Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-11-10
CHILDREN OF KINGS.
Unacknowledged Offspring of Royal
Fathers.
Men Who by Right OF Birth Should
Have Hecn Heirs to Thrones
Romantic Story of
George III.

News has been received from South
Africa OF the death there of a man
named George Rex He is stated to
nave been the morganatic grandson Of
GEORGE Ill, but WAS more probably
that monarch's great-grandson. While
George I'LL. was still prince of Wales he
fell in love with Hannah Lightfoot, the
daughter of q London tradesman, and
there is every reason to believe that he
married her and had children by her.
Two daughters and u son are men
TONED. One Of the daughters S said to
have married man by .he name Of
Dalton, and her descendants are, or
were until recently, living in England,
and openly claimed their descent. Han
nah Llghlfoot was called The Bcauti-
tul Quaker and 4 marriage was ar
ranged between her and L London APP
prentice. AS soon as she had married
the apprentice she was spirited away
and was unknown to the public after
wards. There seems every reason to
believe that she was under tic protec-
ton of the government, fer when her
death became known to George, then
the king, he had u second marriage
performed with his queen, Charlotte OF
MeklenburgStrei
AS late as 1857 y pamphlet was pub
lshed in England trying to prove that
Hannah IiyAtfoot was Il myth. But
the evidently ms pred author proved
too much, and after reading tho pub
LEGATION one is convinced that Hannah
Lightfoot was reality, and that the
King did marry her. The author Of the
pamphlet aimed especially to disprove
the claims of the Daltons, and reminded
them that there is Il family IN South
Africa which has long claimed the dc
Quaker. In the carly part Of the CEN
fury sailing vessel left England IN
der sealed orders, bound for the then
new South African possessions which
had been won from the Dutch. On
board that vessel was n George Rex,
who was, there seems to be little doubt,
the son Of George III. ynd Hannah
Lightfoot. lie virtually was q prisoner
and must ut that time have been about
40 years old. lie was landed at the
Cape Of Good Hope md told that he
could have as large {, grant Of land us
he wanted and could select it himself.
He chose the Huysna beautiful,
wooded and we'll watercd tract Of land
near Cape Town, and was made marshal
Of the cape. At Uuysna have lived ever
Since the descendants of this involun-
tary cmigrant and there, the other day,
died his grandson, George Rex.
a great many relics Of George III.
are said to be in the possession Of the
Rex family. When tie duke Of Sake
Coburg- then Prince Alfred, Wis
tied Cape Colony he staid for awhile at
Huysna as 4 guest Of George Rex. The
old man was very proud and maintained
strict reticcncc regarding his descent.
A few years ago Il man who had never
heard the romantic story Of Hannah
Lightfoot was travelling In Germany
and while on q visit to the castle Of Nj
remberg came across picture Of
George III. How like my old friend,
George Rex, in South Africa" he ex-
claimed. a friend who was with him
and knew the story astonishcd The tray
c}er by telhang him the cause cf the
likeness.
1t was to his most Intimate friends
only that George Rex ever told the
story Of his descent It is on record
that when George ". was seeking q
divorce from his queen, Caroline Of
brunswick, that unhappy woman de-
declared that she was neither wife nor
queen. She said that George III. was
foot when George ~. was born and
that, therefore, he was not legitimate,
and that George ". was really the hus-
band OF Mrs. Eitzherbcrt, and there
fore she (Caroline( was not his Wife.
George ~. was married TO Mrs. Iitz-
herbert III 1859. There was never any
question about the marriage, but it was
decided that as Mrs. Eitzherbcrt was a
Catholic and the law Of England for
babe the marriage Of the heir to tho
throne with person Of that faith,
therefore the marriage was invalid.
But the Catholic church declared the
marriage valid and allowed Mrs Fitz-
herbert to live with the man she had
married. After his marriage with Caro-
line Of Brunswick Mrs. Fitzherbcrt left
The king, but after he and his queen
lad separated she lived with him again
at Brighton. Ills excuses, however,
compelled her to leave him again, and
che lived in retirement to Il ripe old
age, supported by a liberal pension
from the British government.
The father of the late Gen. Edward
Otto Cresap Ord, of the American army,
is supposed to have been the son OF
Mrs. Fitzherbert and George ~. Gen.
Ord was a distinguished soldier in the