The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-15
La Marquise de Fontenoy
ORD ST. LEoNARDS. who has lust
celebrated hts coming OF age.

1 celebrated his coming of age,
IL mas many relatives on this side
OF the Atlantic. where he spent
considerable portion OF his youth.
first Mt Melville, Iowa, and afterwards
In New York. Having been carefully
brought up by his most unhappily mar
ried but very estimablc mother, he may
oe relied upon. although he has no for
tune. to live up 10 the obligations OF
the name of his illustrious great
grandfather. one OF tho most famous
lord high chancellors Of tho Victorian
reign. and ono of the most cclebrat cd
)urlsts OF the nineteenth century.
The first Lord ST. Leonards was tho
great LAWYER Sir Edward Sugden who
created Lord st Leonaris. He was
the son OF well known barber 81
DUKE street. ST. James's. London He
died' fun OF years and 'honors. in 1876.
Henry. who had left two sons, the cid
est Of whom was Edward, the second
Lord ST. Leonards and the second son
was Henry Sugden. father Of the pres
cnt and third Lord st. Leonards Tho
old lord high chancellor conceived dur
Ing the closing years OF his life, a most
profound aversion for the two sons
or his hrst-born: an aversion due to
the constant scandals TO which their
behavior was giving rise; and some
time before his death lie drew UP n
VIII. written on nineteen sheets of
ordinary quarto paper, in his own
his considerable property from his two
elder grandsons. bestowlng il upon his
second son, the Hon. and Rev Frank
Sugden, and upon his third daughter,
the last Quarter OF century of his
life had been not only his constant
companion. but likewise his trusted
confidante and amanuensis
This Will, to the existence Of which
the Hon. Charlotte Sugden and num-
Der OF other people were able to fur
nish conclusive testimony, could not
pc found on the death OF the old lord
nigh chancellor. and II was asserted
in court. and generally believed, that
IL had been felonlously destroyed by
his elder grandson. Edward. that Is
to say. by the late lord. who succeed
cd to his srandfather's paerage. While
the evidence was insufficient to enable
criminal proceedings to be instituted
against the late Lord st. Leonards for
the destruction Of his grandfather's
to cause the learned president of the
Court OF Probate. Lord Hammer. to
grant a decision In favor OF the Hon.
sister. the Hon. Charlotte sugden, and
against tho second Lord st. Leonards
That is to say, Lord Hammer. for the
first. and believe the only time In
the annals of tho English Court OF
Probate, admitted to probate a Will
which no longer existed in writing, but
only In tho memory of the plaintiffs.
ana of their witnesses. awarding the
whole Of the property. the extensive
landed estates. and some half million
dollars in money. to them. on tho
ground that he was in that manner
fulfilling the intentions of the testator.
despite tho criminal attempt on the
part Of the defendant Ito Illustrate
them, through tho felonious deatruc-
tion of tho will.
This Is matter OF court record.
The case ia one celebrated in tho an
nails of British Jurisprudence. and the
government prosecutor was taken to
task and criticized by the leading
English newspapers, for neglecting to
institute criminal proceedings against
the second Lord st. Leonards, based
on the decree of tho Court of Probate.
Not long afterwards the wife Of this
second Lord st. Lconards, member of
the ancient and historic house of
Dashwood, obtained a judicial separa-
ton from her husband. on the ground
of misconduct and drunkenness and
later he was convicted of particular
~ disgraceful assault on a poor SER