New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-21
HER DEATH ENDS ROMANCE
MISS PARTRIDGE KEPT SACRED uoIrsE
OF HENRY HALL WARD. HER
LIFELONG FIANCE.

With the death of Miss Eliza Ann Partridge
which occurred Friday morning az her
home. No. 3S West Thirty-seventh-st there
ended a romance which dated back half a CEN
tuiy and involved persons we'll known In this
city. Miss Partridge was born in Pomfret
Conn, in 1914 Her father was member. of a
FAMILY tnat traced itself back to Plymouth days
and her mother was Bathsheba Hall Partridge.
descended from one John Hall Of Coventry
England, who settled at Charlestown Mass In
1890
Two OF Bathsheba Halls sisters married
brothers named Ward They were Henry Ward
a Wen known lawyer, and William Green Ward.
founder OF the banking house of Ward Co.
When about sixteen years old Miss Partridge
came to this city. and after fell In love
with son of Henry Ward and Eliza Hall by
name Henry Hall Ward The attachment was
mutual. and they became engaged The family
on both sides. however. objected to a marriage
and they were never welded Both persisted
In MAINTAINING the engagement, nevertheless.
and neither married. They saw each other
daily, walked and drove together. and lived al
most as much for another as though they
had been man and wife, up to the time of
Wards death. which was in 1872
He was twelve years Miss Partridpa,s sanior
He died from consumption at Saratoga. and
had made his home with his mother and her
sister. Anna Hall, painter of miniatures. at
NO. Zo Bond-st The house contained many
valuable paintings, including lot of Anna
Halls work. and the cellar. was stocked with
wines OF great age and value. This house, to-
gether with two others in the same street. Nos
q and 80. he left by Will as a life trust to Miss
Partridge He bequeathed to her outright all
the paintings and much OF his other personal
property.
Miss Partridge always regarded that house as
sacred place. She never lived In 1t herself, but
hired an old negro and his wife as caretakers
instructing them to see that each room was
busted daily. and to keep everything as much as
possible In the shape In which 1t had been left
She visited the house almost daily for twenty
years and more and refused admission to all
persons.
The other two houses were rented at con-
stantly advancing rates. and plenty Of offers
were made for No. %. but to all of them she
was deaf. Finally the others were torn down to
make room for modern business building. and
the walls of the old residence were so shaken
that Miss Partridge had all the paintings re-
moved TO her own house. The wine was taken
out of the cellar. the old negro had died
under circumstances that seemed to warrant a
suspicion that he had been samplins some Of the
rare vintages
Miss Partridge seemed to live almost entirely
in the past. She even did not seem to grow
old Up to the day OF her death she could see
and hear we'll ever; her teeth and hair
were in perfect preservation, and her skin was
without a wrinkle. She was an indefatigable
pedestrian, and was much in the open air
The old Ward house IN Bond-st. shows many
more signs Of age than did the loyal woman
that kept it so jealo1sly. 1t is three story
structure of brick. with brownstone copings
the windows with high stoop and
wrought iron railings The high windows are
heavily shuttered, ana the whole place seems
dead from the outside.
With the death Of Miss Partridge the three
houses revert to the estate of Ward, which has
not been settled. There several heirs and
children of heirs and there is little doubt that
the houses will be sold.
Miss Partridge suffered little from rheuma-
tfsm which seemed to aggravate the effects OF a
fall she had about seven years ago. Her death
was expected for some time before she died. but
the actual end was sudden. The funeral will be
held at the house on Monday morning. the Rev.
Percy Stickney Grant officiating Miss Par
fridge had been a member of the Church OF the
Ascension for nearly fifty years.
Her personal property. which includes the
paintings, etc. willed to her by Ward. will now
go to her family.