The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-25
KIRBY HALL
SOON TO BE RESTORED
y - MAnQuIsm DE roNTENOY.

BY Ia MAnauIsn DE- FoNrENoY.,
ORD and Lady Maidstone. with
the latter's parents. Mr.. ana Mrs.
Anthony j. DraXel, of Philadei-
phia, have during tho last two
months paid n number of visits to
Kirby Hall, in Nor,hamptonshire the
wonderful old country scat of Lord
Maidstone's father, the Earl of Win
chilsea and Nottingham. These visits
are in connection with the work OF
restoration which Lord and Lady
Maidstone are about to undertake
there, with the assistance of the
Drexels, who are fascinated by the
beauty and Old World charm of Kirby.
and 1t Is understood that Lord Win
chilsea is making over to his eldest
son and heir the entire Kirby Hall
property 1t is a magnificent old place,
dating from the Tudors, subsequent
additions having been made by lingo
Jones, In the reign OF Charles l. 1t
originally belonged TO the Earls OF
stafford. and was bought during the
reign OF queen Elizabeth BY Christie
pher Hatton, OF Holdenby who is de-
scribed in the deed of sale as captain Of
"the Queenes Majestie's Guard" he died
as her Lord Chancellor. and kirby Hal
eventually passed TO the Earls OF Win
chilsea, through the marriage of the
Hon. Anne Hatton, daughter ana
heiress of Christopher, Yiscount Hat
ton, to Daniel Finch, seventh Earl OF
Winchilsea, and second Earl of Not
tingham Considerable damage nay
ing been done by fire, the impoYerish-
ment of the Earls of Winchilsea pre-.
vented their repair OF the uatud ge ~ :,
their maintenance Of the grand old
place The roofs were allowed TO iali
in the windows robbed, not only OF
their glass, but even of their casing,
the doors removed from their hinges,
promotivc of the dislntegration OF
buildings, was allowed 10 have I'M
checked growth. In short, tue plac93
was absolutely left TO go 70 fack anu anu
ruin. The present LORD W lhchttsp ~,
while lie has had no money 10 restore
the place as whole, has at leass
rendered a portion OF the roofs water
tight and boarded UP some OF tue
windows. and taken steps TO presetVs
the wallis But IL would cost muGh
more than he can afford to restore the
entire place which when renovated by
people of taste and refinement, Win
reverence for the past, VIII DE one o.
the grandest and most stately OF lhe
old country seats of England
About year ago Colonel Jim
Forbes's engagement was formaliy
announced TO Miss Feridah Tayloff,
TAYLOR niece of Mrs. Ritchie, ana
closely related to the Carols of Car
rollton-in one word, half an Amer :
can girl. A few weeks later nqti.
fcation was issued to the erect thht
the marriage would not take place lace
1t seems that the question was raiser
as to whether Jim Forbes's divorce
from his first wife, Lady Angela
Forbes. sister Of the Duchess $50 OIL 5Inere
had been granted by the courts o.,
Edinburgh, and the point was falseu
as to whether Colonel FORBES was y
scotchman or an Engllslnah' IN 1s,n.l,i.,
latter event the Edinburgh tribunals
had no iurisdiction. Accordingly q
suit was Instituted in the Scotch courts
for the determination OF this point,
in which much testimony was produced
to prove that tho Forbeses were
scotch, through and through. the
Duchess of sutherland going into the
witness box in order to swear that
| both her former brother-ln- law, nm
Forbes, and his father, the late George
| Forbes, Cooked Aberdeen which was
regarded as clinching the question,
| The court accordingly decided thaa
| Colonel Forbes is ScotciAnan, as
such is within the jurlsdiction OF the
! Scotch courts, and that his Edinburgh
idivorce from Lady Angela Is valid
| This point having been cleared up,
| his engagement to Miss Ferldah lay,
| lor has been announced atresh, and
| shortly. Colonel jim Forbes, who was
| formerly in the Ninth Lancers, ana
/ who served with distinction in the
| South African War, is the son Of the
/ late George Forbes, who, very nrlllianl
and popular, married the daughter OF
| Dudley Ward, by the latter's, union
| with that wonderful old lady who died
| as Nine. de Fable, and was so m
| innate friend of Queen AleNandra
Georges elder brother, the late j.. SIT ! !
| Helen Moncrlefre, a member Of that
4 beyy of beautiful sisters one OF whom
| is Georginna, Countess of dudley,
/ while another, now dead, was the wire
I OF the Duke Of Atholl,
jim Forbes has always been known
/ as one of the best looking. men In
! London, and since leaving the army
| has embarked upon a business career
| and is partner in y llrm connected
with the Indian trade, so that he Is
between London and the EasS
| Although he has no longer much
l chance of succeeding to the Forbes
/ baronetcy and estates his cousin, the
| present baronet, having couple OF
(. little boys, who stand In the way, yet
4 thanks to the success of his business
ventures, he is very much better OFT
| financially speaking, than when nc
smarlied Lady Angela Erskine who
i threw over for his sake statesman
/. Of high rank and great political power
/ For the troubles between them We're
/ mainly OF financial character, the
colonel taxing Lady Angela With IN
| sane eNtrANagancei ana FURNISHING
| some sensational advertisements IN
the London Times and in other news
ii 4 4 i l93t