The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-06
Of how very wealthy they really

Ink ~
intirnation Of how very wealthy they really
were.
The story is that Miss Goelet made the
acquaintance OF the Duke OF Roxburghe
AT Cliveden when she was on visit to Miss.
J Q line Asst or. to whom the young SCOTCH
man was at that time very much devoted
Within a short time, however, he had ne
come interested in Miss Goelet. and since
last summer, when they first met. he has
been most devoted sutton, The courtship
has been none the less ardent because no
suspicion OF the Dukes intentions reached
the friends of the Goelets until the young
man arrived at Newport few weeks ago.
Formal announcement OF the engagement
was postponed until it could be made stimuli
taneousy here and in Scotland.
Although poor the Roxburghe family
is far from penniless. The rent roll OF the
dukedom Is said to be S25O,oo0 yearly.
Most Of this is required to keep up the
estates. The present Duchess Is said to
have done much during her lifetime to
restore the family's exhausted finances.
although It Is improbable that she will do
as much az will Miss Goelet with her mil
lions.
Apart from the Dukes worldly possess
sons. he Is the sort OF young man any
girl even without millions might be very
glad to marry. He is not handsome. but
he is healthy and amiable. His devotion
to sports has given him a sturdy, athletic
figure. His mother was Lady OF the Bed
chamber and Mist ress OF the Robes to the
late Queen Victoria, and she Is daughter
of the seventh Duke Of Marlborough and
a sister of Lord Randolph Churchill.
The present Duke Ia the eighth holder
of the title He succeeded his father when
only 10, and was selected by the Prince and
Princess of Wales to accompany them
on the journey they made as Duke and
Duchess of York to the British colonies.
He holds a commission in the Royal Horse
Guards, for which he prepared at Sand
hurst, after leaving Eton, instead OF going
to university.
He saw service with the Guards tn South
Africa, and on one occasion there his
bravery was especially commended. One
of the troopers in his regiment had been
wounded and fell from his horse. Rox-
burghe turned back and in the face Of the
enemy placed the wounded man on his
own horse and carried him out OF tie reach
of the enemy
He was selected at the coronation to carry
Queen Alexandra's crown. In fact. for a
Young man of %, he has done as much a.
a Duke who has not great wealth or very
unusual intellectual equipments could do
Being Scotch Duke he sits In the House
of Lords as Earl Of Innes
The marriage of American women to
titled foreigners sometimes brings about
curious changes in their social relations
even with their own country women. In
England, for instance, Miss Goslet will
after her wedding, be compelled to give
precedence to the Duchess of Manchester,
who was Miss Zimmerman OF Cincinnati
In this country a Goelet never had to give
place to Zimmerman or to anybody else
from Cincinnati The Countess OF Innes
will even have to give precedence to the
Countess of Yarmouth, who was Miss Ihaw
of Pittsburg Did anybody ever hear OF
a Goelet of Newport having to give place to
a Thaw of Pittsburg under any conditions?
But that will have to happen now.
For all that, the Roxburghe dukedom in
Scotland is as old and honorable as any
in England. In 1897, John Ker acquired
the estate OF Audit ownburn. Under
charter from the house Of Douglas, other
lands were best lowed on his son. The
barony Of Auld Roxburghe was given to
his grandson, Andrew Ker, and ever since
then the Kers have been great lords Of the
lowlands lntermarrying with the Douglases.
the I.eslies, the Drummonds and other
great Scott sh families. Sir Andrew ker
in 1911 signed treaties with France and
England and his son Walter met his death
at Melrose while guarding James v.
In 1912 there was a dispute as to the
title and many claimants to it. The House
Of Lords declared Sir James lines Nor
cliffe the fifth Duke. One OF them was
truckman of this city, named Louis Ker.
His father. as long ago as 1890, had sent
Hamilton Fish to England, where for five
wears he tried to win the title for the i'm
migrant. and it was said then that the ties
betw the royal family and the man In
possession were all that kept the Duke in
his plaCe.