The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-03-20

L90y Bur0ettsCOuJtS- INC VOess
Woman In England.
Miss Burdett-C outts, known as the
richest single woman In England, ana
a. a person of such liberality In the dis.
tributiof, of vast wealth as to commend
her to the admiration Of the civilized
world, came into the possession OF her
fortune in q very interesting manner.
She seems to prefer the simple title OF
Miss Coutts to that of Dnroness Coutfs,
conferred upon her by Queen Victoria
in 1871 in consideration OF her munin,
cent public charities. Miss Coutts ived
10 rather straitened circumstances DUR
ing her early years, inheriting no prop
erty from her rich grandfather, Thomas
Coutts, the eminent banker, borfl In
l74l. 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. Hewas q
gentleman in manners, hospitality ana
benevolence, and counted among his
friends some of the first literary men
and actors of his day. Soon after his
settlement in London he married Eliza
beth Starkey, girl Of humble origin:
They lived happily together, ana na9
three daughters-Susan, who married
the Earl of Guilford; Frances, who mar
ried 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 Mrs.
Coutts, in 1915, Mr.. Coutts fell in love
with the beautiful and accomplished
Miss Harriet Mellon, q 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 sutton that she declined the
match, representing that the forty. four
years. difference in their ages made
too great barrier to be surmounted.
The enamored millionaire, however,
successfully persisted in the suit, and
Miss Mellon became the happy wife OF
Mr.. Coutts. In consequence of the
violent opposition of his three daughters
to his union with Miss Mellon, Mr..
Coutts disinherited them, and made his
wife sole mistress of his colossal fortune
at his decease. About five years after
the death of Mr.. Coutts his widow
married the Duke of St. Adams, Grand
Falconer of England, who was much
younger than Mrs. Coutts. At hel
death she left the Duke an income o.
$780, year and a life interest In
some landed estate. With this excep
ton she, from delicate sense of justice
bequeathed the entire fortune which sht
derived from Mr.. Coutts to his grand
daughter, Angela Burdett, younges
daughter of Sir Francis Burdett. Thu
Duchess of St. Adams, in bequeathins
her fortune to Miss Angela Burdett, de
sired her to take the name of Coutts
This lady was born in 1914, and received
the vast legacy of $50, 000, 900 in 1887
since which time she has been conspicu
GUS for her charitable deeds and humani
tartan schemes. Her iberality in estab
fishing the corps of nurses under Flor
ence Nightingale, in the Crimean War
, is familiar to every one. She is said t,
J spend her entire income, $1,000, 900 o
81, 200. 900 year, in her philanthropi
projects. She is an unfailing friend Il
the poor, protector of dumb animal
and founder of churches and schools
In 1847, ten years after obtaining he
fortune, she endowed a church with par
sonage and schools attached, in Roch
ester Row, one Of the most neglecte,
parts of London. She also establishe,
the drinking fountains which are such
blessing to weary pedestrians; also tn
coffee saloons, which are such aids t
the temperance movement. She is s.
much revered and beloved by all classe
: that the very populace, when exasperate'
by poverty to extreme measures of vic
lence, protected the home of Miss Coutts
and declared that no hand should b
raised against the peace of their bene
factor. The benefcent lady, who ha
, spent her wealth so freely for the i'm
proyement of human welfare, is by n
means averse TO the pleasures Of life
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