The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-10
BY IA MARaUIsE DE FONTENOY.
? rUGO CHARTERIS. whose engage
ment to Lady Violet Manners,

and Duchess of Rutland. has
just been announced. spent several
years in the United States, as one OF
the secretaries of the British embassy
at Washington, and during his stay
there was visited by his mother. Lady
Elcho. and by his sister, Miss Cynthia
Charters, who has since married Pre-
mier Asquith's second son.. Herbert.
Hugo Charters is the eldest son or
Lord Elcho, who in turn is the eld-
est son and heir of that wonderful
old scot grand seigneur. the Earl
of Wen.yss and March, now in his
n~inety-ttird year, and who when
eighty-two tempted matrimony for a
second time. by leading to the altar
Miss Grace Blackburn, niece of the late
Hugo Charters and his grandfather,
Lord Wemyss lwhose name should be
from that Sir David Wemyss. who in
the thirteenth century was one of the
Scotch magnates chosen to convey
Queen Margaret. the Maid of Norway,
from Scandinavia to Scotland. on her
accession in her mothers right to the
Scottish throne; and at Wemyss Castle
there still exists a curious Norwegian
bowl, presented by the King OF Nor
way to this Sir David Wemyss. The
territory or shire of Wemyss Is Sit
| MdlGu I'll lit ltDILI onO1 VI w "
of Forth, and is said to derive its
name from the caves in its rocky coast,
the walls of which are sculptured with
the work of early Christian missions
aries, to whom they furnished shelter.
The first member of the Wemyss
family to bea the title OF earl was
Sir John Wemyss, who was created
Earl of Wemyss and Baron Elcho,
sided with the Parliamentarians agatnst
his royal master. The fourth earl was
Queen Anne's Lord High Admiral OF
Scotland, and one of the commission
S Setw for eg EngIand a ths s seatIyyn g. union
The fifth earl married the daughter
and heiress of Colonel Francis Char
teris. of Amistield, and from that time
the name of Charters. usually in cons
junction with their former ~patronymic.
1t seems n pity that so illustrious and
so historic a house should have seen
fit to assume the name of Charters
and thus to perpetuate the connection
of their family with SO infamous q
creature as the Colonel Francis Char
teris in question, whose misdeeds are
familiar to all students Of the works
began life in the army. but was
drummed out of his regiment for cheat
ing at cards. He entered a Dutch
regiment. from which he was expelled
for stealing. On his return to Scot.
commission in the Third Regiment Of
Foot Guards, but the officers refused
to enroll him. He eventually got into
purchase promotion to the rank Of
i observation-disclosures. He was forced once
more out OF the army, after having
been found guilty OF fraud, which re
suited among other punishments in nj:
being forced to receive on his knees a
,lthe bar Of the House of Commons, {
scorching reprimand from the Speaker
Thenceforth he devoted himself e
gambling. n above all to usury. wa
on several occasions imprisoned IN
Newgate, and was so execrated on &C
count of his w~ickedness. that a popu
lar, riot took place at his funeral, tn q
: the coffin, and casting dead dogs an
cats and other offal Into the gray
along with 1t.
: The sixth ;nod E tafn FL 'J M n risin.!
OF 1745, his honor We're attainted q
Parliament; but on his death WithonI
) issue in 1885, they We're revived y
! favor Of his brother 49, +sn+,, an,
his son, Lord Elcho. is married to on
OF the three daughters Ct the l HGt
!, many people In this country thr,oug.
: one" OF John S. Sargent's masterpieces
1.-The painting in question representa-
her and her two sisters, Lazy AZ I eintair
MI Ill ! ~ ~ 49,
Was one of the features OF the Roya
Academy oxhibittGnf ,e Ct sane G%ssfrn fotr5e s
years a IS ,y, WHERE iba y M princa 'e 81 Wales q
as Ethe Three Graces," a title we
merlted, and which has stuck to L lift
Elcllo and to her Fascinating ana CIV
. ed sisters. ever since.
} Lord Wemyss entered Parliamen
some seventy years age as r~epresenta
nfoos,se Of Commons, and Is. SO far as,
am aware, the oldest legislator ! !
, point Of service at Westmtnater. !
tha House of Commons he was famou
an a clever and most aggressive dc
! batter. whose arguments Were aiway
> pointed. and usually ppopYlar. =
Who during the past summer has pee
ri, attracting attention in, the House :
Lords ~ his chlampionship r dse ffe
If It's prerogatiyes, was IN the tious
al Commons a conspicuous SYMPHONIC
Of the great. Sir Robert Peel Y