The Van Buren press., 1898-08-06
A DUCAL SKELETON.
How 1t Was Recently Drawn from Its
Closet and Given an
Airing.

In pleDelan circles lne uOOF Is closeu
tightly upon the family skeleton, and
whenever its bones rattle a thrill runs
through the house, but a coronet over
the hearthstone seems charm against
the uncanny influence of shameful
secret or hidden crime, and the skeleton
lurking beneath the strawberry leaves
is not ghastly pensioner in the eyes
of the ducal family-particularly If it
is only the result of hot blood running
in the veins of a handsome ancestor.
The present duke of Somerset owes
his eoronet to bar sinister, and there.
ated February 16, 1916, the day after
the hardy founder of the family had
been made a baron. On the 29th of
June, 1911, his descendant was ere
ated also a baronet, and through the
centuries the Somersets figured prom
inently in the history of their time.
In wars and at court their names rank
high among the soldiers and lovers of
their day.
Edward Alolphus, the twelfth duke,
was created earl of ST. Mauer in 1868.
but AT his death the title became ex-
tinct. as both his sons had already died
unmarried, and here begins "A romance
which landed the ducal eoronet upon
the present dukes head. When the
twelfth duke of Somerset's elder son
was dying he confided TO his mother
that he had two children. and entreated
her to see that they were acknowledged
by the family. The duchess promised
that her sons last wish should be re-
spected, and. true to her word. sought
out the handsome woman who had
loved the young lord too well, if not
wisely. She was induced to part with
her ehildren-a boy and Il girl-and
tradition AYERS that She then went ta
France, and there eventually married
a wine merchant. The children, Harold
and Ruth. We're known by the family
name of St. Mauer. and grew up under
the care of their grandparents, the old
duke and duchess. and were aeknowl-
edged by all their relatives and friends.
In 1884 the duchess died. and in the
following year the old duke also passed
away and the title went to his brother,
Archibald Henry AgerHon, an old
bachelor, who died in 1891, when the
title passed to his youngest and last
surviving brother, Algernon Percy
Banks, who died in 1894. and whose son
succeeded him as the present and ff-
teenth duke of Somerset. Some of the
estates that were entailed went with
the title, but Stover in Devonshire,
where the twelfth duke of Somerset
resided most of the year, has been
| willed to his grandson, Harold st.
| Mauer, while his granddaughter, Ruth.
| inherited from him { $4,000. Stover
was plain, large, unpretentious build
| ing, standing in the midst of beautiful
| grounds, covering several acres, includ-
ing some excellent pheasant preserves,
and also a small lake which, in winter.
when frozen, proved a skating rem.
devious for all the country families in
the neighborhood. Harold st. Mauer
also inherited an income from the old
| duke, but, finding it barely sufficient to
keep up the Stover estate in good style,
| wished to sell the valuable old mas
ters which decorated the rather barren
| interior of the house. and which were
estimated to be worth enough to real.
ize sum which would give him G3,0OC
| per year additional income. Mr.. St.
Mauer. however, found his hands legal.
! ly tied, so that he was unable to sell
the paintings. He appealed TO the
! houses of parliament, and his financial
circumstances becoming known an act
of parliament was passed enabling him
to dispose of the valuable pictures, and
he at once set about renovatng Stover
in order to make it his home. His
! grandparents had lived there very
! plainly and kept down expenses, en-,
tertaining very little, though glad tc
see thsir friends. The duchess was a
careful, economical housekeeper, and il
was evidently the care of the old duke
and duchess to leave as much as pos.
sible to their two loved grandchildren
who, through no fault of theirs, had
been deprived of what should have been
their birthright.
Harold ST. Mauer was a fine-looking
young fellow, with dark eyes and olive
complexion, and dignified and courte-
Gus manner. He was favorite al
Sandhurst, from whence he graduated
an officer. His position is too we'll as
sured to permit of his life being in the
least shadowed by the bar sinister
which alone has prevented him from
being the present duke Of Somerset
y. Y. Times.
African skins.