New-York tribune., 1907-11-27
EARL OF MANVERS.
Like j. p. Morgan, Belongs to the
PierrepOnt FdmiIy.

Lord Manvers, who has sustained such severe
injuries in the hunting field while fulfilling his
duties as master OF the Ruford Hounds. is a man
tn the neghborhood OF sixty, and the chief oF the
English branch of the House of Pierrenont +o
which he. like J. Pierpont Morgan however be-
longs through descent the distaf side and the
principal representative in the line Of which
IS Henry Evelyn Pierrepont. of Columbia Heights
Brooklyn. the family having become extinct in the
male line in England.
The founder of the family, Sir Robert de FierrA-
pont was Of the companions in arms of Will
fam the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings and
received from that monarch the manor OF Holme
Pierpont, in Yorkshire, OF which he was the first
lord. The chief Of the family in the seventeenth
century in the male line direct was Sir George
Pierrepont whose grandson became the Earl Of
kingston -upon-Hull. Marquis of Dorchester and
Duke Of Kingston His EVELYN the second
Duke of Kingston. who married the famous heautv
Elizabeth ChudIeigh. died without issue, the Eng
lsh line Of Pierreponts thereby becoming extinct
In the male line. He left the whole of his vast
fortune to the duchess. whereupon Philip Meadows
vho had married the dukes only sister LADY
Frances Pierrepont, brought charges against tho
duchess TO the effect that her marriage with the
duke had been Of a bigamous and therefore. in
valid character.
sensational trial of the duchess by the House of
Lords showed that prior to her marriage to the
duke she had been secretly married IN Arg7,stt,s
Hervey, lieutenant Of the royal navy who had
IN the mean while become Earl of Bristol and
from Whom she had never obtained a divorce
She was therefore convicted of biEamy by her
peers, and in consequence thereof divested of the
title and style Of Duchess of Kingston This had
the effect OF reducing her TO the status Of Countess
OF Bristol The penalty of bigany in those davs
vas death. But as Countess of Bristol she was
able 10 plead the privilege OF the peera ge. and
escaped all punishment beyond the payment of the
fees Of the trial and of certain fines This she was
well able TO do For while her conviction
OF bgamy cost her her strawberry-leaved coronet
OF duchess Il left her in the possession of the
great fortune Of the duke, while Philip Meadows
who was responsible for the suit against her
found himself completely ruined
The ex-duchess retired to the Continent and
having during her extraordinary career PLAYED q
role IN the lives OF Frederick the Great Of Prussia
or Noltaire. OF the Eiectoress OF Saxony and of
other great personages of her time died at the
Chateau de St Assise. near FontainebIeau when
II was found that, perhaps by reason of compunc-
ton. she had left the fortune which she had IN
herlted from the duke to one of the latters
nep1ews Charles Meadows that is to say the son
Of the man who had robbed her of her title of
duchess, and whom she had ruined On coming
into possession OF all the property Of his mothers
brother. the last Duke Of Kingston at the death
OF the eX-duchess Charles Meadows assumed by
permission Of the crown the patronymic and the
arms Of the Perrepont family, and was eventually
raised TO the peerage, first Baron Pierrepont of
HoTne Pierpont. IS Viscount Of Newark-on-Trent
and as Earl Manvers. The present Lord Manvers
is the fourth earl OF the line in direct male sue
cession.
Sir George Pierrepont, the grandfather of the
first Duke OF Kingston, had 4 younger son Of the
name of William PeTrepcnt. whose son James
Pierrepont came 70 America and died at Ipswich,
Mass. toward the end of the seventeenth century,
leaving two sors. namely, John and Robert. From
these the late Juliet Pierpont, the mother of J.
P.erpont Morgan. and Henry Evelyn Pierrepont OF
Brooklyn, are descended in direct line. But while
the Pierreponts of America may justly claim 10
represent the male line of the ancient and historic
Anglo-NorTEsn House of f1ierrepont, they can put
forward pTetensicns 70 any Of the honors ard
Kingston since the various peeTages which he pos
sessed were acquired by his father considerably
after the other branch OF his family had enigrat-
ed to America.
The principal countrv seat of Lord Manvers,
which was formerly the home Of the two Pierre
pout Dukes Of Kingston and which was be-
oueathed 10 the first Earl of Manvers BY the big
arnous ex-Duchess Of Kingston is Thoresby, in
Sherwood Forest which is justly regarded as the
architectural pride Of the "Dukeries' It stands,
so to speak ensnrined in an immense park.
among the features OF which are fhe quaint and
gnarled old oaks beneath the shade of which bold
Robin Hood was wont TO roam in days Of old II
was the home, too. OF Lady Mary 1Nortley AIontagu
and is familiar sucn TO the readers Of her writ
fngs The mansion has been on several occasions
visited by fire. but 10 a great extent rebuilt
by the late earl, whose widow is most charming
old French woman. the daughter Of the last
Pierrepont family hail originally from the Castle
of Pierrepont the borders Of Picardy, the ruins
Of which still in existence.