New-York tribune., 1907-11-13
THIS LORD AN ANAK.
Earl Dd,mIey's Her Stands Sir Feet
SeUen Inches.

Lord Clifton OF Baltimore, whose majority mas
tt been celebrated with BETTING festivities at Cob
ham Hail. his ancestral home near Gravesend bids
fair 70 prove the taliest member of the peerage
ben he succeeds TO the earldom of his father Lord
y1arnley; for. whereas the latter stands six teot
rour Lord Clifton has attained the extraordinary
ze Of six feet inches. thus exceeding in stat
,.ra the Duke OF Somerset, the new Earl Of Dun-
more the Earl OF Pembroke and his own father
,ord DarnIey, who enjoy the distinction of being
tae taIlest members Of the House of Lords All the
ssIIgils are big men.
The patronynic OF the earls of Darnley OF to-
dsv is Bligh, and they not descended In any wav
from the Earl OF Darnley who married Mary Queen
NJ Scots and who murdered by Boutwell, The
first Lord Darnley Of the present creation was an
yrshnlan OF the OF Bligh who was raised to
the peerage during the reign OF Queen Anne and
who vas descended from one OF the officers who ac-
tompanied Oliver Cromwell to ireland. In the fe-
male line, however, Lord Darnley is descended from
the last Stuart Duke Of LennoX who died in 1872
ehen there being male heir Charles II, as near
est male heir Of the duke, appropriated the peerage
sad conferred It, along with the dukedom of Rich
nond. upon his ulegitmate son by Louise de Quer-
cuaes, Duchess OF Portsmouth from whom the
present Duke Of Richmond OF Gordon and of Len
nex is descended The Stuart dukedorn OF I.ennox
was Scotch one, and nearly all the peerages Of
Scotland transmissible through the female line
There is q doubt to whether the Stuart dukedom
OF LennoX belonged 20 this category of peerages or
not. But II # does come under that head.
d0ubtedly Lord Darnley's claim thereto Is a just
ene For though the last duke of the LennoX Stuart
line left no son. he was survived by daughter
the Lady Catherine Stuart of whose legitimate
descendants married that Irish attorney John Bligh
whom Queen Anne created Lord Darney.
The present earl has been of the most IA
nous cricketers IN the United Kingdom. and may
possibly be remembered as such under the name
~ Ivo Biigh. AT the death OF his elder brother
the late earl, the latter's English Barony
Of Clifton descended to his little daughter
being barony by writ, transmissible through
the female line. and Ivo Bligh merely sue
ceeded to the Irish Earidom OF Darney and to
the miner Irish honors, which include the Irish
Barony OF Clifton. So that he had 10 wait several
sears until his election as a representative peer
q ireland, in order TO obtain seat in the House
ot Lords.
His country seat at Gotham Hall, rear Graves
end, built In the reign Of Queen Elizabeth, fire.
ouently visited by that monarch and occupied by
Charles throughout his honeymoon, stands in the
MIDST OF country rich in Dickens associations.
The famous Leather Bottle inn TO which Mr.
Tracy Tupman retired for the purpose of self-de-
struction and where he was discovered not dead
but discussing fine bottle or port wine, by his
irend PlckWick, is just outside the park wall
Near by is Gadshill, where Dickens made his
home and where Falstaff lay In wait TO rob the
pilgrims. Gotham Hall contains one OF the finest
coi!ections OF pictures, nearly all old masters
IN England. and the father of the present peer was
80 afraid of their destruction by fire that no mat
any OF the rooms, the entire place remaining un-
heated, and the cooking being done In an adjacent
building. The Gotham Hall estate takes Its name
fron that Lord Gotham who was compromised In
me conspiracy Of Sir Walter Raleigh against King
James l. and was confscated by that monarch and
presented by him 70 the Stuart Duke OF Lennox
OF the day. passing the death OF the last Stuart
Duke OF Lennox 10 his daughter, the Lady Cath
crime Stuart, and through her TO her descendant
the wife OF the first Lord Darnley
Lord Darnley was at one time on the s,ocIr "
change. and for several years was connected with
a big firm Of port wine shippers He has likewise
been president OF the MaryIebone Cricket Club
but in recent years has changed from cricket
90 golf He won his wife out IN Australia when
In lSss he took cricketing team TO the Antipodes
1t seems that at one OF the matches he lost his
handkerchief. and, the day being extremely hot
inquired OF his friends II any Of them had a spare
handkerchief that he might borrow Immediately
d very feminine handkerchief of delicate fabric
vas handed TO him It was a most acceptable
Offering on that hot day. and after the match he
expressed his desire to thank the donor. An in
PRODUCTION to Miss Florence Morphy followed. She
was the daughter Of Victoria MAGISTRATE and
goTerness 70 the younger children OF Sir William
a. Clarke The acquaintance thus begun ripened
under the kindly chaperonage Of Lady Clarke an
engagement following, which stood the test Of a
long absence I'm England. and then Ivo Bligh re-
turned TO Australia, claimed his bride and bore
her of IN triumph