New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-28
FOOLED BURKEs PEERAGE."

A the close Of last year there died IN St Josephs
Roman Catholic Home, at Plymouth. old man OF
seventy-six years. whose misfortunes had excited
a good deal of attention and sympathy. and who
used TO be known Sir William Kellet. the
pauper baronet." He had previously been an in
mate OF the parish workhouse at Totnes and 1t
was the horror of a number of charitably inclined
persons at the idea Of the titled chief Of ancient
a family the KeIlets spending his old age in a
vorkhouse that led them to provide for his vel
fare in Catholic home According to his own
story. he the son Of a London merchant. ruined
by reverses and earning his bread the manager
of private school in Kent. when. IN 1856. he
advised that. through the death Of his cousin in
Australia, he had inherited the Iatters title and
estates. the property being valued at $4,000. He
parted with his school. according to his
count, at a considerable sacrifice. and sCra ping
together all the little money that he possessed,
sailed for Australia. only to find that his cousins
estate had been left heavily encountered that it
was hopeless TO expect anything from it. Accord
ingly he returned TO England and took UP music
and teaching. He asserted that he had lost his
first wife many years ago and in 1904 about
to contract second marriage with woman at
Kingston, who offered TO provide for him for life
in return for his name and title. But when she
the physical wreck 10 which she was about to
ally herself she broke off the match, being
willing even for the sake Of becoming a baronet's
wife, TO go through ceremony Of marriage with
pitiable object, crippled the man was by
two successive strokes of paralysis.
And now comes the extraordinary part Of the
affair 1t seems that the was an impostor
VINO gulled even the corupilers Of "BUrkes," De
brett's' and other standard works of reference
dealing with the baronetaga and it is amazing, IN
view Of all the publicity which his misfortunes re-
ceved in the press that the falsity his preten-
sions should not have become known.
II turns out that the real Sir William Kellet died
in Australia in 1883 after having spent the previous
forty years in the AntipOdes without ever coming
IN He b1rf IN Ia RI da "a
Cemetery at Kew IN Victoria on April 13. 1883, and
left one child, daughter of the name Of Theresa
by marriage contracted at St James's Cathedral
at Melbourne on May 10 1851. He was succeeded
BY his brother. the late Sir Henry de Castres KEEL
let. Sir Henry died about five years ago. and was
succeeded by his son and namesake. who lives in
Victoria. Proofs Of the death OF Sir William KEEL
let in April. 1888. had TO be furnished, not merely
10 the courts OF the colony OF Victoria. but also
the Chaucery Division of the High Court OF Justice
OF Ireland the time Of the probatirg of the will
OF his brother, the late Sir Henry. in June 1902
The court records OF that year at Dublin show that
the demise of Sir William. in 1855. and that of his
younger brother and successor. Sir Henry KeUet,
IN 1901 we're established 70 the satisfaction Of the
Master of the Rolls at Dublin June o. 1902 Il
was likewise made clear that time that the real
Sir William was seventy-three years old when he
died in 1888 and that he would therefore have been
nnety-ve had he survived until last year The fact
is therefore established that the so-caued "pauper
barouet" upon whom much pity was wasted.
was rank impostor. clever enough to mislead not
only all sorts Of kind hearted people, but also the
compiIers of "peerages' and other standard works
Of reference. not one Of which seems to have taken
any note Of the records of the Dublin Court OF
Chancery Of 1902
Let me add that the Kenets are one OF the oldest
county families OF Norfolk. but since the reign OF
King William III have been settled in ireland.
particularly in the counties Of Tipperary and Cork
The baronetcy by the way. was created more than
a hundred years ago.