The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-20
MISE BURDRTT,oOUTTa,
How Bhe Game Into Possession VI Her Vast For
tame


hnhluh llr'hll'
Miss Budott-Coutt', known rs the richest
sr.m gomm in Engm, nudns person nj
such libomlity in tho distribution Of her vast
wealthus 10 commend her to the admiration
oftho civilized world, came into possessions Of
her fortune in u very interesting manner
She seems TO prefer the simple title OF Mifs
Coutls IN that If Baroness Coulis, conferred
upon her by Cfoea Victoria in 1871, in con.
sheraton Of hermuniIIoom pubic chaH.es,
Miss Couls lived In rather slmltcnod circuu-
stances during her curly years inhcrIIlng no
property from her rich grandfather Thomus
Coutts, the eminent banker, born In 1871,
At tho doNlh Of hi' brother Potter Mr., Couls
assumcd the ontro direction Of tho firm,
which, uulcrhis con'ruL rose to iDs highmt
prosperity, lie WIS u goullamun In
mnnurrs, hospitality and bcnoyolcncc,
nnd counted among hls friends some
of tho lrst literary men Hnd actors
of his dny, soon niler his settlement IN
London he married Elizabeth Starkey, u girl
Of humble origin, They lived happily 10,
eelher Nnd Ind three daughters Susan, who
married the Earl Of Guil0rdi Frances, who
married the Marquis Of Butte, aud Sophia
mother of tho subject OF this sketch, who
married Sir Francis }urdrtt, the member of
Parliament who proposed the celebrated In.
0uiry into the state Of Coldbntn Fields
Prison, which resulted In the dismissal of the
keeper mud the complete reformation of the
regulations of that prison, lie doubtless
transmitted 10 his celebrated dHugh-
Ter many Of his benevolent virtues Soon
after the dculh Of Mrs Coutts, In 1878, Mr.,
Coutts fell In love with the beautiful and ne
complshed Miss Harriet Mellon, u very pupu-
nr actress In comedy In the early part of this
century. This lady was born in l775, and
was So much younger than her opulc'l
sutton that she declined the match, repre-
sentng that the forty-lour years difference in
their ages modc too great u barrier to be SUR
mounted, The cnamoro millionaire, how
ever, successfully persisted in his suit, and
Miss Mellon became the happy wilo Of Mr.,
Coutts. In consequence of the violent oppo.
rtion Of his three daughters to his union with
Miss Mellon, Mr. Coutts dislnhcrilcd them,
and made his wife
SOLE MISTRESS OF HIS COLOSSAL FORTUNE
At his. dccoasc About five years after tic
death of Mr. Coutis his widow married the
Duke of ST. Adams, grand iNlconer of Eng
land, who was much Younger than Mrs,
Coutts. At her death she left the Duke IA
income of $4,000 year, and II life Interest
in some landed estate With this exception
she, from delicate sense of justice, be-
queathed the entire fortune which she de-
rived from Mr.. Coutts to his granddaughter.
Angela Bnrdctl, youngest daughter of Sir
Francis Burdctt.
The duchess of ST. Adams, in bequenthng
her fortune to Miss Angela Burdett, desired
her to take the pamo Of Coutts, This lady
was born in 1914, and received the vast cga-
cy of S20O00,O00 in 1887, since which time
she has been.
CONSPICUOUS FOR HER CHARITABLE DEEDS
And humanitarian schemes. Her liberality
in establishing the corps of nurses under
Florence Nightingale, in the Crimoan war; is
familiar to every one. She is said to spend
her entire income, Sl,000,000 or Sl,200O00
IA wear, in her philanthropic projec She is I
an unlaiing friend TO the poor, protector of
dumb animals, and founder of churches and
schools. In 1877, ten years after obtaining
her fortune she endowed n church, with
parsonage and schools attached, IN Rochester
Row. one of the most neglected parts
of London. She also established
the drinking fountains which are
such blessing to weary pedes-
trains: also the coffee saloons, which are such
aids the to temperance movement, she is so
much rcvqred and bel we'd by all classes that
the very populace, when eXaspemted by pow
erty to extreme measu es Of violence, pro-
tecled the home OF Miss Coutts and declared
that no hand should be raised against the
peace of their benefactor. This benetcent ,
lady, who has spent her wealth so freely for
the Improvement, of human welfare, is by TO
means ayerse to the pleasures of life. !
She has just been seeking little
healthy recreation in yacht voyage |
up the Mediterranean with II purity Of
distinguished guests, one Of whom, Mr.. Henry |
Irving, of the Lyceum, rad IN opportunity |
thus given him of surveying the identical
scenes which he so forcibly porIays in enact
ing the part of Shylock in the MERCHANT OF
Venice" After returning from the sunny |
South and re-rnterng the Thames, her lady |
ships commodious steamer lay n week of
Gravesend, where she and her companions
had leisure to study the vast maritime, coast |
ing and river traffic of the port of London,
which had great interest to Miss Govt, as the |
condition Of those employed in it had long