The Washington herald., 1911-01-08
ENGLISH INVASION OF
AMERICAN MOTHERS

tween parents and children was not on
broad, confiding lines. Their lives were
in narrow grooves. The parents led theirs
apart from their offspring. The children
spent their days altogether in the nur-
sery under the supervision of attendants
and subjected to all kinds of rules. Each
lived their own world separately. Now
all that is changed.
To-day English parents take an interest
in their children. They not only care
fully supervise their education, but they
are anxious that their influence over their
children should be paramount. Who and
what has effected this change? The
American mother. The so-called Amer
lean invasion" American girls who at
that time began to become the wives Of
English noblemen.
Very interesting from the American
viewpoint are the two ducal houses OF
Marlborough and of Manchester. The
present Duchess OF Marlborough was
Consuelo Vanderbilt, daughter of the
noted railway magnate. Tall. slender.
and of courtly grace, she is to-day one OF
the most notable figures in London So
ciety. On state functions she wears a
diamond tiara and those magnificent
pearls which have a history of their own.
once having been a present from En-
press Catharine Of Russia to Prince Or
loff. her lover and as wicked as herself.
The first Duke Of Marlborough. the eel
ebrated general, left no sons; and Queen
Anne permitted the title to pass to tho
sons of his daughters. But there were
no sons until Consuelo Vanderbilt mar
ried the present occupant of the title. She
had two sons. the Marquis Of Blandford.
aged thirteen, and Lord Ivor Charles.
aged twelve. The duchess. despite her
high position, continues simple in her
aStn IL hrinpfn0 her hOyS TO he
like her. Yet she shirks none of the re-
sponsibilities of their rank. and Blenheim
Castle, one of England's show places, is
most elegantly and lavishly appointed.
The other American duchess is her
grace Of Manchester. daughter or Eu-
gene Zimmerman, of Cincinnati. mill
icnaire railway magnate. Her son. the
eight-year-old Viscount of Vaudeville. Is
the offspring of two generations of inter-
unions His grandmother was Consuelo
Yznaga de Vale, of Louisiana, dis
tinguished Southron, while his mother
Helen Zimmerman. comes from good
Yankee stock. This little viscount is heir
To some 10000 acres. besides his share in
the large dOwry which his mother
brought to her husband. He and his
brother and sister have been brought up
in great retirement, as their mother does
-
pursuits and is highly cultured. The
duke owns the historic castle of Kim
bolton. famed as the place where died
Queen Catharine of Arragon. the unfor-
tunate wife OF Henry VIII. The place
contains many priceless paintings by Van
Dyke. Titan. and Holbein. But the un
worldly. simple-minded duchess prefers
to reside at Tanderagee. a plain old Irish
mansion.
Prominent among the assembiaSe of
peereSses, who attended the coronation
of Edward VII, was the young Marchion-
ess of Duffern and Ava. then recently
married. The coronation coronet and
magnificent ermine- trimmed crimson veil
vet robe contrasted strangely to the fluffy
masses of fair. curling hair of the youth
full pcercss. who is the worthy hclpmeet
of her illustrious husband. Theirs was
indeed a love match. for when Florence
Davis left her New York home as the
bride OF Terence Blackwood. younger
son of the Marquis of Dufferin. there
was no likelihood of his ever occupying
his fathers seat in the House Of Lords.
The death of his elder brother, Lord Ava,
in the South African war. brought Lord
Terence next in the succession. and on
the death OF his father. soon after. the
young couple stepped into their present
position.
tntlkC rTOSt Rrrl'TlCdTS- 1sduy DuHeFln
follows the English system Of bringing
up her children. Lord Dufferin's official
duties keep him at the foreign Office in
London many months of the year. and
his wife refuses to separate herself from
him. Her three little girls. therefore,
spend most of their time with their
grandmother. the Dowager Lady Dufferin,
at Clandeboy. in the North of Ireland.
Asked recently whether she wished her
~.
Lady Dufferin replied emphatically:
THE nationality does not matter one
bit. It's the man that counts. l hope
that each Of my girls will get husband
who is good. and who cares for them
really and truly and then what does it
matter which side of the Atlantic he was
born on?"
There are more than twenty American
countesses and baronesses in the British
peerase but not all of them are mothers.
OF those who are blessed with offsprings
may be named Lady Essex. daughter of
the late Beech Grant, of New York. She
is the second wife of the earl and is
younger than her husband. She is the
mother Of two daughters, who are much
younger than their stepbrother. Viscount
Maiden. heir to the title. who is mar
ried and has children Of HIS own. His
little girls spend their time at Cassiobury.
a Jacobean house in Herts. famed for its
wonderful gardens and for having been
the scene of the Rye house plot to assas-
sinate King Charles.
Another very beautiful society leader
is Cornelia. Countess OF Craven. Petite.
with slender. graceful figure. she was
only seventeen when she married the
Earl of Craven. For some years she en-
joyed the distinction of being the young
est peeress in Britain. She really is
more European than American. her par
ents. the Bradley Martins of New York.
having resided in Europe many years.
They are very devoted to their grandson,
Viscount Ellington. a boy Of thirteen,
who is called Bradley after his grand
father. He is an only child and will in
herit about 5000 acres of English farm
land and three fine country seats. Coombe
Abbey, Hamstead Marshall. and Ashdown
Park. also the historic Coombe collection
of paintings. bequeathed to his ancestor
by Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia, daugh-
ter Of James !. His wife. when he mar
ries. may perhaps some day wear the
French crown jewels, which Mrs. Brad
ley Martin purchased when they were
put up for sale by the French republican
government some twenty years ago.
Lady Oxford also halls from New York.
being the daughter of ID. c. Corbin, OF
that city. She is very fair. with flaxen
hair and pale blue eyes. She lost her
son when he was a baby, but has two
very attractive daughters.
Another fair New Yorker is Lady Tank
kerville, daughter of the late ]. G. Van
Marter. Her eldest son bears the title
Of Lord Ossulton. and she has besides