The Washington herald., 1908-07-12
Son of Duke of Norfolk viii
Get Vast Wealth.
PREMIER CHILD OF EMPIRE
Father IL Most Important Lay Mem
Der of the Roman Church I'm Great
Britnin-Home Is ArundeI Castle,
on Which Millions Has Been Spent.
Peculiar Traits of Duke shown.

OF Norfolk was treated rs an event Of al
most national Importance. The Duke Of
Norfolk Is man of mark In many ways
He is the most important lay member
of the Roman church I'm Great Britain,
and acts to oil intents and purposes,
when occasion arises, as British ambassa-
dor 10 the Vatican. He is also the pre-
mier peer of Great Britain, and the birth
OF son insuras the continuance in the
direct male line OF the ancient family OF
Howard. which stands next TO the blood
royal at the head of the English peerage
and traces its descent back TO Saxon
/ times.
Arundel Castle. the dukes stately Sus-
sex home. dates from the time OF King
Alfred. who mentioned ii In his will The
eleventh duke spent 100000 in rebuilding
and improving IT, and the present duke,
the fifteenth. has spent at least 100000
more. The south side and grand entrance,
as we'll as the old keep. are OF Saxon
architecture but the chief entrance is a
magnificent deep Norman doorway.
! 1t seems strange that with so long and
continuous a family history the child
! that was born a few weeks ago should
be the first heir 70 the. dukedom that has
been born in the historic castle. The titles
/ TO which he will succeed are more numer-
Gus than those held by almost any other
I peer He will be Duke Of Norfolk. Earl
OF Arundel, Of Surrey, and OF Norfolk.
/ Baron FitZalan. Clun, and Oswaldestre |
and Baron Maltravers He will also be
\ earl marshal and hereditary marshal or
England an office. together with that Of
chief butler, conferred upon his predeces- !
sOr in the fifteenth century, with the
magnificent emolument of e20 a year
suitably 10 maintain It's dignity.
First Son "A WeakIing.
The present holder Of all these digni- /
/ ties and titles is probably one Of the most
unassuming men in the British Isles, says
the New York Sun. He succeeded hts /
father as fifteenth duke In 1860. when only
thirteen. and seventeen years later mar
ried daughter OF Lord Donington. There /
was only one child OF this marriage. a (
son, whose mental and physical weakness /
was the tragedy OF his parents lives !
| Everything that human knowledge could
suggest was tried and failed. To Lourdes |
and other famous Catholic shrines he was
taken. but never with the least benefit to |
/ his mind or body
In 1857 the duchess died. and the duke |
always a deeply religious man, wished 10 !
retire from the world and spend the rest /
! Of his life in some religious order. but /
/ the urgent representations OF his friends /
| including Queen Victoria, Lord Salisbury |
and Cardinal Newman. prevented him 1
| from taking this course Instead. he de- |
voted himself 10 the care OF hS invalid /
son and the performance OF any public /
duty that came his way.
lie was twice mayor OF Sheffield a town /
from which he derives some f1G000 a /
year. and from 1896 10 1900 was one OF the /
most active postmaster generals the gen /
eral pOst-oitice ever had. He resigned TO 4
serve in the South African war.
In 1902 his son died. and two years later 1
the duke married again. this time the /
daughter and heiress OF Baron Herries, /
! hts cousin. She is heiress 70 the ancient I
Scotch barOny OF Herries. created in liS9 4
one OF the few peerages inheritabe by /
daughters as well as sons Of the house, 4
SO that the child Will in the ordinary I
course Of events add this title 20 the long I
list he will inherit from his father.
A peculiar fact in connection with the /
earfdom of Arundel, created in u39. is /
that Arundel Castle Is the only ancient 4
feudal estate the possession Of which psO 4
any millionaire tomorrow. he would at /
once become Earl Of Arundel
In spite OF his vast wealth and high
position, the present Duke OF Norfolk I
scorns delights He prefers old garments |
to new. and can boast the proud distinc- /
ton Of being the wOrst-dressed man in /
the House OF Lords. which has been called /
the worst-dressed assemblage IN Europe.
Wears Shabby Clothes.
Very short. with a bustling. rolling gait. /
long, dark untrimmed beard; dressed in !
old. unfashionable. even shabby. clothes. |
he certainly does not suggest externally /
the premier duke and earl marshal OF /
England once, It is said, he went into a /
shop In Portsmouth. and the proprietor. \
thinking he had come in answer to an /
advertisement for an assistant. told him I
the place was filed and offered him six /
pence to cover his disappointment The |
duke, who is not without humor, took It /
with thanks and went away.
On another occasion. when the beauti- |
fully kept grounds of Arundel were |
thrown open for a school children's treat.
the duke was crossing one of his lawns, /
when a teacher followed him. shouting:
Come of the grass, It's people like |
you get these places shut to the public"
On the day that Gladstone was buried /
in Westminster Abbey the writer was 4
standing. with a small body OF press /
representatives, in King William Rufus /
Hall, where the first part of the funeral /
ceremony was TO take place. little man /
In On old-fashioned frock coat. the very
short sleeves Of which revealed no sign Of !
shirt cuffs, hustled up TO him and asked /
Have you gentlemen got everything you /
want?" and then hustled off 20 get a I
few more printed forms Of the proceed !
ings. A woman reporter next to the |
writer touched him on the arm and said, |
Was that the chief undertaken who spoke /
TO youg' NO" was the reply. that was |
the Duke Of Norfolk, the earl marshal OF 4
England. who supeTintends a function OF |
this sort as one of his duties."
The woman reporter evidently did not |
believe il, and looked around for some |
one she could trust Seeing Julian Ralph. /
she went and asked him, but he was not |
sure. and II was not until the duke this
time carrying his marshars baton, led IN /
the distinguished procession Of clergy and \
pallbearers, that she would believe the /
rusty-looiing little man with a kind face. /
but shocking clothes, was the imnortant 1
parsonage he had been declared to be.
Alas and AIack!
From Judge
What's the matter, dear?" asked the
doctors wife. Are you worried about
Mr.. Poorleys case?'