The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-16
BY Ia HiARQUISE DE TONTENOY.
80 ORD EGMQNT. ninth carl of his

line, who has just succeeded TO
IL the family honors through the
500 sudden death of his brother was
streets al D Hnssai IN soa it Africa.
and now holds very subordinate
clerkship In the civil service OF the
Natal government at Port Shepstone.
where he Is married to the daughter
OF physician, now dead.
He has no children: and next to
him in the line OF succession cones
his uncle. Spencer Arthur Perceval, a
very old man. almost an octogenarian,
whose eldest son, Arthur. died In 1899.
and whose only other son. Henry God
frey Perceyal, Is rumored to have
been murdered. with his wife. Cornelia
daughter OF the Rev. George g: Tan
ner). and his child. somewhere in Me-
braska. in September, 1884. though. no
proof positive. l understand. exists
Of his death. Indeed. II Is on the
cards that the real or bogus Henry
Godfrey Perceval. or some one claiming
to be his son, may eventually turn up
to claim the earldom of Egmont
Nor Is this the only complications for
the octogenarian Spencer Arthur Per
ceyal. now the next heir to the earl
dom, divorced at the age OF seventy
the wife whom he had married many
years previously IN New zealand. on
the plea that anqaher son n MhG Sia a ae
spring. 1t Is quite possible that THIS
man, too, may put forward claim
to the peerage.
The estates have been alienated from
the family. and the late Lord .EEmont
not long ago obtained permission from
the courts TO sell his only remaining
country seat. Cowdray PARK, e, me
great contractor. Sir Weetman, .fea :
son. who on being recently raised %
the peerage. selected as his title that
OF Lord Cowdray.
In this connection 1t would be In,
teresting to learn from the new Lore !, =
this country, whether In his put.
chase OF Cowdray Park. he bought II
subject to that strange old law Whic n
has always governed Its succession, ~ =
the law known MS Borough Eng ltsh..
and provides that In the event OF the
owner of Cowdray Park dying with
out making any VIII or ettieme 4 !.
eldest, but to his Youngest son, The 4,
htGuSastt to the the pTactiee in 70 cue among
the Landowners OF ancient times in
certain parts Of England. VINO, Wh zen
er them with money. herds and focks,
and then send them out into the
world, the family mansion and estates
remaining for the younEest SON. son WHO YaD
his parents In their old age. There
lis also a popular tradition, which.
the best authorities are disposed TO
discredit, according to which the Bor-
owed owed It's 7 origin rig to the fact that II
consequence Of the exercise Q. the
"droit du &seigneur" the oungest son 9.
was the most likely to be the on off, !;
therefore the Legitimate heir.
Formerly theN earldOm Of EEmont
was very rich indeed But the sex s,
enth earl contracted maria sc with
dents, a Miss Louisa King, to whom
Ilhe was SO 5devotedly attached tina ne
bitterly resented the ost racism g
(which she was subjected sby.t1tne e9 eernn,
which both he and she suffered In
this connectionMon one memorable oc.
casl on, when hey drove rs state S Y
attend the GoodWo9d races, Wnen aae
s ttse'5 81 of the property that he could
ALLEVIATE ALLEVIATE from the title. She is now
married to Alfred Brisco. bro her q :
nv interest nte ali her property. that's
tnSsay. the property formerly belonE;;;
Inc Inc TO Is the earl dom of Egmont, VIII
n 80 her death to her niece and az opt
ed daugh,tss,c LINN op,Iv som of siE Nus.
crave ly We Brisco and heir his par l e
q the t9Gtpnfs os e TIC
house 0 q p tSe ehtst. may MS he said To
mon u,!n he san Richard PerceYal. one q
the S{gsat y o saat nu Il
9 81 saso9otly e qsai dsad
i ny bl suyt Is England with the Inyinei,
S!e EnElsah f saln esPatisrfte e
la. spN91n ~, .a.rlnnds' on which were found
sne u
aprls him tHsaea s
Niahar !; ne tham 'S,W
tn,,1S fo eontai sorts asyatl,
concernin apa r,n p riand