New-York tribune., 1910-09-19
EARL Of LANDAFF'
Sol-OIsant Peer Who Is Also
Bishop of Old Catholic Sect.

4 Aai SNAii4e1Ason Win the religious denOmina-
ton known as the Old Catholics shows that
Arnold Harris Mathew having failed in his
attemut 10 obtain. through the Committee
OF Privileges OF the House Of Lords, recog-
milton from the crown as the rightful
claimant TO the extinct Irish esrldom and
viscounty Of Landau. owned hundred
years ago by the Mathews OF Thomastown.
Kilkenny. has consoled himself by secur-
ing conservation as bishop of the sect in
question.
/ II is a sect which processes the same doc
trines as the so-called Jansenists who were
cut of from the Roman Catholic Church
during the reign OF Pope Clement XI. It
insists on eIecting its own srchbishops ana
bishops. rejects the doctrine of infallibil-
ify, permits the marriage of the clergy and
services in the vernacular. It's most emil
nent members have been Gladstone's friend
/ Dr.. DoilinEer. and Father Hyacinthe. who
was connected with II for time. and IL is
represented in Holland by an archbishop of
the name Of Gul. at Utrecht. by two bish-
ops. by about threescore priests and about
twenty thousand OF the laity. In England
the sect has only one church namely. in
River street. Canonbury, North London.
and II the rite has ccme into prominence
/ lately IL is through the accommodation
Of two Roman Catholic priests, Father
Beale. OF St. Edmund's Nottingham, and
Father Howarts. of Corby Grantham, and
suspension from ecclesiastical powers and
faculties, on account Of their recent con-
version to the Old Catholic sect and OF
their acceptance Of conservation as bishops
by the claimant TO the Earldom Of Ian
da~ Their diocesan. who communicated
them Is the Right Rev. Dr. Brindle. Ro-
/ AnIi of Nottingham who
wears the Distinguished Service Order for
conspicuous bravery under fire while chap
lain 10 the forces under Lord Kitchener
during his Soudan campaign, who was one
Of the most popular figures in the army and
who was intrusted with the religious in
struction Of the young Queen Of Spain at
the time Of her conversion.
Although his claim has been rejected by
the Committee Of Privileges of the House
of Lords and by the crown. the Right
Rev Arnold Harris Mathew. Lord Bishop
and Metropolitan Of the Old Catholic
Church in England" who sfflxes the let
tiers II. d TO his name, although he holds
no English or American university degree.
continues 10 use the title of Earl of Ian
DAFT while his son. with q similar disre
gard Of all authority. has adopted the title
Of Tiscount landau, and both figure IN
Ger these titles in the English Who
Who of the current year, which might
lead people 70 believe that their nobiliary
titles were authentic and valid in the eyes
of the law.
The earldom and viscounty we're created
at the close Of the eighteenth century in
favor Of Francis Mathew Of Thouastown.
Kilkenny Member for Tipperary in the
Irish Parliament as a reward for his hav
Z -z h. oE md
and ireland Indeed he was one Of the
first tVenty-eight Irish representative peers
chosen al the union: and at his death, in
1896. his title and his estates passed 10
Francis James. Viscount Landau. IA
nous buck" and blood OF the regency.
He was q boon companion Of George "
as Prince Of Wales. and was believed 10
be the eldest and only surviving son of the
first eaEL-
According TO the story Of the present
claimant. Francis James was not the eld-
est surviving son of the first earl, and
should not therefore have succeeded to the
honors and 20 the property, which latter
he entirely dissipated through his insane
/ extravagance before his childless death, in
! IS33 It seems that the first earl and his
countess had a still elder son, Arnold by
name. who had been brought up in France
of whose existence they seldom spoke. ow-
Ing TO the awkward fact Of his having been
born only three months after their mar
riage Arnold was sent at the age of six
teen 10 India, a cadet in the Bengal
Artillery. and on growing up married at
Calcutta a daughter Of a papal marquis.
Dou7inico Povoleri register of the mar
rIage being in existence in St John S old
Cathedral Church at Calcutta. He never
T-fu <ag1 1r1Te n
sumo the title on the death Of his father
was due partly 10 the fact that his time
vas so much taken I'd with the continual
wars in which England was then involved
in India and elsewhere in the Orient. and
partly, TOO. because any legal proceedings
would have affected his parents honor by
revealing the date of his birth.
On the death in India Of this Arnold
Mathew. who attained the rank of major
general. his sor. Arnold Henry. continued
IN the army and fought under Sir Charles
Nspjer in the conquest of Scinde- He re-
cefzed numerous letters from his fathers
,,r7r1a -ried sister Lady Elisha Mathew,
who. addressing him az Lord Landau and
as her nephew. declared in writing that.
ewing to the second earl, that Is TO say, her
second brother having died suddenly ana
intestate. she had in the absence or her
pephew taken out letters of administration
ana assumed possession Of the Landaf es-
tstes She intimated that she was ready 70
surrender them 10 him as soon as he re-
turned 20 Europe.
When. at the close of the conquest OF
Sc,rde. Major Arnold Henry Mathew reached
Ireland he discovered that Lady Elisha
Mathew had died three years previously,
leaving will, devising the whole Of his
nroperfv-that is. the property which she
declared she would hold in trust for him
70 her NEPHEW. Major General the Vicomte
7 .ot1is de Rohan-Ch bot. who had become a
nat7lrsltzed subject Of the British crown,
ard married Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald,
daughter Of the second Duke Of Leinster
Ma 5or Arnold Henry Mathew. instead Of al
once asserting his rights and making good
mis- claims 10 the earldom and the properly.
went abroad in disgust and refused 10 visit
England or Ireland again. He died on me
Continent in 1894 a a very advanced age,
leaving a son. the present claimant nesloes
rue, daughters The SON. that Is 10 say the
soi-dissnt Earl OF landau and blshop Oh
the old Catholic Church in England Is
married 10 a Miss Margaret Duncan Dy
whom he has sew eral children.
II the Committee OF Privileges oI me
House Of Lords declined 70 recommend the
crown TO recognize the claimant, and 10
issue instructions 10 Ulster King at Arm