as we'll have trickled 1t out
Of a cruet upon the Atlantic ocean. The final
catastrophe soon came-the separation; the sec
ond marriage Of Jerome; the persistent refusal of
recognition. Through all the trouble the records
show that Robert Patterson, his wife, and his
father, William Patterson, the Baltimore mer-
chantprince, acted very manly, frank and honor
able parts.
Mrs. Patterson had been Joined abroad by her
sisters, Elizabeth and Louisa Cation. They were
In Paris when wellington and the allies entered,
and were conspicuous figures IN the festivities
which followed. They were favorites OF the great
Duke himself, and 1t is said that he found his
Waterloo in the fair presence of Mrs. Robert
Patterson, and that only the trifiing impediment
of husband on her part and a wife on his pre-
vented her becoming the head of ApsleY House.
Her sister Louisa became the wife OF the Dukes
aide-de-camp, Sir FELTON, Bathurst HerVey, baro-
net. Upon his death, soon aiter-he committed
suicide-she married the Marquis Of CarmartheH.
eldest son Of the Duke Of Leeds, who Inherited
his fathers title, and lived an easy, rural, fox
Catherine Louiss who, as we have seen, died last
year, an ample fortune and the dower-hOuse Of
Hornby Castle.
The second sister, Elizabeth Oaton, also mar
ried well-that if, she married nooleman, and
he was rich-the eighth Lord Stafford, OF the
In the meanwhile Robert Patterson had died,
and Mrs. Patterson, lovely widow, had returned
TO England. Possibly her heart turned again to
the old Paris days, and the time Of the army of
occupation. AS in Paris she reigned, during that
period in social circles so in London her triumphs
were repeated, and she could soon boast Of having
been the social queen Of three countries England,
France, and America, and three cities, London,
Paris, and Baltimore. Nor was this all After
ireland, and the still more turbulent Dublin for
she became the wife Of the Marquis Of Wellesley,
Viceroy of Ireland previously Governor General
Of India, and the brother OF the Duke Of Yelling
ton, a diamond edition Of q British noblenan, as
HaIlitt calls him. SO gifted, small, and graceful
Thus we see the 'three American peeresses"
firmly fixed among the stars which reVolve near.
est the English throne. When we consider that
only i've American ladies have ever welded the
possessors Of British corOnets-the other two
being Miss Msgruder, of Washington, who mar
ried Baron Abinger, and Miss Bingham, of Phlls-
delphia, whose husband, Alexander Barring, was
raised to the peerage In 1885 as Baron Ashburton
land that Of these fiye three belonged to one
family, the dstinguishsd one in in American III; hts
tional interest, which Justihes q few reminis-
cences Of an elder day and generation.
Many citizens Of Baltimore remember, as visions
of their youth, the beautiful Misses Cation. These
gentlemen Of the old school who still remain with
us, and retain all the hne old courtesy and soft
ness of manners which are too often q dumb sar-
casm on those Of our pert modern age, delight to
talk Of the time when the CAROLS, the Ridgleys,
the divers and the Gilmors displayed the hOspi-
talf 80 0fr mi thRfr WiVa9
and daughters acted all their lives the stately
parts we revive now for the amusement Of an
They tell US that Elizabeth Cation, who became
Lady Stafford, was tall and remarkably grace
full, with eyes OF dark gray, expressing quickly
highly cultivated In literature than her sisters,
and her society was more largely sought oy men
Of letters and the statesmen and thinkers OF the
her mental qualities brilliant and attractive.
At the time Of her womanhood It was an impor-
conversation. If man Of celebrity at . dinner
party or elsewhere began to speak on an interest,"
Ing subject, 1t was the custom for all the guests to
listen TO him, and If replied to, as was often the
case, the encounter became o spirited debate or o
sharp cut thrust Of wit. Ladies never entered
the ,neld at dinner, put az evening parties their
among those who carried of the palm Of victory
most often was Miss Elizabeth Caton. She was
less admired in Europe, however, than her more
snowy sisters.
The third daughter, Louisa Cston, afterwards
Duchess Of Leeds, was small Of stature, but Of q
beautiful figure, light and agile 10 all her move
ments, her conversation gay and playful, but
commonplace. She had, however, her own pecu.
liar charms, although IN manners she differed
style Of men, and she was what is known, BY q
delicate shade Of distinction from more solid
merits, as a great "belle.n
Mrs. Robert Patterson, and then Marchioness Of
Wellesley, that we md the most extravagant en-
IN describing her fascinstions. Said ! gentleman,
an Intimate friend Of the family, one who passed
his younger days under the reof Charles Carroll:
ever beheld In my life. l have seen the courts Of
ST. Petersburg, France and England, but never
saw her equsl-neveri The grace and elegance
ness Of her voice, were inimitsble. She was the
most engaging and fascinating Of human beings.
to Sir Charles Bsgot, the loSiiest and most bril-
liant lady Of an Intelligent and courtly company,
stately, courteous kindly: richly dressed and in
blaze OF diamonds-a picture for court painter
Her bearing was exquisite as her face, and her
dignity never ruffied. This was one of her
greatest charms-her courteous, graceful even
talking 70 her and king waiting. she would have
shown ne impatience. Her companion would
never have known BY shadow OF change that he
was too proud and well bred TO exhibit the
slightest discourtesy; but she would have much
preferred the king For after sI In All her ma; ma
Of society-subdued, nevertheless, by the maxim
impressed upon all these young girls by Mrs
Cation, who was not pretty, but very popularIa
compreheusiye IT was this: "My dear child,
there are . number Of people In the world who
take delight in saying disagreeable things NOW:
It is Just as easy to say pleasant ones Never tell
an untruth; but never displease."
In personal appearance Miss Mary Cation was
large and handsome Her eyes were dark brown,
her face oval and rather sallow, her hair dark,
her mouth, nose and chin beautifully formed, her
voice soft and musical. Lord Brougham, who
as 0 Scotchman was, We suppose, Judge In mat.
Scotchman's pardon-and who certainly ac-
quired copious command Of strong Saxon, once
said that she spoke the Epgush language more cor.