The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-30
ANOTHER DEATH OF
"LAST OF THE MEDICI''
ny La MAnaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

n LMoST every year newspaper
IA readers are treated TO stories
4 n from Europe OF the death Of
the last OF the Medici," usually in
very humble circumstances. and just
at present a report OF the same kind is
being circulated. 10 the effect that the
only survivor of this historic house
has lately shuttle off his mortal
coil" as sexton OF a church In the Bel
CLAN town OF Mons.
All these tales are rather m~isleadir.;.
For the Afedicis. who eiSned over
Tuscany for several centuries. and WHO
contributed so much TO the develop
ment of Italian art and letters. in all
their various branches. came 10 an end
with the death in 1877 of Grand Duke
John CASTOR. OF the Med!cis. withou:
issue. lie was u very weak creature, a
degenerate descendant of his famous
ancestors, and was forced by the terms
of the peace of 1873 10 appoint as his
successor Duke Francis. OF Lorraine.
husband OF Maria Theresa, and who IN
becoming G~randduke OF Tuscany. and
afterwnrds Emperor of Germany. un-
der the title OF Francis l.. SURRENDERED
his Duchy OF Lorraine to France. from
whom 1t was taken in 1870 by Ger
many.
There have been no survivors in the
"a iAAS az NtN '''N 80
tenth century, of that sovereign dy-
nasty of Medici which claimed descent
from Perseus-Benyenuto Cellin's
bronze Perseus. holding on high the
head of Medusa. was executed a.d
placed in the Loggia die LAM! at
Florence. TO symbolic the victory Of
the Mcd!ci over the Florentine repub-
lie.
It is known, however. that Silvestro
e NI.jfri v,l,, NO, Tho 3rc, ~ ,ha ~
lily TO obtain 4 distinct place in history
in 1873, had some relatives who neNH'
emerged from obscurity. Possibly the
last of the Medici' who died the oths"
day at Mons. was descended from one
of these relatives OF Silvestro. But IL
is ridiculous TO Identify In any way
the Belgian sexton with the great
Florent!ne dynasty Of the Medtcis,
since II would be necessary to go back
nearly 800 years to establish any con-
nection Herewith. AS mentioned above,
the case of this sexton Is by no means
an isolated instance. l have even neegd
of people here in America who have
made use of the name OF Medici. who
have adopted the familiar heraldic de-
vice OF the Medici. the six red balls on
n shield Of gold. for their armor!al
bearings, and who boldly claim to be
descended from the Medici G~randdukes
OF Florence. But have before me q
genealogical chart of the entire Medici
family, which definitely proves that
it became entirely extinct in the male
line in the eighteenth century. and
that all such ~pretensions are therefore
un warranted.
In reply to an inquiry from a reader.
as to whether Charles Stewart Parneil,
whose tardy memorial was unveiled
the other day at Dublin (half of the
money needed for its erection having
been furnished by Richard Croker,
formerly Tammany boss of New York;
had left any other sisters besides the
one. who. under the name of Miss
Palmer" was drowned last month
while swimming at Ilfracombe. in De
vonshire, l would state that he had no
less than six sisters. These consisted
of Della. married to James Thomson;
Emily, wife of Captain Robert Munro
Dickinson. of the Tenth Regiment Of
Infantry. and who published a book OF
family "reminiscences. entitled "a Pa
~triot's Mistake; and Sophia. who was
Mrs. Alfred McDermott. All these died
leaving issue. a fourth sister. Fanny,
died unmarried, and the nth sister.
who was drowned the other day. and
whose real name was Catherine Maria
Anna Parnell, also was unmarried. The
only surviving sister is Theodosia Par
nell. wife of Captain Claude Paget. of
the royal navy, a near relative of that
Almeric Paget who married Pauline
Whitney, of New York, and of General
Sir Arthur Paget. w~edded'to the daugh-
ter of Mrs. Paran stevens, tho owner
of the now defunct Fifth Avenue Ho'cl
in New York, and n member of that
well known English family of which
the Marquis of Anglesey is the chief.
The names of all Charles Stewart Par
nell's brothers and sisters are TO be
found in the pages of "Burke's Peer
age" under the head of Lord Congle-
ton, who is the chief Of the UParnen
family.
Another question frequently ad-
dressed to me by readers is concerning
the difference of height between Queen
Mary and King George. The latter's
stature is barely & feet in his
stockinged feet, and possibly 6 feet 4
to q 1-2 when booted. with big heels
and heavy soles. fof work on the moors,
! Queen Mary's height IS from 5 feet 0 1-2