New-York tribune., 1910-01-03
LORD PERCY'S TOMB
Hereditary Right to Burial IN
Westminster abbey.

Lord Percy's death in Paris last week
serves TO cali attention TO the fact that the
oucaI house OF northumberland, to which
he belonged. is the only one of the British
peeraees which still retain the hereditary
f., privilege of entorabment within the walls of
Westminster Abbey. Formerly many great
families possessed this right. But they
have either become extinct or have allowed
the privilege TO lapse. The Northumberland
vault in the abbey is situated beneath the
ST.. Nicholas Chapel. and the last entomb-
rnent there was that of the father of the
present duke.
The obituaries published here of the late
Lord Percy are rather misleading since
they convey an impression of effeminacy
OF appearance and character. Now, Lord
Percy while at Oxford was known for his
prowess as an all round athlete, which,
however did not prevent him from carry
ing off first class honors and the Newdegate
Prize for poetry After leaving the uni
versity he won some distinction as fraV-
eIler. and had some rather exciting expert
ences while exploring the most remote por~
tons Of Asiatic Turkey, experiences Gazing
not only for considerable amount OF cour-
age but also of endurance. The two books
which ne wrote upon this little known
portion of the world have since been &C
eepted as standard works
The very fact that he should have been
Under Secretary of State for Foreign At
fairs. representing the Foreign Office in the
House of Commons indicates that he was a.
man of considerable cleverness; while the
large ma iorities which he was able TO OBJ
tain for his election to Parliament, not from
snv part Of the country where his family
rs,ssessed territorial influence, but from the
r,etropolitan district of Kensington, speak
well for his simplicity and democracy OF
manner He was, however, singularly I'M
emotional: that. too, in a. country where the
men. especially those of his particular
world. rather pride themselves on being un-
emotional. At one time he was reported
m n. engaged TO be married to the daugh-
Ter of Newcastle physician of the name of
Jnnes But there was a good deal OF oppo-
s,tion on the part of his family. notably OF
his mother. who is a sister of the Duke OF
Argyll. and the projected union did not ma
terialze.
Diving unmarried and childless. 1t Is his
soldier brother, Lord Alan Percy, who now
becomes next heir to the dukedom and 10
the great family estates; also to the chiei
ownership OF the great London banking
house of Drummond. Lord Alan Percy Is
CAPTAIN of the Grenadier Guards is about
thirty years old, and has lately been put
ting in q period Of special service with ina
Egyptian army.
The amount Of the ducal fortune and es-
tztes may be estimated from the fact that
the father of the present duke spent the surn
Of s3 oa 600 in building for his laborers' cot
tsges. to each of which half an acre OF lano
eas attached. He spent a still larger sum
in the erection and restoration of churches
while the amounts that he devoted TO the
construction of roads. bridges and drainage
works on his estates reached a still larger
sum The duke has number OF country
seats the best known of which are Syon
House, near London, where Charles II held
court during the Plague. and AlnWick
Castle In Northumberland, a noble and
majestic pile, one of the finest existing
specimens OF the old border castle or the
Middle Ages. and the only historic building
IN Great Britain--excepting Windsor, war
wick Castle. the Tower OF London and
Westminster Abbey-which was in existence
over thousand years ago. II is a perfect
mine OF art treasures which are outside the
ken of the ordinary art experts, and among
other objects Of interest there is the veloci-
reae. the first Of its kind (forerunner of the
modern BICYCLE, and Invented by the sec
ond Duke Of Northumberland of the pres
ert creation during the time which he
spent in England between his service under
Frederick the Great in the Seven Years
War in Germany and his participation in
the American War of Independence. It was
this dukes natural brother, James Smith
son by name, who made his home in this
country, and founded the Smithsonian H.
stitution al Washington. tc which he LETT
his entire fortune at his death, in 1879.