Evening journal., 1897-06-16
BURKE ROCHE TITLE.
Wedding Bells Will Jingle
This Evening.
ABROAD SEASIDE AND COUNTRY
DAME SOCIETY is KEPT BUSY
LOOKING AFTER HER CHARGES
WILMINGTONIANS WHO ARE EN-
TERTAINING AND BEING ENTER
TANNED.

All communications intended Tor inser-
ton Ia this column should be addressed to
nal. Communications should be written
on one side Of the paper only
TITLE FOR MRS. BURKE ROCHE.
Several years ago Mrs. Burke Roche
came to this city and obtained a resi-
dence here for the purpose OF obtaining
a divorce from her husband. Hon.
James b. Burke-Roche. OF Great Bri-
tain. She brought with her her two
little boys. For a time she lived well
out on the West Side of town, but in
quisitiye neighbors and their field
glasses made life so uncomfortable that
she moved into a house on West street
near Thirteenth, where she was free
from the annoyance.
Through Senator Gray she filed a
libel against her husband in the Su-
perior Court, and after the commits
sioner had heard testimony and made
his return in favor of the divorce the
judges took the matter under rconsidera-
tion. Chief Justice Comegys refused
to become a party to signing the de-
cree, but his two associates oveTuled
him and the divorce was granted, the
court being assured that the plaintiff
intended to make Wilmington her per-
manent home. Not long after the de-
cree was granted Mrs. Burke-Roche
fitted back to New York and resumed
her place in the upper circles Of society
of that city.
In this connection the following
news of the probable accession OF her
divorced husband TO n title and specu
lation as to what she will do in such
Il fssr ff,fa orf 10.
warean, and especially to Whining
tonians. many of whom remember the
| beautiful woman who used to frequent
the Institute Free Library, and her
children, whose natty appearance on
the street attracted general attention:
Despite her American divorce, Mrs
Frances Burke Roche, the beautiful
New York society woman, is likely 10
be-Lady Fermoy. The present Lord
Fermoy is not expected to live, and
upon his death Hon. James b. Burke
Roche, his brother, will succeed to the
title and the estates, as Lord Fermoy
has no male issue.
MRS. Burke-Roc is a daughter OF
Frank Work, Of New York city, ana
was married to Mr.. Burke-Roche in
1880. She lived with him in England
for six years and then returned home
to her father. Five years later she
brought her suit for divorce, which was
granted in Wilmington, Del, on the
ground of desertion and nOn-suppOrt
The decree of divorce gave the custody
of the three children, Cynthia. Edmund
Maurice and Francis George, to the
mother. The boys are twins. The di
vOrce was not recognized in England
and Burke-Ro compelled the pro
J prietors of Burl5's Peerage to apologize
for entering it in that publication. A
the time of this divorce Lord Fermoy
who is still young, had not long beer
married, and the prospects of Burke
Roche attaining to the title were vague
indeed. About a year ago Burke
Roche, who has since carved out
name for himself as one of the mos
promising politicians in the House o
Commons, was elected from his Dor
ough.
Political opponents brought up tn
q divorce suit against him and he denie'
/ he was a divorced man. 1t was at tha
{ time he sued the publishers of the Peer
. age. The question now is whether il
e the event Of the present Lord Fermoy'
/ death Mrs. Burke-Ro will accep
] the title. There may be a reconciliatio
D and The decree of the Delaware cOuI
may be ignored.
e Tho Fermoy estate consists of seat
S in Cork and Limerick. The famil
T motto is Mon Dieu Est Ma Roche"
The grounds on which James Burke
p Roche has resisted the Delaware di
I vorce is that the marriage to a Brit
e ish citizen is that the marriage to
s ism citizen makes foreign wifi
o American divorce is invalid under Brit
r ish law, and the husband can take tn
y children whenever they are foun
T within British jurisdiction.
j. Mrs. Burke-ROche is at present
e Newport, where she annually spend
y the Summer"