The sun., 1891-06-03

| A question before the British House OF
Lords has revived interest In the succession
| to the DERKELEY pesraGe, o controversy which
gave rise eighty years ago to o cele ebrated case.
| long supposed TO have been settled by de.
cision OF tho House Of Peers.
| In 1886 FREDERICK AUGUSTUS. Nth Earl OF
BERKELEY. formed an alliance with MARY COLE.
daughter OF q butcher OF Glouces'er. From
this alliance were born four sons-WILLIAM.
horn In 1876: MAURICE. torn in 1888 ;AuausTus.
born In 1889. and Francis. born in 1904. In
! 1896. believing that ho was on bis deathbed.
Lord BERKELEY married tho woman with
whom he had lived SO long; but he recovered
and lived to be tho father OF three more
sons and three daughters. Tho sons born
after this marriage were THOMAS. born In
| 1896; GnANTLEr. born in 1900. and CRAVEN.
born In 1905. Tho Earl died In 1910; the Count
ess died In 1874.
After his fathers death WfLLrAM BERKELEY
the eldest son. who for many years had been
known by the courtesy title" OF viscount
DuRs1RY. applied TO the Crown for q writ Of
| summons to the House OF Lords as Earl Of
BERKELEY. The matter was referred to the
House OF Lords. doubts IS to his legitimacy
having 4rlsen. Admitting o marriage in 1896.
WILLIAM BERKELEY undertook to prove that q
previous marriage had been contracted In
March. 17s5. The page OF the marriage reg
ister where the entry Of such . marriage
should have been was not to be found and
the House OF Lords arguing that II there had
beon a marriage IA 17s5 no marriage would
have been necessary In 1876. decided that
there had been no legal marriage prior to tho
latter year. and refused tho writ prayed for by
WILLIAM BERKELEY. but Issued one TO THOMAS
BERKELEY. nth son OF the couple and first
born oi tho marriage OF 1900.
THONAa HRRKELHY howoyar rafuaad n ohav
the writ or to accept the title which had come
to him. 10 call himself Earl OF BERKELEY
would have been to dishonor bis mother: so as
the Honorable THOMAS BERKELEY he lived and
died. reaching the age Of &c years. Never was
tho promise OF the Nth commandment better
fulfilled than 10 tue lives Of MARY CoLEs chill.
dron; WILLIAM BERKELEY was II when he died |:
MAURICE was n. AUGUSTUS was S3. Francis
was &c; THOMAS BERKELEY. de inre Earl OF
BERKELEY. Viscouns DuEsLEY. and Baron
BERKEIEY. lived to be SO years OF nge: GRANT
LEY BERKELEY. afsnnous sportsman. died whom
so: CRAVEN alone died under Gu years Of age.
When THoMAs BERKELEY died In 1882 he wss
the last surviving child OF the marriage OF
1896. Tho eRrldom and viscountry went to his
frat cousin once removed GEORGE LENox
RAwpoN BERKELEY. only surviving grandson
OF a younger brother OF FREDERIcK AUGUSTUS.
Earl Of BERKELEY. the barony going de jure
10 his niece. CRAVEN BEnKELEY's daughter.
GEORGE BERKELEY succeeded as seventh Earl.
his right to the title depending wholly ON the
decision Of tho House OF Lords that WILLIAM
and MAURICE DzRKELEY were illegltimats.
There was no opposition to his succession to
the tItle In 1882. but whom In 1888 his son sue
cesdsd him as eighth Earl. opposition WAS
made BY the heirs OF MAURICE BERKELEY: and
the present action will decide finally whother
Or not the elder children OF the Earl OF BRRKE-
LEY and NARY COLE were illesttlmate or not
WILLIAM DERKELEY. although illegitimate.
obtained BY will the landed estates OF his
father: berkeley Castle. whore EDwAED II. was
done to death In 1927, and many broad acres
In Gloucester aud Middesex-and In l841 WAS
created Earl FrTz HAnpISGE He died unmar-
ried In 1857. leaying bis estates TO his brother.
Admiral Sir MAURICE BERKELEY. who In 1851
was created Baron FITz HARDINGz HI. son.
FREDERICK WILLIAM FTTz HARDISaE BERKE.
LEY. succeeded him in 1867. as second Lord
FrTz HARDINGE. and owner OF berkeley Castle
and Its great demesne.
1t IL this Lord FITz HARDISGE who now
brings anti to prove tho first marriage OF his
grandparents. basinR his action on new evil
dence said to be conclusive. II he succeeds
the earldom will return to the elder main line:
the present Earl will Erisve. but In time will
DO cousolsi. porhaps. with another peerage;
while CRAVEN BERkELEy's daughter. de jnrs
baroness BERKELEY. will see the titis she has
mover claimed depart from her. And however
one may sympatbize with the present Earl.
popular feeling will be with him who socks TO
clear a woman's memory and remove the stain
OF illsRltimacy from father.
---------
A few months ago the Dutch Commercial
Company Of Rotterdam made great outcry
because the duties which the Congo Free State
desired TO Impose upon some classes Of NOR