New-York tribune., 1909-09-23

Abercorn (the Duke IN Lord Beaconsnelds novel
"LOthair'). This Lord Claud Hamilton married
Lady Emma PROXY, sister OF the late Lord Carys-
fort and their son, on being adopted by his uncle
abandoned the patronymic of Hamilton and as
s1med In lieu thereof the name and arms OF PROXY
Colonel PrOby. who married a daughter of the
fourth Earl of DonOughmore and who has a num-
Der of children, now enters into the possession Of
his uncles great estates in England and in Ireland
estates which will probably qualify him for peer
age and for the revival of either the barony or
earldom of carysfort, in his honor, when Union
ist government returns to power
Whether the colonel will retain all his uncle's
treasures Of art and literature remains to be seem
At Elton Hall, the principal country seat of the
lords of CarysfOrt in England there is a superb
gallery Of pictures, including some of the finest
paintings OF Reynolds, Halls, Romney Isandseer
Hoppner and Hobbema, while in the library
wonderful collection Of old Bibles a number of
CaXtons, prayerbook belonging 20 and used by
King Henry VIII, and what are known as the
"Whittlesea Relics" which consist Of a silver
thurible and censer OF the time of Edward III.
Possibly all these. and in particular Reynolds's
Laughing Girl" may now come into the market.
Elton Hall has the wellnigh unique distinction
Of being in two counties, Huntingdonshire and
Northamptonshire, and cross-mark on the hearth
stone Of an ancient kitchen chimney shows the
boundary line. The place originally belonged the
famous Anglo-saXOn family of Sapcotes. whose
armoral devices-three dovecotes and a rams
head-are still to be seen on some of the Oldest
portions OF the hall. The SapcoteS became
tinct in medieval times and Elton has been in the
possession of the Probys since Queen Elizabeth.
Even then the Probys were accounted as house
of much antiquity. and of them had dstin-
gnished himself, according to history. in the
War of the Roses Sir Peter PROXY Lord
Mayor of London in the reign of James 7. William
PROXY was Governor of British India at the he
ginning of the eighteenth century, and It his
John who created first Lord Carysfort
in the peerage of Ireland for his services a lord
Of the Admiralty His and successor was ad-
vanced to the earldom of Carysfort. and Brit
ish Ambassador in Berlin and in St. Petersburg.
during the time Of the Napoleonic wars. at the be-
ginning of the nineteenth century. l may add
that brother of the first Lord Carysfort. Colonel
Thomas PROXY killed at the battle Of Ticon-
deroga
The second Earl Of Carysfort was also soldier,
served under Abercromhy in Egypt and under Sir
John Moore in the Peninsula while his brother
and successor was famous admiral, who greatly
distinguished himself at the battles of the Nile
and of Trafalgar. under Nelson. The late earl,
his son. was perhaps better known A scholar, as
2 virtuoso and as philanthropist- His place in
Ireland Is known by the of Glen Art Castle.
in County Wicklow. and, like Elton. his place in
England. is celebrated not only for its shooting,
but also for the stately old trees of which
date back six hundred and hundred years.
Much could be written about the Probys.
for the annals of this family full of romance
and tragedy such for instance, those connect
ed with the scapegrace brother of the late earl,
who died Australia considerably over dfty
years ago. But it is useless to rake up here long
forgotten misfortunes, which best left TO rest
in kindly oblivion, which, if related in detail.
would require far more space than I have at my
disposal in these letters
MARoIusE DE FONTENOY.