The Russellville Democrat., 1880-03-18
MISS BURDETT- -COuTTs.
How She Came Into Possession of Her
 Vast Fortune.

Boston Herald.
 Miss Burdett. Coutts, known as the richest single woman in England, and as T person of such liberality in the distri- button of her vast wealth as to commend her to the admiration of the civilized world, came into possession of her for tune in very interesting manner. She seems to prefer the title of Miss Coutts 10 BlroneSS Coutts, conferred upon her by Queen Victoria in 1871, in considera- ton of her munificent public charities. Miss Coutts lived in rather straitened circumstances during her early years, in- heriting no property from her rilh grand father, Thomas Coutts, the eminent banker, born in TAI. At the death of his brother Peter, Mr. Coutts assumed the entire direction of the firm, which, under his control, rose to its highest prosperity. He was gentleman in manners, hospitality and benevolence and counted among his friends some of the first literary men and actors of his day. Soon after bis settlement in Lon don he married Elizabeth Stlrkey, a girl of humble origin. They lived hap oily together, and mad three daughters Susan, who married the Earl of Guil ford. Frances, who married the Mar quis of Bute, and Sophie, mother of the subject of this sketch, who married Sir Francis Burdett, the member of Parha- ment who proposed the celebrated in- quiry into the state of Coldbath Fields Prison, which resulted in the dismissal of the keeper and the complete reformation of the regulation of that prison. He doubtless transmitted to his daughter many of his benevolent virtues. Soon after the death of Mrs Coutts, in 1915, MT. Goutts fell in love with the beautiful and accomplished Miss Harriet Mellon, very popular actress in comedy in the early part of this century. This lady was born in 1775, and was so much younger than her opulent suitor that she declined the match, representing that the A years difference in their ages made too great a barrier to be surmount- ed. The enamored millionaire, how eyer, successfully persisted in his suit, and Miss Mellon became the happy wife of Mir. Coutts. In consequence of the violent opposition of his three daughters to his union with Miss Mellon Mir. Coutts disinherited them, and made his wife sole mistress of his colossal fortune at his decease. About five years after the death of Mir. Coutts his widow mar ried the Duke of St. Albans, Grand Fal- coner of England, who was much young CT than Mrs. Coutts. At her death she left the Duke an income of S50,000 a year, and a life interest in some landed estate. With this exception, she, from a delicate sense of justice, beQueathed t.e entire fortune which she derived from Mir Coutts to his granddaughter Angela Burdett, daughter of Sir Francis Burdett.
 The Duchess of St. Albans, in bequeath- ing her fortune to Miss Angela Burdett, desired her to take the name of Coutts. This lady was born in 1874, and received the vast legacy of S20G0O,000 in 1887, since which time she has been conspicu- ous for her charitable deeds and human itarian schemes. Her liberality in es- tablishing the corps of nurses under Flo renee Nightingale, Ill the Crimean war, is familiar to every one. She is said to spend her entire income, Sl,C00,000 or Sl,2G00O0 year, for philanthropic ob- jects. She is an unfailiug friend to the poor, protector of dumb animals, and founder of churches and schools. In lS47, ten years after obtaining her for tune, she endowed church, with par sonage and school attached, in Rochester Row, one of the most neglected parts of London. She also established the drink ing fountains which are such blessing to weary pedestrians; also the coffee sa- looms, which are such aids to the tenn perance movements. She is so much re- vered and beloved by all classes that the very populace, when exasperated by poverty to extreme measures of violence, protected the home of Miss Coutts, and declared that no hand should be raised against the peace of their beneiactress. This beneiicent lady, who has spent her wealth so freely for the improvement of human welfare, IS by no means averse to the pleasures of life. She has just been seeking a little healthy recreation in yacht voyage up the Mediterranean with party of distinguished guests, one sf whom, Mir. Henry Irving, of the Ly- ceum, had an opportunity thus given 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 week off Grayesend, where she and her companions had leisure to study the vast maritime, coasting and river traffic of the port of London, which had great interest to Miss Coutts, as the condition of those employed in it had long engaged her kindly attention.