New-York tribune., 1908-03-16
COLLARS OF ST. PATRICK
Iron Dukes Letter Says Ihey Are
Merely of Copper Gilt.

Merely OF Copper Gilt.
Copyright 1905 by the Brentwood Company
Professor Goldwn Smiths Irish History and
Irish Character furnishes odd clew the
traordrary indifference manifested by Secretary
Birren jxho represents the Emerald Isle in the
Camp bell -Bannerman Cabinet) regarding the re-
covery of the missing insignia the Order Of s.
Patrick. which founded only the close of
the eighteenth century. For his book contains the
following letter written by the first Duke of We'll
lington. who Sir Arthur Wellesley was Secretary
for Ireland from 1907 1909. He writes as follows:
have settled the business of the Chancellor of
the Order Of st. Patrick. He will have literally
the copper collars. for they of copper. W.
the father of -. embezzled the money which had
been etver him for the ACQUISITION Of the ten gold
collars and bought copper ones instead
There is no record of these gilt copper collars
or chains of the knights Of the Order OF st. Pat
rick having ever been superseded by real gold
ones. and il IS therefore not only possible. but
probable that most of the missing insignia of
the Order of St. Patrick of gilt copper. with
the possible exception of the Star OF the Grand
Master. which stated to contain very
handsome brilliants given for the purpose by
George ". But II the authority Of the great
Duke Of Wellington the insignia OF the knights of
the Order of gilt copper what guarantee have
that the briiants adjoining the Star of the
Grand Master We're not Of paste? 1t would go far
toward explaining the apparent indifference dls-
played by the authorities with regard to the recov-
cry OF the missing insignia In fact, the fndiHer-
ence has been so marked as to convey the impress
sion that they had actually been recovered. which
however, Secretary Birren. in reply TO question
denied the other day. though in tone that left
it 10 be inferred that it was not matter OF
much Importance whether they were found or not
FUTURE DUCHESS OF WELLINGTON
AS the Marquis of Douro seems doomed TO bache-
lorhood pretty Nesta Fitzgerald. only daughter OF
the knight of Glyn, who has just married Loro
Richard Wellesley has good chance of becoming
Duchess OF Wellng gton. her husband being the sec
ond son OF the duke. Lord Richard is an of1cer OF
the Grenader Guards. in which regiment he Is aS
great a favorite as his elder brother, Lord Douro'
was the reverse Indeed. Lord Douro severed MS
connection with the corps account of his unpop-
uarity with his fellow officers. which culmlnaleo
in his being hazed after mock court martlal os
his comrades the "ragging" in question resulting
in a controversy that engaged the attention OF
Parliament Fortunately Lord Richard Nelles-
Iey's bride Will eventually come into very large
fortune of the heresses of her nult-nlIlioh-
aire grandfather Henry Bischofsheim. the Anglo
Viennese Hebrew banker: for the present Duke or
Wellington although cornforta bly, eff. thanks TO
the property which he inherited from his mother'
Lady Charles Wellesley who a Pierrepont oy
birth. IS not particularly rich. At the time When
his celebrated grandfather created first Duke
Of Wellington. in recognition Of his services IN
bringing about the downfall of Napoleon. the Eng
Iish and Spanish governments each conferred upon
him hereditary pensions of 200 q year. These
pensions however were perpetual, but limited
to three lives-that TO to his own ano 10 MS
two Immediate successors The late Duke of Wei
lington was the third and the present one Is the
fourth and receives annuity. though he sui
derives a considerable income from the landeo
estates which were bestowed upon his grandfather
by the Spanish crown along with the annuity so
clever as a strategist, the great Duke OF Nel1hs-
ton was unfortunate. TO say the least, IN his IN
1-estments and in the administration of mis- fortune
In addition to the grants which he received from
the governments OF Spain and Of Portugal and his
T7-ize money in which the battle of Waterloo alone
represented s3900ta he received close upon s5VeJ,Tt
from the English nation. single vote Of Parla-
rent alone being Sa5000oQ, while after the bat
tie Of Waterloo Parliament gave an additionaI
100000 to be devoted the purchase OF an estate
All that there is show for this is Apsley
House in Piccad.lly, at Hyde Park Corner, which
he purchased as a London residence from the
crown for the nominal sum of $4,000. and Strain
feIdsaye on the borders Of Hampshire and Berk
shire which, aside from its historical associations,
possesses few attractions and is altogether unpro
ductive.
The Duke OF weI1ington's family al one time
possessed immense estates in Ireland. But these
we're sold early the nineteenth century, by the
first dukes elder brother. the Marquis of Nees
ley, that say. a eranduncle of the present
duke. This Marquis of Wellesley one OF the
first English peers marry an American, namely.
Marianne daughter OF Richard Carton, Of Phila
delphia widow o. Robert Patterson. whose
sister Elizabeth was the first wife OF King jerome
Bonaparte OF West phalia and the grandmother o.
the present Attorney General Of the United States
But the Marquis Of Wellesley, who filled the office
not only of Governor General Of India but like
wise of Viceroy OF Ireland sold all his Irish
property ostensbly TO pay his debts but reality
because like his brother the duke he dsliked Ire
land.