Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-11
vICTORIA'S FATHER IN AMERICA.
The Duke of Kent Lived in Novia Scotia for
Seven Years.


Seven Years.
From Harper's Bazaar.
About seven miles west of the center of
Halifax. near the head of Bedford basin.
is beautiful spot, now much used as a
picnic ground, which every Haligonian
knows as The Princes Lodge 1t is part
of the estate in old times leased by Sir John
Wentworth to the Duke of Kent for his
royal residence during the seven years that
that prince, the father of Queen Victoria,
lived In Nova Scotia. Sir John Wentworth had
his country mansion there and called it, III al
fusion to Romeo and Juliet" "Friar Law
rences Cell. The duke enlarged the original
house until it was a line twO-storied villa some
what III the Italian style, with extensive wings
at the north and south and great hail and
drawing rooms IL the center.
Back of the house were stables for his horses
and the grounds. though rustic and having ali
the marks that nature had originally put upon
them, contained many charming surprises.
His royal highness, who was at this time COM
mander Of all the forces in North
America, had telegraph battery on
an adjoining hill, by means of which
he could send his orders to the citadel
in town. In the neighborhood of the lodge
were artificers Of various Sorts so that the
place was like little feudal town. Indeed the
prince himself used to put his hand to the
jack plane or drive the cross-cut saw and |
fancy there was little that went on that he did
not personally oversee.
He was a strict dlsciplinarian. but was very
kind and affable i'll social life, and especially
interested III young men, for whom he often
did much. His life had not been luxurious
one. and he inherited many of the simple
tastes OF his father, plain old Farmer
George, which on the whole COM
mended him to Nova Scotians. Society in
Halifax in those days was very gay and it
is said that the prince, by his moderation in
the of wine and by refraining entirely from
cards. had good influence over the young
men of the town. To cure intemperance among
his men it is said he used to make them turn
out at O'Clock in the morning for drill, which
OF course made late hours away from the bar
racks impossible.
His punishments were very severe. For one
poor soldier he ordered 900 lashes on his bare
back, and on the grounds of the lodge is shown
a cave where another was confined for two or
three years until he died. Once or twice, it is
said, men committed suicide from fear of his
punlshments.
Prince Edwards friend and companion dur
ing his Nova Scotia life was a clever French
woman, Nine. Alphonsie Therese Bernadine
Julie de Montgenet de st. Laurent, Baronne de
Fortisson, whom he first met in Martinique,
and who, when he married the queen mother,
retired to a convent.
The Halifax people were dazzled by the
presence OF royalty among them and when the
prlnces seven-year term had expired it
took society long time to settle down to
its normal condition. In 1900 the Duke of
Kent began the erection of the present cita-
del in Halifax, first removing the old in
secure Notifications, and then building the
massive walls that now inclose the fort A con-
spicuous monument of his royal highness still
remains i'll the square wooden clock tower
below the glacis, directly above the middle of
the town.