The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-24
LADY BLANCHE MURPHY.
The Story of a Romantic Life.

The Lady Blanche Murphy died at North
Conway, Tuesday morning. She was the
daughter of the Earl of Gainsborough, and
the story of her life has more than the interest
which usually attaches to runaway matches.
In her case it was the kings daughter that
married the beggar boy. The family name of
the Earls of Gainsborough is Noel, and Lady
Blanche as the eldest daughter bore the title of
the Right Honorable Blanche Elizabeth Mary.
Annunciata.N Noel Her mother, Lady Augusta
eldest daughter of the Earl of Enroll, died be-
fore Lady Blanche was 20 years of age She
has two brothers, the Viscount Cam pden and
Lord Edward, one of whom is serving in the
British army in India Her younger sister is
the wife of Henry Bellingham, member of
Parliament. The estate Of the Earl Of G aims
borough is in Rutlandshire, England, where,
at Exton Hall, Lady Blanche was born. Her
girlhood was devoted to travel and study. She
spent some time at school in Italy and France,
and learned to speak italian, French, German
and Spanish. She was familiar too with Latin
and had fair knowledge of Greek.
The Earl of Gainsborough, once Protestant,
became a Roman Catholic, and at his seat, Ex-
ton Hall, he has private chapel where SER
vices are held each day. 1t was nearly fifteen
years ago that young Irishman, Thomas T.
Murphy, was engaged as organist in this chap
ell. With him Lady Blanche fell in love and
runaway marriage followed.
Within one year they left England and came
to New York. Lady Blanche was still proud
and brave, but her irresolute and easily dis
couraged husband had nothing to do, and
bread was scarce. The Lady Blanche began
to write magazine articles. She and her hus-
band had lodgings in Henry street, and the
brave little lady toiled with the means at hand
for their support. AT this time Father Heck
er, the Catholic priest, found her out, and was
the means of helping Lady Blanche to wider
market for her writings. Her education had
been generous, and her gift with pen was
marked. She wrote cleverly and we'll, and
had no trouble in selling all that she had to
offer Father Hecker also found place as Or
ganist for Mr.. Murphy in New Rochelle Until
latons with the Catholic World, and in the
April number, just published, she has a paper
on "The Tomb of the Conquistador" In the
May number. now in press is an article on
1.-THE Greek Monasteries of Mt. Athos.'
Their last change was to North Conway n
the Kearsarge Academy. AT the time of her
death Lady Blanche was not much over So
years of age. She has had no children.
The earldom of Gainsborough belongs to the
proudest aristocracy in the kingdom of Great
Britain. Noel, the founder Of the family, with
Celestria, his wife, was one of the mobiles who
entered England with the Conqueror, who
granted him immense estates for his services:
and many of his descendants were men of great
note and magnifcence. The family were rails
81 he ty, 1,,t -
century that the title passed to the present
branch of the family, whose living representa-
tive is therefore known as the second Earl of
Gainsborough.
This marriage OR mesalliance of the Oldest
daughter of SO great house was, of course a
surprise to her father, then in his sd year.
The earl who is a Roman Catholic, has pri-
vate chapel at Exton Hall, in which divine
worship is celebrated daily, and some seven
years ago he engaged young Irish musician
named Murphy as organist. AS member OF
the family Lady Blanche sang in the service
to the organ accompaniment and thus became
familiar with the organist under pleasant cir
cumstances She was in her 21st year, intel
lectual and handsome, though unassuming and
petite, while he was modest young Irishman
of about the same age, Standing near him
every morning at mathis and every evening at
vespers, singing daily in harmony with the
solemn or joyous tunes which he performed so
| finely, it was no wonder that the affections of
| the twain were awakened toward each other
| though
She was a lady of high degree,
And he but a humble swain
| Often, when the services were over and the
rest of the family had retired from the chapel,
she would remain with him for hours he play
ing, she singing, and both practising SO as to
| perfect their musical skill. The sound of his
instrument and her voice, or both their voices.
could be heard at such times swelling out of
the chapel windows and trembling among the
foliage of the ancient woods
1t was on the night If March g. 1870, that
the well-born woman eloped with the organist
When she sent word TO the Earl, a few DAYS
after, that she was married, he disowned her
forbade her return to the ancestral halls, and
cut her off from all the heritage of the family