The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-20
VALUE OF FAMILY HEIRLOOMs.
Famous Families and Their Strange
Beliefs i'm Ancient Idols.


Whether the fortunes of family are in
any way influenced by the safety of its
heirloom or not IL is difficult TO decide, but
II Is worthy OF note that many of the most
famous houses have declined vast fortunes
for trffiing articles which have been be-
queated from generation to generation for
centuries past. One of the most remarkable
heirlooms is the "Coalstoun pear" which
as tallsman formed part OF the dowry or
the daughter of Baron Coalstoun three
centuries back and is still preserved in a
silver casket. 1t was said that as long as
the fruit remained intact the fortunes of
the family would be upheld, but at the
close of the eighteenth century the wife of
the contemporary owner bit it with her
teeth, whereupon much of the Coalstoun
property came into the market The pear
then passed into the keeping of the Count
ess of DalhOusie and has long since reached
state of petrification.
The fortunes of at least four families of
renown vested with vases cups.
1.-THE Luck of Edenhall'' is a glass goblet
owned by the Musgrave family, and, &C
cording to the legend, was left by the fairies
at ST. Cuthberts well, in the grounds or
the hall, many centuries ago. II is of flaw
less crystal and has since been vigorously
guarded. Vast sums have been offered for
it by many OF the celebrities who have
come from all parts OF the world 10 exam
inc il, though they have been unhesitatingly
declined. Another famous heirloom is the
cup of the Muncaster family which was
used by Henry vi when he was sheltered
by Sir John Pennington from his pursuers
in 1861. During the civil war ii was hidden
in box, which was one day dropped by
a careless servant, and so great was the
family superstitution that for upward of
fifty years no dared open the box to
see If the cup were broken, but when this
was done, at the end of the sixteenth CEN
fury, the cup was found to be minus not
even a chip.
A gold goblet incrusted with precious
stones is also the talisman of Lord Otway S
family and is; kept fastened to the dining
room table with chain of gold. The Port
land vase, although now In the gold orna-
ment room of the British Museum, belongs
to the Duke of Portland and is the heir
sembling onyx, and of Grecian workman
ship, standing nine and three-fourths
inches in height by twenty-one and three
fourths inches in circumference. 1t was
purchased by the Duke of Portland in 17S6
for 1629 guineas, and, for the sake of safe
ty, deposited twenty-four years later in the
museum. In 1S45 a fanatic named Lloyd
deliberately smashed ii with a stone, but
as the duke declined to prosecute the Gull
prit he could only be fined SIS for break
ing the glass of the case in which 1t re-
posed The vase is valued at $4,000.
A womans hand is the curious heirloom
of the De Fleydeau family, one of the
most famous houses in the French aris-
tocracy and now headed by Comte De
Fleydeau
on legendary evidence 1t is said that in
| 1893 the family castle surrendered TO the
King after a siege of three years, and In
| order that the inmates should have their
| lives spared the countess-the most beau
| tiful woman in France-submitted to hav-
ing her right hand cut off. The grewsome
| relic, in mummified condition. is still pre-
| served in a gold casket at the family man.
| sion of the Gironde. and needless to add.
| is kept proof against thieves. since the for
| tunes of the owners are fully believed to
| depend upon it. Perhaps the most cele-
brated family heirloom is the Lee penny,
which has been in possession of the Lock
| harts of Lee in Lanarkshire, since the
| Crusades. 1t is silver coin and formed
part of the ransom paid for Saracen
| chief. but its value mainly depends upon the
| fact that it is supposed to be capable OF
| curing any ailment, and for this purpose
| was hired in 1886 by a plague-stricken town
| day the penny is just as jealousy guarded
| by the present head of the family. Sir
| Simon Lockhart. as it has been by his an
| cestors before him.