The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
THE BUYING OF TITLES
SOME OF THE PROMINENT INTERNATIONAL
MARRIAGES AND THE OUTCOME

She was then thirty years Old, having
been left widow Gve years before. with
an income of several hundred thousand
dollars In 1872 she became q widow
again through the death of the duke and
in 1885 was married TO Lord William
BeresfoTd. Her married life IS the Duch-
ess Of Marlborough although q short one.
was said to be entirely happy The
Marlborough exchcqueT WAS as depleted
then as when the Vanderbilt fortune came
10 its rescue. and the American duchess
devoted her entire income to repai1:ng
Benheim and the ether estates. No chill
dTen were born 70 her, and the present
duke is the son of her husbands first
wife.
More within present memory. and surely
Of greater prominence IN the public world
than any names mentioned thus far. was
the beautiful Lady Curzon. who from be-
Ing Miss Mary Letter. Of Chicago. became
the vicereine of India. It may be object
cd that this is not a case IN point az
Lord Curzon of Kedleston was only the
Hon. Nathaniel George Curz0n when Miss
Letter married him. Bat he was the
eldest son Of Lord Scarsdale, and as such
the heir 10 a peerage and was made a
i'NA tit ifao VNl nhtUIuL NfttA cefIE Ult
10 India ss viceroy. So II titles are bad
for American girls it would seem that
Lady Curz0n should have met with the
general run Of luck attached 10 such
emoluments.
As is well known the Curzons were
ideally happy together and Lady CuTzou
showed "a remarkable fitness for the du-
ties which fell 10 her lot Her great
beauty and charm Of manner were the ad-
miTatiOn OF London society and no Eng
lish-bOrn girl could have achieved q great
ct social success than did she Through
out her life she assisted her husband in
his work, displaying tact dignity and
Judgment When she died, IN 1856, her ca
r2er was referred to as Il triumph. and
her loss was widely mOurned.
The name Of Lady Randolph Churchill
now Mrs ConWallis West should be also
mentioned. She WIS Miss Jennie Jerome.
a daughter Of Leonard Jerome. Of New
York. and her first husband Was younger
brother of the Duke Of Marlborough Her
ability and clevcruess were Of substantial
aid to her husband throughout his public
career. Her son. Winston Spencer
Churchill. is considered one Of the ablest
Of the younger generation in English poll
ties. Altogether, her life in England must
be considered a brilliant success
Another American bride Of an English
peer whose case might be considered a
success or failure. according 10 ones
point Of view, is the Dowager Duchess of
Manchester. who was Miss ConsueIo
Yznags, OF New York. Her case is inter
esting in one respect. at any rate. for
unlike some more recent brides. she play
ed the game to the end and did not quit
Her husband was the YisCount Maude-
vile when she married him in New
York in MAY 1s76. and did not succeed
70 tie title of duke until 1896. He died
two years later, and the general opinion
IN England was that as yisc0untess OF
duchess the wife of the duke had led
about as trying a life as could well be
/ imagined The duke was as disreputable
a peer as could be found. the gossip or
the time shows, and the sufferings Of his
wife earned her universal sympathy 4
son was born who is the present duke
and who. il may be noted. married Miss
Helena Zimmerman, Of Cincir0eH Ohio
The Duchess Of Manchester did not seek
TO rid herself Of her husband. however,
and lived with him throughout their six
'een years Of married life.