Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-17
Sheridan and Hon. 4. Moncton, the two
members Of Parliament from Stafford.


BESPOKE q PLAY,
and on the occasion Harriet Mellon APP
peared as Letitia Hardy and Priscilla
Tomboy. Sheridan, who was con-
siderably flushed with wine, paid her
many compliments at the close OF the
performance, and promised-and in
promises he was q proficient-her a
London engagement, the promise being
almost Immediately forgotten by him,
though remembered by her. AS soon
as they could get there, mother and
daughter set out for London, and having
obtained letters Of introduction to Sheri-
dan from some of his constituents,
urging his interest in their favor, in 0c-
tober, 1898, Harriet MELONS name first
appeared on q London plsybill for
very insignificant part. Again Harriet
sought the influence Of her patrons in
Stafiordshire, and Sheridan was induced
to give her an opening, and being an
nounced as "a young lady," she APP
peared at Drury-Lane Theatre as Lydia
Languish in Sheridan's own comedy of
"The Rivals" In this she met with
no success, and was consequently rele-
gated to the chorus-room. Here she
remained for nearly the remainder of
the season, until friendly accident in
terposed itself IN her favor. In the alb
sence of one of the minor performers
her part was intrusted to Harriet. The
celebrated Mrs. Jordan, the mistress Of
the Duke of Clarence, who subsequent
" became King William w., was in the
cast, and with her acting Harriet was fas-
cinated. and from that hour she took the
resolution Of taking Mrs. Jordan as her
model, which she did, greatly to her
benefit. She studied hard, and rose to
a creditable position in her profession,
and if she never became a great, was
at all times a correct and agreeable,
actress, and immensely popular.
Behind the scenes she was ever
most strict in her propriety, while her
ingenious manners and her childlike
adherence to her mother, notwithstand-
ing all the abuse heaped upon her,
caused her to be beloved by all with
whom she was associated. In the
course of time it became necessary for
Harriet to cut loose from parental con-
troll, and this was done, and Harriet,
with female friend, with whom she
had become on terms of intimacy, set
up an establishment Of her own.
About this time an elderly gentle
man, of meek department and poorly
dressed, became an occasional visitantof
Drury-Lane Theatre green-room, in COM
mon with much more distinguished per-
sonages. lie made the acquaintance Of
Harriet, and soon it was observed that
he was in the habit Of entering her
modest dwelling. This gave rise to a
number of undeserved ISLANDERS, for it
was known that the gentleman in ques-
ton was none other than TIE great
banker.
THE CRHsUS OF LONDON, THOMAS
COUTTS.
As these ISLANDERS at length reached
his ears, his friendship took more
certain tone, and he introduced her to
his daughters, the Marchioness OF Butte,
the Countess Of Guilford, and Lady
Burdett, who exhibited the most friend
ly regard for her. For long time the
wife of Mr.. Coutts had been in a
state of helpless imbecility, and now
she suddenly died from the re-
suit of an accident, and so, in
the following year, in February.
1915, Miss Mellon, without Civ
ing any intimation Of the fact, and
after playing the part of Audrey in
"As You Like It," except friendly
whisper to Bannister, who was the
Touchstone Of the night. that it was
the last time that she would appear with
him in public, retired from the stage
after career on it of twenty-one years.
On the I'd Of the following March the
public papers formally announced the
marriage of "Miss Mellon, of Holly
Lodge, Highgate, to Thomas Coutts,
ESQ.," During this year her mother,
Mrs. Entwistle, died. The daugh-
ter gave her costly funeral,
of which she was not deserving,
and perpetuated her memory by a
second monument, erected some years
after by "her affectionate daughter,
Harriet, Duchess Of St. Adams"
After seven years of welded life with
the old banker, that worthy began to
show signs Of rapid decay. During
the period of his illness his wife tended
him with the most assiduous care, per-
sonally administering his medicine,
soothing his pains, and in every way
cheering him on his descent to the
tomb. But all without avail, for worn
out nature gave way, and he died at
the beginning Of March, 1922, in the
presence Of his daughter and his wife,
to whom he left the whole of his enor-
nous wealth, having put on record his
conviction that "her goodness would
not fail to do for his family more than
they expected or he wished" For the
space of two years the widow absented
herself from felicity, and mourned as
only a loving wife can but long before
she had cast her widows weeds aside
several men Of family, and nothing else,
besought her to wed, and among the
number was said to have been one of
the sons Of George Ill.-the Duke of
York.
In 1924 Mrs. Coutts once more
mingled with the fashionable world, be-
ing then in the bloom Of her widow
hood, in the plenitude Of her great
wealth and in the forty-seventh year of
her age, and shortly after she was in
troduced to Lord Burford, subsequently
THE DUKE OF ST. ALBANs,
who was then in his twenty-third year,
and had just returned from his CONT
mental travels. On the 10th Of June,
1927, Mrs. Coutts became a duchess,
having married the Duke, whose father
died in 1925. With him she lived life of
serenity, surrounded by all those luxu-
ries which wealth can give and which ex-
allied station can amply enjoy. In the
summer of 1887 her constitution gave
evidences of a great change. She COM
planned Of o nervous excitement, which
10 J.Ntn,,1tto .11n- Thara IRA n con