West Feliciana sentinel. (St. Francisville, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-07-07
ABBOTTSFORD.
THE nlIsTORTUNEs OF THE DESCENDANT
OF SIR WALTER SCOTT.


considered an nnpropitiOus month for
matrimony, and this opinion is strongly
held in tScotland. Walter Scott was q
very sensible man, and yet ne could not
resist the power of such notion. This
was shown in the marriage of his daugh-
ter Sophia to John G. Lockhart. The au-
thor had important engagements in Lon
don while the wedding was in prepara-
tion, and it was appointed the last day
(but one) in April. Scott left his Lon
don business unfinished at time when
a delay of q week would have been of
great value, merely in obedience to a na
tural superstition This union, however,
was not fortunate in the general result.
The Lockharts had but one son, a sickly
boy, who died at the age of ten years,
and Sophia did not long survive him.
She left daughter who married John
Hope. lie took the name of Scott, and
became proprietor of Abbottsford.
Walter Scott was married on Christ
mas eve, 1897, the bride being Miss Jane
Carpenter (or Carpenter), an heiress Of
French birth. The marriage was not
felioitons, especially in view of her men
tai inferiority, which was a lifelong an
noyance to the author. This feature was
inherited by their four children, all of
whom were far below mediocrity in
point of brain activity. The eldest son
had noble figure, which is all that can
be said of him. The cecond son was
glad to get clerkship under the gov
ernment, which was his highest attain
ment. The Oldest daughter, Sophia, was
the brightest, but never left anything on
record to suggest that she was the daugh-
ter of a genius. The youngest daughter,
Anne, like her brother Charles, died un-
married. She was frail creature, and
which fell upon her fathers fortunes.
After his death she went to London,
became a member of Lockhart's FAINT
1y, and died there, less than n year
after her father. A pension from tho
king gave her Il support, and thus the
daughter of the greatest author of the
age died an object of royal charity.
The fact that the widow of the second
Walter has recently died in London, sug-
gests brief allusion to her name and.
character. The second Walter Scott was
of noble form and vacant head. His
father placed him in the army, and the
youth made the most of the family name
and personal appearance by marrying
| an heiress. The latter was Miss Jenny
Johnson, proprietor of the estate of
Lochore. She was inferior in stature
| and also in personal appearance, but her
| wealth was a sufficient attraction The
| wedding took place on Feb. 3, 1926, and
the ''happy pair" went to Dublin, where
| the husbands regiment was Quartered.
Soon afterward the latter began to firt
| with tho ladies, and as this came to his
| fathers knowledge, he sent him some
| sensible advice. The jealousy of the
| bride became awakened, and the union,
| according to report, was never harmonious
JTe thus see that these three marriages,
none of Which date in this unfortunate
month. were decidedly unsuccessful.
The second Sir Walter died childless,
and the sole representative of the authors
line is his great granddaughter Monica,
! who was born in 1852, and who still lives
at Abbottsford. Her mother, Mrs. Hope
Scott (Locllhart's daughter) died in 1858.
It is sad to see how Sir Walter Scott was
disappointed i'm all his children, and also
in his grand residence, Abbottsford. He
was twelve years perfecting his establish
mcnt, and failed two years after it might
have been called a finished place. Only
twice vas Abbottsford opened to its full
capacity during his life. The first OF
these occasions was the entertainment
given in honor of his sons marriage; the
second was the funeral of his wife, which
took place soon after.
ENRICHING THE VATICAN.