Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-04
ROYALTY'S ROWDY.
Lord Aylesford the Champion Bully and
Blaekguard OF England-His
Friendship
With the Prince OF Wales-The Details
OF a Life of Unparalleled Crime
and Debauch.
London correspondence chicago riue,,

3 1 said, when writing to the Times a few
e | weeks ago, that there were certain members
| of the British aristocracy in whom took a
y | keen personal interest, knowing that some
? | fine day they would be hanged or shot amid
E the applaudings of their countrymen; lol
I another of them, and perhaps the worst of
5 all, has just been figuring before the courts
Lord Aylesford, who has Just been fined
E 500 at the Coleshili Police Court for blk
8 ing the queens excise by not paying the
duty on his carriage, and for keeping a man
| servant without license. This attempt TO
; swindle the inland revenue department is
the most honorable-that is to say, the least
dishonorabe-incident to the earl's public
career, and as the lordship is the prince of
Wales's bosom friend, and perhaps the finest
speciment extant of the genus Lord Tom
noddy," it may be interesting to describe at
! some little length himself and his family.
The Finches were originally Herberts, de-
scendants of VIM. Fitzherbert, but took the
, name of Finch one line marrying an
heiress. For long time they were undis-
| tinguished Sussex squires. Sir VIM. Finch
got some of the lands of the monastery of
St. Augustine at Canterbury when Henry
| VIII grabbed the Church lands and his de-
scendant, Sir Moyle, marrying daughter of
Sir Thomas Heneage of Essex, brought into
the family the Christian name of Heneage,
borne by all the earls of Aylesford. In the
seventeenth century the Finches produced
four distinguished lawyers, with whom began
and ended the intellectual vitality of the
race. Sir Moyle's brother, Sir Henry, was a
sergeant-at-law, and Sir Henry's son, Sir
John, became lord keeper and lord chief
justice OF the common pleas. He was. as
speaker of the House, Charles rs subservi-
eat tool in the contest with the people. 1t
was he who, March 3 1929, tried to adjourn
the House, and refused to put Sir John
ElioPs resolution against tonnage and
poundage, when Denzil Hollis and
others held him down in the chair by
force, read the resolution from his
side, and passed it by reclamation, Just as
the kings guards hurried up to clear the
| House by force. Eliot was sent TO the tower
| to die prisoner, but when the Commons got
the upper hand Finch was impeached, and
| would have lost his head had he not fled to
Holland. OF his cousins, Sir Moyle's sons,
| the third became speaker and the eldest at
| torney-general, and afterward lord chancel-
lori under Charles IL, being created earl of
| Nottingham. He was fierce tory, but never
| abused the law, and even Macaulay admits
that his personal integrity was unsullied.
His heir inherited also, the eardom of Win
| chelsea-which most people will insist on
| calling WInchelsea-and marrying the only
| daughter of Lord Hatton, established the
| family of Finch-Hatton. The title of Will
! chilsea has not been illustrated by remark
| able talent in its possessors. One of the
earls fought that memorable duel with the
Duke OF Wellington; the present wearer of
the title has been writing very silly poetry
for the London Post urging Barnum to
GIVE BACK JUMBO AND TAKE GLADSTONE.
He is the author of voluminous epic, The
Deiuge; his property was seized not long ago
to satisfy wash-womans debt of Sc II, and
his son proved his legitimacy by being sent
to Jail for debt and enlisting as a private.
So much for the elder branch. The first
earl of Nottingham's son was Heneage Finch,
very capable lawyer, who, under Charles
II, prosecuted the Wings with much vindict-
iveness, but under james II, refused to de-
fend the dispensing power, was dismissed
from the ENTHUSIASTICALLY, and gained |
much popularity by appearing as one of the |
counsel for the seven bishops Anne created |
him Baron Guernsey, and George advanced |
him to the earldom of Aylesford. Aylesford |
is little town not far from Maidstone. 1t |
was there that the Saxons first defeated the |
Britons, and Horsa's grave is near by at 1
Horsted. There was a priory there in |
monaslic times, which gave the name
of 'The Friars" to the seat of the /
Finches. When the monasteries were
put down, the Sedleys got The property,
which passed from them 10 the Bankses; and |
by the first earl's marriage with the daughter
of Sir John Banks, Aylesford priory and
several other manors pasted to the Finches.
The earl's son married the daughter of John
Fisher of Great Packington, in Warwick, and
got with her the estate of Packington, which
had formerly belonged to the priority of
Kenilworth. Thus it was that the earls of |
Aylesford came to own estates of 1926 acres,
with rental now placed at something over
100000 year. None of them after the first
won distinction in any walk of life The
fourth was lord steward of the household,
court sinecure.
Heneage Finch, seventh earl of Aylesford
and Baron Guernsey, was born in 1849, and
succeeded his father January 10, 1871, Just
two days after his marriage with Miss Edith
Williams, by whom he has had two daugh-
tiers, to the younger OF whom the princess of
Wales stood sponsor. His wild conduct had
embittered his fathers death bed. A few weeks
after the old mans death the young man was
before the police courts for assaulting some
people driving home from the races, BY
throwing bags OF -four at them. Then he
pleaded the baby act to avoid payment of
the post oblts he had given the Jewish
money-lenders at sixty per cent. The court
quashed the loans, but with some scathing
remarks on the conduct of the petitioner.
Lord Aylesford now set to work to squander
his fortune, and with the assistance of the
countess became a notoriety in "fast" life
and member OF the prince OF Wales set,
and accompanied the prince to India in 1875.
Two years later English society was nauseated
with one of the foulest divorce cases
of modern times. In July, 1873, Lord
Aylesford brought suit against his wife, al
leging her adultery and elopemeut with the
marquis of Bradford (heir of the duke of
Marlborough and elder brother of the Lord
Randolph who married Miss Jerome, of New
York;, himself a married man. The queens
proctor, however, 'intervened," and, admit
ting the countesss misconduct, opposed the
granting of decree on the ground that the
earl not only was notorious adulterer, but
had
SANCTIONED HIS wIFEs ADULTERY.
The Encouragement showed that only a
few months after his marriage the earl would
leave the countess after dinner, visit the Al
hamber of Cremorne, and "pass his time with
one of the women to be found there in one of !
when he would find his way to his club, re-
manning there till or o'clock. Over and
over again." said the attorney general, che
has committed adultery with lady OF high
station, Mrs. Dilke.n Mrs. Rosamond Emily |
Dixie is the sister of the present Sir Beau
mont Dixie, and married in 1866 Mr.. Charles !
Featherstone Dixie, of Maxstoke castle in
sion is one of the finest feudal residences in .
England. 1t was not far from Packington, )
Lord Aylesford's seat, and Lord Aylesford was :
f--1sant visitor AZ hiIL--Locanrv- j0ai-
ous, took 10 drink, and, after threatening to
shoot the earl, went mad, and in August,
1877, killed himself. The intrigue be- !
tween his wife and the earl was car
RED on with shocking shamelessness. :
On their way to join hunt =
ing party, we read: "Lord Aylesford be-
haved indecently to Mrs. Dilke"-I am
quoting the attorney generals speeeh-"and =
after he had done that in the presence of the
he began to sing to her and the
,ther ladies, who do not seem to have been
possessed of delicacy, an obscene cong about
Brigham Young aud His Five-and-Forty t.
Wives which song was description in o
coarse and iudelicate Language OF the sort of Il
life Mormon leads, whereupon the ladies G
peat him with their parasols." They went v
o distant race-meetings together, and when "
Mr.. Dixie had been put to bed stupid drunk E
Lord Aylesford would accompany Mrs. Dixie Il
o her room. Witness saw him there when a
he was dressing, and when in London the | i,
husband threw himself in the Thames, Mrs. o
Dixie, instead of going to look after him, v
vent to the theater and spent the night at il
he esrl's rooms. His brother-in-law, Major b
Dixie, going to hunt her up. was s,
old by Lord Aylesford: "H you want v
o Rosa, go to my rooms" When b
dr. Dixie was taken to an asylum his dc b
acto widow, her paramour, her brother and t.
wo "other ladies" made up party to 60 to 7
he races at Goodwood, occupying a house L
ented for the week by the earl 'sThey be- r
laved," says the attorney-general, Gin such o.
way that crowds of people were attracted fir