Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-21
Baroness Cous one the peeresse Great Britain whose
charitable gifts for hers title in her right


II, recognition of personal services, and,
as a mark of esteem. from the Sovereign
The Baroness has reached the advanced
age of 81. having been born April 26, 1874
but although she is no longer able 10
take the place in society which she did
in former years, her faculties are bright
and keen, and her sympathies with the
poor and destitute as strong as ever She
assemblies her more intimate frltnds
7 around her in her house in Stratton
street, Pccadilly, long connected with the
Coutts family, and Holly Lodge, High
gate. is the scene OF little summer re-
| unions. The Baroness was slight and
elegant girl in her youth, and without any
pretentiOns TO beauty. was attractive by
reason Of a certain quiet dignity and un-
affected sweetness of manner and express
sion She was but a girl of % when she
suddenly found herself, by an unexpected
| train of circumstances, the richest Wo-
man in England. Society was quickly at
her feet. and the bankers granddaughter
and the descendant Of a race Of successful
merchants, had the entree of the greatest
houses in London, not excluding Buck
ingham Palace. where the young Queen
had just assumed the sceptre.
The Baroness was the daughter of Sir
Francis Burdett, for thirty years Member
politician who twice underwent imprison-
nent for defending the liberties Of the
people against the tyranny OF Parliament
Her mother was the daughter of Thomas
Coutts, the great banker, who married in
his old age the beautiful Miss Mellon, the
actress, and at his death left her his
enormous wealth. She afterwards became
the wife of the Duke of ST. Adams. AT
her death she left the entire fortune be-
queathed to her by her first husband 10
his granddaughter. Angela Georglna Bur-
dett, with the proviso that she should
take the name of Coutts.
1t soon became apparent that Miss Bur-
dett-Coutts leaned rather TO philanthropy
than to society. She is an ardent church
woman, and in 1850 built the Church Of
ST. Stephen, Westminster, with a par
sonage and schools, endowing the whole.
AT about the same period she founded the
Colonial Bisboprics. at Capetown, Africa;
Adelaide South Australia, and one at
British Columbia. She further founded an
Institution in South Australia for the edu-
cation Of the aborigines. Turning her at
tention 20 lettering the condition of the
lives OF the poor, she selected the District
OF Bethnal Green, and there built a block
Of model lodging-houses IN Columbia
Square She also undertook the admit
rally contract for supplying the shirts to
the British navy, In order TO AFFORD en-
ployment for the needlewomen of Bethnal
Green. Her next great enterprise was the
building and substituting of Columbia
Market. in order 10 supply the poor with
fish at a cheap rate. The opposition OF
the Billingsgate merchants finally rem
dered this great undertaking abortive. The
Baroness has benefited the poor and out
cast of her own sex, she Is the friend
OF little children and OF the animal crea-
ton; has helped the starving peasants OF
Ireland, provided means for the technical
training OF girls IN domestic economy.
given funds for the typographical survey
of Jerusalem, and assisted emigration
schemes; while the amount OF her private
charity ii is impossible 10 estimate. She
has always been a warm educationalist.
and a liberal patroness OF art In recogni-
ton of her wde-spreading benevolence.
the Queen created Miss Burdett-coutts
a peeress in 1871, by the title Of Baroness.
Amongst other bonors. she has received
the freedom of the cities OF London and
Edinburgh, and the freedom and livery
OF the Haberdashers' and the Turner'S
In 1881 she married MIR. Ash
mead Bartlett, who assumed the surname