Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-19
A CURIOSITY OF HISTORY.
How Charles James Fox Had Two
Aunts Who Died One Hundred md
Seventy Years Apart.

MIR. Trevelyan, in his entertaining story of
the earlier life of Charles James Fox alludes to
remarkable tradition connected with the fam
lily history of that distinguished Englishman.
10 the effect that Mr.. Fox had two aunts who
died no less than one hundred and seventy
years apart This seeming impossibility is
nevertheless fact, as the readers of THE STAR
will see by giving little attention to the his
tory of the family. 1t comes about in this way:
Mr.. stephen afterwards Sir Stephen) Fox is
looked upon as the founder of that historical
family which has contributed many great
men to English public life. He, at all events
raised his family from poverty and obscurity
to a position of affiuence and consideration
which probably had decided influence in en-
aiding his descendants to achieve that great
reputation which history accOrds to them. Mr.
Fox was married in 1854 TO Elizabeth, daugh-
ter of VIM. Whittle, of Lancaster The first
fruit of this marriage was a daughter born i'm
1855, OF whom Trevelyan relates that she died
in infancy This is the first of the two aunts of
Charles FOX, mentioned above and she died
more than ninety years before her nephew was
born. AT the date OF her death her father was
a :. person OF no special consideration: But he
atisn in 1860, he stood in high favor with
Charles H., to whom he had been of great SER
vice during the period of that monarchs wan
behring's through Europe. From this time his
rise was rapid. He was made a clerk OF the
Green Cloth, paymaster of the Kings forces.
a commissioner OF the Treasury. and a Knight
bis lucrative offices finally made him one of
the richest subjects of the realm. His first wifi,
Ulcu III 1850, anu III IL O.j, he, In his SEVENTY
seventh year, married Christian, Il daughter OF
Rev. Francis Hopes. a Lincolnshire rector. She
being In her twenty-seventh year. OF this mar
rSase was born, september %. 1905, Henry
Fox, afterwards Lord Holland Sir steven died
in 1711, in his ninetieth year.
In May, 11i4. Henry Fox electrified the Lon
don society of that day by running away with
and secretly marrying Lady Caroline Lennon.
eldest daughter of the second Duke of Rich.
court circles and was considered a great mes
alliance on the part of Lady Caroline Her
father, who had before refused Fox's offer was
mighty indignant, and his influence was so
great that he was like 10 have ruined the career
of his sOn-ir+law. though the latter was at the
time one OF the ablest parliamentarians of the
day and one ofthe most trusted of the followers
OF Henry Pelham. These facts are curious to
consider in she light of this other fact that the
Duke oiiRichmond himself was grandson to that
brunette French dame de gatd,tterie, Louise
Queronaille, who at one time had attracted the
tickle fancy of the Merry Monarch in the last
century The great granddaughter OF a courte-
san was considered too good for one of the
ablest men and most conspicuous politicians of
his time! y significant commentary upon the
tone OF pubic sentiment and public morals of
the day.
However, of this marriage was born Charles
James Fox, on the oath of January l749
nearly century after the birth and early death
OF his eldest aunt. When Charles was eleven
years old, George III. assembled the throne Of
England: ana when George III. assembled the
throne that youthful monarch was madly in
love with the beautiful Lady Sarah Lennox the
great toast OF the day. This celebrated woman
was then in the early bloom of her exquisite
beauty. Horace Walpole said of her: LADY
Sarah was more beautiful than you can con-
ceive. No Magdalene by Corregsio, was half so
lovely and expressive" The king proposed to
her In form, but was refused. She afterwards
married and became the mother of the cele-
brated Napiers, " the most illustrious family of
heroes that ever graced the roll of the British
army. Now, Lady Sarah Lennox was the
youngest child of the Duke of Richmond and
the youngest sister of Lady Holland, Fox's
mother. She was therefore his aunt and she
exceeded him but little i'm years. She died in
1926, twenty years after her nephew had
been laid to rest in Westminster Abbey So
that II will be seen that Fox's eldest aunt the
frst child of his grandfather, Sir stephen Fox
died one hundred and seventy years before his
youngest aunt, the last child of his grandfather
the Duke of Richmaud