New-York tribune., 1909-09-15
LET RIGHT BE DONE
Monarch SuSpends Statute of Limi-
fations an Blake Heirs Case
lconzrleht. 1909. by the brentwood comnan.,

sed against the British Crown for the recovery
= her large fortune. estimated at some three or
so,r million dollars, but also suspends the action
:, The statute of limitations in the case.
srs Blake. whose maiden name was EJelen
cberidan died intestate in 1876, leaving a large
sortune 10 which many claimants have since an
,ored a number Of them haing from this conn
,,v While in the majority OF instances the most
.,,rsory Examination OF the pretensons Of these
claimants has suficed 10 demonstrate their faIlacy
,bere are several of them that appear to be well
faunded, and the necessary documentary evidence
,Dtl recently lacking, having now been secured
,be matter is al length being brought into court
s0v decision by the English tribunals
IN most instances Of stories OF great fortunes
held by the Crown awaiting the rghtfu heir the
so,-une is a myth. With regard to that Of the
late Mrs Robert Dudley Blake il is a reality for
che property comprises Twizel Castle, in Northum-
hsrlsnd rented on a long lease by the Crown
10 some members Of the Blake family. situated on
,be River TILL and close TO the TwizeI Bridge
,,sptioned by Sir Walter Scott in ''Marmion"
vbere he describes the march Of the English from
Fqoaden Ridge while the Scots watched them
as they crossed the TIL by Twizel Bridge" Then
there are Hand Cross House. country place in
sussex. and other pieces of real estate in Middle
sex and Surrey When Mrs Blake died. without
Issying will the Crown took charge OF the fort
rne and after waiting for some time for heirs
~ come forward 10 prove their claims, In response
70 the brief advertisement claims 10 the estate
of Helen Blake, deceased, Of No. (. Earls Ter
ace Keusington'-nO mention being made OF her
Irish parentage Of heF husbands ana
military rank-the personal property sold for
me sum Of a little more than 100000. This. with
secrUng interest since 1850. Well the real
estate represents the Blake fortune Of nearly four
million dollars
The property was originally that OF Robert Dud-
lev Blake, a scion Of that well known Irish house
NJ Blake which has been settled IN Ireland. and
ssnecially in the County Of Galway, for more than
sK hundred years, and Of which Lord Wallscourt
Is the chief representative in the peerage Robert
Bake gas a Lieutenant in the army when while
Saving al CastIebar. he fell love with the niece
n the proprietor Of Trawley's Hotel. Her name
WAS Helen Sheridan: she was eighteen years old
Al the time. and had several sisters. He persuaded
her 10 elope with him. and contemporary records
relate how the couple We're pursued by her father.
Michael sheridan. and her uncle. the owner Of
TraWleys Hotel. from Castelar, 10 Ballyglass and
thence 10 Tuam, hut they managed TO get away
N Scotland in safety. where they were married
Aftervard young Blake sent his wife 20 a fashion
able boarding school IN London, where she com
pered her education. and thus qualified herself TO
rrinsle with the wives Of the other officers Of his
regiment. The marriage was a singularly happy
one and when Blake died, in February. lS9 with
the rank OF major general. without issue. he be-
oueathed his entire fortune 10 his widow 10 re-
main al her absolute control
Il is true that a claimant appeared after her
death who insisted that he was = son Of General
and Mrs Blake ara hasing his pretensions on an
entry in parish registry a. Dublin. But eNamina-
ton Of the register disclosed such manifest signs
OF lis having been tampered with, OF erasures, OF
Insertions. etc that the claim was dropped. pre-
sumably under The threat Of criminal proceedings
TIE generals viii. made Immediately after his
marriage. and 10 which codicil was added shortly
before his death. makes no mention OF any issue
Of his marriage.
OF course the fact that Mrs Robert Dudley Blake
should have remained after her husbands death
mistress CT his property may be said 10 elirni-
maze the members Of the Blake family from the
slcoesslon unless il could be proved that her mar
rage had beer by some manner OF means invalid
This. however. is out OF the question, since Mrs
Blake would never have been tolerated among the /
officers wives OF her husbands regiment. during
his military career which landed him into the /
rank - general. had not her marriage lines been /
In perfect order
Mrs BIake-s heirs must therefore be sought !
among hc~ sisters-that is to say. the daughters
q Michael Sheridan. and OF his wife who was
PRIOR 70 Ler marriage Mary Jordan None Of the
sisters ] understand. survives. but II IS their
descendants who bid far now 10 establish before
the English tribunals their rights 10 the property
Of their aunt or grandaunt. Mrs Robert Dudley
Blake
lord WALIsCOCRT's PECULIAR STATUS.
I have mentioned Lord Wallscourt represent
ing the Blake family In the peerage. And yet it /
is q question whether Lord WallscOurt really be-
longs 10 the peerage. Indeed. he and his father
before him have been 50 uncertain about the
matter that they have never put forward any |
claim 10 ycie with the other peers Of Ireland In |
the election Of representative peers 10 act as dele
gates u their order in the House OF Lords al West
minister For before being permitted 20 vote they |
would have had 10 establish their status a. peers
o. ireland 70 the satisfaction OF the Committee Of
Privileges ot the House OF Lords Indeed Lord |
Walscourt is in a most anomalous position. for' |
while he figures in All the standard ''Peerages"
and Official works Of reference as Lord WascOurt
served as such as officer OF the Coldstream
Guards is received such at court ana exercises
nagsteral prerogatives under the Crown as deputy
lieutenant of the County OF Galway under the
name u Lord WaIscourt. yet he has not estab-
Ashed position the roll Of Irish peers, ana IS
therefore not eie bic 10 vote tho election of
Tesentative peers OF himself 10 become candidate
Tor election. while he is. on account OF the pre-
sumption Of his peerage prevented from voting
As cornnoner Indeed. he Is IN the singular POSI-
ton of being wholly without franchise
This peculiar condition Of affairs is due TO the
unique character Of the patent by which the
Barony of Waliscourt was created on July 81 lfsO
u was bestowed upon Joseph Henry Blake OF
Ardfry. where his ancestors had been established
since 1872 with remainder in default OF issue
male of his body 10 the heirs male OF the body OF
his father" Strictly sTeaking, the barony should
have been conferred on Joseph Henry Blake's
tather, who Was still awe. and who was power
IN the county Of Galway but he Roman
Catholic. and by the laws then In existence was
such precluded from any Office or honor. His
eldest son was a convert 70 Anglicanism Some
say ia became a Protestant in order TO be able 10
oitaln the peeraFe. and his conversion was NOT
regarded real He died three years later during
the lifetime Of his father and without issue. From
the time q his demise until that ef his father.
three four years afterN ard the barony remained
m suspense. and was considered by many 10 nave
become extinct But after old Squire Blake's death
the eldest son Of Lord Wallseourts younger
brother. Cautain Ignatius Blake who had died in
l7s was Jed by his relatives 20 assume his uncles
title as second Lord WallseOurt He. too diea