Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-25
MISS BURDETT.COU
HOW SHE CANE INTO POSSESSION OF HER
riSE FoRTUsE.

Miss Burdett.Coutts, known as the
richest single woman in England, and
as ii person OF such liberallty in the dis.
tribution Of her vast wealth as to com.
mend her to the admiration of the civ.
ilized world. came into the possession Of
her fortune in very interesting man.
ner. She seems 10 prefer the simple
title of Miss Coutts To that Of Baroness
Coutts, conferred upon her by Queen
Victoria in 1871, in consideration Of her
muniiicent public charities. Miss Coutts
lived in rather sirdightened circumstan.
ces during her earlier years, inhcrIting
no property from her rich grandfather.
Thomas Coutts, the eminent banker.
born in l7Il. AZ the death # his broth.
or Peter, Mr.. Coutts assumed the entire
direction of the firm. which, under his
control, rose 10 lis highest prosperity.
lie was gentleman in manners, hospi
tality and benevolence, and counted
among his friends some Of the first liter
ary men and actors of his day. Soon
after his settlement in London he mar
ried Elizabeth Starkey, a girl of humble
origin. They lived very happily tngeth.
er, and had three daughters Susan,
Aho married the Eni oi Guulurd /;
Frances, who married the Marquis OF
Butte, and Sophia. mother OF the subject
of this sketch, who married Sir Francis
Burdett, the member Of Parliament who
proposed the celebrated inquiry into
the state Of Coldbath Fields Prison,
which resulted in the dismissal of the
keeper and the complete reformation
OF the regulations of that prison. He
doubtless transmitted to his celebrated
daughter many OF his benevolent vir
tues. Soon after the death of Mr..
Coutts, in 1873, SIR. Coutts fell in love
with the beautiful and accomplished
Miss Harriet Mellon, very popular
actress in comedy in the early part OF
the century. This lady was born in
l77j, and was SO much younger than
her opulent suitor that she declined
the match, representing that the forty
four years difference in their ages made
too great a barrier TO be surmountcd.
The enamored millionaire, however.
successfully persisted in his suit, and
Miss Mellon became the happy wife OF
Mr.. Coutts. In consequences Of the
violent opposition of his three daueht.
ers TO his union with Miss Mellon, Mr..
Coutts disinherited them, and made his
wife
SoLE MISTRESS or HIS COLOSSAL fortune
At his decease. About five years after
the death Of Mr. Coutts, his widow mar.
RED the Duke of st. Albans, Grand
Falconer of England, who was much
younger than Mrs. Coutts. At her
death she left the Duke an income oi
gsf.
some landed estates. With this excep
tion, she, from "A delicate sense Of jus
tice. bequeathed the entire fortune
which she derived from NJ. Cout,s. to
his granddaughter, Angela Burdett. the
youngest daughter of Sir Francis Bur
dett.
The Duchess OF St. Albans in be.
queathing her fortune TO Miss Apgels
Burdett, desired her TO take the name Of
Coutts. This lady was born IN 1914 and
received the vast legacy OF $4,000 600
in 1887. since which time she has been
CONSPICUOUS ron HER CHARITABLE DEEDs
And humanitarian schemes. Her liber.
ality in establishing the corps of nurses
under Florence Nightingale. in the
Crimean war, is familiar to every one.
She is said TO spend her entire income.
$l,O00,OO0 or $l,200000 a year, in her
philantbropic projects. She is an un.
failing friend TO the poor, a protector
Of dumb animals, and founder OF
churches and schools. In lSi7, ten
years after obtaining her fortune, she
endowed a church, with parsonage aud
school attached, in Rochester Row. one
of the most neglected parts OF London.
She also established the drinking founi.
aims, which are such blessing TO weary
pedestrians also the coffee saloons,
which are such aids to the temperance
movement.
She is so much revered and beloved by
all classes that the very populace, when
exasperated by poverty to extreme
measures OF violence, protected the
home of Miss Cnutts, and declared that
no hand should be raised against the
peace of their benefactor.
This bene6cent lady, who has spent
her wealth so freely for the improve
ment of human welfare, is by no means
ayerse TO the pleasures of lite. She has
just been seeking little healthy recre-
alton in a yacht up the Mediterranean
with n party Of distinguished guests,
one of whom, Mr.. Henry Irving OF the
Lyceum, had sn opportunity gwen him
Of surveying the identical scenes which
he so forcibly portrays in enacting the
part Of Shylock in the "Merchant Of
Venice" After returning from the
sunny South and re.entering the
Thames, her ladyship's commodious
steamer lay a week off Gravesend,
where she and her companions had
leisure TO study the vast maritime,
and river traffic Of the port OF
London, which had great interest to
employed in it had long engaged her
kindly attention.