Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-04-28
RATHER BUSY LEE.
Thrice a widow at 10, Elizabeth
Perry Was Probably the Most
Remarkable of Women.

nowadays, but not one of them com |
pares to a certain little maid who lived |
two centuries ago in Merre England.
she held six baronies in her own right !
before she was three.
She was the richest woman in the
country at the same age.
She might have become a kings
daughter-ip-law when she was -.
She married a dukes heir when she
was 10.
She became a widow when she was 10.
She married the richest commoner in
England when she was IA.
He was murdered in Pail Mall when
she was IS.
She married a duke when she was IS,
She brought 10 children into the
world.
She was lampooned by the creator OF
CULVER.
And died before she was Sc.
This marvellous woman was Lady
Elizabeth Percy daughter of Joceline
eleventh earl of Northumberland, who
died as the duchess of Somerset. When
she was 21h years old her father died
and she came into six of his titles; the
ancient baronies of Percy, Lucy, Poyu-
ings, Fitz-Payne, Bryn and Latimer to
say nothing of an enormous fortune and
a historic heritage, dating back to the
conquest.
The scramble for her honors and
hand soon began. The king himself,
Charles H., entered the running by Of
fering her the hand OF one of his mat
ural" progeny, the duke of Richmond,
who was just seven years old, while she
was IL. But her grandmother, who was
daughter of the earl of Suffolk, and
who brought her up, made her decline
the duke, and a few weeks later she
married Henry Cavendish, earl of Ogle,
a puny boy of 16, who died year later,
leaving Lady Elizabeth a widow for the
first time.
She had not to wait long for another
partner. Six months afterward her
grandmother bestowed her hand on
Thomas Thyme, a young gentleman OF
notoriety, who was probably the
wealthiest commoner of his time. He
was known everywhere as tom of Ten
Thousands" and nobody short of
princes were his friends.
Thyme was married to Lady Eliza.
beth in the summer of 1851. As she was
! just IA the ceremony, as in the case of
the former marriage, was simply for
mai, and when it was celebrated the
| girl went across to her friend Lady
Temple, at the Hague, 20 wait until her
age permitted her to take her position
as hostess at Longleaf, She had barely
landed in Holland when a notorious
rake, Count Koningsmark, skilled in
amours," became prodigiously en-
amored of her. He was young-only
G2-and handsome and daring, and the
fact that she was married added an ad-
ditional reason for his pursuing her.
Tie girl was firm, and finally the count
resolved to get rid of her husband He
got hold of as cool backguard as Flu.
rope could offer, n Pomeranian high.
wayman named Vratz, who went to
England, and, in company with two ac-
completes, shot Thyme to death on
February ~, 1851, while the latter was
riding along Pail Mall in his gorgeous
coach early in the evening.
The three assassins were captured
convicted and hung, but Count Kc~
l ingsmark, although arrested, was &C
Quilted, contemporary gossip declaring
that the court had been bribed.
My Lady Elizabeth was by no means
iuconsolable. though she had buried
two husbands already. She was bare
| ly 1917 when, in May, 1852, four months
after Thynne's death. she espoused ;
third-Charles Seymour, sixth duke o..
Somerset, who was compelled to TAKE
the name of Percy until she came O.
age. The duke was five years his wife =,
senior, and survived her more than 2
quarter of a century He was an eH.
ceedingly handsome man and was Il,
; ways a prominent figure at state func
tions. He appeared as chief mourna.
at the funerals OF three suyereigns-
Charles H., Mary II. and William III
, and he bore the orb at the coronation,
/ e James l., William and Mary, Anne
George l. and George H., while his VIII,
, was chief mourner at Mary's funeral
The career of the pair IS largely a mat
ter of IMPERIAL history. Somerset he,y
the highest Offices in the state an,
when his spouse succeeded the duches,
2 Of Marlborough as mistress of the robe,
in I'LL, Swift caricatured her in his
2 "Windsor Prophecy" lampooniug he
] beautiful red hair i'm the line
I Beware of carrots from Northumberland
f Despite the fact that she bore her las
D. husband 13 children the duchess Ion.
+ remained beauty. She died on Novem
Der %. 1922. at the age of 55.-New II
] Illustrated Magazine.
Military INSTRUCTORS.
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