The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-11
LADY BURDETT-COUTTS'S
RESIDENCE TORN~DOWNs
Kings, Queens, Emperors and Notables Were
Visitors at Famous Salon.
ny LA MAnQUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

By LA MARQUIsE DE FONTENOY.
II NDO Is losing another familiar
through. the demolition
IL Of a mansion which, although
officially known as No. / STRAIT
ton Street. Is in reality No. so picca-
dilly, ana which Just a hundred years
ago-that Is to say. in the first days
OF Aprii. 1si0. was the scene or a siege.
In which the coldstream Guards and
the Royal Horse Guards were among
the be!eaSuerins forces, while the forr.
y rather the house. was held by the
late Baroness Burdett-Coutts's father.
Sir Francis Burdctt. supported and
encouraged by the London populace.
Sir Francis Burdctt, It may he re-
membered. while Radical member OF
In connection with It's treatment or a
publicist OF tho name of John Gale
Jones, that he was committed to the
Tower on a warrant OF the Speaker
House of Commons. Sir Francis de.
Iclined to admit the authority OF the
Speaker In the matter, m barricaded
himself In his house on ~Piccadilly--
being demolished In order to make
way for an apartment building. The
siege lasted Four days, and resulted
In n good deal of fighting and some
Royal Horse Guards the nickname OF
the Piccadilly Butchers" and cul-
minated in tho house being ultimately
stormed by the troops and In Sir Fran
els being carried off to the Tower OF
London, where he remained until tho
propagation of Parliament, some weeks
lie ter, put an end to the Speakers au-
thorIty. and consequently Ito his own
captivity. Unless / am much mistaken,
1t was the last occasion OF any ono
don as q prisoner.
1t Is a remarkable tact that al
though dust a hundred years have
elapsed since then, the Brooklyn-born
namely, Mr.. William Ashmead Burdett-
Coutts, is to-day representing the
same constituency. namely. Westmtn-
ster. In the House OF Commons.
Rich In Tradition.
Originally. the mansion now beng
torn down formed two houses. n OF
which was occupied by Sir Francls
Burdett and his daughter and the
other by. his father-in-law, old Tom
}sccondes noccs Harriet Mellon. the &c.
tress. After Tom Coutts's death. his
WIDOW, helrcss TO all his riches, mar
ricd the Duke Of st. Adams. and when
She died bequeathed her great fortune
ana tho house to her husbands srand-
daughter, angela Burdett, stipulattng
she should assume the namc or
Coutts In addition in her patronymic.
That was In 1887. and from that time
forth the Two houses were thrown into
one. 1t was from the balcony Of Sir
Francis Burdett's house in P%iceadilly
that tho late Baroness Burdett-Coutts
Witnessed the coronation procession Of
Victoria, and OF Edward VII. ON the
occasion OF King Edwards coronation
procession, tho baroness had by her
side Y L on the balcony her old friend, Aa.
ninety-two years OF age at tho time.
The baroness, whose widowed Amer
ican-born husband is barely sixty, ana
who herself only died about three
remembered her grandfather, Tom
Coutts, who, born quite early In the
reign OF George4ll, was grown &up at
the time OF the American War of In
dependence, and had been on terms OF
friendship with Or. johnson. the great
Lord Chatham. Garpicli, etc. Tom
Coutts was very hospltablc, and even
In his day his P%iccadilly house was the
tant men Of his time. while Sir Franc,s
lBurdett's house next door was the
headquarters OF Iandlcalism, although
ms son-in-laW to-day is q pronounced
Tory.
b ; 81 It was during the regime Of ..nc
douDl house on Plccadilly became Il
grent social centre. Up to tile time
81 inc baroness marriage, Queen Nic-
Were also the present King ana Ills
$consort; while among the habitues OF
the baroness salons, at so P~iccadilly.
and among those who were most IRE.
board were the royal Trench Duu
H'Aulnale. owner Of Chantilly, who Il
credited with having proposed for her
Ineror&of the French; the arst Duke OF
Wcllington, who is also asserted ia
:llaves. been asSonn or her suitors; Lord
SReaconstleld, EPalmerston, Wilberforce
SdurIng his stay in London; Genera
Sqordon,9 of Khartum, ana last, But III
least, Henry Stanley, the explorer. Ins
deed 1T is probable that there Ia NJ
priyate house Il, L % on Tor ths
Its hthreshold crossed by so many cele.