Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-04-25
LADY FORTESQUE'S DEATH.
\ LETTER FOUND WHICH kEPT THE
BODY FROM A PiUPER'~ GRAVE.
Lady of Noble Birth Dying Alone. Friend.
less and Unknown in Chicago.

The fact was developed that alone,
friendless, and unknown, Lady Fortes-
que died in Chicago, under the name Of
Ellen c. Williams. She was the wife OF
Sir William Fortesque Of England, who
thirty years ago was popular club man
in London. In the summer of 1S40 Sir
William, on account Of some pcccadillo
of which he had been guilty in London,
was obliged to seek the seclusion of the
country for time. In the cours e Of his
wanderings he went to Hull, and fell in
With the family of Capt. Murray, re-
tired officer of the royal navy. The
Captains daughter Ellen was then nine.
teen years old, and, Judging from a
picture found among her effects, which
was painted about that time, she must
have been very beautiful The baronet,
after a short, but successful wooing,
gained her hand. They lived happily
for a time, but soon Sir Williams Old
associations proved too strong for him,
and the gaming table saw him oftener
than his wife. Money, lands, houses,
and even his good name went zone by
one.
Throughout all his dissipation, how
ever, he still preserved his love for his
wife; for, influenced by her earnest So
licitation, he at length consented to
break loose from his old ties and come
to America, there to begin new life.
Gathering together the remnants OF
what was once a large estate, the hus-
band aud wife set sail for New York in
September, 1859 Dissipation had al
ready begun to tell upon Sir William,
and, shattered in health, the pair trav-
eled through the country, hoping to re-
store the lost vitallties of youth. Their
hopes were in vain, and in 1862 Sir
William died in small town in western
Virginia.
This left his wife alone and without
/, friends. Her immediate relatives IN
| England were dead, and she was obliged
to depend entirely upon her own re-
sources. To add to her misfortunes a
! daughter had been born short time be-
| fore her husbands death. For some
time she eked out scanty existence by
| giving music lessons. By close economy
she saved up few hundred dollars and
went to Chicago, where she had resolved
to become doctor. In due time she
was graduated from Rush Medical Col
lege and began the practice of her pro-
fession. hampered by the many Difficult.
ties which always beset woman. IL
1873 her daughter died, and the poo
woman's mind was badly affected fol
some time by this, the only tie which
bound her to her former state. She con
,tinued to struggle along, sometimes il
great poverty, sometimes in poor health
but always trying to keep up her cour
age.
Lady Fortesque died suddenly O
apoplexy, and nothing was known Q
hours after it had occurred. The Coro
ner held an inquest, and the body wa
about to be consigned to pauper'
grave, when letter was found seWe'
up in the hem of her dress, which CAV
directions for finding a sum of none
to defray her funeral expenses. Paper
were also found relating to her past life
from which was CLEANED her history
Among her effects were some silve
plate, with the Fortesque arms engrave
upon it, and several handsome rings
which the woman was too proud
1awn.