New-York tribune., 1908-01-24
ROMANCE OF A TITLE.
Uo,c Sir Courtenay Mansef Comes
fo Resume His Honors.
-. 1e.s hr ,hs Breat-eos cornranr.l

:. .r~+.c- Hall near Norwich serves 20 recall the /
., ths+ he formerly held the haronetcy in ques-
--,r which he surrendered under very romantic
,ir-,r-astanoes couple of years to his uncle
r. ror,ance IN the may oe said u have
- a. origin IN scotlands peculiar marriage
- witch have furnished the theme OF so many
-vels AID TIE inspiration 20 such numerous play
vg1shts.
= seems that Major Cou-ten2y Nansei. or TIE
-s,b I5usss-s father Q, the late ba-onet, grand
-,.+r- Of rhe ney bzrcnet. and who died ~
ss,-s.osd a-e il lg3E. went through ceremony OF
,.sry5aee ~ June. 1sS7, with Louisa, daughter OF
80 rey Sohu Si6ney. After this marriage son
-, born VINO received the name OF Richard and
80 as tae ruasor's son succeeded TO the Marsel
1.-5retcy ms tenth haronet. Sir Richard was twice
married, RS second wife beiTg al actress Of the
1,71-ca Gsiet- Theatre Sir Richard was
s-,,rke- sr,endthritt whose extravaganza resulted
= IRE loss of the ancestral home of the family
vyst- Courteass Park. which was SOLD for the
benefit his creditors. Bankrupt and penniess,
l.s ans ms yeung by his first marriage became
,-sf-aiy dependent upon The earnings Of his sec
..a ala actress wife. She is well known in this
country. <c- Lady Nansei she made a number
q theatrical tours the United States. her dra-
matte performance not being, however. OF very
high order and consisting in her appearance on
Ire stage II. boys costume and singing some Eng
a.sh music hall songs and interludes and skipping
rope danCss
when Sir Richard died. in = cheap lodging house
81 Brighton. he appointed his widow and 'heat-
neal friend of hers OF the name Of Nye 10 take
charge Of his boy His relatives objected 10 inns
md appealed the courts, insisting that ne'llei
LADY Nansel nor Nye a o. peTeEon 10 oe IL
I-lsted with the education Of lad OF soo9 la"'
,s- In court. however. Lady Mansel showed that
~ her earnings the stage she hao 1of d 'Hr'i
l.4r of years maintained al her expense nolh heI
.-lshan6 and his sor and un6er the crcuIlls'S
-he 5udge presiding over the case sTahte1
cisian IN her favor her stepson reTnaihiHs W.
her until the attainment Of his ina1o!4S- zo
Ncer long after thai reached ne Na '4 (
svare for the first time that there was ~ hta
ms right TO the bsronetcy- II seems .1 I
E-sn6fsther-nanlely. Major tour'enas = 80
had ived at least nine years with MS VIZ - -
going through the ceremony oi ne iS - 70 /
~ fSs- During nearly al these niIe - -
s.5 - s-,.1sr6 ana fhe fact that they passe'
there Is man and wife was snfhclsh' "a 'lo - -
Of The law of Scotland 10 CONSTITUTE q i-e' &c 90.
-. --bsre we're several children born 10 the Z.
,c-1ple IN sootIsnd, among them a SON bd"ard
-rserlsalsv WanseI. who has 5ust diTd This hoWafo
1fsDseI who served in the 6th Dragons reur}hs .
With The rank e coione- managed EtteF eood +
sezI n difficulty. n obtain, about tNo years ago
from rFre court Sessions IN Scotland a document
z---5 a decIarstcr Of marriage" establishing the
-z-f tls1 ms father. Major CourTeBsy ManseL had /
fae- IL the ezes the law Of Scotland the legal o
husband q the applicants mother during their /
residence u the kingdom prior 70 the marriage .
-eref-or- and that he himself therefore was the
,rde-- and legitimate Of his father. His
,rr-hev- .oune Sir Courtenay Mansei. that is 10
ssv the son of Sir Richard. was q friendly party
- TIE suit and tie only reason for the appeal 10
1he courts for the sake Of obtaining the legal
recognition cf she legitimacy Of Colonel Mansei and
- fis consequent Ownership of the bSronetCy until
then wrongly vested IN his nephew Colonel Sir .
F-dHar6 Hfanse having no children. his nephew. as
rs -ext heir. succeeds him in the haronetcy, and
siso Iuhe-l-s his very considerable property, which
ms lr-Ie has left 10 him in recognition Of the .
honorable manner which he acted in connection
VIII the surrender Of the family honors- 1t is only
ss,- - add that the young fellow did not await .
the action Of the Court of Sessions At Edinburgh /
in granting -he -tdeclaratcr Of marriage" before
s-s7d0rt-c the use of the title IN fact, as
rs ever he attained his majority and became his
own master he notified his uncle that he would .
refrain -henceforth from using the prefix Sir TO
lis Christian name and that. far from contesting .
ans legal action which his uncle might take 10
establish ms rights lie would assist him IN the .
matter.
Os COURSE ne chief sufferer in this action
The actress widow Of Sir Richard Mansel, whose
TIVE her PRINCIPAL stock in trade actress
bcta ff this country and in England and which /
she q COURSE lost through the legal demonstra-
tor cf the fact that her husband had never been
bzron@r E0d that he had been unRarrsntably re-
tanning houers which really belonged to his elder
brother P1r hoy is nov, through the in
Esr--zno@ Of b5s uncie's property. in sfiuent cir
cunls-sHrss he viii be able provide for her and
n ra1de- fer independent of he necessity Of earn
inE her living.
England. and can trace their ancestry in IN
l-okea line 70 S5r John Mansel Maunsell. who
Lord y irh Chancellor King Henry III in I
- thirteenth century and also ambassador To- the
Fcre 4 S'r Rice Nsnsel was one OF The principal
digrilsrles - the court % Henry VII and the
tsronetes. one q the earliest created ny King
James J. -rss conferred January 1872. upon Sir
Francis AIarseI one Of adrniras Of that
rtgn TIE reV haronet Sir CeUrtenay Cecil Man
81 IS unmarried, and Judging from al accounts
zu1 frorr ne ws- in which he behaved 70 his jate
-ncls. nice fellow. who is likely TO make
RS vsv =r the world and TO win many friends
Ir TINS connection r must be thoroughly under
FOOD thz- .r Great Britain people cannot divest
themselves - their tides until after II has been
kaovr b- lzvr that they have right thereto
Thus 2 mel VINO happens to have inherited
tsronercg have been created knight, ana
Nhg hy subsequent loss Of money finds the honors
TO ros-lv and burdensome 10 bear, cannot get rid
q -her- Tue ne can refrain from using them
b1- ir law tHe sir' remains pTehzed 10 his Chris
tar name
J. is ~. same VIM peers OF the realm Many
TTor0ls-S political career in the House OF Com
mons RS been cur snort by an altogether unWel-
ooHle Succession 70 the peersge. man may de-
c'rs rae-.ge when the crevn offers 10 create
one in ..s favor. But II he has accepted It he
remains pee no matter what happens, and be-
canes invested with the prerogatiyes and handi- (
capped 7lrh the Disadvantages of that honor SUD
Ger rererts and bility maintain the dignity
@ Z peeraEa constitute no valid ground for Us
sbsEdcureur There have been occasionally peers
s1ea as TIE rfh Earl Berkele., who declined ,"
make of flafT -itlos and VINO insisted upon De
iag known 49, plain Mr. So-and-So, Lord BerHf-
90 action being prompted by the fact that the use
- rs ti-.e would have .mplied admission OF the
Cages affecting his mothers honor. and the legiti-
hart n IDS elder brothers. born of wediock n
brglsn6. Hrr uo matter how much he called him
So plan N-. Thomas Moreton Berkeley. me re