The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-23
TODAY IN HISTORY
Death Of a Gay Old vIscountess.
SATURDAY, JULY %, 1910,

Death Of a Gay Old VIscountess
One OF the most remarkable and inter-
estng OF all the court ladies OF England
was Cbristobella, vjscountess Say and
Sele, who died on July -, 1888, at the
extreme age OF %. She received a large
fortune from her father, Sir Thomas Tyr
rel, and was married three times, each
| OF her husbands adding considerably to
| her wealth, Her second husband left her
the fine estate, Doddershall house and
| here IL was that, after the death of her
third husband, when she was at least Sc
| years Old she used frequently TO enter
tsen large social parties and her balls
were the gayest and pleasantest in all
England.
The viscountess was always the life Of
her parties: she still loved the company
CT the young, and often seemed the
sprlghtllcst among them. Even when
past so, she was passionately fond OF
dancing, and practlced II with grace and
iors were sinking Into the decrepitude of
age. Men OF 80 were mere boys TO Lady
Say ana Sele. when she gally tripped it
''on the light fantastic toe" in her own
ballroom at Dodderhall.
An old chronicler says: "It was truly
delicious 10 see her ladyship at 81. and
her youthful partner of s5. merrily lead
ing the country dance. or bounding away
In the cotillion. or gracefully figuring a.
fashionable mlnuet."
When her ladyship was about 90 she
hoti W say lnal Suc D1d CHOSEN her
| first husband for love. her second for
riches, and her third for rank" and that
she had now some thoughts of begin
nlng again In the same order. 'I have
| always hitherto" she continued, :"been
able 10 secure the best dancer in the
neishoorhood for my partner. by sending
! him an annual present OF 81 haunch or
| Two OF Venison. but latterly begin to
| think he has shown a preference for
younger ladies'; so. I suppose. / must in
| crease my bribe, and send him a whole
buck at a time, instead OF haunch"
The exact age OF the viscountess was
not known, for she most carefully con-
cealed II. and It Is said. even caused the
record Of her baptism to be erased from
the parish register. 1t is only an act OF
justice TO Lady Say and Sele to men
tion, that while she loved gay recreations.
she was not unmlndful OF the wants OF
the poor. She was benevolent while liy.
Ing, and in her will, dated two years
before her death. she bequeathed large
sums of money for the endowment Of
some excellent charities for the poor of
the several parishes with which she was
connected.
July % Is interesting as the date. in
1851. that the blooner costume was first
brought practically 10 the notice OF the
world. al n ball held on that date at
style of dress was Mrs. Amelia Bloomer.
the editor OF the temperance journal
named "The Lily which was published
at Seneca Falls. N Y.
l ile lLSulOn ulQ not IlIl 10 make ltScU
apparent in various parts Of the United
States. Many OF the newspapers OF the
day noted the adoption OF the costume
in their home cities and generally with
much commentator. In the autumn OF
the same year an American lady lee
turcd on the subject in London. dressed
in bloomer costume. The dress ere
ated considerable merrimcnt in that
country, and even in the United States
the innovation had very short life,
On July %, 1865. the steamer Great
Eastern started to lay the second Allan
tic cable. 1t is the date OF the battle of
Manassas In 1863, the birthday of Char
lotte Cushman, the actress OSLO; Car
dinal James Gibbons (1S3D: and Albert
Shaw, Journalist and author 1S57). II
is the date OF the death OF Richard Glib
son. the artist Q690). Patrick Sarsheld.
the hero of Limeric q693l: Titus Oates,
lnstigator Of the Popish Plot conspiracy
(l105); and Gen. L. s. Grant (1SS5): and
the date of the guillotining OF Viscount
Alexander de Beauharnais. the first hus-
band of EmprcSs Josephine