New-York tribune., 1907-09-30
FAMILIES PURSUED BY FATE.

Certain families Of the British aristocracy seem
20 be pursued by relentless fate, fact which IS
brought mind by the news OF the sudden death OF
the Hon. Edward Maxwell, brother and second
heir Of Lord Farnham. on his return from attend
ing funeral of his mother. Although the peer
age was created only a little over hundred years
ago the present Lord Farnham Is already the
eleventh wearer Of the coronet The seventh lord
died suddenly few weeks after succeeding TO the
title while the eighth lord, grsnduncle Of the pres
ent peer, lost his life did his wife. in the
terrible railroad accident at AberEee. in Wales
II may be remembered that train of petroleum
trucks got loose started down the steep incline
near Abergele and IN collision with the
Irish Mail, the wrecked carriages being imme-
dateIy enveloped IN flames The door Of the com
partmeut in which were Lord and Lady FaTnharn
had been locked In order 10 secure them from IN
truslon at the stations where the stops were made.
and being thus unable 10 escape. they perlshed IN
the flames, and their bodies were SO entlFeIy
consumed that nothing left save the fused
setting Of some jeWelry worn by Lady Farhhd'h-
The present Lord Farnham's elder brother was
killed a few years ago by bicycle accident IN
the midst Of festivities organized to celebrate ms
coming OF age while his father. the late Lord
F9rnharn Grand Master OF the Order or ORANGE
mon exnerienced no end OF unpleasantness in CON
nection with charges of forgery brought against
him by a of the name of Hale Inc latter
had been for more than thirty years the conhden-
tial servant and principal factotum OF the ninth
lord and insisted that the Will probated by his sue
cessor was a bogus document and not the one
which he knew his master 10 have signed on MS
deathbed. Although Hale never succeeded in prov
Ing his accusation yet the latter caused the late
Lord Farnham no end OF annoyance ana expense
and undoubtedly hastened his death
The present Lord Farnham. who is married TO
Miss Aileen Coote, has one little boy. now TWO
wears old and the anxiety of his parents regarding
him will readily appreciated when 1t is explained
that Throughout County Cavan, in which the es-
tates of the family situated, superstition pre-
walls that owing to some ancient curse. no Lord
Farnhem ever transmit the title to his eldest
SON Indeed. since the year 1890 the peerase has
only in one solitary passed from father 10
SON that son being the nobeman who perished IN
such frightfuI fashion in the railroad wreck at
Abergele
The family name of the lords of Farnham is
Maxwell. and it is hardly necessary TO add that,
like most other inhabitants OF the North Of Ire
land they are of Scotch origin They owe their
wealth and prosperity to the fact that they fat
tened on ecclesiastical benefces and held high
dtgnities in the Church of Ireland for number of
generations including the bishoprics of kilmore
and Ardah. The founder of the family was Sir
Avrnar de Maxwell. who was Grand Chamberlain
of the Kingdom of Scotland.
Lady Farnham is a member of that family which
furnished to New York its first reform Governor in
Colonial days namely the Earl of Bellamont. who
died at his post in March, l7ol and lies buried IN
St PauIs churchyard New York The Cootes are
a very ancient English family and the first baro-
net received his title and estates in ireland from
lanes | for his military services against the
O. 'Neills earls of Tyrone II was younger son OF
oue of these Coote baronets of the King James
creation who became Earl of Bellamont The last
Earl of Belanlont died in 1714, and having no
legitimate issue. obtained an English baronetcy
with remainder to his ilegtimate son. The latter
on the eari's death succeeded, not to his peerase
but to the baronetcy and to the estates and II Is
his grandson the present Sir Charles Algernon
Coote who fortunately has no son ana no helr' VINO
is constantly being denounced by Henry Lanou-
cbere in the pages of his weekly London newspaper
..rr,+r., as a professional mendicant and begging
letter writer and keeping the wolf from the door
nv means of begging letters and soliciting aims
This Sir Charles Algernon Coote must not be
-fourded with Sir Algernon Charles Coote. the
head OF the senior branch of the Coote farniiy
whose baronetcy dates from the reign OF King
Iaroes and who q frequent visitor to the United
80. tte r,ossesses extensive estates in Ireland
,,ar.ic,,Iarlv In Queens County, and Is a son OF
tbst oxford divine whose name figures as author
-, the title page OF a work that at one moment
had great vogue this side Of the Atlantic name
" ..FibIe Helps for Busy Men,