New-York tribune., 1908-07-15
NEW KNIGHT OF GARTER
Marquis of Northampton's Philan-
thropg and Socialism.
cpprrish,. 1eos. sr the Brentwood compnnr. l

-7nNO
vacancy in the order meets with universal ap-
--oval IN England Fer. although this peer is not
only Radical ia Jolitics. but something almost
okiu TO q Socialist. yet he puts his great wealth
90 such practical philanthropic uses that there is
none Of his oountryInen who has not 8. good word
20 esy OF him Last year he came quite promi-
nently ilto the public eye in connection with
his conversion OF old Canonbu-y Tower in the
northern part Of London. into club for the poor
of the district and into~a museum for North Lon
don antiquities.
Canonbury Tower. Of which Washington Irving
wrote so entertainingly is one of the most inter
esting relics Of that portion metropolis and
formed part OF mansion built in the fourteenth
century In the latter part of the fifteenth CEN
.t;rv il was used fc- religious purposes as a pri-
ory and shared the fate of most establishments
OF that kind in the reign of Henry VIII, who pre-
sented It 10 Thomas, Lord Cromwell his gentle.
man in waiting. 1t passed into the possession of
Sir John Spencer, the immensely wealthy Lord
Mayor OF London. whose daughters marriage with
viii Compton the first Lord Northampton, was
one of the romances of the Elizabethan era. Will
Compton was son Of Henry Wits favorite gen
tleman-in aiting, Lord Compton and was so
noted scapegrace that when he fell in love with
Lord Mayor Spencer's daughter the chief mag
istrate Of the city objected HIS forbade
him the house. In no wise discouraged VIII Comp
ton disguised himself S a bakers apprentice and
carried off the fair Elizabeth Spencer the object
of his affections. concealed in a bakers basket on
his shoulders Sir John began by disinheriting his
daughter. but was induced by Queen Elizabeth to
become reconciled to her. and when he died left
her his great fortune. which was estimated at
s5eooooo colossal sum in those days. Its amount
seemed the head of his son-fn-law for the
latter INDUCED in such insane extravaganza spend
SSc0.cDo in a fortnight that his wife secured
his Incarceration for few months in the Tower
Ct London until he had recovered hfs senses AL
though by reason of his wifes fortune Earl
Of Northampton, he to the END of his days was
known 10 his contemporaries ''the crazy lord
owing to the denentia TO which he had given
way his sudden accession to riches
From the time when, at the death of Sir John
Spencer CanonbuTy Tower passed into the nos
session OF his son-in-law and daughter 1t has al
ways belonged TO the lords of Northampton who
have frequently accorded hospitality there to dis
finguished people, among them Sir Francis Bacon
and Oliver Goldsmith, who found refuge there
from his creditors. and who is said to have writ
zen the Vicar Of Wakefield beneath its roof
Ephrain Chambers, the father of encyclopaedists
lived there. and was buried from thence in West
minister Abbey, and among other famous writers
who have found shelter at Canonbury Tower was
Christopher Smart whose Sons to David" has
been pronounced by Rosetti and by Browning to
be the only great accomplished poem OF the
eighteenth century,
The present Lord Northampton owes much of
his wealth 10 his marriage the late narchfoness
having been the only daughter and heiress of the
greater part Of the wealth of the second Lord
Ashburton, who in his day Of the prin-
her husband in marriage huge fortune, including
extensive ground rents in the Clerkenwell and
lsington districts Of London. which increasing
in value all the time 1t was the administration
Of this landed property that brought Lord North
ampton into contact with the poorer classes end
developed in him that philanthropy to which
now devotes nearly all his time and much Of his
hnoney. and it is this work among the that by
degrees brought about his conversion to the ad
Tanced political views which he now holds.
WAS THE WHIPPING BOY OF A KING.
Lord Northampton traces his descent to Osbert
Of Compton, who hourished in the reign OF Henry
il, and who the of Turchil of Arden, an
Ang1o-Saxon chieftain, who. according TO history,
deserted from King Harold 10 William the Con-
oueror Just before the Battle Of Hastings From
this contemporary of the Norman Conquest the
present marquis is descended in an unbroken line,
and his family already IN possession of the
estate Of Compton Wynyates, its present home, at
the time when the Doomsday Book was compiled,
nearly thousand years ago. What may be de-
scribea as the fortunes of the house date from
Sir William Compton, father CT the first Earl
O. Northampton, who was the whipping poy'
childhood playmate and boyhood friend of Henry
VII whom he attended at the Field OF the
Cloth Of Gold" besides being his ambassador to
Emperor Charles. also Chancellor of Ireland and
one Of the principal participants in the Battle
of the Spurs"
Il was he who built the present mansion OF
tons Of the older house. and 1t IS. perhaps the
finest OF the half-timbered country seats of Eng
land strange mixture Of Tudor castle and OF
cottage with turrets, embattled walls, tfnbereo
gableends and broad moat, teeming with sllVery
fish: z mansion distinguished in an altogether
unique fashion by its demonstration Of the aTchl-
tecural secrets of perfect proportion without reg
ularity During the Civil War Compton Nynyates
(Which latter a corruption Of compton OF lhs
vineyards-') was repeatedly the scene OF sleges
by The Parliamentarians and by the Royalsts
And then at the beginning Of the eighteenth
century q Lord, Northampton. with the tastes o1
vandal. actually perpetrated the crime OF whl'e-
washing all the superb Panelling ana "ood"orh
OF the house this peer being a contemporary oi
NalCney who whitewashed ShakespeafeS pusl a'
stratford-on-A Avon. not dozen miles away IL Is
a difficult matter TO believe this But, despite the
efforts or this Lord Northampton's successors 10
repair the damage even superficial examination
shows traces Of whitewash in many a corner anu
creyioe Of the woodwork Henry VIII Eo"Aiu
VI Queen Elizabeth and James ! are among lhe
sovereigns in olden days who nave s'aAeu a.
Compton Wynyates ana in the state apartments
The 4,e oak bedstead in which Charles l slept
yb,le = guest Of The second Lord Northampton
figures among the furniture si1i Ia use 10 'hiS
present dsy- -,
o~7 >-rtta,,,.tsr.s other country seat is Castle
Asluy. near Northampton The present -h'ils'o
was 5urt for the greater part in the reign o.
Ciueer r-'fzal,eth and james ] and his queen paio
q state ,-isi, there Inieo Jones in 1924 made some
ADDITIONS including rurrets and a long sai'eS'
while a great dining room was added III Io''' ~
,ne occasion OF the state visit OF William Al. one
Q. the Lords Of Northampton was man 81 siea
pety, and 10 him due the Bipiical 'eN'S "
sorbed in huge stone letters IN the forni % d
balustrade all around the rcof OF the ilahsion 'iie
idea being repeated in the stone oa'uS'tS'i'A "
the many stately terraces
z,x,--., .-,,,,,>- ny NAME, OF A CROWN PRINCE