Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-26
IS DESCE n Of
KING GEORGE ".
NEW YORK WOMAN TRACES DE-
SCENT TO ENGLISH KING
Ruler of England Says Royal Fami ly
Will Not Aid in Righting Alleged
Wrong Which Involves
Famous Estate
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
NEW YORK, Sept. 25.-It Is a long
way from the gay court of King George
Nv to humble little New Jersey farm,
but Mrs. Rebecca Fitzherbert Harris
of Kenvil, N. j., believes she has es-
tablished a bond of relationship.
Because King Edward VII took the
trouble to reply to her letter. Mrs.
Harris is firmly convinced now she hsa
positive proof that she is the great
granddaughter Of the fourth king
George
For seventeen years Mrs. Harris has
been trying to establish this relation
ship. She says she is King Georges
great granddaughter by his marriage,
recently established, to Mrs. Maria
Anne Fitzherbert. No court affair of
the eighteenth century aroused more
criticism or discussion than this union.
w. Fl. Wilkins, the English historian,
early this year obtained from King
Edward permission, long and stubborn
ly denied, to open the private vault of
Mrs. Fitzherbert in the Coutts Bank of
England, to ascertain, If possible, more
about the history of the handsome and
famous woman who was King Georges
first wife. Mr.. Wilkins was permitted
to view few of the papers, including
the marriage certificate of King George
~ and Mrs. Fitzherbert.
When Longmans, Green & Co
| brought out Mr.. Wilkins book last
| spring, evidence contained therein con-
| WINGED Mrs. Harris that her convict ions
were correct.
! Involves $25,ooo,ooo .d
Mrs. Harris says she will spend the
remainder of her life in unearthing this
mystery, and incidentally establish her
claim to Mrs. Fftzhcrbert's private es-
| tate, which has been rated in the neigh
borhood of $4,000, 000
While the private papers concerning
| the life of Mrs. Fitzherbert and the
| disposition of her property have been
.refully guarded in the Coutts bank,
Mrs. Harris says she Is convinced that
Mrs. Fitzherbert left will and pro-
vided handsomely for her son and his
| family
The letter Mrs. Harris wrote is as
| follows:
king Edward VII: May it please
Your Royal and Imperial Majesty.
II notice that the New York papers
have given out statement that the
document placed in Coutts bank by nv
grandmother, Maria Anne Fitz-
herbert, with your permission, has been
opened, and it has been proved that my
great grandmother was legally welded
to King George ~. But the fact that
a son was born has not been made pub
| lie, which, Of course, these papers must
| contain. This son not only lived to
grow up but was married to an esti-
mable lady, to whom three children
were born, one girl and two boys, my
father being the youngest son, who was
| named Thomas Edward by my great
grandmother, for her two former hus-
bands She not only supported the
family but lived with them most of
the time in Dublin, Ireland, where my
father. was born and lived until he
was eight years old.
Papers Held by Bank
"In the spring of 1888 my great
grandmother sent her son and family
to this country, thinking they would
be safer in AMERICA after her death.
My grandfather was taken i'll on the
Journey over and died at French's ho-
tel within few days after his arrival,
and In the fall of the same year those
| papers were placed in Coutts bank for
the protection of her heirs. Copies of
those papers were also placed with the
Catholic church. Her will must state
to whom her property is to go. 1 was
about starting to Ireland to search for
further proof when 1t occurred to me
to address your majesty
May 1t please your imperial ma jesty
TO right this wrong done this family for
so many years by seeing that we get
the money which legally and right
| fully belongs to u.s."
Mrs. Harris has just received the fol-
lowing reply:
"BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
1.-THE private secretary Is commanded
by the king to acknowledge the receipt
of Mrs. Fitzherbert Harris letter of
the 22d ult and in reply to express his
majesty's regret at being unable to fur
ther her wishes in the matter referred
| to-"
THAT shows" said Mrs. Harris. that
the royal family will not give their con-
sent to any further investigation being
made of those papers. If they were not
trying to hide something why should
they not grant permission to make pub
lie the contents of these papers?
Died Cursing King
"My father was reticent about his
relatives" continued Mrs Harris. "and
he hated the English bitterly. He died
cursing King George for the disgrace
he felt he had brought upon him and
his family
my father was highly educated
man and at one time studied for the
priesthood Up to the time Of his moth
er's death he received regular income
from England. as did his father before
him, although none of us ever knew
where IL came from. When his mother
died, IN 1886. father had a dsa agreement
with his brother and sister and declared
he never would see them again. which