New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-12

the ancestral country seat of the Earl OF
Sondes. who. being unmarried, has as MS
next heir his brother Henry. Lees Court
was built from the plans of lingo Jones, IN
the seventeenth century, by Sir George
Sondes, royaIist. who took a prominent
mart in the civil war and was created by
Charles II Tiscount Sondes and Earl OF
Faversham '.as some recoInpense for his
suffering and losses in the late rebellion.
The completion of the building may be said
TO have been marked by a tragedy For
one night Lord F8vershams youngest son,
Freeman apparently actuated by jealousy
at the idea of his elder brother, George IN
heriting this stately mansion. as wen as
the large estates connected Herewith ana
the family honors. while he himself would
be restricted 70 the traditional meagre por-
tion of = Younger son. killed George while
asleep. For this fratricidal murder winch
took place in room at Lees Court-which
was never used afterward-the boy Free
man Sondes was arraigued at the Kent
Assizas and was hanged at Maidstone just
fortnight later. despite his youth Thus
bereft of his two sons. Lees Court and the
other estates of Lord Faversham passed
10 n 7anbev Of the name of Watson. who
was created Yiscount Sondes and Earl OF
Rockingham. The third Earl Rockingham
died without issue and left Lees Court ana
all the other Sondes estates to his nephew
Lewis Nonson second son of his sister
Lady Margaret married to Lord Mohsoh.
The Hon Lewis Monsoon. in accordance
will, tho terms OF his unCle's viii. was
cor,raiIed 70 assume his patronyFnlc u
watson the arms of the Sondes faflhA
and also those of Lord Rockingham o"iIis
to the nolfticaI influence acquired tfroush
tho nossession of SO extensive estates ne
was raised to the House Oh i-oru9 d
Raron Sondes. and the fifth baron was
advanced to an earldom
Taes Court was not occupied by L'oro
Sord.s at the time of its destruction oy
e. IL, other dsv. It was let to Mr. ana
Mrs Reginald HaIsey who recently enter
tanned there Prince Henry OF PRUSSIA
Perinald T4alsey is the son of the Rlght
Hon IT Z HaIsey the former UnlonlSl
member for West Hertfordshire. VINO Gu
rio,,s1v enough. had his country seat, Gad-
dastoD Place. enc of the finest country
seats in the county. destroyed by fire just
five Years ago. several of the servants per
ishina in the contiagration. Reginald Hal
sa,-s grandparents We're lost at sea Sixty
wears ago. going down in the Ercolaha'
zvhic,, for7dered between Genoa and Mar
settles as the result of a collision Resl-
maid HaIsey married last April the woo"
of CAPTAIN Gerard Leigh, OF the Isl
Life Guards. who died very suddenly /"
1900 only fortnight after he had succeed
ed TO the Luton Hee estate. in Bed1ofo-
shire. on the death of the late Nine oe
Fable. He was q nephew OF MI Leigh
the second Of Nine. de Fables three nus
bands. whose estates reverted to MN on
thai Iady's death. He married. IN 1880
Marian Lindsay. daughter OF H l.. Antro-
bus. of Lower Cheam, the lady who Is no"
Mrs Reginald Halsey.
Luton Hee. by the by. which was sou
bv Mrs. Gerard Leigh. or. rather, by Mrs
Reginald HaIsey, to Sir julius WERNER the
South African mining magnate, was the
scene of two royal engagements, namely,
that Of the princess royal TO the Duke OF
Fife. and also that OF the late Duke OF
Clarence 10 the princess who Is now queen
Mary. In each case the chatela1ne OF the
Mace. the late Nine. de Fable. acted the
part of the fairy godmother, and not only
fostered the match. but likewise contributed
in no small measure to remove the 90
stacles from the path OF the young people.
MARQUISFs DE FONTENOH.