The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-05
T1PECUNIoUs NOBILITY.
An Account OF Poverty Stricken Lords and
Earls.

An Account OF Poverty Stricken Lords and
Earls.
A curious and at the Same time instructive
spectacle Of the vicissitudes of the English
aristocracy was presented one day this week
in the BournemOuth County Court The
Hon. John Bruce Ogilvy. a son of the Earl of
Airlie and uncle of tho present peer of that
name. was up before the court on two judg-
ment summonses for debt. in the respective
sums of fifty-seven pounds and five pounds
sterling. The Hon. John is man Of about
hfty-hve years ofage, and. under examination,
he made the astounding statement that he
was absolutely without means OF any sort. His
nephew, the present earl, he said. had given
him a voluntary weekly allowance OF "a
for board and lodging and this had lately
been reduced 10 I3. IL did not appear that
tho defendant was q reckless spend
thrift of the but too prevalent aristocratic
pattern that be was addicted 70 drink or was
guilty Of any crime or misdemeanor against
the canons Of society. He was simply penni-
lessand ms sole fault was poverty. There are
many reduced" families IN the English peer
age That of the Marquisate Of Donegal is
one of the most glaring examples Of the finan-
cial decay Of cOrOnets. Lord Donegal lives in
a thrd-rate street in the city of Winchester.
The Earl OF Belfast was summoned the other
day before the Winchester County Court for
debt-like the Hon. John Oglyy-and then
confessed that he had been following the
business of horse-trainer. There are loads
of others, and / must look them up and make
a list of them some day. Ii would furnish in
terestng reading for tltle-struck Americans
who are IN search Of lordly husbands for their
daughters.
But the case Of Ogilvy would seem TO be
peculiarly hard one His nephew, the present
Earl Of Airlie, the gentleman who so gener-
ously allows his impecunious uncle the beg
carly pittance of SIS q week, is O rich man.
He is a captain in that swell cavalry regiment.
the Tenth Huzzars, whose colonel is no less
parsonage than the Prince of Wales himself
The captain Is the pOssessor OF several cOun-
try places as well az house in London. He
has seen some active service IN Egypt, how
ever. and II not a garrlsOn-tOwn solder only.
Nor is he otherwise than an active, go-ahead
mau-on the Scotch plan. He has lately &C
cepted the adJutancy OF the Hampshire
HeOmanry-a militia cavalry Organiza-
ton which INDUCES in an annual train
ing, its members lncased IN bril-
liant uniforms and mounted on fiery
cart-horse. Zeal in his profession issupposed
20 have been his lordships incentive tor ac-
cepting such an mira dig. place. While the
poor uncle IS, perhaps, IN want OF the mite
comforts to which he IS accustomed by birth.
the nephew is swelling about In tine style,
driving his four-horse coach along the Hanp-
shire roads and astonishing tho natives by the
hourishes on the draghOrn which his two
orOOms indulge themselves with at every
Turning. Lord Airhe. by-the-by, is married
to a very beautiful and charming wife. She
is daughter of the Irish Earl Of Arran. a
peer who ut one time it was said was going TO
marry Mrs. -Lord-but be did not.
A friend of IN ne from California. at present
in England. with whom | happened TO be
when read the account Of the BOurnemOuth
- IA N
10 whom | read it aloud, exclaimed by
love know that fellow As what he
further told me may be of interest 10 other
San Franciscans, whose memories can go
back far enough 10 recall the circumstances,
venture to repeat It,
why, yes. " he went on, 1.-THE Hon. John
Bruce Ogilvy. There were two of them, re-
member stopping at the Occidental Hotel,
away back in '75-thats, let me see, sixteen
years ago.
Does your head ache after that 2" / asked
him.
NO, it doesn't. Why yes, recollect them
both perfectly They were twins, and so ex-
nctly alike that you couldn't tell one from the
other one was called Donald and the other
John-that's this fellow you've been reading
about. They wero the laughing stock Of the
hotel: they not only looked alike but dressed
alike. and were a constant worry 10 old Nc
Shane and Iisdale t. identify them. Ihey
had one bedroom between tneNl. i uStu W
board at the Occidental myself IN those days
Well. one of them Donald. we'll say would
come up TO the counter in the Office and ask
Iisdale for his room-key, and getit. lnabout
five minutes John would come loahng in and
90 for the key. Why. gayo it to you. my
lord said Iisdae who knew how TO talk to
heightened |nglshmen. 'N-n0-oo, you
didn't replied the twin, with the drawl and
stammcr which both had Just alike, for
it was said they were born tongue
tied; n-uo-oo. didn't Yes. NY lord
said Tisdae and then old McShane,
who was always browsing round somewhere
near the counter. with his hat on the back Of
LIS head. would come up and there would
pretty nearly be "a row. when Donald would
step out Of the elevator with the key in his
hand. 1t WAS better than the duel scene in
the 'Corscan Brothers Then you should
have seen them come in 20 dinner. The whole
room sat 0pen-mouthed looking at them. But
the best fun was 10 see them come into
theatre was in the dress-circle of the old
California one nght-Lawrence Barrett was
PLAYING In 'Rosedale,' ] remember, and was
going through the scene with Rosa Leigh
where she puts the bandage on his hand-yOu
know the bity'