New-York tribune., 1908-08-26

creeks and the dynasty of the Palsologos estab-
hshed on the Byzantine throne in their stead.
The son of Reginald de Courtenay. described
above as having welded his daughter to Prince
Peter Of France the progenitor OF the Latin
perors of Constantinople. was married by King
Henry II of England to a great Devon heiress
and was created Viscount of Devon, Governor of
the Castle of Exeter and Lord OF Oakhampton-
The Hugh de Courtenay and Lord of Oakhampton
of the reign of King Edward III was created Earl
Of Devonshre by that monarch and the second
earl married granddaughter of Edward 1. greatly
distinguished himself at the battle of Crecy and
was one of the founder knights the Order of the
Garter At The outbreak of the War OF the Roses
the Courtenays sided with the Lancastrians. The
sixth Earl of Devon was beheaded by Edward "
after the battle of Towton. The seventh earl was
oeheaded AT Salisbury, and the eighth earl well
as ms cousin and heir. fell at the battle of Tewkes-
bury. The ninth earl married Catherine Plan
tagenet. daughter of King Edward " His SON
was promated to the marqJisate of Exeter, but in
CURED the i'll will of Henry VIII. who sent him to
the scaffold and attainted his honors. He left
son. Edward who remained in prison throughout
the reign OF Edward VI but who restored to
liberty and created Ear Devon by Queen Mary
Failing in love with her sister Princess Elizabeth.
and discovered in a conspiracy to place her upon
the throne in the place her sister. with himself
as King Conso-- he consigned TO the Tower.
and escaped decaptation only through the inter-
vention of King PhiliT of Spain. through whose
influence. the occasion of his marriage 10 queen
Mary. he likewise restored to liberty Mary
banished him the Continent. warning him of
vengeance If ever again he associated with her
enemies. Presumably he failed TO comply with
this Injunction. for years later this noble
man. whose character has been pretty well depict
by Tennyson in his Queen Mary poisoned
at Padua by agents OF the English government. AS
he left no issue the earidom of Devon was sup
posed to have become extinct
But in 1881, that say 275 years later the
earldcm claimed by William Courtenay, third
Viscount Courtenay of Powderham Castle, near Ex-
eter on the ground that in the patent creating the
earIdom CT Devon. 1853. by Queen Mary. the
words de corpore suo'' had been for some reason
or another omitted; consequently, the inheritance
Of the peerege was not restricted to the heirs or
the body of the nobleman upon whom the earldom
had been bestov7e extended to his collaterals
The recovery of a peerage In such fashion. ana
by virtue of such omission, is unique in the an
nails of the English aristOcracy. For although 'he
present Earl of Devon sits in the House of Lords
by virtue of the earldom bestowed by Queen Mary
upon Edward Courtenay. who died at Padua with
out issue he is obliged TO back to early IN the
fourteenth century to establish his connection as
collateral to Queen Mary's Earl of Devon being
descended from Sir Philip Courtenay of Powder
ham Castle one of the youngest sons of that Earl
of Devon of the reign of King Edward III whom
I mention above as having been one OF the founoef
knights of the Garter but whose earldom was ex-
tjngrished by attainder under Henry VIII.
MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.