Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-07-19
DEATH OF LADY CuRzoN.

Lady Curzon, wife of Lord Curzon Of
Kedleston, died at the residence in Lon
don at $40 P, M, yesterday.
1t was not until yesterday afternoon
that Lady Curzon's condition gave cause
for anxiety. At about noon she grew
worse and two specialists were called in.
They remained in attendance Till the
end.
Lady Ourzon never quite recovered
from her serious illness at Walmer Cas-
tie, Kent, in 1904, and the recent hot
weather brought on a pronounced attack
Of general debility, ending in heart fail
ure. Sir Thomas Barlow, physician to
theiKings household, and Sir William
Broadbent, physician in ordinary TO the
King and the Prince of Wales, were in
attendance upon her. The funeral will
take place at Kedleston. Lord Curzon
is overcome with grief
When the news of the death of Lady
CurzoD became known in the West End
and in the House of Commons universal
sympathy was expressed.
Lady Curzon, formerly Miss May
Victoria Letter, a daughter Of the late
Levi u. Letter, multi-millionaire, OF
Chicago and Washington, was a mem
Der of Maryland family. Jacob Letter
the pioneer of the family, settled on a
farm, in Washington, county, Md, in
1862 The town OF LeitersbuTg WAS named
after him. 1t was there that Levi u.
Letter WAS born in 1884. lie left his
Mary land home 10 1853.
After smassing q colossal fortune and
making his name prominent in the COM
mercial world, the latter year of Mr..
Letters life we're spent in Washington,
which city offered a wider field for the
social ambitious of his wife and daughters.
Here their residence (the James G.
Blaine mansion) was the scene of many
brilliant functions. Later they built
one of the finest homes in Washington
on Dupont Circle. But their social
triumphs in Washington were merely
preparation for still greater ones IN
New York, Newport and England.
During a stay in England Miss May
Victoria Letter met George n. CuIzoE,
eldest son of Rev. Alfred Nathaniel
Holden Curzon, fourth Baron Scarsdale.
They were married in 1895, after Cur
zon had held the Offices of assistant
private secretary to the Marquis OF Sails
bury, under secretary ofsIate for India and
under secretary of State for foreign af-
fairs. In 1898 Curzon was created first
Baron Curzon OF Kedeston, and in 1899
was appointed viceroy and governor gen
eral OF India, which post be resigned in
August, 1905, and was succeeded by the
Earl OF Mimic.
Lady Curzon's social triumphs in Eng
land, in India aud in her own country
gave her the most important position at
tanned by any American woman in this
or the last century. Surrounded by
every luxury that wealth could suggest,
40 acknowledged beauty and possessor
pf many accomplishments by travel,
study and observation, she was even in
her young adyhood in Washington dis
tinguished above other girls. Her debut
at series OF large receptions given by
her parents in the early nineties at their
home, on Dupont Circle, in Washing
ton, was followed by the Lriumphal sea
son abroad.
Despite her social triumphs Lady Cur
zon sometimes WIS scarcely able to'hide
her WEAKNESS at the unending round of
social functions which her hus-
bands position compelled her TO
attend. Her stanch efforts to assist
her husband to win the psriament-
airy election at Southport are fresh
in many memories despite the lapse
of years. 1t was not long after her
marriage, and, although she was new,to
English politics, she threw herself heart
and soul into the compaign. She mas
tered the questions at issue and proved
q powerful pleader with the electors, who
eventually returned Der husband TO the
House of Commons.
Lady Curzon was the mother Of three
daughters--Msry Irene, born in 1896
and Cynthia Blanche born 1898, and a
bird born March 40 last in London.
Lady CurzOn was in her own right the
possessor of fortune of IS, 900, 900.