New-York tribune., 1910-01-24
MISSING LORDS
Titled Britons Who Get Lost
IN America.

s-o-v-fght, 1910. by the Brentwood Company
Euriishmen are likely to get lost in
america. particularly when they happen TO
he men of birth and position. and law
,e-s on both sides Of the Atlantic derive
considerable revenue through being en-
Moved to hunt in this country for miss
ing scions of the British aristocracy, titled
and untitled.
lust at present a very extensive and
somewhat costly search is being made for
Lord Osborne de We're Beauclerk, half
brother and next heir TO the dukedom OF
St AIbans. as well as to the dignity of
Hereditary Grand Falconer of England.
Lord Osborne. who was formerly in the
army snd who served through the South
African war as captain of the nth Ian
GERS, came 10 this country in July, 1907 on
board the Celtic. as a fellow passenger Of
Alfred c. Vanderbilt, and after visiting
Alaska and spending some time in British
Columbia left some months back on a
hunting trip down the Colorado River. since
which time nothing whatever has been
heard CT him. Several expeditions have
now been sent out. at the instance of his
widowed mother, TO ascertain what has be-
come Of him, and much anxiety is enter
cained as TO his fate.
It is known that he had plenty Of money.
with him, and his prospects were favorable,
since in addition 70 inheriting the duke
dom and entaied property OF his elder half
brother, who is a bachelor and a confirmed
invalid he is also heir TO the considerable
fortune Of his mother. the widowed duch-
ess. who is the daughter and heiress Of
the late Ralph Bernal Osborne, and through
whom Lord Osborne has a strain of Jewish
blood in his veins.
The dukedom of st. AIbans was con-
Of Charles II by Nell Gwyn the orange
girl. under exceptional circumstances. The
Merry Monarch had for some reason or
other declined 10 bestow the same ducai
rank upon his son by Nell that he had
conferred on his children by his other IA
vorites. Barbara Villiers. Lucy Waters and
Louise de Querouailles. Resenting this.
Nell waited her opportunity. and one after
noon. when the King was riding through
the street on which she lived on his way
back from Newmarket with brilliant
cortege Of courtiers, she suddenly hung her
baby out Of the window by its chennise and,
hailing the King threatened TO let the
child drop 10 the stones below a his feet
unless he then and there bestowed q duke
dom on the infant. Charles laughingly
yielded and pledged himself TO comply with
her demands On reaching Whitehall he
L
bans. but likewise hereditary Grand Fal-
c0ner 10 the Crown. Thanks TO this royal
descent. the dukes of ST. AIbans are en-
titled 10 the use Of the royal arms of Eng
land. brised with the bar sinister. and
among other hereditary privileges which
they enjoy is the right shared by no one
but the sovereign. OF driving down Rotten
Row, in Hyde Park-a prerogative which
not even the princes and princesses OF the
relgning house possess.
among the many cases Of missing Eng
l4shnaen Of rank in this country one Of the
most remarkable is that OF Sir Arthur Cur
lis, third baronet OF his line, who disap-
peared in June, 1888. with an Indian guide,
while On his way from Ashcroft, on the
Canadian Pacific Railroad, TO the Klondike.
The expedition with which Sir Arthur
travelling when he vanished was command
ed by Roger Pocock. founder Of that Brit
ish seui-nilitary organization known as
the Legion of Frontersmen. and in his
book entitled The Frontiersmau," pub
Hshed three years ago in London. Pocock
devoted chapter to the loss of Sir Arthur.
FOR whom he and his party sought for
fortnight, without finding any trace 'Po-
cock describes IN his book how he had had
considerable difficulty in disposing OF the
ugly rumors that he had murdered Curtis,
and brings the chapter TO g conclusion by
referring 70 reports that Sir Arthur had
subsequently been seen alive in England.
From time TO time stories appear TO the
effect that the missing Sir Arthur has been
discovered in some out Of the way spot of
either the United States or Canada, but
these tales generally prove on investigation
70 be uufounded. and Lady Curtis expert
enced but little difficulty some years after
If bsrSb nd in nh
tanning decree from the English courts
FOR leave TO presume Sir Arthurs de-
mise, although no definite evidence had
ever been produced that he was really
dead beyond the fact that he had wan
dered away from his companions and dis
appeared from view, without leaving any
trace On the strength Of the decree thus
obtained Lady Curtis not long afterward
married Colonel Robert NJ. Brady, nephew
and heir TO the baronetcy of Sir Francis
Brady while her only child by Sir Arthur
became Sir Roger Curtis, as fourth baronet
of the line and as his fathers successor.
II is asserted that Sir Roger has never
given up the hope Of finding some trace OF
his father and I understand that he is now
living in British Columbia, partly with that
object IN view.
II NAV be remembered that when the
fifth Earl of Shannon died. nearly eighteen
months elapsed before his eldest son and
successor could be found. He had come 10
the United States some five or six years
previously had worked at all sorts OF
trades had undergone the most eXtraordl-
nary experiences, and when finally run TO
earth was working a cowboy on raHch
n New Mexico. where mis- name, Boyle, did
not suggest 10 MS companions the idea
that he was z missing earl. He experienced
some little difficulty in settling down 10
ordinary commonplace life as landlord
and territorial nsgnate at Castle Martyr,
In County Cork, and through his occasional
lspses from grace won the nickname for
himself in the district of the Cowboy Peer.
His own case and that Of James Burke
Roche are among the comparatively rare
instances where missing scions Of the aris-
tocracy have been found again For Lord
Aberdeen's elder brother who sailed from
Boston before the mast, bound for South
America. was never heard of again, and
II IS because he has been so long missing
that the present Viceroy Of Ireland was
summoned 10 the House OF Lords in MS
place.
James Burke Roche, however, next
brother and heir of Lord Fermoy, son-fn-
law Of Frank Work of New York. and
father OF Mrs Arthur Scott Burden. was