Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-08-03
Three Maryland GraceS.
Daughters of n Revolutionary
Hero. and Married to English
NOblemen.

district of Baltimore County, and
south OF St. Agnes's Hospital aud St.
Marys Industrial School, says the
Baltimore Sun, was offered for sale al
auction Wednesday, at the Real Estate
Exchange, but was Withdrawn after
five small parcels, including forty.twc
acres, had been purchased at an aver.
age price of 1927 an acre. The prop
erty is a portion Of the lands owned in
Maryland by the late Duchess OF
Leeds. a granddaughter of Charles
Carroll, of Carrollton, and daughter OF
Richard Cation, after whom the town
of Catonsville is named.
The Duchess died in 1874, and in
her will directed that the real estate
owned by her in this county should be
disposed of by her executors, and the
money thus secured should be used for
the purchase of real estate in England,
all of which, together with the English
realty which she posed at the time of
her death. was bequeathed for life to
the Marquis of Carmarthen, which is
the courtesy title of the heir to the
Dukedom of Leeds. The present holder
of the title is the grandson of cousin
OF the Duchess husband, she having
died without children.
The property put up at auction is
but a part of the estates in several
counties in Maryland which came to
her from Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
and his daughter. 1t was offered at
first rs whole, but no bids being
made for this, the choice of fourteen
parcels of it was next offered. The
bidding for first choice was bit spirited
and it was finally knocked down" for
$500 an acre to Ruxton NJ. Ridgely.
After that the prices offered became
steadily smaller until the fifth pur-
chase, when auctioneer Kirkland an
nounced, after a consultation with the
American trustees Of the estate, An
thony A. Hirst and Alexander Yearly,
Jr., that the remainder OF the land was
withdrawn. I'VE had expected to get
ut least s400 an acre." said Mr.. Kirk.
land, land lot bit of it can be Sc
cured for less than 1915 an acre"
The Duchess of Leeds was one oi
the three famous daughters of Richard
Cation, who from their beauty and
charms were often called 1.-The three
American graces." They became the
wives of members of the British nobil-
ity. Louisa Catherine, the Duchess
of Leeds, was the youngest of the trio.
Mary Cation, the eldest, was at first
the wife of Richard Patterson, of Bal.
timore, brother of Nine. Elizabeth
Patterson-Bonaparte, but in 1926 be.
came the second wife of the famous
Marquis of Wellesley. elder brother OF
the still more famous Duke of Yelling
ton. Elizabeth Cation was married in
1886 to Sir George William Stafford.
Jerningam, Baron Stafford.
The Duchess was herself married
twice. She was first married in 1917
to Sir FELTON, Elwell Bathurst-H -Hervey,
a colonel in the army, and an aide-de.
camp on Wellington's Staff at the
battle of Waterloo. The following
year her husband was made baronet
but in 1919 he died, and in 1928 his
widow became the wife of Francis
Godolphin Darcy Osborne. Marqui:
of Carmarthen, and eldest son of the
sixth Duke of Leeds. He succeeded
his father in the dukedom in 1888
and died without issue in 1859. Hi:
widow died in 1874 at the age of 80
She was the last of the three sisters tC
die. The Marchoiness of Wellesley
had died in 1859 and Lady Stafford in
1862. None of them had any chill
dren.
The Duchess was philanthropit
woman, and during her lifeline used
much of her share of the estates, which
she and her sisters inherited equally
from their mother and grandfather, in
establishing and supporting two
orphanages-one for boys at Mayfelds,
in county Sussex. England, and one
for boys at Bletchingly, in the same
county. In her will she provided
literally for these two institutions,
which are under the control of the
Roman Catholic orders. and also gave
Archbishop Manning $4,000 for the
maintenance, support and education OF
young men studying for holy orders
in the Catholic Church.
Richard Cation, the father of the
Three Graces," was an Englisman,
who came 10 Baltimore in 1885.